Podcasts about thati

Today we come to one of the most remarkable statements, andperhaps one of the most quoted, made by the Apostle Paul. In Philippians3:10-11, he writes: "That I may know Him and the power ofHis resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Hisdeath, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Afterstudying verse 9, we learned about the great exchange. Paul had received arighteousness not his own. He had been justified by faith and accepted by Godthrough Jesus Christ. Now,in verses 10 and 11, Paul moves from justification to sanctification. He movesfrom being found in Christ to growing in Christ. Notice the first phrase: "ThatI may know Him." These words reveal the passion of Paul's heart. Thinkabout who is speaking here. This is not a new convert. This is not a youngbeliever just beginning his Christian journey. This is the Apostle Paul, a manwho had walked with Christ for nearly thirty years. He had preached the gospelacross the Roman Empire. He had suffered greatly for Christ. Yet after all those years, hisgreatest desire remained the same: "That I may know Him." Theword "know" here speaks of personal, intimate, experiential knowledgeof Jesus Christ. Paul was not asking for more information about Jesus. Hewanted a deeper relationship with Him. This is the goal of the Christian life.  Sometimeswe become more interested in knowing about God than actually knowing God. Welearn Bible facts, study Bible doctrines, and memorize Bible verses, yet weneglect a closer walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. Christianity is not merelyabout information. It is about transformation through a daily relationship withJesus Christ.  ThenPaul says: "And the power of His resurrection." What does this mean? Paulwanted to experience the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Theresurrection was not merely a historical event. It is a present reality in thelife of every believer. Romans 8:11 tells us: "But if the Spirit of Himwho raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from thedead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells inyou." Think about that. The power of Christ's resurrection gives usvictory over sin. It gives us strength for daily living. It gives us courage intimes of trial. It gives us hope when circumstances seem impossible. Pauldoes not stop there. He also says: "And the fellowship of Hissufferings." That sounds very different. Most of us want resurrectionpower, but few of us want fellowship in His sufferings. Yet Paul understoodthat suffering often draws us closer to Christ than anything else. When we walkthrough trials, disappointments, hardships, losses, and difficulties, we learnto depend upon the Lord in ways we never would have otherwise. Peter wrote in 1Peter 4:13: "But rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ'ssufferings." This does not mean that Christ's sufferings for oursalvation were incomplete. Rather, it means that as we suffer for His sake, weidentify more closely with Him. We often learn more about Jesus Christ in ahospital room than in a classroom, more through tears than through triumphs,and more through trials than during times of ease. ThenPaul says: "Being conformed to His death." Do you know what thismeans? It means that we die toself. We deny ourselves, as Jesus taught, and we learn to walk with Him. Oh, myfriend, may God help us realize that we can walk with Jesus Christ more closelyevery day, enjoy a deeper relationship with Him every day, and become more likeChrist because we are getting to know Him more intimately every day. You see,the Christian life begins by trusting Christ, continues by knowing Christ, andends with being forever with Christ. That is what it means to attain to theresurrection from the dead. We have a glorious and blessed hope. One day wewill see Him, and we will be like Him.

Hello and Welcome to the DX Corner for your weekly Dose of DX. I'm Bill, AJ8B.The following DX information comes from Bernie, W3UR, editor of the DailyDX, the WeeklyDX, and the How's DXcolumn in QST. If you would like a free 2-week trial of the DailyDX, your only source of real-time DX information, just drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com {Marathon Alert} CE0Y – Easter Island will be active from June 20–27. Manu, CE3YMR, will be active from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) under the callsign 3G0YM. The focus will be on the 6-, 30-, and 40-meter bands, with possible activity on 10, 20, and 60 meters depending on propagation. Operations will use FT8 and SSB modes. Although this takes place during a family vacation, the goal is to maximize contacts for the worldwide DX community during this second activation from the island. 5H – Tanzania - A reminder, the NK8O (Charles) work trip to Chihoni, Tanzania, is planned to start today and continue to July 2. Working around his job assignments, he will be on the air as 5H3DX. He will be using 100 watts to a dipole, vertical, and long wire antenna, CW, FT8 and FT4, 40-6M. He will upload the log to LoTW and Club Log. {Marathon Alert} C2 – Nauru - Phil, C21TS,  confirms he will depart Nauru on July 22. Meantime, he will be working “a lot of new ones.” PJ2 – Curacao -PJ2/PH2M, operatorFrank, will be on the air until June 29, mainly FT8 and “some FT4 and SSB,”various bands. QSL using Club Log OQRS, or LoTW, or direct to his home QTH. {Marathon Alert} FS – St. Martin – K9EL, John,operating as FS/K9EL, is now active on the air using an IC-7300MK2 and anExpert 1.3 amplifier. Antennas covering 6 through 80 meters are installed, and6 meters has been performing particularly well so far. Because his local noiselevel is very low, many stations may not realize he can hear them. Anyoneneeding a QSO is encouraged to contacthim through his QRZ email address. ClubLog Livestream was notfunctioning, so he uploads logs to LoTWand Club Log at the end of eachday. His grid square is FK88, but the FTsoftware cannot transmit thefull grid when using a compound callsignsuch as FS/K9EL. If conditions are favorable on 6 meters, operators mayalso hear K9EL on the air at thesame time, as he has remote access to hishome station. On Wednesdaynight, he enjoyed a good 6-meter openingto VE6 and VE7, thoughunfortunately, he was unable to get areply from any VE7 station despitethe promising three-hop path. {Marathon Alert} A6 – United ArabEmirates - A60PCis a special event callsign that is QRV until June 30th, in supportof the UAE's Pledge and Commitment. This national initiativeinvites people to affirm their loyalty toPresident His Highness SheikhMohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and theirsense of belonging to the UAE,while promoting peace, coexistence, socialunity, national responsibility, and the preservation of these values for futuregenerations. VP2V – British Virgin Islands - Jonathan, W5GI, willoperate from his second QTH in the British Virgin Islands until June 30th.He'll be active as VP2V/W5GI operating on 10–40 meters via SSB and FT8. You mayalso email him to arrange aSchedule. Thisweek, the DX Mentor Podcast will feature a discussion with Robin, WA7CPA, aboutthe DXpedition to E51MWA, the North Cook Islands/Manihiki. Check it out and let me know what you think.             If you have questions or needinformation, just drop me a note at thedxmentor@gmail.com  Contest Updates  There are a few contests thatI have found to be especially useful for DXers who are trying to fill bandslots or work an All Time New One.  Until next week, this isBill, AJ8B saying 73 and thanks to my XYL Karen for her love and support. IHope to hear you in the pileups! Have a great DX week! 

2020年全国高考一卷英语听力第一节听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。1.Where are the speakers?A. At a swimming pool.B. In a clothing shop.C. At a school lab.2.What will Tom do next?A.Turn down the music.B.Postpone the show.C.Stop practicing.3.What is the woman busy doing?A.Working on a paper.B.Tidying up the office.C.Organizing a party.4.When will Henry start his vacation?A.This weekend. B.Next week. C. At the end of August.5.What does Donna offer to do for Bill?A.Book a flight for him.B.Drive him to the airport.C.Help him park the car.第二节听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。听第6段材料，回答第6、7题。6.Why does Pete call Lucy?A. To say that he'll be late.B. To tell her about his work.C. To invite her to dinner.7.When is Pete going to see Lucy?A. At 6:00 pm.B. At 6:45 pm.C. At 8:00 pm.听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。8.Why does Cathy want to quit her job？A.She'll join another firm.B.She'll run her own business.C.She's fed up with it.9.What is Mark's attitude towards Cathy's decision?A.Forgiving.B.Sympathetic.C.Supportive.10.What might Cathy do for the present company?A.Apply for a project.B.Train a new person.C.Recommend an engineer.听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。11.How did the man feel about his performance today?A.Greatly encouraged.B. A bit dissatisfied.C.Terribly disappointed.12.What did the man say helped him overcome the problem?A.Patience.B.Luck.C.Determination.13.What is the woman doing?A.Conducting an interview.B.Holding a press conference.C.Hosting a ceremony.听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。14.What is next to the apartment building？ A.A restaurant. B.A laundry. C.A grocery store.15.Which is included in the rent？ A.Electricity. B.The Internet. C.Satellite TV.16.What does the woman think of the apartment？ A.It's quite large. B.It's well furnished. C.It's worth the money.听第10段材料，回答第17至20题。17.Where is Jeff from？A.Liverpool.B.Coventry.C.Newcastle.18.Where do young men go to watch big games according to Jeff？A.Pubs.B.Stadiums.C.Friends' homes.19.Why does Jeff have to pick a team to support？A. To avoid being bothered.B. To open a conversation.C. To earn respect from others.20.What does Jeff mainly talk about？A.England'smoment of success.B.English flag as a symbol of hope.C.England's all-time favorite sport.【参考答案】1-5BCCAB 6-10 ABACB 11-15BCACA 16-20 CBAAC【听力原文】Text 1W:Can I help you?M:Yes. I'd like to try this jacket on, please.W:Okay, the changing rooms are over there.Text 2W:Tom, your music is too loud.M:Our band is practicing for the show, mom.W:But it's already the middle of the night.M:Okay, we'll cut it off right away.Text 3M:You look pretty busy. What's up?W:We're putting together an office party this Friday evening. There'll be about 30 people, and I'm the organizer.M:Nice, but it's probably best not to overwork yourself. Enjoy!Text 4W:Hi, Henry, did you say you are going to take a vacation next week?M:Actually, I'm leaving for San Francisco this weekend.W:Cool. But I can't get away until the end of August.Text 5M:Donna, have you booked the flight to London for me?W:Sure, Bill. Do you need a ride to the airport? I can do it.M:No, thanks. I will park my car at the airport.Text 6M:Hi, Lucy, this is Pete.W:Hi, what's up?M:Listen, I'm afraid I'll be a little late tonight. Remember I said earlier thatI would pick you up at 6? Now, I'm going to meet you at about a quarter to seven, as there's been a problem here at work.W:OK. Don't worry. The film begins at 8. I'll wait.M:Good. Get something to eat before I arrive. Okay?W: I will.Text 7W:Hi, Mark. I've decided to leave the company. I had an amazing time here. But it is time for me to move on.M:May I ask why, Cathy? I do hope that you stay with us here. W:Well, you know, I've got a new job in a big engineering firm. It's a management position.M: In that case, I think that I understand your decision and you have my support.W:Thanks for understanding. But I can work here two more weeks. M:That's great. Will you be able to finish your present project?W:Sure. And if you hire someone within ten days, I'd be happy to provide training in my areas.Text 8W:Well done! Congratulations! How are you feeling?M:Tired. I'mjust tired. W:But you did so well to get second place in today's car race.M:Well, I came out here aiming for the gold. I got third place last time and it was not the result I had hoped for.W:What happened today? You were looking extremely good at the start.M: I blew it. The car was a bit out of control.W:Some people might have given up at that point.M: I was determined to do it to finish the round.W: So what now?M:Tomorrow is going to be tough, much tougher than today.W:Well, I think you showed great determination today. Good luck for tomorrow and thanks for speaking to us.Text 9W: So what is your new apartment like, Terry?M:Oh, it's great. There are two bedrooms, a nice kitchen and a living room.W:Sounds nice.M:Yeah. And there is a grocery store next to the apartment building. And there is a laundry and a fast food restaurant across the street, so it is a quick way to get a meal.W:That's good. How much do you pay in rent?M:Well, I have a roommate, so I pay half the rent. That is $275 a month, with gas, water and electricity included. And the Internet and satellite TV are separate.W:That's a really wonderful price. How on earth did you find a place like that?M: I just found it online. W:Great.Text 10M:Hello, I'm Jeff Anderson from Coventry, England. And in today's program, I'd like to share with you a special kind of English culture — the football. A lot of people in England are crazy about football. During the football season, whenever there is a big match, all the flags for local football teams, such as Liverpool and Newcastle are hung outside every window or even spread proudly on T-shirts or scarves. There is an atmosphere of excitement in the air. Groups of young men crowd into dark packed pubs, staring at television screens. Of course, they are covered head to toe in the colors of their team. They shout and scream in sadness when their team loses a goal or with joy when there is a moment of success. You do not have to be a fan of football to get caught up in the excitement, as far as victories are concerned.England had its big moment in 1966 in Wimbledon Stadium. The World Cup victory is in the hearts and minds of all football fans. Now, whenever England is playing a big match, red and white covers every inch of every pub, a symbol of hope — the English flag. While football has never been something I'm particularly interested in. For years, I've had to pretend excitement and pick a team to support. You cannot say you don't like or do not follow football in England, as often this will lead to a long dialogue in which someone will begin telling you why you should support their team.

LESSON 154I Am Among The Ministers Of God.Let us today be neither arrogant nor falsely humble. We have gone beyond such foolishness. We cannot judge ourselves, nor need we do so. These are but attempts to hold decision off, and to delay commitment to our function. It is not our part to judge our worth, nor can we know what role is best for us; what we can do within a larger plan we cannot see in its entirety. Our part is cast in Heaven, not in hell. And what we think is weakness can be strength; what we believe to be our strength is often arrogance.Whatever your appointed role may be, it was selected by the Voice for God, Whose function is to speak for you as well. Seeing your strengths exactly as they are, and equally aware of where they can be best applied, for what, to whom and when, He chooses and accepts your part for you. He does not work without your own consent. But He is not deceived in what you are, and listens only to His Voice in you.It is through His ability to hear one Voice Which is His Own that you become aware at last there is one Voice in you. And that one Voice appoints your function, and relays it to you, giving you the strength to understand it, do what it entails, and to succeed in everything you do that is related to it. God has joined His Son in this, and thus His Son becomes His messenger of unity with Him.It is this joining, through the Voice for God, of Father and of Son, that sets apart salvation from the world. It is this Voice Which speaks of laws the world does not obey; Which promises salvation from all sin, with guilt abolished in the mind that God created sinless. Now this mind becomes aware again of Who created it, and of His lasting union with itself. So is its Self the one reality in Which its will and that of God are joined.A messenger is not the one who writes the message he delivers. Nor does he question the right of him who does, nor ask why he has chosen those who will receive the message that he brings. It is enough that he accept it, give it to the ones for whom it is intended, and fulfill his role in its delivery. If he determines what the messages should be, or what their purpose is, or where they should be carried, he is failing to perform his proper part as bringer of the Word.There is one major difference in the role of Heaven's messengers, which sets them off from those the world appoints. The messages that they deliver are intended first for them. And it is only as they can accept them for themselves that they become able to bring them further, and to give them everywhere that they were meant to be. Like earthly messengers, they did not write the messages they bear, but they become their first receivers in the truest sense, receiving to prepare themselves to give.An earthly messenger fulfills his role by giving all his messages away. The messengers of God perform their part by their acceptance of His messages as for themselves, and show they understand the messages by giving them away. They choose no roles that are not given them by His authority. And so they gain by every message that they give away.Would you receive the messages of God? For thus do you become His messenger. You are appointed now. And yet you wait to give the messages you have received. And so you do not know that they are yours, and do not recognize them. No one can receive and understand he has received until he gives. For in the giving is his own acceptance of what he received.You who are now the messengers of God, receive His messages. For that is part of your appointed role. God has not failed to offer what you need, nor has it been left unaccepted. Yet another part of your appointed task is yet to be accomplished. He Who has received for you the messages of God would have them be received by you as well. For thus do you identify with Him and claim your own.It is this joining that we undertake to recognize today. We will not seek to keep our minds apart from Him Who speaks for us, for it is but our voice we hear as we attend Him. He alone can speak to us and for us, joining in one Voice the getting and the giving of God's Word; the giving and receiving of His Will.We practice giving Him what He would have, that we may recognize His gifts to us. He needs our voice that He may speak through us. He needs our hands to hold His messages, and carry them to those whom He appoints. He needs our feet to bring us where He wills, that those who wait in misery may be at last delivered. And He needs our will united with His Own, that we may be the true receivers of the gifts He gives.Let us but learn this lesson for today: We will not recognize what we receive until we give it. You have heard this said a hundred ways, a hundred times, and yet belief is lacking still. But this is sure; until belief is given it, you will receive a thousand miracles and then receive a thousand more, but will not know that God Himself has left no gift beyond what you already have; nor has denied the tiniest of blessings to His Son. What can this mean to you, until you have identified with Him and with His Own?Our lesson for today is stated thus:I am among the ministers of God, and I am grateful thatI have the means by which to recognize that I am free.The world recedes as we light up our minds, and realize these holy words are true. They are the message sent to us today from our Creator. Now we demonstrate how they have changed our minds about ourselves, and what our function is. For as we prove that we accept no will we do not share, our many gifts from our Creator will spring to our sight and leap into our hands, and we will recognize what we received.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

Welcometo Pastor's Chat. Today we are looking at verse 16 of Philippians 2, whichsays: "Holding fast the word of life, that I may rejoice in the day ofChrist, that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." The phrase"holding fast" can also mean "holding forth." It paints apicture of something being extended outward for others to see. What are weholding forth? We are holding forth the Word of Life. This refers to thegospel, the life-giving message of Jesus Christ. The world around us isspiritually dying, and it needs the lifeline of the gospel. Picturesomeone drowning. They are about to go under for the last time. You happen tohave the only lifeline on the whole ship. You are standing there with theability to hold it forth and throw it to the individual who is drowning,rescuing them from certain death. That is exactly what we are called to do. Weare in the rescue business, rescuing precious souls—souls for whom Jesus Christdied—from entering eternity without Him. Peopletoday are searching for meaning, peace, forgiveness, and hope. We possess theonly message of eternal life. Jesus said in John 6:63: "The words thatI speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." We are notcalled merely to believe the gospel privately. We are called to proclaim itboldly. Jesus said: "You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you andordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruitshould remain." (John 15:16) Alighthouse does not hide its light. It shines outward to guide others safelyhome. Every believer is called to hold forth the Word of Life through bothspeech and conduct. Our message and our lifestyle need to match each other. Whenbelievers constantly complain, fight, or live inconsistently, the gospelmessage becomes clouded. But when our lives reflect Jesus Christ, the gospelbecomes visible through our very lives. ThenPaul says something very personal in this passage. He speaks about rejoicing: "ThatI may rejoice in the day of Christ." The Day of Christ refers to thetime when believers will stand before Christ for reward. It is also called “theJudgment Seat of Christ”, and is also referred to in the epistles as "theDay of Jesus Christ," or simply as "that Day". It refers to thetime when you and I will give an account of how we held forth the Word of Lifeand what we did to bring others to Jesus Christ. Paulreferred to this Day of Christ twice in Philippians 1. Philippians 1:6: "Beingconfident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you willperform it until the day of Jesus Christ." And then in Philippians1:10: "That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you maybe sincere and without offense till the day of Christ." In 1Corinthians 1:7–8, Paul wrote: "Waiting for the revelation of our LordJesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blamelessin the day of our Lord Jesus Christ." That Day refers to the time whenJesus Christ returns for His church, and believers stand before Him to berewarded. It is not a judgment for our sins. That was taken care of at thecross. Faithfulpastors do not simply want large crowds; they want transformed lives. Paulsaid: "…that I have not run in vain or labored in vain." Inother words, he desired that his life and ministry would not be empty orfruitless. There is no greater joy than hearing that those we have influencedare walking in the truth. 3 John 4 says: "I have no greater joy than tohear that my children walk in truth." Can you imagine the joy inheaven when we see those who were impacted by our witness? Everyconversation about Christ matters. Every gospel tract matters. Every prayermatters. Every act of kindness matters. We should never underestimate what Godcan do through simple faithfulness.

SCRIPTURE- Isaiah 61.1"The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; He has sent me to bring good news to the afflicted, to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives, release to the prisoners,"REFLECTION- Sr. M. KarolynMUSIC- "Come Thou Long Expected Jesus" by John Catchings- "Forest Path" by Damjan Krajacic & Robert ThiesCONCERT FRIDAY"Good Day" by Forrest FrankOkay, okay, okay, okayI'm 'bout to have a good day (Good day)No matter what they say (What they say)The sun is shining down on meBirds are singing praiseI'm 'bout to have a good day (Good day)In every single wayThe God who made the universeKnows me by my nameSo it's a good dayBaby in my arms walking through the neighbourhoodLiving in the present, not woulda shoulda or couldaI remember back when I was low as a rugNow I'm standing up look at what my father doesTurning old things newGrey skies blueHear the church saying "Won't He do it"I know He's got my backThat's why I'm singing thatI'm 'bout to have a good day (Good day)No matter what they say (What they say)The sun is shining down on meBirds are singing praiseI'm 'bout to have a good day (Good day)In every single wayThe God who made the universeKnows me by my nameSo it's a good day (Yeah)It's a good day, mmm no, it's greatEverything I prayed for didn't come in lateI got all I need and I didn't have to waitAsk me if You love me, You didn't hesitateTurning old things newGrey skies blueHear the church saying "Won't He do it"I know He's got my backThat's why I'm singing thatI'm 'bout to have a good day (Good day)No matter what they say (What they say)The sun is shining down on meBirds are singing praiseI'm 'bout to have a good day (Good day)In every single wayThe God who made the universeKnows me by my nameSo it's a good dayNah-nah-nah-nahNah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nahNah-nah-nah-nahIt's a good dayNah-nah-nah-nahNah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nahNah-nah-nah-nahIt's a good dayNah-nah-nah-nahNah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nahNah-nah-nah-nahIt's a good dayNOTES-PRAYER OF LETTING GOTo You do I belong, O God, into Your hands I surrender my life. Pour out Your Spirit upon me that I may love You perfectly, and serve You faithfully until my soul rests in You.

Dr. Deb Muth 0:03What are the answers to your child’s chronic allergies, ADHD, or autism?weren’t just in another prescription, but in restoring balance to their body chemistry. Today’s guest has spent nearly two decades uncovering those answers through integrative and biomedical medicine. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?Helping children heal when nothing else seemed to work.This is the conversation about science, compassion, and changing the future of pediatric care.Welcome back to Let’s Talk Wellness Now. The show where we uncover the root causes of chronic illness, explore regenerative breakthroughs, and empower you with the practical tools to heal. I’m your host, Dr. Deb, your medical detective, and today’s episode is one every patient should hear.My guest is Dr. Anu Usman Singh, Medical Director of True Health Medical Center in Naperville, Illinois, and the owner of Pure Compounding Pharmacy.And for over 17 years, she has been pioneering evidence-based integrative interventions for children with ADD, autism, allergies, and complex gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders. She’s not only a practicing physician, she’s a researcher who’s investigated copper-zinc imbalances.metallonine dysfunction, biofilm-related infections, vitamin D in pregnancy, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.Dr. Usman serves on the executive board of TACA, and is a faculty member at MAPS, training other practitioners in pediatric integrative care. So get ready for a conversation that will open your mind and heart to the possibilities of when medicine truly becomes holistic.If you guys can insert the ad in here, that’d be great.Well, welcome back. I’m so excited to have Dr. Usman with me today. I have known her for, oh my gosh, 15, 17 years, something like that. We’re aging ourselves. Anju 02:32Oh, yeah, when we were in our 20s, right? Dr. Deb Muth 02:35Yes, exactly. So, welcome back, and I am so excited for you to be here, because you have literally helped thousands of families over the years.But I’d love for you to share a little bit about your journey, kind of who you are, what drew you into exploring integrative and biomedical approaches for helping children and families. Anju 02:58I think my journey is similar to a lot of you out there, the audience. I mean, we’re looking to help our families, and our kids, and ourselves, and I was doing my residency at Cook County Hospital, downtown Chicago, in the 80s.And I thought, oh my goodness, if I could take care of the sickest patients, then I can take care of anybody. So I came from Indiana, and I went to Cook County, and my children, my eldest daughter, started having, severe allergies and asthma, really, really at a young age.And I went to, like, my residence, and I went to my attendings, and I said, this baby is wheezing. And they told me, babies don’t have asthma.And I said, she has all the symptoms of asthma. She has asthma. And I remember with, in her crib, I would just nebulize her, you know, and I was like, what is going on?And I figured out that she had a lot of food allergies, and I was nursing her, eating the foods that she was allergic to, and back then, in the 80s, you know, we didn’t have the internet, we didn’t have Whole Foods, and I just…being a doctor, and I didn’t even know what to do, and I felt so hopeless. And I thought, gosh, you know, I’m a doctor, I have these, like, skills, I have… people I can talk to, and I still feel so… it’s so difficult. And then this… my particular daughter, the oldest one, her name is Priya, and she developed severe, asthma, and I couldn’t figure it out. She was in junior high. Every time she would walk into the lunchroom, she would have a severe asthma attack.And I’ll be like, what’s going on? What’s going on? I kept her home over the weekend, she was better. I sent her back to school, she was bad again.And we figured it out that it was other people eating peanuts. Dr. Deb Muth 04:54Severe peanut allergy. Anju 04:56And I went to the school, and I said, she…can you, like, put her somewhere else? Can… they said, oh, no, that’s not fair to other kids and their food. And this was in the 90s. Dr. Deb Muth 05:10Yeah. Anju 05:10And so, I just…You know, my heart goes out to families who are struggling to find answers for their kids, and my daughter Priya, the one I told you about, she ended up passing away from a peanut allergy.And so, I’ve just… Dr. Deb Muth 05:26Yeah. Anju 05:27My heart goes out to parents and my own kids and their illnesses.And so I just started working with families, with kids, andIt just kind of grew from there. Dr. Deb Muth 05:40Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and I think being a mom who went through that yourself, and…was seen but not heard, and turned away from the traditional medical community, you’re forced to start finding answers on your own. And we always feel like we’re on an island by ourselves in the medical world when we’re doing that. Anju 06:01Yeah, I, it was really hard when I found out, you know, about…Integrative medicine, and just different…ideas and approaches to diet and supplements, I thought, how come I wasn’t trained in any of this?And… Dr. Deb Muth 06:21So angry when I learned some of the things that I learned in the beginning. I was like, same thing, like, how did they not teach us this? And then I think, you know, it’s my fault, was I asleep, was I not paying attention, whatever. And then you just realize, like, there’s this whole part of the human body.That they just didn’t teach us. Anju 06:42Yeah, so then I… I, probably like you, we had to learn it on our own. There weren’t, like, classes or any way to learn this stuffAnd I just reached out. There’s a clinic that,I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Pfeiffer Treatment Center? Dr. Deb Muth 07:00No. Anju 07:01Do you know Carl Pfeiffer from the attendees.He has a clinic called the Pfeiffer Treatment Center in New Jersey. It was called the Princeton Brain Bio Center. Dr. Deb Muth 07:12And in the 70s, they did orthomolecular medicine for patients with ADD. Anju 07:18And schizophrenia. Dr. Deb Muth 07:20Mmm… Anju 07:21and depression.And they used to categorize them in 3 categories, and at the time, they called them histopenics, histidelics, and pyrolurics. Dr. Deb Muth 07:31Okay. Anju 07:32Histapenix were low histamine patients.Delix were high histamine patients, and pyrolurics were their own kind of category. We added another category of copper-zinc imbalances, and then we would categorize that population into high histamine, low histamine, pyrolurics, and copper-zinc.Now we talk about under-methylation, over-methylation. Sure. So, under-methylation is the, you know, the high histamine people, they can’t clear the histamine. And the over-methylators are, you know, what we call about low histamine now.And, and then pyrolurics and copper zinc. So…I lost my train of thought, but in the 80s, when I was going through this, in the 90s, I reached out to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center.He’s like, can I calm and just hang out and, like, see what you guys do? Because I need some answers.And I started working there and, started doing research on copper-zinc imbalances, and I did it in children with autism.And that’s how people started coming to me, and I kinda got, like. not famous, but I, you know, the word spread about, okay, we could talk about it, and Dr.Walsh was the, you know, PhD there that did a lot of the research, so we worked together for 8 years. Dr. Deb Muth 09:05Isn’t it crazy to think that we knew about histamine issues way back in the 70s? You know, I got the pleasure of being trained by, environmental medicine doctors. Dr. Wayne Konetsky and Glenn Toth taught me about environmental medicine, and what we called histamine issues that we call it today, mast cell, right? But when I was learning in the early 2000s, it was labeled as chemical sensitivity. And so it was just people that would react to everything, and we really didn’t know why, and they didn’t necessarily have this very specific allergic reaction, but we knew they were reacting, and we would try to treat them, to lower the histamine way back then. And it’s taken all these years, 25 years, to get to a point where we understand mast cell activation now, and histamine issues.And it’s really sad to me that it’s taking this long for us to identify things.And we’ve all got our journey, and I loved back in those days, too, because as I learned, I would call people up and say, hey, I just got a patient from you, and they told me this great story, and I have other people, can I come see what you were doing? And back then, everybody was very open. They were like, yes, please, come, learn. Now everybody’s like, oh, we can’t teach you, we can’t give you our secrets, but…Or pay me $20,000 to come learn with me. But back then, I mean, everybody was just… we were all in the same boat. We were all just trying to learn from each other. Anju 10:36Oh, yeah, oh yeah, and any bit of knowledge you got, you’re like… Dr. Deb Muth 10:41Yes. Anju 10:41God, you know, I learned this piece, and… Dr. Deb Muth 10:43Hmm? Anju 10:44We just kind of built from that. I keep thinking about back then, you know,the under-methylators, over-methylators, copper, zinc, and then I learned about metals.And then, as a physician, I was like, oh, okay, well, there’s mercury in vaccines, there’s aluminum in vaccines, and now I’m seeing these high levels. Dr. Deb Muth 11:04In my patients, now what happens? Anju 11:07And then we started, kind of, trying to get the word out about those things. Dr. Deb Muth 11:13Yeah. Anju 11:13And in 2000, a lot of the people that I knew put out a paper about, you know, mercury. Dr. Deb Muth 11:22And then… Anju 11:22And we all got on the Mercury bandwagon. Dr. Deb Muth 11:25Yes. Anju 11:26And did that for a while, and then we started learning about other things, like mitochondrial issues in chronically ill people, and these chronic infections, like Lyme disease, and so… and then now, you know, understanding mast cell activation, cell danger response. Dr. Deb Muth 11:44On endocrine, and adrenals, and hormones, and… Anju 11:48Yeah. Dr. Deb Muth 11:49biofilms. Anju 11:50Biofilms, I started talking about that in 2007. Dr. Deb Muth 11:54And so then… Anju 11:56It just… it just kind of keeps adding, and keeps adding, and keeps adding, and it’s like…Sometimes you think, how come I didn’t know about this back then? But I feel like it’s a process. Dr. Deb Muth 12:06It definitely is a process, and it’s amazing to seehow many people are researching different things, and they’re all, like, putting a piece of the puzzle together. And I think this is really important for our listeners to understand, is when you see a practitioner and they don’t have all the answers, this is why. It’s very complicated, it’s not black and white. And I’ve had patients over the years say to me, well, why didn’t you say this to me 6 months ago? And the truth of the matter was, I didn’t knowabout it 6 months ago. Like, all of this stuff is just… it’s evolving constantly, and when you’re a practitioner like Dr. Usman and myself, you are learning every single day. Our training has never stopped from the day we stepped into integrated medicine, and you just… you keep learning new things, and sharing new things, and talking to new people, and that’s what expands our knowledge base. Anju 12:57Yeah, the more I learn, the less I feel like I know. Dr. Deb Muth 13:01Yes, me too. Every time I go to a conference, I’m like, how did I not know this? How am I stupid? And I know we shouldn’t say that word and call ourselves that, but sometimes you feel like that. It’s like, how did I not know? Anju 13:14Or you’ll see a patient, and you’ll look at them, and you’re like, how come I didn’t realize this about this particular patient? Dr. Deb Muth 13:20Yes. Anju 13:21Yeah, they present differently, see things differently. I think that’s why it’s good to find a doctor that you trust and that you can work with, because it’s evolving. Dr. Deb Muth 13:31Yes. And, you know, we have those patients that they come, and I get those. I call myself, like, a tertiary care center. Anju 13:38You know, you get those patients that have been everywhere, and seen every doctor, and then they’re like, you’re my last hope, you’re gonna solve all my problems, and…I say to them. We’re a team, like, we’re gonna solve these together, but it takes time for me to unravel this puzzle. Dr. Deb Muth 13:54Excuse me? Anju 13:54And it… and sometimes, you know, there’s a few hits and misses along the way. Dr. Deb Muth 14:00Yup, but if. Anju 14:00If we keep at it, you know, we also say it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Yes. You know, if we keep at it, we can kind of figure it out together. Dr. Deb Muth 14:09Yeah, and a partnership, for sure, because without the feedback of the person you’re working with.understanding, like, we do this, and this happens to you, it’s very complicated as a practitioner to then be able to figure out, what do we do next? I see more and more clients these days, they come in and they just want to ask me within the first 5 minutes of, what am I changing? And I’m like, I have no clue yet. Like, you have to tell me what’s happened since the last time we did something, and then we have to look at labs, and we have to look at this, and we… it’s a synopsis.that we have to look at. You know, it’s not that black and white for us to be able to put the pieces together for them. Anju 14:47I think my most successful patients are the ones who are able to communicate with me.Their ups and downs. Yeah. And they also use their own intuition. Help me guide them. Dr. Deb Muth 15:06Yeah. Anju 15:07So, there are some people that they just hear, you do it, and you tell me.There are people who try to tell me everything. Dr. Deb Muth 15:15Okay. Anju 15:15Say, I want you to do this, do this, do this. Dr. Deb Muth 15:17Yeah, so I was like, okay. Anju 15:19I can do those things, but, you know, like. Dr. Deb Muth 15:21Yep. Anju 15:22think about blah blah. But, like, this… that collaboration.and, intuition. I kind of feel like even thoughI’ve trained allopathically as a traditional medical doctor. I feel like as I learn, I learn that being open and,Letting go of fear. Dr. Deb Muth 15:46Yeah. Anju 15:47And, not trying to jump on every, like, new thing, and being. Dr. Deb Muth 15:53consistent. Anju 15:54and diligent. really helps. Dr. Deb Muth 15:58It helps a ton. We see that, too, you know, the latest…Instagram influencer that’s talking about the latest topic, and all of a sudden, everybody sees themselves in there, and they must have that, but not realizing putting those connections together. It’s like when MTHFR came out, right? We were all so excited that this was going to be the detox gene.And then we learned so much more about genes, and now MTHFR is very popular again, and everyone’s talking about it, but they don’t understand how some of those other genetics fit together. And if you don’t understand that, we’ve all done it, we’ve all made people worse instead of better, sometimes when we’ve given too many methyl groups together, or this supplement without this support before we knew that there was another gene that we had to support for that.And I think it’s really important for people that are listening to us today talk about this, is don’t just jump on the bandwagon. Like, you really want to work with somebody seasoned who understands how all these pieces fit together. Anju 16:57Yeah, and I think that’s what individualized medicine is about.And there is no magic here, a magic bullet.I think that example of MTHFR is really good. Now, President Trump talked about Leukovorin. Dr. Deb Muth 17:14Yes. Anju 17:15in, and, you know, he’ll get up and say something like, leukovorin cures autism.And then the rest of us are like…Did you just say that? Dr. Deb Muth 17:26Yep, he did. Anju 17:30It’s folinic acid, it’s calcium folinic acid, it’s been around a long time. We’ve been using it for 20 years. Dr. Deb Muth 17:37Yeah. Anju 17:38But it does help a subset of people who potentially have what we call cerebral folate deficiency.And some of those people are misdiagnosed as autism. Dr. Deb Muth 17:50Yeah. Anju 17:51So, are you treating autism, or are you treating cerebral folate deficiency?same thing I could say about… I have a lot of cases of kids who recovered from autism.and severe ADHD using chelation type of. Dr. Deb Muth 18:06up. Anju 18:06Approaches, or detox approaches.again, did we treat their ADD and their autism, or did we treat their lead…Toxicity or lead burden, and their symptoms of those things got better. Dr. Deb Muth 18:20Yeah. Anju 18:20So, like, to put a big, like, a label like, oh, ADD on something, or autism on something, I think it does a disserviceTo the individuals, because it’s such a broad issue. Dr. Deb Muth 18:35It is, and I think the diagnosis has gotten to be much more popular these days.And yes, thank goodness we’re getting better diagnostics, but sometimes we’re getting over-diagnosis, or like you said, it may look like one thing, but it could be something else, but because it looks like autism, they’re going to get labeled with autism.And in some respects, that’s good, they can get more services that way, but sometimes we’re missing the actual picture of it. Can you talk a little bit about how autism is different than the cerebral folate deficiency? Anju 19:11Yeah, so there are some people that make an antibody to their folate receptor. Dr. Deb Muth 19:18Hmm. Anju 19:20So, to get folic acid into your cells, there’s a receptor on your cells. Dr. Deb Muth 19:25And then the folate has to bind to it, and then it lets it enter into the cells. Anju 19:30And there’s these receptors that allow folic acid to get into your brain.Now, you and I know when you put folate in your brain.On one end of the folate cycle, you help make more neurotransmitters. You’ll make something called BH4, and that’ll help make serotonin and dopamine, and then norepinephrine and epinephrine. So folate is really important for making your neurotransmitters, folate and B12.On the other end, it’s like, another cycle on the other end of folate is our methylation cycle.And methylation is so important for our RNA and our DNA, and making choline, phosphatoly choline, and making creatine for speech.And helping us with all the precursors for detoxification.So without folate in our brain, we can’t make our neurotransmitters efficiently, we can’t break them down efficiently, and we can’t detox our brain.Imagine what that will do to your brain. Dr. Deb Muth 20:36Yeah, Anju 20:37And you will see symptoms like speech delays, cognitive delays, processing issues, poor attention.All of those things. Excitation, anxiety.All of those, and so if the folate isn’t getting into the brain efficiently, then we’ll have all these symptoms, and we’ll end up with diagnoses like these. Dr. Deb Muth 20:59Yeah, so is there a way that people who are listening to this can request a test to see if they make this antibody to folate, or is it more of a diagnosis of exclusion? Anju 21:14That’s a great question. When I first started doing this, like, 20 years ago, there was, like, a university that was doing this.studies, and it was Dr. Quadros. He was the guy, and we would take samples and send them to his lab, and he would tell us about these blocking and binding. Dr. Deb Muth 21:30folate antibodies. Anju 21:32And if patients had positive blocking or binding folate antibodies, we would follow his protocol. And he’s done papers on patients with severe autism.Where he found these folate antibodies, and then did spinal taps on the kids, and they were associated with this cerebral folate deficiency. the cerebral… spinal fluid.And in his papers, he gave .5 to 2 milligrams per kilogram of calcium folinic acid, which is leukovorin. It’s a vitamin. And over a 6-month to a 12-month period.The majority of those patients improved drastically.Some of them regained speech, and some of them lost their autism diagnosis. Dr. Deb Muth 22:26Because they never truly had autism. Anju 22:29Well, they have autism symptoms, and that’s what autism is, but we call it autisms. Dr. Deb Muth 22:36Yeah. Anju 22:37And so now, like, we need the research to categorize these people. You know, what percentage of autism is cerebral folate deficiency? Yeah. What percentage of autism is, heavy metal. Dr. Deb Muth 22:51Bourbon. Anju 22:52And what percentage of autism is Clostridia overgrowth, or… Dr. Deb Muth 22:57Hmm. Anju 22:57microbiome… Dysfunction, and then there’s overlap. Dr. Deb Muth 23:01Right, yeah, Lyme and mold and viruses. Anju 23:04and infections, and you can see… Dr. Deb Muth 23:07injury from medications and things like that that happen, or birth traumas. Yeah, I mean, it’s not… it’s not as simple as what people think autism is.Why do you think that we’re seeing so much more autism today than when you and I were kids? We didn’t see this that often. I know environment has a lot to do with it, but do you have a couple of things that you suspect are contributing to the rise of autism these days? Anju 23:38Yeah, I mean, that’s a million dollar question. Dr. Deb Muth 23:40Right. Anju 23:41And, just because I work with children, you know it’s not just autism that’s epidemic, and yeah. Dr. Deb Muth 23:49You know that. I mean, it’s… it’s probably… if you add all the epidemics that are happening to children. Anju 23:54Autism still supersedes it.Now it’s 1 in 33s, 1 in 35 boys, I mean, it’s…children. It’s really sad. When I was in med school, it was 1 in 10,000. Dr. Deb Muth 24:10That’s crazy. Anju 24:11What’s causing it? I mean, obviously it’s multifactorial. Dr. Deb Muth 24:15Yeah, 80,000 chemicals in the environment that we never had before. Anju 24:20I, I, I, look, I’ve… 219 million. Dr. Deb Muth 24:26Oh my gosh. Anju 24:27I looked it up today. Dr. Deb Muth 24:29119 million different chemicals in the environment. Wow. Anju 24:33We don’t know how many of those are super toxic. Dr. Deb Muth 24:36Yeah, and we don’t know what they do together. Anju 24:38A lot of them were, like, before, like, grandfathered in and all of that.Yeah, it’s really crazy about the chemicals. So, chemicals… I kind of… feel like…you know, this burden of all this, it’s not just on our children, it’s on our mothers. Dr. Deb Muth 24:56Yes. Anju 24:56oh my gosh, the moms of these children that… And they don’t even realize it, you know, we’re just so happy to be pregnant and have a kid.So I think it really, really starts with that piece. Care, good prenatal care, yeah. Yeah, and not just what we think is prenatal care, taking your prenatal vitamins. Dr. Deb Muth 25:18Yes. Anju 25:19And going to your gynecologist, but what you and I think is prenatal care, you know, before you get pregnant, let’s detox, let’s clean up our diet, let’s get rid of those chemicals, let’s make sure we’re not in a moldy environment.You know, let’s do our due diligence, clean air, clean water, clean food, sunshine. When I did my residency at county, I don’t think I saw the sun for 3 years. Dr. Deb Muth 25:44How?Yeah. Anju 25:46it’s just that intense, and I was pregnant twice, and my eldest hasthe allergies and asthma. Number 2 is type 1 diabetes and mold sensitivities and allergies and asthma. Number 3 has severe chemical sensitivities, mast cell activation,Hormonal issues. Dr. Deb Muth 26:09Yeah. Anju 26:09And… number 4 is my… Golden, baby. Dr. Deb Muth 26:15And those three, you know, those years that you’re there, and you’re not seeing the sunlight, there’s vitamin D deficiency, and we don’t talk about vitamin D that much during pregnancy.I still am appalled that we’re giving folic acid these days during pregnancy instead of folate, but… Anju 26:36Folenic, or methylfolate? Dr. Deb Muth 26:38Yeah, nothing. So, when, when you,discovered vitamin D in pregnancy, and it’s linked to neurodevelopment outcomes. How did you stumble across that? Anju 26:50Well, in… when I started working on Copper Zinc, Dr. Walsh and I would go to the, like, DAN conferences.Yeah. At the time, and it was interesting, because DAM conferences were a collaboration between parents.And practitioners, and researchers. Dr. Deb Muth 27:10Very unique for. Anju 27:11That’s how that new IACC committee is. It’s a collaboration of parents. Dr. Deb Muth 27:17Hmm. Anju 27:18Practitioners, researchers, And individuals with autism. Dr. Deb Muth 27:25Yeah, so for those of you who are listening to us, it’s… we’re talking about the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee that Bobby Kennedy just put together. It’s called IACC, and they are on a mission to try to do the research to figure out what’s causing autism. Anju 27:43Yeah, and not just causing it, like, these people have been living it, most of the people on that committee have been living it, and their whole lives, for some of them.And being able to bring forwardlike the question about vitamin D, we started seeing a lot of patients in Minnesota. Dr. Deb Muth 28:04Mmm. Anju 28:05who were from Somalia. Dr. Deb Muth 28:08Okay. Anju 28:09Who were… it was, like, 1 in 4 families with kids with autism.And the theory was that the vitamin D levels that they get in Somalia versus the vitamin D levels that the moms get in Minnesota. Dr. Deb Muth 28:27Hmm? Anju 28:28Affected the immune system. Dr. Deb Muth 28:31Yeah. Anju 28:32predispose them. So there’s a few papers on that. Dr. Deb Muth 28:36Yeah, that’s a… I mean, it would be a very significant difference, and when you’re thinking about genetically, like, what their culture, who they are as a species.was used to and adapted to with the sunlight and different things from a different region, geographical region, and then they moved to a new geographical region, that can take decades before the body adapts and readjusts.to that new environment. We don’t think about those things in…traditional medicine, and conventional medicine, as most people know it, but we do in functional medicine. Anju 29:14Yeah, so again, the clinicians were bringing this up, like, why am I seeing so many families? Dr. Deb Muth 29:18Yeah. Anju 29:18Then let me go to the… and then in the think tank, the vitamin D researcher said it’s vitamin D. Dr. Deb Muth 29:24Yeah. Anju 29:25And then they started researching it, and it was almost like a backwards… backwards. Dr. Deb Muth 29:31Thank you. You know, they didn’t first… Anju 29:33Think it. Dr. Deb Muth 29:34Think about it, yeah. Anju 29:35Until you start seeing… and that’s why I think that, like.clinicians like you and me, who are… I consider us on the front lines. We’re the front lines. We are seeing… we’re seeing this epidemic unfold. Dr. Deb Muth 29:46Yes. Anju 29:47front of our eyes, we’re seeing, like, the gut issues and the severe inflammation. We’re seeing the autoimmunity, and now they have to study it. Dr. Deb Muth 29:57Yeah. Anju 29:57They have to study this. They really, really, we really need, we really need protocols, we need tools, we need things that you and I have been figuring out anecdotally with our colleagues over the years, and, oh, how do we treat yeast? How do we treat Lyme? How do we treat metal burden?For this podcast today, I wanted to talk about low-level lead exposure, because for me.1 in 3 children have a lead level, above 5. 1 and 3. Dr. Deb Muth 30:31Yeah, that’s very high. Anju 30:33800 million children. Dr. Deb Muth 30:36And let’s clarify this, because the first thing people are going to think of is, what are they eating? They’re not eating lead paint to get this. That is not what’s happening here. They are getting lead from someplace else, and their bodies are not able to detox this. Anju 30:53And the reason I’m bringing this up is because when I was in residency at County in the 90s, I ran a… I worked at a lead clinic. Dr. Deb Muth 31:01And back then. Anju 31:03When we looked… we just diagnosed lead toxicity, the level was 60. Dr. Deb Muth 31:10Their level had to be 60 to diagnose them. Anju 31:13Correct. Dr. Deb Muth 31:13Oh my gosh. Anju 31:14And that’s when we would treat.And back then, there was a study, it’s called the TLC study, where they used DMSA, which is a drug to lower lead.And our goal was to get it from 60 to 20. Dr. Deb Muth 31:33And was the normal range the same back then as it is today? Anju 31:37The normal range has gone from 60 to 40 to 20 to 10 to 5 to 3.5.But you and I know I’m the normal range. Dr. Deb Muth 31:47Yes. Anju 31:47Zero. Dr. Deb Muth 31:48Zero. Anju 31:50So… so again, in my… in the lead clinic, we were given DMSA, and we got the lead from 60 to 20, and the number one thing was to get rid of the lead in the environment. Dr. Deb Muth 32:02Yeah. Anju 32:03But we haven’t evolved since then.Because in that study, It did not improve cognitive abilities. So if you think about what lead does, it causes attention issues, slow processing, it affects hearing, it can cause hyperactivity, it can cause impulsivity, it can cause aggression, it can cause constipation, it can cause hypotonia.So if you think about all these kids with ADD and autism, how many of them have low-level lead exposure from the lead pipes? In Chicago, it’s a big, a big problem. Dr. Deb Muth 32:37Yeah, Milwaukee. Anju 32:38Everybody thinks Flint, Michigan, but Flint, Michigan is not the only place. Dr. Deb Muth 32:42Right. Our infrastructure is so terrible, it has not been updated, and even though you might look in your house and you might see a white PVC or plastic pipe, what’s coming under the ground to the house in the cities is usually still lead. Anju 32:58Right. Right. Dr. Deb Muth 33:00Yeah. Anju 33:01So, I guess the point is, is that…the… the idea of, like, studying this. So, again, they study this, and they say, well, we’re not going to treat low-level lead exposure because it doesn’t improve their cognition.But did they really treat it? Dr. Deb Muth 33:18Right. We got it from 60… we got it from 60 to 20. Right. But when I know, where is the lead hiding? Anju 33:24So high. Look at the bones, it’s gonna be coming out. It’s gonna be coming out, especially during puberty. What happens to some of our kids during puberty? They just go a little wonky. Comes out again during menopause. Dr. Deb Muth 33:38Yes. Anju 33:39I don’t know, male menopause, too. Like, we’re all losing bone mass then, and our lead is coming out, our blood pressure goes up. So, again, these are some of the areas that I think, like, really need some… hard… looks. Dr. Deb Muth 33:53Right, yeah. So, what are you hopeful about this committee? Like, are you hopeful that this committee is going to be able to research some of these big things, and we’re really going to be able to find answers around some of the functional things and the biochemical things that we see, you and I know happen in the body, that might give some standardization and education to practitioners in the future. Anju 34:23Well, I think this committee understands the scope of the issues.And they’re coming from different perspectives, like I mentioned, research. Dr. Deb Muth 34:33Yeah. Anju 34:35really highly qualified MDs. MDs like you and me, who have been on the front lines. moms. Dr. Deb Muth 34:43Yeah. Anju 34:44dads, patience, And so, the strategy would be to get, again, their input, and then…get the places… people in places to do their research. And even make some guidelines and some, like, you know, thoughts about what we want to put out there. Dr. Deb Muth 35:05Yeah. Anju 35:05You know, how do we want to strategize for… Dr. Deb Muth 35:08Prevention. Anju 35:10Like, the pre-pregnancy thing. Dr. Deb Muth 35:12Yeah, I’m really hopeful that this doesn’t become a… political football,And it doesn’t get taken away if the administration changes or whatever, because people need to understand that this kind of researchthis is going to take decades for people to do. Granted, we have AI, and AI can help a little bit and get some things quicker.But trying to figure out all of these nuances to why the body does what it does is not gonna be, like, next week we’re gonna find out that this was the single cause, and I know a lot of people, they’re afraid of the vaccines, and that’s gonna be the sole answer.And that has a piece of it, but it is just a small piece of it for some people larger, but at the end of the day, that’s not what this is about. This isn’t about just labeling one thing that is the cause of autism, because it is not one thing. It is so multifactorial. Anju 36:09And I think that whole cause, I know,A lot of money has gone into. Dr. Deb Muth 36:16Yeah. Anju 36:16looking at that. They’re looking for the gene, right? The gene that causes it, and… Dr. Deb Muth 36:23answer. Anju 36:24They have not… they’ve spent millions of dollars looking for this.And it’s not gonna pan out. It’s not. Dr. Deb Muth 36:33I’m not. Anju 36:34pan out. It’s more complex, like we’re talking about. Dr. Deb Muth 36:38Yeah. Anju 36:38And, I do think that sometimes, you know.Even though, like, politically, it seems like it’s a political topic, but it has zero to do with politics. Dr. Deb Muth 36:52Yeah, exactly. This is our children. This is the future of our country, the world. I mean, America’s not the only place that has kids with autism. I mean, this is the future of humanity. If we don’t figure out what’s injuring our children, there will not be a humanity that you and I have seen. It will be different. And, and this is important, we owe it to the future of our generations, we owe it to our children to figure this out and clean up our environment, and make it safe for everybody. Anju 37:24Yeah. Clean up our air, clean up our water, clean up our food… Dr. Deb Muth 37:29Yeah. Anju 37:30You know, our lifestyle a little bit, but… Dr. Deb Muth 37:32hoodie? Anju 37:33It’s… it’s… it’s everywhere. I travel all over. Dr. Deb Muth 37:36Bye. Anju 37:37Consult with doctors in different countries, in Italy, in India, Bulgaria, Romania… Dr. Deb Muth 37:46Yeah. And. Anju 37:48we’re going to Australia for med maps to treat doctors in, in April. And it’s a problem everywhere. Dr. Deb Muth 38:00Yeah. Anju 38:01really big problem, and it affects everybody. Even if you don’t have a child with autism or a grandchild with autism, it’s still affecting families, becauseI kind of think of ADD as being on the spectrum, in the sense thatI think the same kind of positive issues that lead to the autism are causing the ADD, just to… you know, your genetics are playing a little bit of a different role, whatever… whatever protection you have is a bit more there, but we’re seeing kind of, like, similar metabolic… issues in our ADD population. Dr. Deb Muth 38:43Yeah. Yeah, there’s so many different levels of this, and it does affect everyone. Like, I think everybody knows… a family or someone in their classroom or their school or their community that’s affected by, definitely, ADHD, Asperger’s, autism, all of those things, whether you’re high functioning or not functioning or whatever.everything is affected. The school system is affected, your social circles are affected, your families are affected.the healthcare is affected. I mean, everything is affected. We owe it to our families and our communities to help people try to figure this out. Anju 39:22Yeah, and I think even if it’s not ADD, or ADHD, or autism we’re talking about, or even OCD, anxiety, depression, I mean, you know… Dr. Deb Muth 39:33Candace? Anju 39:34Any kind of chronic illness that people are dealing with has underpinnings of these kinds of, you know, issues. Dr. Deb Muth 39:43Yeah. Anju 39:44Any autoimmune issue? That’s great. Dr. Deb Muth 39:48inflammatory syndrome that we’re seeing these days, I mean, the pants-pandas piece, the biofilms, the strep, I mean, our environment is just so laden with infections and biofilms, and And, you know, when you and I first were learning about this, we never thought anything could cross the blood-brain barrier, right? It was pristine, there’s nothing getting in there unless you could drive it in there, and now we know that’s different, and now we’re seeing bugs in the brains of people who have had Alzheimer’s disease and dementia because they’ve donated their brains for research, and we can see what’s crossing the blood-brain barrier, and it’s really scary. Anju 40:24Yeah, yeah. There’s a lot of things we don’t know. Remember when we just found out that they… the brain had a lymphatic system? Dr. Deb Muth 40:33And that wasn’t About, what, 5, 6 years ago? 7 years ago, maybe? Yeah, not that long ago. Anju 40:38You’d be like, why wouldn’t the brain have a lymphatic system? Dr. Deb Muth 40:41Yeah! Yep. Anju 40:44Yeah, so things get in and out. Dr. Deb Muth 40:46They, they definitely. Anju 40:47You know, they get in easier than they get out, I think. Dr. Deb Muth 40:50I agree, I think they do, for sure, for sure. You know, when you’re talking to a family who’s undergoing issues like this, what’s the role, do you feel, in personalized nutrition to help them make things better? Anju 41:10I kind of go through, like, a little bit of a start here, start there, and then do this. I always start, number one, I say, okay, you gotta clean up your environment, because… We gotta do that. Dr. Deb Muth 41:24But that’s a… Anju 41:24process. And then number 2 for me is cleaning up the diet. And then, when you say personalized nutrition. To me, figuring out what is a good diet for the individual. Dr. Deb Muth 41:38Makes it a little bit difficult. Yeah. Anju 41:41I mean, there is, like, healthy eating concepts, where, you know, eat upside-down food pyramid kind of concept, I guess, is the new one, but whole foods, whole grains, organic as much as possible, especially for animal products, good fats, avoiding, you know, hydrogenated oils, and those seed oils, and… Just some basics, and then individualizing for my patients, a lot of people with any kind of autoimmune condition, and we kind of put autism in that neuroimmune, autoimmune, inflammatory That, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free kind of go there, like, as a given. If there’s a lot of gut issues, a lot of our folks have oxalate issues. And then we have to sometimes do low or limited oxalate diets. Many of my patients can’t convert glutamate to GABA efficiently. Dr. Deb Muth 42:44Yeah. So, high glutamates associated with OCD, and kind of looping or repetitive behaviors. Anju 42:51So, low-glutamate diets. And then some of my patients have SIBO, and then we do the low FODMAPs diet, and then some of my patients have messel, and we’ll do the fail-safe kind of concept with the fail-safe diet, so nutrition can get a little bit complex for certain people, but there are some basics, and then there are some, like, more of… Individual, kind of, diet approaches. And then there’s supplementation. There’s some things that I call foundational. For me, certain things most people need that have a chronic illness. Dr. Deb Muth 43:26Yeah. Anju 43:26Vitamin D3 is one of those. Omega-3s are another one for most. And then, because I did a lot of research on copper, zinc, I think 3 mineral… 4 minerals. I feel like people underdo minerals. They’re so important. Every single enzyme has a mineral cofactor, so… zinc is really important for my population with autism and ADD. 99% of them had high copper or low zinc in. Dr. Deb Muth 43:58Wow. Anju 43:59Over 400 patients that we tested. Dr. Deb Muth 44:01Wow. Anju 44:03And, magnesium.So, zinc, magnesium, and then the other two minerals I really like are selenium for glutathione. and molybdenum for sulfation, and glycolysis. So… So those are kind of my foundational pieces, and then I like to work on the gut next. So, from a nutritional perspective, prebiotics are my new favorite. Dr. Deb Muth 44:29Yeah, we go in and out with prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics. Anju 44:34Yeah, exactly, symbiotics. Dr. Deb Muth 44:36Yes, exactly, exactly. Anju 44:38demos, and… Dr. Deb Muth 44:40Yeah. Anju 44:40So yeah, biofilm busting, and all of that, so… And then I go into my other nitty-gritty stuff, like you probably do. Dr. Deb Muth 44:47individualized, right? So, you created, True Healing Nature, a supplement line, a supplement company, correct? Anju 44:56Yeah, True Hing Naturals. Dr. Deb Muth 44:58Truly Naturals, okay. Anju 44:59True, he is hard. Dr. Deb Muth 45:01Oats! Anju 45:01True! Dr. Deb Muth 45:01Healing natural. Got it, sorry about that. Tell us a little bit about what made you decide to create a supplement company. Was it because you couldn’t find formulations that you wanted? Couldn’t find clean products? That’s a big problem for people, for sure. Anju 45:19Yeah, a little bit of both. I told you that my kids were really sensitive, they had a lot. Dr. Deb Muth 45:23I know. Anju 45:24And when I would even try to give them things like ibuprofen. Dr. Deb Muth 45:28or Benadryl. Anju 45:30For allergies, they couldn’t tolerate the products that were over-the-counter. Dr. Deb Muth 45:35Yeah. Anju 45:35So, in 2007, I opened a compounding pharmacy so I could make things clean for them. Dr. Deb Muth 45:42Yeah. Anju 45:43And I thought it was so valuable. And so then I started seeing, like, certain issues with my patient population, for instance, say, mitochondrial issues. So, I would compound a mito cocktail. in my pharmacy. And then I had True Healing Naturals manufacture it, so I didn’t have to have patients get it compounded. Dr. Deb Muth 46:08Got it. Anju 46:09So that particular product’s called Mito Rescue. Okay. But then, I started… I do a lot of oats testing. Organic acid urine tests. Dr. Deb Muth 46:19Yeah. Anju 46:20But there’s, like, a marker on there for, oxalates, and I saw a lot of patients with oxalates, and oxalates inhibit some… an enzyme called, pyruvate decarboxylase. And that basically means you can’t take your carbs and turn them into energy. Dr. Deb Muth 46:38Okay. Anju 46:39So, if I saw this pattern with high oxalates and high pyruvic acid, I knew that that enzyme wasn’t working very well, and that enzyme is B1, molybdenum, and biotin dependent. So, I started compounding doses of that. And then I turned that into a product called Motor Connect, because high doses of biotin help with connectivity in the cerebellum. Dr. Deb Muth 47:08Got it. So, I did come… kind of start with the compounding pharmacy, try it, use it, and then turn it into. Anju 47:17products, and I have one for copper-zinc imbalances called True Minerals. Dr. Deb Muth 47:21Yeah, to fix the problems that were not commercially available. Could you talk a little bit for people who don’t understand what a compounding pharmacy is? Anju 47:32So, when you guys go to a pharmacy, you, you know, you send a prescription, and it’s already, it’s manufactured, and you get it. Well, a compounding pharmacy actually makes that for you. So they get the raw ingredients, and then they make that prescription. So it’s still prescription-based. But, for instance, say, I want Nystatin. And I go to Walgreens or CVS, and the nystatin there is a liquid, and it has yellow dyes and sugar. Dr. Deb Muth 48:02Yep. Or it’s a title, and it’s red. Anju 48:04or it’s bread, and a tablet, and I, like, oh, I want to treat the yeast, but I don’t want to use this. So I sent my nystatin prescription to a compounding pharmacy, and it’s Nystatin. That’s what you got. Yep. Dr. Deb Muth 48:17disappear. Anju 48:18So, pure compounding pharmacy, it’s pure, it’s pure stuff. Especially for our mast cell people. They’re so sensitive, and, you know, my kids are all mast cell, and so I just find that excipients, some people will say, oh, this doesn’t work, and I said, it’s probably the excipient that’s stimulating your mast cell activation. So, yeah. So, compounding pharmacies, You know, with all the big, kind of. conglomerates and big companies, they’ve become… they used to be, like, mom-and-pop kind of places. And my pharmacy is like that. It’s just… it’s… it’s a few of us, and we… we do it, and it’s nothing big or fancy, but we get the job done. So, we compound things like methylcobalamin injections, hydroxycobalamin, low-dose naltrexone. Different things for chelation. So, it’s nice. I love having it. Dr. Deb Muth 49:11Yeah, the compounding pharmacies really have made a huge difference for people who are sensitive. You know, so many ingredients are contaminated with corn and gluten and soy and dairy and all the big things that we want to stay away from, especially if we’re trying to treat the immune system. And even if the manufacturer says that’s not in our product. it’s contaminated, usually, because they’re usually preparing it in a facility that has those things floating around. Right. And for people who are really sensitive, that’s going to create some issues. Anju 49:45Yeah, people who are sensitive are sensitive to parts per trillion. Dr. Deb Muth 49:48Yeah. Anju 49:49I found that with my daughter with chemical sensitivity. You don’t have to see it, or you don’t have to smell it, but they could react to it. Dr. Deb Muth 49:55Yeah. And, a lot of these, like. Anju 49:58These different, substances, for instance, like enzymes, even the natural enzymes. Dr. Deb Muth 50:03They’re cultured in Aspergillus. Anju 50:07And so they’re extracted from mold. Dr. Deb Muth 50:10Yeah. Anju 50:11And so the really mold-sensitive people will maybe take a digestive enzyme, and they’ll have a reaction, and they’ll not understand why. Yeah. But it’s not because of the enzyme, it’s because of where it’s coming from. Dr. Deb Muth 50:22Yeah, where it’s cultured from. And if you have mold toxicity and mold sensitivity, and we’re looking at your mold test, wondering why are you getting a hit while we’re trying to clear it out, sometimes we forget that those products, and a variety of products that we used are cultured from molds. Yeah. Anju 50:40Yeah, yeah. It’s hard for the laypeople to understand all. Dr. Deb Muth 50:45You know. Anju 50:45of these pieces, but I think that… It used to be, like, the insurance companies would cover prescriptions from compounding pharmacies, but over the years, the lobbying and all of that has gotten so intense where, you know, a lot of that ends up out of pocket, but it’s really… it doesn’t really get that much more expensive than a copay would be. Dr. Deb Muth 51:05Right, right. Anju 51:06People just don’t know about it, yeah. Dr. Deb Muth 51:08Yeah, absolutely. So, you’ve been doing this now for more than 17 years, and you’ve made some remarkable progress with your patients. Can you share some success stories that still inspire you to do what you do every day? Anju 51:27I don’t know about you, but, like, when you first start, I think, God puts you… God puts all those really gray cases in front of you, because you’re like, whoa! Dr. Deb Muth 51:37Yes, and maybe… Anju 51:38I gave this patient methylcobalamin, and they started talking. Yeah. So methyl B12 back in the day was huge. you know, Dr. Nebrander’s protocol, and we would use that, and we would get speech, and… I mean, I’ve… it’s just… there’s hundreds of cases. There’s hundreds of cases, and same with Leukovorin now. Not for everybody, but when it really works, it’s really, really decent. Dr. Deb Muth 52:07Yeah, and worth a try, you know, if… if we suspect that’s what’s going on, these things are worth a try, because sometimes you just never know what’s going to be the key that unlocks the answer for them. Anju 52:19Yeah, but I think, you know, like, I can say… chelation, or… you know, I can, like, throw out a bunch of stuff. Dr. Deb Muth 52:26Okay. Anju 52:27In terms of, like, I’ve… I… I have those families, and I have those kids who are just… they’re just amazing, and they’re in college, and having jobs, and having kids, and… Dr. Deb Muth 52:38Yeah. Anju 52:38you know, all of that, but I think, you know, the ones that really strike me are the ones that I have to work really hard to get. Dr. Deb Muth 52:44And then we’. Anju 52:45they go, it’s not like, oh, I just did the diet, I’m cured, or I did this, and I’m better, or… Right. And I have those cases where the parents come to me and they say, I never thought my kid would Be going to college. And I never thought we would be here. So, those are the ones that really, like, when I get the little notes, or the, like, the college or the high school graduation pictures, and they… and some of them, you know, you lose touch with because they don’t need me anymore. Dr. Deb Muth 53:19Yeah. Anju 53:20And then you hear about it later. And then, I think the ones that don’t get better are the ones that, like, sit with me the most They just sit with me, and we’ve had this population of children with severe apraxia. So, apraxia is a motor planning issue, but if you saw these patients, you would think that they were… mentally deficient. Dr. Deb Muth 53:44Hmm. Anju 53:45Because they can’t talk. Dr. Deb Muth 53:46Yeah. Anju 53:47They’re the classic person that you would see that looks autistic. You know, running around, excited, verbal stimming, no speech. Dr. Deb Muth 53:57Hmm. Anju 53:58And that group of patients are incredibly Brilliant. And we are just finding out about how smart they are. There’s a book called Underestimated by J.B. Hanley and his son Jamie. JV has all the resources in the world. He used to put those ads in the New York Times about autism and vaccines. He could take his kid anywhere and do any treatment, and still, we… Blocked. Locked. Couldn’t get through. Couldn’t get through. And they started, spelling. To communicate, and this speller’s method, and it just opened a door. And it opened a door for so many of my patients who are metabolically challenged, so we do help them metabolically. Getting that ability to communicate. Some of them never got high school diplomas, and they went back to get their high school diplomas so they could go to college. Dr. Deb Muth 54:56Oh, wow, that’s amazing stories. Anju 54:59Yeah, and Elizabeth Bonker is one of those spellers, and she… she was a valedictorian in her high school, college. And she did a valedictorian speech that went. Viral, and she’s one of the people on that committee. Dr. Deb Muth 55:13That’s awesome. Anju 55:14He’s non-speaking. She… she can’t not speak. Dr. Deb Muth 55:20Wow. Anju 55:21But they asked her to be on this committee. Dr. Deb Muth 55:24That’s fantastic. Anju 55:26Huge. Dr. Deb Muth 55:27That’s huge. It is huge. There’s a way she can communicate, she just can’t verbalize the way you and I verbalize. Anju 55:34She’s brilliant. I mean, people on that committee, the, the individuals with autism on that committee, I know they’re brilliant people. Wow. But if you… if… If people saw them, they wouldn’t see that. Dr. Deb Muth 55:47Right. Anju 55:47So, I guess, for me, it’s like seeing the brilliance, seeing the competence in individuals, and as a practitioner, just trying to optimize it. But I know, like, the neurodiversity people say, okay, you know. We’re fine, and it’s like, yes, you are fine, you’re fine, and it’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay. But if you’re struggling metabolically, and we can help you feel better. What’s… what’s the harm in that? Dr. Deb Muth 56:13Right, let’s do that. Yeah. So you’re also part of something called MAPS, and you’re educating doctors worldwide. Tell us a little bit about MAPS, and how do you see the integrative pediatrics evolving in the next decade as a result of what we’re learning today? Anju 56:36I think we’re at a crossroads, and Maps is kind of in the middle of that crossroads. It used to be called Dan. Dr. Deb Muth 56:47Okay. Anju 56:47Autism Now. Dr. Deb Muth 56:48Yeah. Anju 56:49And then they kind of dissolved Dan and turned it into MedMaps. And MedMaps is Medical Academy for Pediatrics and Special Needs. So it’s not just special needs, it’s pediatrics. as well.So it’s kind of like the functional medicine for peds. And our goal is to train an army of clinicians to be the frontline. And how medicine should be, and how people should be trained. We should train them to do these types of things from the beginning. Because now it’s backwards. Dr. Deb Muth 57:28Right. Anju 57:30they come see us when nobody else can help them. But, so, we have some good leadership, and then… We are just trying to get people trained so that they understand that this is the future. Dr. Deb Muth 57:50If there’s a practitioner that’s listening to this, how do they get involved in MAPS? Anju 57:55They could come to a conference. Dr. Deb Muth 57:57Okay. Anju 57:58And the website is medmaps.org. And there’s 2 conferences a year. And we have scholarships, and we want people to come, so contact You know, the executive director, and… We just want people to come, share… their experiences, learn about functional medicine, it’s evidence-based, we try to… it’s really scientific, you know, we talk a lot of science. Dr. Deb Muth 58:25Oh yeah, a lot of science. Anju 58:26We talk a lot of science, and and so hopefully we can move all of this forward. Baster. Dr. Deb Muth 58:35I think the greatest thing, when you get into the functional medicine integrative space like this, and MAPS, and some of the other environmental academies and things like that. A lot of people might think it’s not science-based, and I’m always amazed at how much science we have, and it’s right, it’s all the things that you and I learned in biochem class, and chem class, and organic chem, and we were like, oh, let’s just learn this to be done with it. And then you get back, and you start doing integrated medicine, and you realize, like, all of that biochemistry stuff is what we needed to truly understand to fix people these These days, and you go back and you have to learn that in an intense version of it. Anju 59:18I felt like I finally understood the Krebs cycle, when I learned how it made metabolic stents, instead of just memorizing these cycles for… For the… Dr. Deb Muth 59:30Right? Like, they, like. Anju 59:32They just make sense to me. Dr. Deb Muth 59:34Yeah. Anju 59:35And I think that’s so important to understand, that all of this has science behind it, and it’s there, and the research is there. Dr. Deb Muth 59:46It’s just us having to learn how to utilize it, and recognize that not every person is going to be straightforward, and what we do for one might not work for another. There’s… It’s not as easy as prescribing a prescription and letting the person walk out the door in 10 minutes. That’s not what this is about at all. Anju 01:00:05No, and at MedMaps as well, they have a call for abstracts, and so we’re always looking for research, experience, so if any of the clinicians out there have, you know, things they want to share. then send an abstract to Maps. What a great blonde. I think, one of my doctor friends is doing an abstract on research that was done on sensory qigong massage. Dr. Deb Muth 01:00:34Oh. Anju 01:00:34And it helped with speech, and the theory was that, we were all thinking of the sensory system in the brain, the sensory system. In the periphery being affected neurologically, and how to turn that back on. So, it was… it’s… Dr. Deb Muth 01:00:51That’s neat. Anju 01:00:51Again, with the research, and with the science behind it, and with, like, clinical trials, and all of that. Dr. Deb Muth 01:00:58That’s awesome, I love that.For parents that are just starting in this journey, what would you recommend be their first one or two steps? Anju 01:01:10Educate, educate, educate? How do you get educated? I do think that, TakaNow.org is a good place for, like, a biomedical approach, or this functional approach for autism. It’s the Autism Community in Action. MedMaps is doing a parent conference in March. Dr. Deb Muth 01:01:31Oh, awesome. They usually do that around, Memorial Day, right? Anju 01:01:36They’ll do it around Labor Day in September. Dr. Deb Muth01:01:40Labor Day in September, okay. Anju 01:01:42Yeah, and then mid-March. Dr. Deb Muth 01:01:44Okay. Anju 01:01:45Yeah. And they hadn’t done a parent conference before, but we had parents that wanted to come to the conferences, and it was just for clinicians before. Dr. Deb Muth 01:01:54Got it. Is it Autism One that does theirs around Memorial Day? Anju 01:01:59Oh yeah, they don’t exist anymore. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:01Don’t, really. Anju 01:02:03conferences. There was. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:06NAA, the National Autism Association. Anju 01:02:09They don’t do a lot of parent conferences in functional medicine either, so there’s a few left. Documenting Hope. That’s another really nice one. Oh, that’s great. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:21So, what last words do you want to leave with our listeners? Anju 01:02:29You know, that’s… people always ask that at the end of these… I, I do feel that, Listen to your heart, you know, follow your intuition. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:40I’ll let that guide you. Anju 01:02:42There’s a lot of information, sometimes it gets to be too much information. It’s hard to process everything, try not to make impulsive decisions about things. And… If you have a child with special needs, or if you have a grandchild with, issues. Presume competence. There’s a lot there. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:04Yeah. Anju 01:03:05Especially some of these kids with behavior issues. I don’t know how many patients of mine are… Put on psychotropic meds. Metabolic issues, and, you know… It’s like, a lot of them have pain, like headache, abdominal pain, and inflammation, and they’re treating them with psych meds. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:25Yeah. That’s sad, isn’t it? Anju 01:03:28I think, you know, try to look for the underlying cause. Not just band-aid things. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:34Where can listeners, learn more about your work and what you do? Anju 01:03:40Oh, that’s tough. I don’t have a book. One of these days. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:48Yes! Anju 01:03:49Yes, one of these days. I think, you know, med maps, we have a… if they’re clinicians. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:55Hmm? Anju 01:03:56I have lectured a lot. For, for, communities like Taka, so there’s just a lot of… lectures that I’ve given online. Dr. Deb Muth 01:04:09Awesome. Well, thank you for taking your time with us today. It’s been a great conversation with you. Anju 01:04:15Thank you so much for inviting me, Debra. I’m honored to be here, and thank you for doing the work that you do to put Put this out there for people, because it’s really important information. Dr. Deb Muth 01:04:27Thank you. Thank you for joining me today on Let’s Talk Wellness Now. Today’s discussion with Dr. Usman reminds us that there’s always more we can do. We can look deeper into biology, environment, and lifestyle. to heal the next generation. If this episode inspired you, please share it with a parent or a practitioner who believes every child deserves a chance to thrive. And to learn more about Dr. Usman, you can visit TrueHealthMedical.com or TrueHealingnaturals.com. And if you’re ready to explore your own root cause healing, visit us at Serenityhealthcarecenter.com. You can also follow me on Instagram, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of Let’s Talk Wellness now. Until next time. I’m Dr. Deb, reminding you to nurture your body, mind, and spirit. Be well, and I’ll see you soon.The post Episode 262 – The Root Cause of ADHD & Autism: Beyond the Diagnosis with Dr. Anju Usman Singh first appeared on Let's Talk Wellness Now.

Over the past month, I decided to run a little experiment in my business… and honestly, it was a bit of a wild one.I set myself a challenge to post four times a day on Instagram, every weekday, while testing some of the newest growth strategies (including trial reels). The goal? More visibility, more followers, and real data on what actually works right now.But here's the truth… what I expected to happen and what actually happened were two very different things. So in this episode, I'm breaking it all down for you—what worked, what didn't, and what I'd genuinely recommend if you want to grow your audience without burning out or wasting hours on content that goes nowhere.

“And for me, that utterance may be given to me,that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel,  for which I am an ambassador in chains;that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” As we look at thesetwo verses, Paul is now asking for prayer for himself. What's striking is whathe does not ask for. He does not ask for release from prison. He does not askfor comfort, healing, or even safety. Instead, he asks the church at Ephesus topray that God would grant him boldness to speak the gospel of Jesus Christ. Wemust remember that Ephesians is one of the four Prison Epistles. The others arePhilippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Paul is in prison in Rome when he writesthese letters. To be a prisoner in Rome was no small matter. It was not apleasant place. No doubt he was suffering greatly—experiencing hardship, pain,and difficulties we can scarcely imagine. Yet Paul does not say, “Oh, pray thatI get out.” He says, “Pray that I have boldness. Pray that I have the grace ofGod to be an ambassador for Jesus Christ.” Inanother Prison Epistle, Philippians 1:12–14, Paul writes: “But I want you to know,brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for thefurtherance of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palaceguard, and to all the rest, that my chains are in Christ; and most of thebrethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more boldto speak the word without fear.”  Paul issaying that his testimony in chains has encouraged others. The guards know heis imprisoned for Christ. Fellow believers have grown more confident. They arespeaking the Word without fear because they see his faithfulness. Afew years ago, Iread the book, “The Insanity of God” by Nik Ripken. In it, he recountsinterviews with persecuted believers in places like China and Russia. Thosesuffering saints did not ask him to pray for relief from persecution, torture,or hardship. They asked him, “Pray that we will be faithful.” On oneoccasion, they even said, “Persecution is good for us. It purifies the church.”We are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ wherever we are. Today,I am asking for special prayer for a dear friend of mine. Just this week, hewas forcibly taken from his refugee work in a war-torn country and placed onthe front lines of conflict. He is 55 years old—a precious friend, someone withwhom I have shared mission trips and many meaningful times of ministry. Thiswas not something he was prepared to face. Yet he is not asking for prayer forrelease. We have not heard from his family that he is saying, “Pray that I getout.” Instead, they are asking us to pray for grace and for wisdom. He wouldwant us to, like Paul, to pray for boldness—to be a faithful witness whereverhe finds himself right now. Please,I'm asking you to pray for him. I cannot share his name or more details at thistime, but please pray for my friend. He is in a special place of need, and heis asking for boldness to be a witness where he is. Of course, we can also praythat he will be brought home safely to his family who are here in America.Please do pray for him. Aswe reflect on these passages of Scripture, we are reminded that prayer producesboldness. I thank God for the prayers that have been offered for me as apastor, as a believer, and during mission trips. I can sense those prayers.They make a tremendous difference. Prayer overcomes distance. Prayer dispelsfear. Prayer strengthens boldness. Myfriend, we must also remember that our spiritual leaders are special targets ofSatan. That is why we must pray for our missionaries, pray for our pastors, andpray for spiritual leaders across America. May God grant them grace to befaithful to the Lord for all they must face. Maythe Lord bless you as you think on these things. And as Paul says—"prayfor me”. Godbless you, and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day.

Todaywe're continuing in Ephesians chapter 6, moving on to verse 16. We're talkingabout our enemy, the devil, and our protection and defense against him. As Paulhas said, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you might be able to standagainst the wiles of the devil.” Paul is now describing the equipment thatGod has provided for every believer so that we can stand and withstand theattacks of the evil one. As we come to verse 16, we're looking at one of themost important pieces of the armor. Verse 16 says, “Above all, taking theshield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts ofthe wicked.”  My friend, this is soimportant as we stand against all the wiles of the devil. AsPaul was describing this armor, the believers in Ephesus would no doubt havebeen very familiar with the Roman soldiers of their day. The shield hedescribes here is not just a small, round shield used in hand-to-hand combat.This is a large shield, sometimes described as being like a door—about fourfeet tall and two feet wide. A soldier could stand behind it and be almostcompletely covered. It was often made of wood and covered with thick leather,sometimes even soaked in water, so that when fiery arrows hit it, the firewould be extinguished. Paul says this is what faith does for the believer. Thereis another powerful picture here when we think about this shield. Romansoldiers would often lock their shields together, forming a wall that advancedas one. That reminds us that we are not fighting this battle alone. God has putus in the body of Christ. We stand together. We pray together. We encourage oneanother. The Lord strengthens His people as they move forward in unity. Nownotice this shield. Our protection is called the shield of faith. Faith is soimportant. As we look at the faith Paul is speaking about here, we realize thisis not just saving faith that Ephesians 2 tells us about. We are not saved byour works because we are saved by faith. That is saving faith. Paul is talkinghere about a faith that is living faith—a faith that daily helps us trust inGod, daily depend upon His promises, and daily remain confident in Hischaracter. TheBible tells us in Hebrews 11:6, “But without faith it is impossible toplease Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is arewarder of them that diligently seek Him.” Now this is so important. Wheredoes faith come from? Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing,and hearing by the word of God.” Our faith in God—knowing God, believingwho God is, trusting Him, living an obedient life in the will of God—is basedon our understanding of who God Himself is. “The fear of the Lord is thebeginning of wisdom”. Wisdom is knowing God. The only way to know God isthrough His Word.  Theway we know God is to know His Word and understand His Word. We read it. Wememorize it. Remember Psalm 119:11: “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, thatI might not sin against Thee.” Why? Because as you hide His Word in yourheart and meditate on it, you grow stronger. That is why Psalm 1:2-3 is soimportant: “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law dothhe meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers ofwater, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall notwither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.” My friend, that is being inGod's Word. Ifwe want to have a shield of faith, it is connected to the Word of God. Thisfaith is living faith because it is not trusting in something. It is trustingin Someone you know through the Word of God. You love and know God. You believeGod. You trust God and you live in obedience to His Word always doing His will! Habakkuk2:4 declares, “The just shall live by his faith.” Paul repeats thistruth in Romans 1:17 and Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews echoes it again in Hebrews10:38. We understand that faith is not an occasional act. It is a way of life.

Philippians 4:8Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things arelovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and ifthere be any praise, think on these things. Todaywe are looking at Ephesians 4:20–24. In these verses, Paul is speaking aboutputting off the old man and putting on the new man. He encourages us not towalk as the Gentiles—or the lost world—walks around us, but to live a new life,a different life, a life that reflects the glory of God in our speech, ourattitudes, and in everything we say and do. These verses are so important thatI feel we need to pause here for another day, especially verse 23, where Paultells us how we can live this kind of life daily, moment by moment. That versesays we are to “be renewed in the spirit of our mind”. We talked aboutthis yesterday, but today I want to make it more practical. AsI considered this verse, my thoughts went to Philippians 4. Paul says in verse4, “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.” Then he adds,“Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.” He goeson to say that we are not to worry, fret, or be anxious about anything.Instead, “in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving letyour requests be made known unto God.” Paul then gives this promise: “Andthe peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts andminds through Christ Jesus.” Thatpassage takes me back to Isaiah 26:3, which says, “Thou wilt keep him inperfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.”Then verse 4 says, “Trust ye in the LORD forever: for in YAH, the LORD iseverlasting strength.”  When yourmind is stayed on the Lord, it means that you remember who Yahweh Jehovahis—the personal God who loves you, cares for you, and keeps His promises. Whenyou know that, you have His everlasting strength to face whatever comes yourway in life. Nowlet's return to Philippians 4:8 where Paul continues by saying, "think on these things.” He then adds in verse 9, “Thosethings, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me,do: and the God of peace shall be with you.” Thatis exactly what we need in our lives today. Instead of worry, fretting, fear,and dwelling on things we should not be thinking about, we are to think on theright things so that we will live the right way. Let me say it this way: whenyou are thinking what you should be thinking, you cannot be thinking what youshould not be thinking. That is why Paul says, “Think on these things.”Thinking is a choice we make every day. Remember this simple principle: garbagein, garbage out. What are you spending time taking into your mind? What are youwatching on TV, social media, YouTube? What are you reading on Facebook, innovels? What are you listening to on the radio or from friends? Are youattending church faithfully? Are you spending time in the Word of God? Weare about to finish one year and begin another, and I want to encourage you tocommit yourself by God's grace to daily Bible reading. Make time to read theScriptures. Consider reading through the entire Bible at least once in 2026.Meditate on what you read. Think about it. Perhaps memorize one verse eachweek. By the end of the year, you will have fifty-two verses hidden in yourheart. Listento godly music. Listen to biblical teaching as you travel, rather than allowingyour mind to wander toward everything that is wrong, discouraging, or painful,or toward people who have hurt you in the past. Paul tells us to think on thesethings—the truths of God's Word and the person of Jesus Christ. When we yieldourselves in obedience to the Word of God, and we are filled and guided by theHoly Spirit, He helps us think rightly and live faithfully. And you will be “renewedin the spirit of your mind”. (Read Romans 8:1-16).

A really common mistake made when trying to add muscle is that "I'm no longer dieting" self-talk which leads to all structure & control disappearing... we don't want thatI hope you enjoy listening

We start with the sweetest scene of Max explaining Wonder Woman to Eleven and it's a win for feminism...Mrs Driscoll wants to go to the rat farm really really badly but little does she know they no longer farm rats there, they are harvesting souls mwahaha and are getting nothing from Tom because he never had one... Hopper is NAKED and Joyce is embarrassed and probably tired after lugging him home from getting beaten like a Harrington but she tells him that his attacker was driving a motorcycle and he's seen a motorcycle helmet exactly once in his life apparently and he knows where he saw it... coming out of Trum-- I mean the mayor's office because the mayor has been colluding with russians because this plot line is so dated to that particular time in our lives and Larry is really Donald but does anyone really get or remember that reference years later? Anyway Larry pulls an Angela from season 4 and says A**hole things about Hopper's dead daughter and gets what he deserves for it... Scoops troop is still doing a better job at defending the country than Hawkins lab or the real gov. but they hit a couple snags because for one, Steve can't win a fight with a human to save his life or anyone else's and for two a capitalist gets involved and dude you could have found any other child but people think this one is cute and funny for some reason thatI can't figure out because to me she's as annoying as all the other pro capitalist patriotic people I've known... Mike and Lucas contact the girls post sleepover and they are ANNOYED but then it's a code red so it's fine... Will asks if they know what roller coasters feel like and they are all like of course, except for El who is like "does everyone forget that I was kidnapped and held captive for my entire childhood or what?" so they spy on Billy because El was right about him being wrong but not his regular wrong, a new wrong... and two wrongs do make El right... they plan to trap him in the sauna because he is not as hot as he thinks he is, not yet... Nancy has gotten herself and Jonathon fired and she's like "I'm a woman" and he's like "well I'm poor" and they are like we should fight with each other and not the rich white a**hole men who are oppressing both of us and in that way they are the most American people in this episode... The scoops troop does make it into the secret room of boxes and then they find out it's an elevator that goes all the way down to the standards of any girl who would go out with Billy... Mike corners El and tries to mansplain his way out of trouble for lying and she's like "Hopper is right because Max taught me feminism with a comic book and I make my own rules, excuse me because i have to prepare to beat Billy/the mind flayer up like he's a Harrington" And she does, she does and it is bada**

We just had a very busy weekend this weekend in Lynchburg and Roanoke,Virginia. Many of you have been praying for Luke who had his 31st brainsurgery. This is now over 40-some surgeries as a result of the brain leakage offluids that's having to be taken care of off his brain. We are so thankful foryour prayer. Luke had the surgery late Sunday afternoon. It was a 4-hoursurgery. Edith spent the whole day at the hospital, and I was also able tospend the afternoon with Kimberly and Chris. Luke came back to the room in lotsof pain but was finally given medication which gave him some relief and calmedhim down. Monday morning, he was doing much better and was able to go home inthe afternoon. We had a FaceTime with him as he was leaving the hospital and aswe were driving back here to NC. He was laughing and chuckling. Wow!!!! What amiracle. God is so good. And it looks like what needed to be taken care of wastaken care of. We thank God for the doctors, the surgeons, and all the hospitalhelp that took care of that for him. But most of all, for God's grace and helpand all your prayers. Thank you.  OnSaturday, I participated in the Global Partners Peace and Development GolfTournament to benefit the work in Haiti with Amber Hassen. Over 100 golfersparticipated there in Daleville at Ashley Plantation Golf Course and over$10,000 was raised. We're so thankful for your prayers for that. And Isurvived. I don't know if I played golf. I hit the golf balls. But did the bestI could. And I set a record for myself. I finished with the same golf ball thatI started with. That's the first time that's ever happened in any time I playedgolf or hit around on the golf course.  OnSunday morning I preached at Thomas Terrace Baptist Church in Lynchburg. It wasan awesome service, and a great crowd. There was awesome excitement and for themission's conference there and after the message over 46 people signed up topray for a pastor in India. If you're still interested or God is speaking toyour heart about joining the pastor's prayer team for the India pastors, pleaseemail me, text me, call me, let me know, and I'll be glad to line you up with apastor there in India. You can specifically pray for an India pastor on aregular basis.  Ihad a board meeting with Treasure Path Soulwinning on Monday morning. And itwas a wonderful meeting with our board and just preparing for this next yearwith encouraging people to memorize scripture, to pray, and to be a part ofwinning a world to Jesus Christ. Well, it's been a great time these past coupleweeks. Sorry I've been away from our pastor chats.  Rememberhere in Ephesians 2, we find out how sin is against us, how sin works againstus. We are born into this world dead in trespasses and sins. And because we'redead in trespasses and sins, we're also disobedient, sons of disobedience. Welive disobedient lives. Then we go on to depravity. The lust of the fleshdrives us. And then we also see we're doomed because we're children of wrath.We're under the condemnation of the law.   ButGod, (In verse four where we basically left off), But God who is rich in Hismercy and because of the great love with which He has loved us, He hasquickened us. He has made us alive, He has given us a new life. And not onlythat, we find in verse six, and has raised us up together to sit together inthe heavenly places in Christ Jesus. We weren't just made alive and left in thegrave. Because we are united to Christ, we have been exalted with Him and weare sharing His throne in the heavenlies. Our physical position may be onearth, but our spiritual position is "in heavenly places in ChristJesus." Like Lazarus, we have been called from the grave to sit withChrist and enjoy His fellowship (John 12:1-2). Myfriend, that's what God does for us. Godbless!

Today I discussBroncos MNF performanceThe bengals are screwedClarity in the NFLWhy would he say thatI won't give up on the ravensThe eagles are finePower rankingsAnd much more!Enjoy!

Today we're talking about one of the most importantsubjects in the entire Bible, and that is that we might know God. Paul'svery first prayer for the church in Ephesus, and the first of his four prisonprayers, is found here in verses 15-23. He begins by saying, "I do notcease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers." Now,it's amazing how to most of churches that he wrote to, or that he was part offounding, and that he was encouraging, that he talks about praying for them “withoutceasing”. Paul must have had an awesome continuous prayer life as he prayedfor the different saints in the different churches in the different places ofthe world. He was a man of prayer.  Whatdid Paul pray? His prayers were not for their material needs, that they wouldhave money, not that they could pay their bills, not that they could buildbetter and bigger buildings or churches. Those things could have been importantand maybe were important at times, but his prayer was that “the God of ourLord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to them the spirit of wisdomand revelation in the knowledge of Him”.  Icouldn't help but think of Hosea chapters 4 and 6. God said, "My peopleare destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). That is what happens whenwe fail to know who God is. Then Hosea gives this invitation from God in chapter6: "Come, let us return to the Lord" (v. 1). In verse 3, "Letus know, let us pursue the knowledge of the Lord." And then God speaksin verse 6, “For I desire mercy and not sacrifice and the knowledge of Godmore than burnt offerings”. God wants us to “know Him”.  Thoughthe knowledge of God is the highest knowledge possible, the atheist claimsthere is no God for us to know. The agnostic states that if there is a God, youcannot know Him. But Paul met God in the person of Jesus Christ. And he knowsthat a man really can't understand much of anything else without a knowledge ofGod. The knowledge of God is the beginning of wisdom. The “fear of the Lordis the beginning of wisdom”. Romans1 tells us that this willful ignorance of God led mankind into corruption andcondemnation. Paul describes the beginning of this progression with thesewords: “Who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (v. 18). “Because,although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, butbecame futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened”(v. 21).  And then Paul goes on to showthe development of how willful ignorance leads to idolatry, substituting a liefor the truth, exchanging God the creator for a worship of the man who wascreated. It then develops into immorality and indecency. And it all begins withan unwillingness to know God as Creator, as Sustainer, as Governor, as Savior,and as the Judge of our lives. There is tremendous danger and consequences whenthe believer does not grow in the knowledge of God.  InPhilippians 3:10, Paul said, "That I might know Him and the power ofHis resurrection," meaning to be intimately acquainted with God. Toknow God personally is salvation. Jesus prayed in John 17:3; “And this iseternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whomYou have sent”. To know God is to increase in sanctification (Philippians3:10). And to know God leads to ultimate glorification (1 Corinthians 13:9-12). Myfriend, we are made in the image of God. And the better we know God, the moresatisfied we are in Him, and the more satisfied we are even in ourselves. And thatis how we bring the greatest glory to Him. That's what God desires. That iswhat Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus. We should pray this for ourselves.We can pray this for others.  “ThatI might know Him”—God,the true, the only God. May the Lord help us today to love and live for Himwith all of our hearts.  Godbless!

The one indubitable fact about my life is that I AM. Or rather, I am essentially consciousness because to be is to be aware and to be aware is to be. But what is the nature of that Consciousness? We argue in our tradition that this Conscious Self which I feel myself to be is really one and the same with God, Śiva and thatI am not at all merely localized to this contraction of limited body-mind-personality but that I am, in truth, all-pervasively present in all things as all things. And more than that, I am not only immanent in all things, I also transcend them all! I am full and empty, everything and nothing.What then do we make of insentience? If I, the sentient Self am all, then are all things sharing in my sentience? Are jugs and pieces of cloth sentient? Is the AI sentient? In fact, are cats and other people even sentient?! (i.e the problem of the philosophical zombie). And if I am all things, then why do I feel like only this one thing (namely this body and this mind)? How do you explain my jīva-tva (my littleness) when in fact I am śiva (the all-pervasive transcendent-immanent Absolute.) This is a really profound and beautiful question to ask because it takes us to the very heart of non-dual Śaivism! As such, on this third Monday of the sacred month of śrāvana, I present you with this discussion on the lofiest and most refined ideas of the Śaiva non-dual transmission, as part of our Paramārthasāra, Abhinava Gupta series. Support the showLectures happen live every Monday at 7pm PST and Friday 10am PST and again Friday at 6pm PST.Use this link and I will see you there:https://www.zoom.us/j/7028380815For more videos, guided meditations and instruction and for access to our lecture library, visit me at:https://www.patreon.com/yogawithnishTo get in on the discussion and access various spiritual materials, join our Discord here: https://discord.gg/U8zKP8yMrM

I have a friend — we'll call him Steve. Steve's a comedian — a very good one. He started around the same time as me, maybe a bit later. Back in the day, we all thought Steve was going to be a huge star. If there were any justice in the world, he would have been. But there isn't. We all know that. Steve ended up one of those many jobbing, circuit comedians, with a brilliant act — good enough to storm pretty much any room under any circumstances — but who never seemed to get beyond the circuit. There are plenty of unknown, but brilliant acts like Steve, believe me.Maybe he didn't have the right mindset — I don't know. If you want my opinion, I think he over-thought things. But what do I know?Steve was always interested in investing and, in his spare time (comedians have plenty of that) he began speculating with his earnings. Steve liked to do things properly, and investing was no different. He studied hard, researched, read loads, watched videos, listened to podcasts, scrutinised company reports and accounts, evaluated the fundamentals. He did everything you're supposed to do.It didn't work out. Steve lost money. Consistently. Bad choices dogged him.As Covid took hold in 2020, Steve took stock of his 20 years on the circuit. Where was he was in life? What he had achieved?Just as he never broke out of the circuit, Steve had never broken into the higher tax bracket either. Despite scrupulous and honest accounting, he had never once made it beyond the basic band. He had no property — which, for a man closing in on 50, was unimpressive. He had very little in the way of savings, even though he was frugal. No pension. The comedy circuit was already in recession. Now Covid had shut it down. Things were looking bleak.Then Steve started watching Michael Saylor videos.Michael Saylor is the billionaire genius Chairman of Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) who, amidst all the money printing during Covid, was trying to protect his corporate treasury from erosion by inflation. This led him to bitcoin, which he embraced. He became one of its most articulate proponents, while his company — which had been all but dormant, share-price-wise, for 20 years — suddenly took off like a rocket. He gave birth to the bitcoin treasury model that is becoming so widespread today.Everything Saylor said made sense to Steve. Not only that — it chimed with him. Bitcoin is stored energy. Investing in bitcoin is like buying Apple, Amazon, Google, or Facebook a decade ago. They're all dominant technology networks, so destined to grow. The more you obsess over timing the market, the more mistakes you make. The best strategy is to buy bitcoin and wait. It will have a market cap in the multi-trillions. All that stuff.Steve had known about bitcoin for many years. But he never invested. He bought shares in Lloyds instead.He changed tack. He decided he was going to do for himself what Saylor had done for Strategy.He began buying bitcoin with any spare cash he had. In his ISA, he bought Strategy.He started bitcoin wallets for his nephews, nieces, and godchildren and bought them small amounts of bitcoin on their birthdays and at Christmas.Something unlikely happened: Steve's investments started going up.By now he was obsessing over Michael Saylor videos. Watching and rewatching them. Finding old interviews and presentations and marvelling at the consistency of message — and Saylor's extraordinary gift for spotting and riding technological trends.“There's not a single interview that man has done that I haven't watched,” Steve told me the other day.Steve sold every stock he owned. He couldn't buy bitcoin through his broker — thanks, FCA — so he bought Strategy instead, then other bitcoin treasury companies, last year, including the amazing Metaplanet.Meanwhile, everything he earned he sent straight to an exchange and converted to bitcoin. Only the bare essentials he needed to cover that month's bills did he keep in fiat. Steve turned his entire personal operation into a bitcoin treasury.What's more, he didn't told anyone he'd done this. Except with me — because he knows I know and love bitcoin.He doesn't mind when bitcoin sells off — it just means he can buy more on the cheap. He thinks it is inevitable — because of its superior technology — that bitcoin becomes the world's dominant money system. That individuals, corporations and countries will store their capital in bitcoin, rather than fiat, so they do not suffer erosion by inflation (which is inevitable, because governments everywhere are incapable of reining in their spending — even with Elon Musk in charge).He just keeps on accumulating, keeps on watching Saylor vids, and keeps on keeping his head down.There are lots of people like Steve. I read about them every day. I just met a load out here at Freedom Fest in California.I'm headed to BTC Prague next week. I know I'll meet a load more there. (If you're in Prague, by the way, come say hi. And if you're thinking of going, you can get 10% off tickets using code FRISBY)I've said it before and I say it again, if you save in strong currencies, and spend in weak ones, you will change your social status — you don't have to earn a lot of money to do thatI saw Steve the other day. I've never seen him happier (except after he's just stormed a gig). Guess what? He's now in a position, just four years later, where he can buy a house. That's what his girlfriend wants him to do. How about that for a transformation.You really should subscribe to this amazing publication.Only problem is: that would mean selling some of his bitcoin.If only there were vehicles by which you could borrow against your bitcoin … That's the next chapter in this extraordinary story: borrow against your bitcoin, spend in fiat, keep the asset. Trouble is, if you're in the UK — you won't be able to. Because FCAThanks very much for reading this. If you enjoyed it, please like, share - all that stuff - it helps.Until next time,DominicPS Don't forget my brilliant book about bitcoin, if you want to learn more about the space. I hear the audiobook is very good indeed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.theflyingfrisby.com/subscribe

The Tragically Hip Top Forty Countdown: Song 19 – Jeff from BellevilleWelcome back, Hip faithful. This week on the Countdown, I'm joined by one of our most beloved Sunday Evening Jam regulars — the witty, wise, and wonderfully loquacious Jeff from Belleville. You know him. You love him. And if you've ever caught a live stream where he was in the comments, you've probably laughed out loud.But today? Today, we go deeper.Jeff takes us back to his teenage years, up in a century-old Belleville coach house where Road Apples first took hold and never let go. From bootleg tapes and roadside attractions to mosh pits, surprise shows, and backstage encounters — Jeff's Hipstory spans 31 shows and countless life moments tied to the soundtrack of this band.Along the way, we talk memory, meaning, and mortality — including the two cardiac arrests Jeff survived (yes, you read that right), and the unexpected video message he received from Paul Langlois while recovering. This episode reminds us why we do this show in the first place: for the love, for the connection, for the community.We even get a bonus English Lit breakdown of King Lear — and how defiance, irony, and Shakespearean tragedy might be woven into one of the Hip's most poetic tracks. (And yeah, we manage to keep the actual title of that track on the DL. You're welcome.)

LESSON 154I Am Among The Ministers Of God.Let us today be neither arrogant nor falsely humble. We have gone beyond such foolishness. We cannot judge ourselves, nor need we do so. These are but attempts to hold decision off, and to delay commitment to our function. It is not our part to judge our worth, nor can we know what role is best for us; what we can do within a larger plan we cannot see in its entirety. Our part is cast in Heaven, not in hell. And what we think is weakness can be strength; what we believe to be our strength is often arrogance.Whatever your appointed role may be, it was selected by the Voice for God, Whose function is to speak for you as well. Seeing your strengths exactly as they are, and equally aware of where they can be best applied, for what, to whom and when, He chooses and accepts your part for you. He does not work without your own consent. But He is not deceived in what you are, and listens only to His Voice in you.It is through His ability to hear one Voice Which is His Own that you become aware at last there is one Voice in you. And that one Voice appoints your function, and relays it to you, giving you the strength to understand it, do what it entails, and to succeed in everything you do that is related to it. God has joined His Son in this, and thus His Son becomes His messenger of unity with Him.It is this joining, through the Voice for God, of Father and of Son, that sets apart salvation from the world. It is this Voice Which speaks of laws the world does not obey; Which promises salvation from all sin, with guilt abolished in the mind that God created sinless. Now this mind becomes aware again of Who created it, and of His lasting union with itself. So is its Self the one reality in Which its will and that of God are joined.A messenger is not the one who writes the message he delivers. Nor does he question the right of him who does, nor ask why he has chosen those who will receive the message that he brings. It is enough that he accept it, give it to the ones for whom it is intended, and fulfill his role in its delivery. If he determines what the messages should be, or what their purpose is, or where they should be carried, he is failing to perform his proper part as bringer of the Word.There is one major difference in the role of Heaven's messengers, which sets them off from those the world appoints. The messages that they deliver are intended first for them. And it is only as they can accept them for themselves that they become able to bring them further, and to give them everywhere that they were meant to be. Like earthly messengers, they did not write the messages they bear, but they become their first receivers in the truest sense, receiving to prepare themselves to give.An earthly messenger fulfills his role by giving all his messages away. The messengers of God perform their part by their acceptance of His messages as for themselves, and show they understand the messages by giving them away. They choose no roles that are not given them by His authority. And so they gain by every message that they give away.Would you receive the messages of God? For thus do you become His messenger. You are appointed now. And yet you wait to give the messages you have received. And so you do not know that they are yours, and do not recognize them. No one can receive and understand he has received until he gives. For in the giving is his own acceptance of what he received.You who are now the messengers of God, receive His messages. For that is part of your appointed role. God has not failed to offer what you need, nor has it been left unaccepted. Yet another part of your appointed task is yet to be accomplished. He Who has received for you the messages of God would have them be received by you as well. For thus do you identify with Him and claim your own.It is this joining that we undertake to recognize today. We will not seek to keep our minds apart from Him Who speaks for us, for it is but our voice we hear as we attend Him. He alone can speak to us and for us, joining in one Voice the getting and the giving of God's Word; the giving and receiving of His Will.We practice giving Him what He would have, that we may recognize His gifts to us. He needs our voice that He may speak through us. He needs our hands to hold His messages, and carry them to those whom He appoints. He needs our feet to bring us where He wills, that those who wait in misery may be at last delivered. And He needs our will united with His Own, that we may be the true receivers of the gifts He gives.Let us but learn this lesson for today: We will not recognize what we receive until we give it. You have heard this said a hundred ways, a hundred times, and yet belief is lacking still. But this is sure; until belief is given it, you will receive a thousand miracles and then receive a thousand more, but will not know that God Himself has left no gift beyond what you already have; nor has denied the tiniest of blessings to His Son. What can this mean to you, until you have identified with Him and with His Own?Our lesson for today is stated thus:I am among the ministers of God, and I am grateful thatI have the means by which to recognize that I am free.The world recedes as we light up our minds, and realize these holy words are true. They are the message sent to us today from our Creator. Now we demonstrate how they have changed our minds about ourselves, and what our function is. For as we prove that we accept no will we do not share, our many gifts from our Creator will spring to our sight and leap into our hands, and we will recognize what we received.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

John 16:23-30.16:23. And in that day you shall not ask me any thing. Amen, amen, Isay to you: if you ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give ityou.16:24. Hitherto, you have not asked any thing in my name. Ask, and youshall receive; that your joy may be full.16:25. These things I have spoken to you in proverbs. The hour comethwhen I will nolonger speak to you in proverbs, but will shew youplainly of the Father.16:26. In that day, you shall ask in my name: and I say not to you thatI will ask the Father for you.16:27. For the Father himself loveth you, because you have loved me andhave believed that I came out from God.16:28. I came forth from the Father and am come into the world: again Ileave the world and I go to the Father.16:29. His disciples say to him: Behold, now thou speakest plainly andspeakest no proverb.16:30. Now we know that thou knowest all things and thou needest notthat any man should ask thee. By this we believe that thou camest forthfrom God.

A letter to a farmer who inquiries about getting into the not raising hogs business. http://www.campconstitution.netHonorable Secretary of AgricultureWashington, D.C.Dear Sir;My friend, Ed Peterson, over at Wells Iowa,received a check for $1,000 from the government for notraising hogs. So, I want to go into the "not raisinghogs" business next year.What I want to know is, in your opinion, what is thebest kind of farm not to raise hogs on, and what is thebest breed of hogs not to raise? I want to be sure thatI approach this endeavor in keeping with allgovernmental policies. I would prefer not to raiserazorbacks, but if that is not a good breed not toraise, then I will just as gladly not raise Yorkshiresor Poland Chinas.As I see it, the hardest part of this program will be inkeeping an accurate inventory of how many hogs I haven'traised.My friend, Peterson, is very joyful about the future ofthe business. He has been raising hogs for twenty yearsor so, and the best he ever made on them was $422 in1968, until this year when he got your check for $1000for not raising hogs.If I get $1000 for not raising 50 hogs, will I get $2000for not raising 100 hogs? I plan to operate on a smallscale at first, holding myself down to about 4000 hogsnot raised, which will mean about $80,000 the firstyear. Then I can afford an airplane.Now another thing, these hogs I will not raise will noteat 100,000 bushels of corn. I understand that you alsopay farmers for not raising corn and wheat. Will Iqualify for payments for not raising wheat and corn notto feed the 4000 hogs I am not going to raise?Also, I am considering the "not milking cows" business,so send me any information you have on that too.In view of these circumstances, you understand that Iwill be totally unemployed and plan to file forunemployment and food stamps.Be assured you will have my vote in the coming election.

Introduction: Two Problems Jesus Has with Divorce (Matthew 5:31–32): Divorce TRIVIALIZES MARRIAGE. (Matt 5:31) Genesis 2:24 – Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. Deuteronomy 24:1–4 – When a man takes a wife and marries her, if then she finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, and she departs out of his house, and if she goes and becomes another man's wife, and the latter man hates her and writes her a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house, or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination before the LORD. And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance. Divorce RESULTS In ADULTERY. (Matt 5:32) Ephesians 5:24–25 – Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her... Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:31-32 & Mark 10:2-12What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What are some beliefs you've heard Christians believe about divorce and remarriage? How do these line up with Scripture?Explain what Jesus meant in Matt 5:32, how someone's divorce even leads to other people committing adultery.How exactly would you counsel a trusted Christian friend who is considering divorce?BreakoutPray for one another. Audio Transcript Matthew chapter 5, are you there?This section we are in on the Sermon on the Mount is about the heart of God's law.And we saw that Jesus said, "I didn't come to abolish the law or destroy the law."That's what we would call the Old Testament.Jesus said, "I didn't come to do away with the Old Testament."He said, "I came to carry out everything that was said in it."It's not irrelevant at all.And through this section you're going to see, as we've already seen many times, Jesus says,"You have heard that it was said, but I say to you."And when Jesus says that, what He's saying is, "You've lowered God's standard."And Jesus is correcting them, and He's correcting us when we take the Word of God and just makeit purely external.God wants your heart.God wants your heart.That's what we saw a couple of weeks ago.Pastor Taylor taught us, Jesus said, "Murder isn't just the physical act of killing someone.It's a heart issue."We saw last week adultery is not just the physical act.It's a heart issue.And in these verses we're looking at today, Jesus is continuing His teaching on the destructivenessof adultery.And today we're going to talk about divorce.And look, there's so much controversy on this topic.And if we're going to be honest, the controversy doesn't come really from God's Word becausethe Bible is clear.The reason there's so much controversy is because if you are a divorced person, thisgets very personal and it gets very painful.And look, I've done so many weddings over the past 20-some years, so many weddings.And I can tell you emphatically that nobody gets into marriage wanting a divorce.That doesn't happen.I've never seen the wedding ceremony where the vows include something like, "I can'twait to be done with you."Or "I love you today, but in six months I will hate you more than anybody on the planet."Nobody thinks that.Nobody expects that.And when divorce happens, it's always, it's just always so painful.And we get through a passage like, "Look, I know some of you are going to be temptedto tune out because you're going to think, 'Well, you know what, Jeff, you don't knowmy circumstances.'And you're right.I don't.I don't know your circumstances."And I'm certainly not trying to be dismissive of the pain that you've gone through.And I'm certainly not trying to be judgmental for what brought about your divorce if that'syour situation.And I'm also keenly aware that I cannot exhaust everything that the Bible says on the subjectin just one sermon.What I want us all to do, it's nothing new.I just want us to do what we do every week.We're just going to take a giant step back and we're going to see what our Lord sayson the subject.And we're going to see Jesus speaks on divorce here.And I can't undo anything that happened in the past, nor can you as much as we mightwant to.It's gone.But I'm hoping with this message that we can prevent any future pain and hurt that comesfrom divorce.So let's look at Matthew chapter 5, looking verses 31 and 32.Jesus says, "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate ofdivorce.'But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality,makes her commit adultery and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery."What is going on in these verses?Well, first of all, look at verse 31.Jesus says, "It was also said," what?Jesus gives a quote, "Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce."You're like, is that what the Old Testament says?Ish.Here's the problem.This statement was used by the scribes and the Pharisees as a gross misrepresentationof a passage in the Old Testament.So does the Old Testament say that?Yeah, it kind of does, but they took a direction that the Lord never intended it to go.The scribes and the Pharisees took a passage from Deuteronomy, we're going to look at herein a few moments, and they twisted it for their own purposes.Jesus says, "But I say to you," and this is one of the most difficult verses in yourBible.Jesus says, "I say, everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexualimmorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commitsadultery."So here's the short version.See the scribes and the Pharisees, as I said, twisted this passage in Deuteronomy, and theyreduced it to this.Look, divorce and remarriage is okay as long as it's legal.As long as you do the paperwork, it's fine.It's just fine.It is just fine.And I think it's obvious that Jesus did not agree with their assessment because He saiddivorce leads to adultery.That's the short version.So let's unpack that a little bit today.On your outline, excuse me, we're just very simply calling this "two problems Jesus haswith divorce."All right, let's look at these two verses very intently, and we see there's two problemsthat Jesus has with divorce.Number one, write this down, divorce trivializes marriage.Divorce trivializes marriage.That's the problem.Quick review, marriage was defined once and for all to the first two people that God created,Adam and Eve.And I know there have been attempts to redefine marriage.It doesn't matter.God defined marriage once and for all.With the first two people that He created, Adam and Eve, and the most important versein your Bible on marriage is Genesis 2.24.It says, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to hiswife, and they shall become one flesh."That's the most important verse in the Bible about marriage.And I can say that emphatically because when Jesus was asked about marriage and divorce,this was the verse He quoted, Matthew 19, Mark chapter 10, when the Apostle Paul waswriting about marriage and divorce and husband and wife issues, this was the verse He quoted,1 Corinthians chapter 6, Ephesians chapter 5.God's plan in marriage is two people turning into one person.That's the plan.There's not a relationship on the earth like that.Not a business partnership.Not members of a sports team.There's nothing like the marriage relationship.This was God's intention of marriage in the very beginning.I want two people to turn into one person.And when you study Genesis, you'll see divorce was never part of God's original design formarriage.Like, "All right, well, if it wasn't part of God's plan, where did divorce come from?Where did this idea for divorce come from?"So allowance was made for divorce in the Old Testament law.I want you to look at this.We're going to put this passage on the screen.I want you to look at it very closely because this is the passage that's in question herewhere Jesus is confronting the scribes and the Pharisees.This is from Deuteronomy chapter 24.Because, again, Law of Moses here, when a man takes a wife and marries her, if thenshe finds no favor in his eyes because he has found some indecency in her and he writesher a certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sends her out of his house andshe departs out of his house and she goes and becomes another man's wife and the latterman hates her and writes her certificate of divorce and puts it in her hand and sendsher out of his house.Or if the latter man dies, who took her to be his wife, then her former husband, whosent her away, that's husband number one, may not take her again to be his wife aftershe has been defiled for that as an abomination before the Lord.And you shall not bring sin upon the land that the Lord your God is giving you for aninheritance.Now listen, it's a tough passage but we're going to get through this together.Here's what Moses was saying.Divorce had to have a cause.And here it's defined in the Law as some "indecency."It could have been a natural or a moral or a physical defect or whatever.It had to be something that they categorized as unclean, whatever that is.This limited the possible reasons for divorce.This was the purpose, understand.The reason Moses wrote this Law was so that a man couldn't just divorce his wife for anyreason whatsoever.Just make up some excuse, something frivolous.I'm just divorcing you because I feel like it.I don't like the meatloaf you made or I don't like your new haircut or those shoes lookhorrible.You can't just willy nilly divorce your wife.Moses is saying, "Look, there has to be a reason for the divorce."So this was actually to emphasize the importance of marriage.Like, well why would he allow the divorce then?Why go through this?Don't miss this.The purpose of divorce in this case in Deuteronomy 24 was to protect the woman.You see, when you give her the certificate of divorce, that woman had legal proof that,listen, she was dismissed from the marriage but it was not because she was unfaithful.You see that certificate for the woman showed, "Look, I did not have an affair.My husband found something wrong with me and dismissed me but it wasn't because I wasunfaithful."That's what's going on in Deuteronomy 24.But I want you to see here, listen, because this is where the Pharisees and the scribesmissed it.In Deuteronomy 24, there is not a command to divorce.That passage is just simply describing a scenario.In that passage, if we're going to boil it down, we would say this, they were told towrite a certificate of divorce if there was a divorce.The only command that you see in this passage, the only one in that passage is this, if youdivorce your wife, you cannot take her back if she's rejected by her next husband.Or if he croaks, you cannot take her back.Again, the reason for this was to protect the woman.It was to keep women from being used and discarded.It was to keep men who are hogs admittedly, it's to keep men from saying, "You know what?I'm going to try out women."But you know what?My first wife was better than this one.So I'm going to get rid of her and I'm going to take the first one back because I preferredher.That's a horrible, horrible way to treat a woman.See, that's the heart of the law here.Like God's like, "No, no, no, no, no, you're not going to treat women that way, men.This isn't a high school relationship, boyfriend, girlfriend, on again, off again.No, no, no, no, no, no.We're not treating women like that.Marriage is a very serious covenant and you're not going to just have a woman on a leashwhere you let her go and you anchor back and let her go and you anchor back.No, you are not allowed to do that."That's the heart of the law here.Deuteronomy 24 was intended to stop divorce from happening willy-nilly.Everybody on board with me now.Okay, because now I want you to see how the scribes and the Pharisees twisted it.Look at verse 31 again in Matthew chapter 5.Jesus quotes them.He says, "It was also said, whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate ofdivorce."What the scribes and the Pharisees did was through their twisting this passage, theyactually made it say the opposite of what God intended.They used this passage to justify easy divorce, that you can get a divorce for any reasonat all so long as the paperwork is done.That's what they reduced this to.Like, well look, you studied the Old Testament, it tells you very plainly.If you get a divorce, make sure that all the documents are filled out appropriately.That's really all that matters, right?That's all that matters.Just that we signed on the right line and we crossed our T's and we dotted our I's.That's really what matters.As long as you do the paperwork, as long as the divorce is legal, hey, everybody's goodwith that because everything's above board then, right?I mean, I'm not like one of those illegal divorcers, right?You know, that I get some janky, unofficial, illegal divorce document from online, fromthe dark webs.I'm not like that guy.You better be sure that when I get a divorce, it's done right.That was their mindset.The Law of Moses commands divorce to be done legally, so make sure that you do it right.And see, that's Jesus' problem with their attitude.He says your attitude about divorce trivializes marriage.And you have justified in your mind the mistreatment of women in the name of making sure the paperworkis filled out properly.That's not what the Law is about, Jesus is saying.Now, over the years, I have heard all kinds of unbiblical justifications for people wantinga divorce.And I don't even have time to get into all that today.And we're going to get to the biblical reason for divorce in a moment.But we need to stop here and say, listen, marriage should not be taken so lightly amongGod's people.The scribes and the Pharisees were so diligent to make sure that the divorce was done right.We church should be so diligent to make sure that the marriage is done right.So that's the first problem Jesus has with divorce.You trivialize marriage.You trivialize marriage.Not on board with that.But here's the second problem Jesus says I have with your attitude towards divorce.Scribes, Pharisees, church in 2025, divorce results in adultery.Look at verse 32 again.Like I said, this is a difficult verse.But this is what our Lord said.Jesus said, but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the groundof sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery.And whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.So Jesus is saying, listen, with divorce, even when the paperwork is done properly, divorceleads to nothing but more and more adultery.And I think one of the troubling things about this passage is I could see in my mind thatI make choices that cause me to be guilty and suffer consequences for my own choices.But it's very clear here in verse 32, Jesus is saying that a choice for a divorce resultsin other people being guilty of sin.That's a tough pill to swallow, but that's what He said.What does He mean?In Deuteronomy 24, that passage we just looked at, when the woman was divorced for somethingless than sexual immorality, which by the way, sexual immorality breaks the bond of marriage,but in the Deuteronomy 24 case, she was divorced for something less than that, right?Jesus said, even when you divorce for less than sexual immorality, that still makes foran adulterous situation.Jesus said the divorced wife moves on, she consummates a new union when there was nogrounds to break the first one, and if you do that, if you divorce like that, you arenow guilty of adultery, and whoever marries that woman is guilty of adultery, and whoevermarries you is guilty of adultery.And Jesus is saying when you unbiblically break the marriage covenant and people gooff and get remarried, He says now we've resulted in more and more adultery happening in otherpeople.That's what He said.He says now everybody's guilty.So what Jesus is saying to the scribes and the Pharisees is that you could sit here andsay, "Oh, I'm not an adulterer.I have never slept with another man's wife.I have never committed adultery."Jesus says you shouldn't think that way.Actually, you've made adultery worse because you have such a shallow view of divorce.Jesus said you lowered God's standard because all you're focused on is the external.I didn't commit adultery.Jesus said you did.You commit adultery when you look at a woman lustfully.It proves that you already had adultery in your heart.And furthermore, when you divorce without biblical grounds, which Jesus says is sexualimmorality, Jesus said you have committed adultery and you've made her and you've made her newhusband commit adultery too.Your sin not only affects you, but it affects so many more people than just you.And I really don't have to sell people who have experienced divorce how far reachingthe damage goes.The pain is not limited to just the two people in the marriage.I mentioned biblical grounds for divorce.Biblically, now looking at the whole counsel of God, I believe that there is one biblicalgrounds for divorce and it's hardheartedness.Like wait, wait, wait, wait.How do you know when somebody is heart-hearted?Because it would be real easy, right?You're like, "I'm divorcing you because I think you're heart-hearted."Like how do you know that somebody is heart-hearted?Biblically, heart-heartedness in a marriage manifests in two ways.One is abandonment.I don't have time to get into all this today, but just jot down 1 Corinthians 7 verse 15.Abandonment.When you have a spouse who just walks out of the marriage, "I'm not willing to counsel,I'm not willing to reconcile, I'm not willing to consider anything, I'm leaving you, I don'tcare.I am done."Abandonment.My best understanding from Scripture is that is biblical grounds for divorce.When you've tried, but your partner is completely unwilling.That gives evidence that their heart is so hard, they're not willing at all to investin a covenant.Abandonment.And the other evidence of heart-heartedness in marriage, well Jesus references here,and that's adultery.Your heart is so hard towards your spouse that you were willing to physically sleepwith somebody else.It's evidence of a heart-hearted.I want you to listen very closely because even these conditions, even the issue of adulterydoes not obligate anyone to divorce.Because you study God's Word.God's Word never condones divorce and it never commands divorce.There is not one passage in your Bible where God says, "If this happens, I command my peopleto get a divorce."That it is legitimate in abandonment and adultery, but it's still not commanded.So if you're married, you should do everything that you can to avoid divorce.See the scribes and the Pharisees, they live their marriages with one hand over the ejectseat button.It's like I'm not happy with you for any reason.I am done.Jesus said, "No, no, no, no, no, that's not how it should be.You should do everything you can to avoid divorce."You're like, "Well, what about abuse?What if I'm in a relationship where there's abuse that absolutely should not be happening?"And listen, if you're in an abusive situation, you need to let me know as soon as possible.Because we will protect you.We will get you out of harm's way.We will do everything to keep you from being abused.That should not be happening.Somebody else would say, "Well, what about neglect?What about detachment?What about my husband's a lazy bum?Do not be too proud to get biblical counsel.Because there's something else I've seen over the last two and a half decades or so.No marriage is beyond saving.I've seen couples come in hours away from filing for divorce whose marriage ended upin a better place than it ever has been through the result of the ministry of the Word ofGod.If both parties are willing, the marriage can be saved.And when we talk about, yes, abuse and neglect and things like that, we have to readily admitthat there are extreme cases that require extreme action, 100%.But in our day, like in Jesus' day, the vast majority of divorces weren't because of that.The vast majority of divorces were motivated by sinful, selfish desires.The vast majority of divorces result from people treating people like used cars.Like, "Well, this one isn't working out for me.I thought I would like it, but I'm not really digging it anymore.I'm just going to trade it in."That's most divorces.And Jesus says, "Now, you've reduced the marriage covenant.You've trivialized it.You've made it purely external.And now, as a result, all kinds of adultery is happening because you're unwilling to takemarriage seriously."That should not be among God's people.It's a hard passage.What I want us to do, just so I don't want anybody to think that this is some oddballpassage, this is a one-off.Because I want you to turn to Mark chapter 10, because what I want you to see here isJesus teaching the exact same thing, but in a different context.In Mark chapter 10, the context, you'll see they were testing Jesus.They were trying to trap Jesus.They were always trying to trap Jesus.And they thought, "Oh, we know how to trap Jesus.We'll ask Him about marriage and divorce.That'll get them for sure.Why?"Well, you know the story of John the Baptist.He objected to a marriage and divorce, and he lost his head.And I go, "We get Jesus on that.They'll get them for sure.We'll trap them."So I want you to see, now we have context, but I want you to see Jesus teaching the exactsame thing, but in a different context.Mark chapter 10, verse 2, "The Pharisees came up and in order to test Him asked, 'Is it lawfulfor a man to divorce his wife?'"They're like, "We got them.We got them."Slam dunk.Because, see, if Jesus says no, we're like, "Oh, you disagree with the Old Testament,which tells us to get a divorce."If Jesus says no, you shouldn't get a divorce, rather.You're disagreeing with the Old Testament.If Jesus says, "Oh, yeah, you can get a divorce.Oh, now Jesus is taking marriage lightly, and we're going to get Him either way."You know, Jesus is disregarding the serious system of marriage, or He's disregarding whatthe Old Testament says about divorce.We got them.We got them."Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?"I love this.Jesus answered them, "What did Moses command you?"Jesus is like, "What's the Bible say?"Turned it back on them.They said, "Look at this.Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away."Do you see?It's about the stinking paperwork again.That's all they were fixated on.Yeah, Moses said, "Fill out form A-27, and you're good."Jesus said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart," there it is, "because of yourhardness of heart," He wrote to this commandment."But from the beginning of creation, God made them male and female.Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and thetwo shall become one flesh."Sound familiar?Genesis 2.24.And Jesus comments on it.He says, "So they're no longer two, but one flesh.But therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."Verse 10 says, "And in the house the disciples asked him again."That's controversial, wasn't it?Disciples asked him again about this matter.And he said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adulteryagainst her.And if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."See, it's the same teaching.Same two points in this exchange that we see in Matthew chapter 5.Jesus says you've trivialized marriage, and it just causes more adultery.God takes marriage very seriously, especially to those who claim to be followers of JesusChrist.Why is God so...Why does God seem so strict about marriage?Why is God seems so serious about marriage?It's because divorce ultimately misrepresents God.See God takes marriage seriously because there's a picture that's to be on displayin the marriage.So when that picture is broken, God is misrepresented.Ephesians chapter 5 tells us what the picture is.It says, "Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everythingto their husbands."Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her.See this, this is the idea behind marriage.The ultimate goal of marriage is the ultimate goal of everything else in the universe isto glorify God.And the way God is glorified in your marriage is by demonstrating the relationship thatJesus Christ has with His bride, the church.And in this picture, the wife represents the church following, submitting, honoring, andthe husband is to represent Jesus loving, leading, laying His life down.And when you live this out, God is glorified and your marriage is blessed.But when you divorce, you're misrepresenting God.So my friends, what are we showing the world about God and the way we conduct ourselvesin our marriages?Our worship team and communion servers would come up.It's only appropriate that we close by gathering around the Lord's table.Like, well, what does this have to do with marriage?The answer is everything.Because we gather around the Lord's table, we are reminded that Jesus Christ has a covenantlove for us.This love that Jesus Christ has for us is forever.It's never going to change.And even when His bride fails Him, and we do.Oh, and we will.Jesus isn't going to give up on us.This is our reminder of what covenant love looks like.And this is a reminder of how covenant love is to be demonstrated in our marriages.

Passages: Matthew 11:28-30Sermon Notes: 1. Your soul knows that rest is real. It must be found.2. The passage today will do just thatI. Come to me all who are weary and burdeneda. Weary and Burdenedi. In a secular wayii. In a religious wayb. Jesus invites us to turn away from those ways and come to Himi. You're weary and burdened because you are searching for your soul to RESTII. I will give you resta. What does it mean?i. Rest for the soulb. What does that look like?i. No more effort to earn God's favorii. To be at peace with Godiii. To end the constant strivingiv. To be without fearv. To have assurance in the one we depend onc. (How do I come to Jesus?)I. Take my yoke upon you, learn from mea. Context of Yokei. Made with specific specs for the oxen, in order for it to pull and till the ground.b. What does it mean to be Yoke to Jesusi. Place of listeningii. Place of intimacyiii. Place of Lordshipiv. Place of Learningc. (Why would i want to get in the Yoke with Jesus and How would that possibly give me rest?)II. I am gentle and lowly in heart—for my yoke is easy and my burden is lighta. 9 descriptions of Jesusi. Jesus has authority over diseaseii. Jesus has authority over all suffering and siniii. Jesus has authority over all disasteriv. Jesus has authority over demonsv. Jesus has authority over sinvi. Jesus has authority to savevii. Jesus has authority over deathviii. Jesus has authority over disabilityix. Jesus has authority over the devilb. Conclusion: He IS GODc. Does not even take His position seriously (gentle)i. Scandal of heavenii. Degrade Himself in order to have you by His side.d. Rest comes when we realize that Christ has done it all for us, and continues to do it all for us.To give please visit: https://www.wearetruelove.com/give Join TLC on our social media for updates!YouTube: https://youtube.com/truelovecommunity Facebook: https://facebook.com/truelovecommunityministry Instagram: https://instagram.com/truelovecommunity

28Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene andthe other Mary went to see the tomb.2And behold, there was a great earthquake, foran angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.3His appearance was like lightning, andhis clothing white as snow.4And for fear of him the guards trembled andbecame like dead men.5But the angel said to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.6He is not here, for he has risen,as he said. Come, see the place where he[a]lay.7Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold,he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.8So they departed quickly from the tombwith fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.9And behold, Jesusmet them and said,Greetings!And they came up andtook hold of his feet andworshiped him.10Then Jesus said to them,Do not be afraid;go and tellmy brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me. 16Now the eleven discipleswent to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.17And when they saw him theyworshiped him, but some doubted.18And Jesus came and said to them,All authorityin heaven and on earth has been given to me.19Go therefore andmake disciples ofall nations,baptizing themin[a]the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20teaching themto observe all thatI have commanded you. And behold,I am with you always, tothe end of the age.

Introduction: Influencer = Social media professional who has built a sizable following around a relevant topic, and can therefore influence their followers to take an action, thanks to their credibility and authority. As Salt and Light, I Am God's Influencer (Matthew 5:13-16) My Influence is Expected. My Influence Comes from Me Being Different. My Influence Is for God's Glory. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript Open up your Bibles with me, please, to the book of Matthew in chapter 5.Today we are going to talk about influencers.Now the young people here already know something about this, but those of us whoare older, this is, I'm in that category too, this might be a newconcept to some of this. But what is an influencer? We have a definition here, canwe get the definition up on the screen? This is what an influencer is, okay?It's a social media professional who has built a sizable following around arelevant topic and can therefore influence their followers to take anaction thanks to their credibility and authority. That's what a social mediainfluencer or an influencer, that's what that is. And those relevant topics,that's a lot of different things, right? It's food, health, fashion, pop culture,travel, gaming, beauty, you name it, there's somebody out there that is aninfluencer. They are internet celebrities. And by that, some of them were alreadycelebrities and they got online. And some of them are people who becamecelebrities because of their online presence. There's lists of the top ones.I was looking up all these lists and you can do this sometime, not now, but I waslooking up lists of who were the biggest influencers of our day. And forsake of time today, I'm just going to share top five. Here's the top five,according to this one list for whatever that's worth. The number one biggestinfluencer, Cristiano Ronaldo. I don't even know who she is. Is anybody a soccerplayer? Not football. That is a different sport. We call it soccer like goodAmericans. Okay, so apparently Cristiano Ronaldo is a soccer player and on thislist, the biggest influencer in the world currently. Number two, I think I heard ofher. It's Selena Gomez. Isn't she like an, is she an actor or something? Okay,actor, singer. Okay, all right. Number three is Mr. Beast. Probably not his realname. Number four is Lionel Messi. Messi, another soccer player.What? I played soccer in high school and college and it was not popular back then.Now two of the top five so far. Oh, number five. I know number five. Number five isthe Biebs as his followers like to call him. Justin Bieber. That's number five.Did you know God has a face for his brand? God has a spokesman. God has someoneto endorse his relevant topic. Do you know who that is? It's you. It's you.Think it by your heads with me and I want you to pray for me. Once we turn to God'sword that I'll be faithful to communicate it and I will pray for you tohave a heart open to receive what God has for us today. Let's pray.Father, your word tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing through theWord of Christ. The only transformation that can happen is supernaturaltransformation. It has to come from you. And I pray, Father, that as we encounteryour word, as we encounter you, we are profoundly changed. We pray these thingsin Jesus' name. And all of God's people said, "Amen." We just finished what waslike an eight-week series on the Beatitudes. And the Beatitudes describewhat a follower of Jesus is like. Verses 13 through 16 describe the function ofthe believer in the world. You are God's influencer. You are. When you live asdescribed in the Beatitudes, you influence the world. Like, well, how does thathappen? Well, let's see what our Lord says. Matthew 5 verse 13. He says, "You are thesalt of the earth. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness berestored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out andtrampled under people's feet. You are the light of the world." A city said on ahill cannot be hidden, nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Buton a stand, and it gives light to all in the house, in the same way, let yourlight shine before others so that they may see your good works and give gloryto your Father who is in heaven. Jesus here is saying, okay, here's the shortversion. The world is decaying and it's dark. Have you noticed? What it needs issalt and light. Let's talk about salt and light for a second, shall we? When itcomes to salt, look, in our day, we kind of take salt for granted. It's everywhere.It's on every table, it's in your cabinet. It's everywhere, and it's cheap. But thepeople that lived in Jesus' day would have had a different view of salt. To theGreeks, they considered salt divine. The Romans said that there is nothing morevaluable than two things, sun and salt. In fact, Roman soldiers were actually paidin salt. Do you ever hear that expression? He's not worth a salt? Ask where that comesfrom. True story. It was so important in so many ways. People would use salt inmaking covenants. Salt was used in Old Testament sacrifices. Salt was used forflavor, obviously. Salt is an antiseptic. Like, well, how did Jesus mean it?I believe the main primary focus of Jesus' teaching here is salt as apreservative. Salt prevents corruption. You see, in Jesus' day, they didn't haverefrigerators. They didn't have a deep-freeze chest in the garage like we do.So in order to preserve meat, you would literally have to rub salt into the meatto keep it from spoiling. And in the same way, Jesus' followers are the salt in themeat of the world. We are what's preventing the world from totally rotting right now.But the Bible says, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, the book of Revelation, whenthe church is removed from the world in the rapture, the world is going to go tohell. It's going to get horrific because the salt's been removed. It's gonna rot.So the implication here of salt is that the world is polluted and corrupt and ithas this tendency to rot like meat. And what it needs is your influence. It needs salt.Let's talk about light for a second. Also, much more valuable in Jesus' daybecause, again, we kind of take it for granted, don't we? We're so used to havingelectricity and flicking the lights on. But don't we just lose our minds when astorm takes the power out and there's no light? I know our house does, but theydidn't have that electricity. So light would have been a much more valuablething to them. But you know, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world," back in Johnchapter 8 and verse 12, "and here Jesus says you are the light of the world." Sowhich is it? And the answer is both. It's both. It's His light through us. Just asthe moon doesn't produce its own light but reflects the light of the sun, that'show it is for followers of Christ. We are to reflect the light of Jesus Christ inour lives. Now when the Bible talks about light, it's talking about revealingGod's truth. This is what the Bible refers to when it's talking about light,right? Psalm 119, 105, "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Solight has to do with the revelation of God's Word. It is the light that tells usthe cause of the darkness. It is the light that shows us that our problem iswe're separated from God. But it's also the light that shows us the way out ofdarkness. It's the light of God's Word that says there is a way to get back toGod, and that is through Jesus Christ, who died for your sins, who rose from thedead to give you eternal life. It's through faith in Him. That's how you get back toGod, and that is only revealed in the light of God's Word. So the implicationwhen Jesus talks about light is this, the world is dark. Sin has made this world avery dark place. What it needs is light. It needs your influence. So on youroutline, I encourage you to take some notes here. Here's the sermon, "As Salt andLight, I am God's Influencer. I am. And if you claim to be a follower of JesusChrist, you are an influencer for God. You are." Let's unpack this a little bit.Shall we, number one, write this down, "My influence is expected." My influence isexpected. Interestingly, in the Greek, we talked about this in the Beatitudes. It'shere too. You know, you as emphatic in the Greek. So literally, you couldtranslate this. Jesus is saying, "You are the only light in the world. You are theonly salt in the world." You know, I was thinking about salt this week. You know,something really interesting about salt, as valuable as it is, it's really no goodon its own, is it? It's not good by itself. I mean, when was the last time youwent to Pantera bread, and you said, "Yeah, you know what? I'm not really that hungry.I'm just gonna have a bowl of salt." Like, who does that? It's no good on its own.Salt is always used for something else. And you know, thinking about that further,light is the same, isn't it? Light is always used for something else. Meaningthis, when you turn on the lights, you don't do it because you're like, "You knowwhat, man? I just really like light." Like, nobody just really likes light. Why do youturn it on? Because it's light that illuminates what's in the room. Light hasno other purpose. So salt and light always used for something else. Always usedfor something else. You know what? You are so valuable. You are. But like salt,you're not valuable for yourself. Here's what I mean. If all God wanted was for youto be saved, then the moment you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, Godwould just take you to heaven. Like, we're done. Good job. I wanted you to be saved.But He doesn't do that. God, when you're saved, God keeps you on this earth for onereason. It's influence. He keeps you here to be salt and light. You see, that's whatJesus is saying here. There is no salt and light except from a Christ followerwho is going to show and tell the people around you about Jesus. Like, well, you'rethe pastor, isn't that your job? No. Look, it can't be. You're going to encounterpeople just through the course of your every day that I'm never going to meet.You're going to work with people and there's people in your family. Thepastor Taylor is never going to meet. So whose job is it to let them know aboutJesus Christ? That's yours. That's why God has you there. There's no alternative.There's just not another option. But you know, side note, it's an interestingparadox. Last week we were talking about persecution, right? And people hating youbecause of Jesus. Isn't it an interesting paradox that the world hates us so much,but the world needs us so desperately? Look, you're expected. You are expected tobe salt and light. That is so clear from Jesus' words. It is just anexpectation. That's why Jesus gives warnings of being useless. Did you seethat? He says, verse 13, "If the salt has lost its taste." And then over in verse 15,he says, "Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket." What's the point?Well, the point is this. If salt isn't salty, it's useless, right? And if lightdoesn't shine, useless. What Jesus is saying here is when salt isn't salty,when light isn't bright, what that means is you've lost your influence. You'velost your influence. It's a terrible place to be when you lose your ability to besalt and light for Jesus Christ. You're like, well, how does that happen? How doyou lose your influence? How does salt lose its taste? How do you hide yourlight? Well, it happens through sin. That's how it happens. Constantlycomplaining, you're losing your saltiness. Gossiping, you're losing yoursaltiness. Do you have a hair trigger temper? You're losing yoursaltiness when that erupts. I'm inappropriate with the opposite sex inany way. Flirtation, direct messages to full-on affairs. You're losing yoursaltiness when you're involved in sin. Jesus gives a hard wording about thathere. He says you're not good for anything when that happens. I can justspeak personally, you know, over the years there have been several pastors whohave been a big influence influence. Several pastors have been a big influenceon me. Some local guys, some national names. People who have disqualifiedthemselves from ministry because of flagrant sin. And in a lot of the casesit was affairs. Whether it was emotion or physical, that seems to be thepredominant disqualifier. And look, right wrong or indifferent, you can reach yourconviction on this. But I gotta tell you, I've thrown away a lot of books and alot of sermons and a lot of materials for ministries. Because those pastors losttheir influence, how can you preach this? And for years secretly live acompletely different way. How can you do that? You don't have audience with meanymore. You're like, yeah, that's terrible. Well, what about you? What aboutyour influence with your unsafe family, with your friends, with your co-workers?When they know that you're a Christian, and by the way they absolutely should,look, when they know you name the name of Christ, they're watching you. They arewatching everything you do. They're watching your attitudes. They're listeningto every word that you say and how you say it and what you talk about. They'relistening. They're watching. I have to ask you, do theysee sin? Or maybe you just try to tone down the salt a little bit whenyou're around them. Maybe when you're around them, you don't want to be theweird religious wackadoo. So you're just, let's just dim the lights a little bit.Can we just dim the lights a little bit? Jesus says, if that's the case, He says,you're not good for anything. Like, Jesus is saying, why do I have you here? Why do Ihave you here if you're not going to be salt and light? You're no good. It's ahard warning. But notice, Jesus didn't say after the beatitudes, okay, now wouldyou pretty please be salt and light? He said, you are. You are. So really thequestion is, how salty are you? How bright are you? Because you're going toinfluence people one way or the other. And Jesus is expecting His influence onthis world to happen through you. So your influence is expected, number one.Number two, right this time, my influence comes from me being different. Myinfluence comes from me being different. That's something else about salt andlight. It has to actually be touching what it's going to affect. Did you knowthat? If the salt's going to be of any use, it has to be on the food. I know that'sprofound, right? What did you learn in church today? He said something about thesalt's no good unless it's on the food. Right. Right. The light must be mingledwith the darkness, right? But at the same time that it's touching, it's alsodistinct. What I mean is salt and light are unlike the medium on which they'replaced. So the point is we are to be different from the world. We're to beas different as the salt is from the meat. We're to be as different as thelight is from the darkness. And that means my friends, we're not we're notself-serving. We're not materialistic. We're not worldly. The influence happenswhen we're different from the world. And somehow we have a hard time asChristians remembering that. We think that we are going to attract theworld by imitating them. We have this game in our minds where we say, "Well, I'mgoing to show them that I'm no different than them. And they're going to see thatI'm cool and I'm relevant and then I'm going to be able to give them the gospel."We think being like them is going to attract them.Just imagine you have this co-worker and you have an exchange like this.Your co-worker says, "Hey, you want to hear a dirty joke?" And your reply is, "Yes." Andthen I will tell you one because I'm cool. Your co-worker says, "Hey, did you checkout that new lady that they hired? She is fine." And your reply to that is, "Yes, Ialso think she is smoking as you do because you and me are the same." Yourco-worker says, "Hey, do you want to have too much beer later?" And your reply is, "Isure would because that would be relevant to my relationship with youbecause I'm just like you." And then maybe after our beers I will tell you howJesus changed me. Changed you? From what? Even in the church. Even in the church.There's this tendency, we want to attract unsaved people so we think we'vegot to be just like them. Let's put on a show. Let's make it like a secularconcert. Let's get the laser lights and the smoke machine and put on a bigtheatrical production here. Let's be like the world. That'll win the world, won't it?Because don't we want people to be comfortable? We hate that, don't we? Whenchurches are like, "We want you to come and be comfortable." Church is the lastplace you should be comfortable. Standing in the face of the Word of God isthe last place you should feel comfortable. The church is, "Let's be like theworld and what that means is we're going to have to not take such ahard stand on the truth of God's Word because we want to win the world, right?And in order to do that, we got to be like the world." I was shown a churchrecently online was advertising, "You can get baptized there." But the interestingkicker was, they said, "You can get baptized any way you want."Any way you want. You want to get dunked? Well, don't you? You want to getsprinkled? We'll splash you? You want us to dip our hands in water and touch yourforehead? We'll do that. You name the way you want to get the water on you. We'll getthe water on you. As our Lord would say, "What is going on?" I heard this quote onetime that always stuck with me. Somebody said, regarding the church, they said,"Just when the world needs us the most, we become just like them." And look, if we'rejust the same, we got nothing to offer them, right? And if we learn anything fromthe Beatitudes, it's this, kingdom of heaven people live different than kingdomof earth people. We are not the same. We are not made out of the same stuff thatthe world is made out of. We are salt and light. My influence comes from beingdifferent, right? And finally, number three, my influence is for God's glory. Myinfluence is for God's glory. Look at verse 16 again. Jesus says in the same way,"Let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and giveglory to your Father who is in heaven." Good works. Good works. You do good works?Well, you have to check your motives for that, right? Because it's not about whatpeople think about me as much as what they think about God. But Jesus said,"They'll see our good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."Meaning this, "I do what I do because I love Jesus." And people are going to seethat, and that is going to give me the opportunity to share the gospel withthem, to invite them to church where they're going to hear the gospel. Andour hope is that they receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, becausethat is the ultimate way that God has glorified.But if we're going to be influencers, we have to be salt and light both.Because you can read this passage and be like, isn't Jesus kind of saying thesame thing with the salt and the light? Like, why did He use two pictures? Whydidn't He just keep it short and use one? Because there's some keydifferences between salt and light. The one I want to focus on is this. We couldspend so much time on this, we don't have it. But I want to say this. Jesus issaying you have to have godly conduct, that's salt. And you have to have thegospel message that's light. You have to have both.Meaning this. You can't just walk away from this message and focus on one ofthese aspects, but not the other. Meaning, let's just say you're onlygoing to focus on being salt. Okay, you're like, you know what, he's rightabout the salt, you know what, I got to work on that. I'm just only going to focuson being salt. I'm just going to focus on my walk with Christ, but you neveractually share the gospel with anyone. Well, the question is how is anybodygoing to glorify the Father if you never tell them the gospel? Do you thinkpeople are going to see your good works and just automatically, somehow,miraculously understand the content of the gospel just because you're doinggood works? There was a saying that was thrown around years ago. You know thosesayings that sometimes creeps into the church that Christians use that sound,they sound so like magnanimously spiritual, but they're really, when youthink about it, really kind of empty. This is one that kind of drove me nuts.Years ago, people would say, preach the gospel and use words if necessary. Rememberthat one? Preach the gospel and use words if necessary. Look, words arenecessary. Words are necessary. No one hears the truth just by watchingsomebody's character, but on the other hand, if you're like, you know what,you're right, I'm not going to worry so much about the salt. I'm not going tomonitor my salt content so much. I'm going to focus on being light.But look, if you're just running around telling everyone John 3.16, but you'renot personally walking with Christ, there's no good works backing up thismessage that you're preaching, you're going to leave people asking, why should Ilisten to his message? Because he doesn't seem any different than me. You got tohave salt and light both. See, salt refers to your general conduct. Light is thespecific word. Salt talks about who you are. Light speaks to what you do. Salt isbeing the example. Light is carrying out the work of evangelism. Salt is living it.Light is telling it. See, that salt can't save anyone. Salt holds back thecorruption. You need the light of God's truth to lead the salvation, but thelight has to be backed up by the salt of God the character and good works. That'sJesus' point here. And the end game? The end game is the same end game forliterally everything in the universe. The glory of God.We get that definition of the influencer back up here. I looked at a fewdefinitions here, but I thought, wow, doesn't this definition really speakto the same kind of stuff Jesus was talking about here? Look, here's what Imean. Has our Lord built a sizable following?A little bit. You may have heard of him. He built a sizable following. Does he havea relevant topic? I would argue the most relevant topic ever, eternal life. Is ourLord interesting in influencing His followers to take action? That's whywe're here. Like, well, how does that happen? There's last two words jumped outto me then. Credibility and authority. What's credibility? That's salt. And what'sauthority? That's light. Look, God has given us a new mission field to reach atHarvest Bible Chapel. God has given us a community without a church where we canbe salt and light. So there's an exciting new chapter ahead for Harvest BibleChapel. And just now we're going to have our town hall meeting, getting an updateon how God is moving. And my friends, you were in the presence of a miracletoday because I got done early. We'll do the directors cut in the next service.So why don't you just want to take a couple minutes? We're gonna start at 10promptly, Pastor Rich. So once you take a couple minutes, if you need to check onlittle Joey or use the restroom and then at 10 o'clock sharply, Pastor Rich isgonna come up here and we have an amazing update for you on what the Lord'sdoing. So let me pray real quick and then we'll reconvene here at 10. Father inheaven, I just want to close this time in your word by asking you to empower us tobe what you've already pronounced us to be. You've said we're salt and light, God,we need the wisdom of your word and the power of your spirit so that we can carryout that function in a way that glorifies your name. Thank you Father for all that you've done.We're excited at what you're going to do. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead Matthew 5:13-16What was your big take-away from this passage / message?In what ways are disciples of Jesus like salt? Like light?How does salt lose flavor (the believer lose their influence)? In what ways do we put our lamps under a basket? Why does Jesus say someone in that state is “no longer good for anything”?Why is it important to both salt AND light? Why not just focus on one or the other?How do you really know if you are doing good works for other people's attention or God's glory?BreakoutPray for one another to be salty and bright.

Happy New Year! On this episode Thati dives into one of the biggest decisions she made in 2023, a breast reduction! This is something she went back and forth with for year and finally made the decision for herself. Find out what caused her to make this decision, does she regret it, how does she feel about plastic surgery, and more? We hope you enjoy this episode !Subscribe and Review:Enjoyed the show? Please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Leave us a review to help others find our content and join our growing community! Connect With UsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/goodlucksis_pod?igsh=eGNjZzBnYjY5Nmtz&utm_source=qr Youtube: https://youtube.com/@goodlucksispod?si=_j161Sd8VaHpezIMTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@goodlucksis_pod?_t=8pjHQ9LC1ol&_r=1

I'm also working on a song digitally so I will upload thatI'm thinking about a lore episode about the new update(s) --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scotland-foutz/support

Send us a textEarlier this week, I hit a huge milestone in my podcast!!! I am so grateful and I feel on top of the world right nowAnd talk about divine timing, not only are we finishing The Magic today, we are finishing it on Thanksgiving! It's like everything has come full circle and good vibes are all around for those involved. This week I'm reflecting on all thatI just want to take this opportunity to thank you all, however many episodes you have listened to, for being a part of my journey. My journal has finally been approved and is ready to buy from TODAY. Order your copy now Thanks so much for listening! Please don't forget to rate and review, and share with others. Tag me in your stories!Be sure to join my email list to hear more (but not too much) from me hereAlsoClick here to download my free subliminal for self confidenceClick here to download my free chakra guideCheck out my website if you want to know more about me and what I dohttps://lisadavidge.co.uk/Follow me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lisadavidge_lovinglifeJoin my Facebook group for regular inspirationSending so much loveLisa xx

チャーリー•プースの新曲が泣ける件。~解説した歌詞↓~Do you remember snow wasFallin' down on Christmas Day?Oh, baby, I thought forever was A gift that we gaveHolding you so tight by the fireplace, yeah----- The list of everything thatI could want written on my faceBut no, 'cause Santa didn'tBring me nothin' but painSo the holidays don't hit the same-----Now December 25th is the dayI always miss you the most, oh'Cause the music and the lightsIt reminds me of the nightThat you told me you had to go-----December 25th is the dayThat always hurts me the most, ohI still got no goodbyeSo I'd rather stay insideSpending Christmas here alone曲名：December 25th/Charlie Puth チャーリー・プース-----■LINEでStudyInと無料留学相談できます☟https://bit.ly/47redwx■Podcastの感想やリクエストはInstagramのDMまで！⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/studyin.jp/⁠

~解説した歌詞~ For all the times that you rained on my paradeAnd all the clubs you get in using my nameYou think you broke my heartOh, girl, for goodness sakeYou think I'm crying, on my own, well, I ain'tAnd I didn't wanna write a song Cause I didn't want anyone thinking I still careI don't, but you still hit my phone upAnd, baby, I be moving onAnd I think you should be somethingI don't wanna hold backMaybe you should know thatMy mama don't like you and she likes everyoneAnd I never like to admit that I was wrongAnd I've been so caught up in my jobDidn't see what's going onAnd now I know, I'm better sleeping on my ownCause if you like the way you look that muchOh, baby you should go and love yourselfAnd if you think thatI'm still holding on to somethingYou should go and love yourself 曲名：Love Yourself/Justin Bieber 新メンバー募集⬇️ https://herp.careers/v1/blued/2WMFNYUt66aY ■LINEでStudyInと無料留学相談できます☟ https://bit.ly/47redwx ■Podcastの感想やリクエストはInstagramのDMまで！ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/studyin.jp/⁠

Truth is, I wish we talked a lot more about making cities as kid-friendly as possible. The topic is often overlooked. That's why it was fascinating to see Derek Thompson's article, “The Urban Family Exodus Is a Warning For Progressives” get so much traction. He clearly touched a nerve.Today, I give my take in this solo podcast. As a father, as someone that loves cities, and someone that is in fact deeply concerned about the trendlines, I share my observations. This one gets a little personal. Ground I cover includes: 1. How parents really feel about their kids 2. What life in American cities is really like 3. How things are different now from the historic norm in the US 4. What parents really prioritize, not what we wish them to prioritize 5. What cities can do 6. How cities *could* be amazingFind more content on The Messy City on Kevin's Substack page.Music notes: all songs by low standards, ca. 2010. Videos here. If you'd like a CD for low standards, message me and you can have one for only $5.Intro: “Why Be Friends”Outro: “Fairweather Friend”Episode Transcript:Kevin K (00:01.824)Welcome back to the Messy City podcast. This is Kevin Klinkenberg flying solo today, doing an episode in a way that I've done occasionally in the past, but I haven't done a little while. I've had some amazing guests. I've got some more coming up and I love talking to people other than myself primarily in this gig, but it is fun once in a while to just riff on something that's in the news or on my mind.And that's what I'm going to do today. I do want to take a second and say thank you to all of you who are listening and following. The podcast has really grown a lot in audience the last six months. And I really appreciate everybody tuning in. And if you get a chance, please hit that like or follow button. Leave me a review on your podcast platform, especially if you're on Apple. Apple is the biggest podcast platform by far.So if you're listening through Apple podcasts, I'd really appreciate it if you gave the show a rating. All of that stuff helps get attraction and grow the audience. And the bigger the audience, the better I will be able to be at providing you all with really good programming and interesting guests and the ability to try to help us all out as we navigate how to improve our cities, how to improve our own situation.if you're a, a small developer or an aspiring small developer, try to become one. if you are someone who's just interested in cities and planning to do whatever you can do to make your community a better place to live and, and, help us, help us all out in our own little world. So that's the point. That's what I'm trying to do here. And, I hope you enjoy it judging by the numbers. A lot of you are enjoying it. So that's really cool. And, it's,It's definitely a lot of fun for me. So with that, I want to talk about an article that's made the rounds a lot lately and a topic that I've seen discussed in social media and elsewhere. And it really has to do with the subject of families and big cities. And a lot of this most, the most recent flurry of discussion happened atKevin K (02:25.002)as the result of an article in the Atlantic by Derek Thompson titled, The Urban Family Exodus is a Warning for Progressives. And I'm going to commit a cardinal sin here today where I'm going to talk about this topic without having read the actual article. So forgive me for that, but I will say I have read many, many articles on this topic.And what I really want to talk about today is just kind of my own experience as a father, as a parent, and my own interaction and evolution on this issue. Because I think there's an awful lot in the context of this subject that we just don't talk very much about. Especially those of us who are in this tiny, tiny niche ofpeople who call themselves urbanists, who care about cities, who care about development in cities. There's an awful lot tied into this issue that overlaps with others that we've talked about here before, but I think there's some that's really specific about having kids that I'd just like to dive into. So the context really in Derek's article, I did see some of the numbers. I don't have them in front of me. You can find them.out there, it's not hard to find. But the context was that people with children are continuing to move out of big cities. That this trend really started in the early COVID years, 2020, 2021, and has not really abated. so the article really was kind of a warning, especially to people in some of the largercities in the country, the places like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, et cetera, that people who have a choice, who have kids have continued to leave. And so that is why he says it's a warning. I guess I would say right off, right up front, I think this should be a concern for everybody. I don't think it should be a concern just for somebody who calls themselves a progressive. I've always had the opinion thatKevin K (04:42.818)Communities and cities are for everybody in every age group, every kind of background, every interest. The best kind of communities really embrace everybody. And it's a little strange to me when we say that, when we just kind of dial it down to like a political impulse. I understand why he's doing that. the reality is that most big cities are run by progressives.And so I think he's talking to progressive policymakers. But I think this issue really should concern everybody because honestly, when you don't have children living in your city, you have to ask yourself, like, what future does your city have? This is often talked about in relation to like places that are like retirement communities. And a lot of retirement communities also go through phases and fads.And if they don't evolve, since they're not replacing people themselves, there are no children in retirement communities. And so people aren't growing up there. What happens as people die off and those populations change? Well, the same is true of cities. If children are not growing up in cities and having, or if they're not growing up in your community and having a good feeling about it, it lowers the likelihood that they will want to be there as an adult.And if you're not going to be there as an adult, it's going to hurt your future population as well. everything in cities is a function of time. And there is that fourth dimension that we often neglect, that things change a lot over time. And we don't think about what might happen 10, 20, 30 years down the road. But if your community doesn't have children in it, that's a big red flashing warning sign.for what happens in the next generation. So I think this is an issue that should concern everybody. And again, I'd say right up front, I am terribly, terribly biased on this because I do have children. I have two young children, two daughters that are six and eight years old. And so I want to share, I think what might be useful for me, first of all, is to share a little bit of a personal perspective on having kids.Kevin K (07:09.09)And then I have some thoughts related to what's going on in terms of evaluating and understanding cities and the landscape of cities in the United States. And then also what we might do, what cities might be able to do to course correct. What can they do to turn this around so that cities can be attractive to people who do have kids and reverse that population loss. So let's just start off with the personal.not a young person anymore. I certainly don't feel old, but I can't deny the math, but I'm not somebody who's in my 20s or 30s. And I have kids, but I came to having kids pretty late in life compared to most people. So my oldest was born when I was 45 and then my youngest when I was 47. So I'm not in...What is it? Al Pacino world here? Is it Al Pacino that like that recently had a kid or something and he's about eight years old? I'm not in that world, but I am definitely in the category of people who had kids late in their adult life. And so I lived a long period of time without children in cities and now I'm living with children in a city environment.and I think the thing, you know, the thing, the way I would like to talk about this first and foremost, there's so much about this that changes. You know, there's a lot of cliches about the things that change. And when you have kids and I knew all those cliches, I heard them a million times. It's really hard to fully understand that until you go through it. And, having children completely rewires your brain.and your priorities in a lot of ways that have really surprised me as a person. And I have often found myself just like shocked at things that are different about me now that I am caring for and responsible for these two young people. Just, you know, one silly thing is just like...Kevin K (09:29.184)you know, my wife and I have talked about this, like anytime there is like a movie or a show on TV and there are children that are like at risk, they're abducted, they're being hurt or harmed in some way. It's like, you know, I just lose it now. And it, the emotion that that creates in me and us is, it's hard to describe. It really,It affects me in ways that are, they seem kind of silly, but I understand and I empathize much more with the families and people in those situations than I ever would have otherwise. And so it's really kind of bizarre, but it's like an incredible way to just like make me all of a sudden choke up, you know, watching a movie, having some harm come to a small child. But I mean, the reality is,I will tell you from my experience, you do become much more emotional when you have kids. At least in my experience, I have found a protective impulse, the desire to protect them from harm and from the world that I just wasn't sure that I had that. When I was younger, I didn't know about that, but when once you have those children in your care,It's incredible how protective you are of just every aspect of their life. so I get why we don't want to become helicopter parents. We are not like that. But I get why people have that reaction. I get the instinct that a lot of parents have to really deeply care for every aspect of what happens in their child's life. And I would say,If you don't have that kind of reaction, if having kids doesn't change you in some meaningful way, then you should probably take a long look in the mirror. I mean, you might be a sociopath, I'm just saying. And it should change you. because it's an incredible thing to have to care for another human being. It's an incredible joy. And there's definitely the part of me that says, God, I wishKevin K (11:54.036)I had done this when I was younger and even had more kids than just the two of them because they really bring you incredible joy into your life. I would say that probably the highest highs and lowest lows come from being a parent. The moments you have them with them that are really great or fun or memorable from a good standpoint, stand out above and beyond anything else thatyou I did for myself in the years before I have kids. So it really is very different and it does tend to make you think that the life you led before kids was very like self -centered and maybe selfish. And I'm not saying that as like an accusation to anybody because, I lived it. I lived it myself for a very long period of time, but it is just really different. Sohaving kids that you care for really does change your priorities in ways that you probably can't communicate perfectly in an article, especially if you're like a childless person and you're just trying to describe like statistics that are happening and analyze what's going on. If you can't understand the emotion of it, then you're really missing something really important. So one aspect of thatis that with small children especially, you spend an awful lot of your time and mental energy trying to come up with activities for them and trying to entertain them, trying to do these things in ways that you're not worried about their safety. mean, you're literally worried about them surviving every moment.And so we spend a lot of time like trying to chase down those different activities. And for a lot of small kids in particular, in American cities, a lot of those places are in the suburbs. And I'll talk more about that in a little bit and the evolution of all that. But that is part of the day to day that most parents deal with is, you know, maybe you're going to a kid's play area or a play date.Kevin K (14:21.192)or a daycare or a swimming pool or aquatic center or whatever it is. And in American cities, most of those are in suburban locations because that's where most of the kids are. so there is this kind of challenge that you have as somebody who lives in an urban area that there isn't as much just kid -focused amenities as you would have in a lot of suburban areas.So it's true that if you live in the suburbs, you're still driving a lot to all these places, but it is closer and there's just a lot more of it. And so, you know, as a parent, we do find ourselves getting in the car a lot and driving out to suburban locations for any number of activities. And frankly, the family oriented events and activities, there's just so much more of them that are in businesses and other things in the suburbs.And it's just, one of the things that I think you can't really describe very well is going to, when you have small children, going to a place where you can kind of just let the kids free and roam around and play with other kids and not worry that they're going to be harmed. there's a, there is like a stress reduction on your own life that happens there. And so you're kind of always looking for those opportunities and there's just not much of that in a lot of urban areas or.urban locations. Now I think cities have gotten better for families in my lifetime. And there are more things. So like in my city, there's something we call Science City, which is basically just like a kids play area that is in the Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri, that's in the city. It's a really cool place. The kids love going there. That's an example of like a very family and kid focused activity.And there are some people working on creating more activities nearby and adjacent to it that I think will be really cool. We obviously have parks, we have playgrounds, we have a fantastic park that is a block away from our house that the kids walk down to and it's got a playground and everything. So we've used that a lot. We've got some of those types of things. And we have a neighborhood main street that is just up the block from our house.Kevin K (16:45.054)And if we walk a few blocks in one direction, you know, we can hit the ice cream place and there's a taco place and there's, there's, there's some places that are, that are fun to hang out. Now, I will say in our area, most of there are some, most of those businesses are not what we would call like kid friendly places. and maybe that's a, that might be an especially American way of looking at businesses. but they aren't.And they're generally focused on the demographic of people who live in the cities, which tends to be younger and just certain crowds of people that are not dragging their kids around. we have some of those things. It is better. But we also lack a lot. We don't have a swimming pool, for example, in our neighborhood or anywhere near us.By contrast, both of my sisters live in suburban subdivisions in our metro that both have neighborhood pools. And they can just walk over any time when they visit their aunts and uncles and they can just go swimming all day. Granted, they pay for that. It's part of your HOA dues if you live in one of those subdivisions. But we don't even have that option in our area at all.in our part of the city. Now, some cities are better than others. Our city is not particularly good at having those kinds of amenities. And that's really something that is very lacking, not to mention some of those kid play areas. And there's just also very little programming of events that are specifically for kids and families in the city.Parks department is doing a little bit more of that than they used to, but, it's great. We love, we do as much of that as we can. But when you compare it to the sort of routine events that happen in a lot of our suburban jurisdictions, it just doesn't compare. and, and it's frustrating. It's frustrating for us because we wish we had a lot more of that. Cause we don't want to get in the car and drive for 20 or 30 minutes to another location. But we often find that.Kevin K (19:07.116)that's just kind of what we have to do. So that, I mean, that's one aspect of all this is, you know, when you are in middle -class family and you are trying to balance, you know, a lot of these needs and really care for your kids and provide them with fun things to do and go to places where you can kind of relax too, it's really important to have those things nearby. So, you know, another aspect of thisI think if you're to step back a little bit, and that's all kind of like personal experience. If I were to look at like, are the things that most normal families really care about when it comes to choosing a place to live? And I've mentioned this before, but one thing that I think almost anybody listening to this podcast would have to understand is that like,Those of us who are in our little world here are not normal. If you are a quote unquote urbanist, you are probably not normal. You probably do not have like the same value system as the vast majority of people in your city or in our country. I'm not saying that's a good thing or a bad thing. It's just, it just is. It's just different. A lot of us put a high priority in our own life.in living somewhere where you can walk around to some things or ride a bike to some things. And I love all that. I put a high priority in that. I wish more people did. I wish that was normative in our culture that like the idea of using your body to get around to most things in your daily life was like normal. It used to be normal in our cities. And if I were to say a little sidebar here,one of the things that's really kind of unique about American cities and culture is that we conflate urban with big city. and by urban, mean like places where you might like walk around to things. so this is, this is different than most countries in the world where, where people small town, whether you're in a small town or a big city, most people walk around, to get around.Kevin K (21:36.69)And it's different from our historical legacy as well in the United States, because prior to the 1920s and the beginning of the suburban experiment or the revolution in city planning that happened at that time period, every community in our country was a walkable place. Everything that a lot of quote unquote urbanists would love was normative.And if you don't believe me, just look at pictures and postcards from literally any community in America prior to the 1930s. And you see that they are all what we would call urban today in terms of how people actually lived. So that was our legacy and that was how our country developed for a couple of hundred years.until we embarked on this experiment to basically destroy it all and destroy it all kind of on purpose with big money and big policy and for many decades of intentional destruction. And so we're left with this situation now where people tend to conflate like, if you mean walkable and urban, well, that's only in like the big city. And that's just not true.that's never really been true historically. But on the ground today, that is how a lot of it feels, that you have big cities that are kind of walkable and maybe people take public transit, maybe people ride bikes. And then you have suburbs where people drive cars. And very simplistically, that's how a lot of people look at the world. And I've always been frustrated by that.And it certainly doesn't have to be that way. But that is how a lot of people look at it. one substacker who I've talked about before here, Addison Delmastro, he does a really good job of writing about this. He kind of talks about this topic frequently on his substack, which I think is called the deleted scenes. Just the notion that small towns, as we think of them today, really are just big cities that haven't matured orKevin K (24:03.778)didn't mature or grow into being bigger places, but they all have the same DNA. The little town where I went to high school, Marshall, Missouri, has this lovely courthouse square and beautiful older neighborhoods from before the 1930s. And it has the exact same DNA as like the neighborhood that I live in now. It's just that Kansas City, Missouri grew to become a big city.Marshall, Missouri did not grow to become a big city. It kind of stagnated at a certain population and it's been more or less the same population for about a hundred years. So big cities grew and changed and a of small towns did not. And then we also had the growth of suburbia, which was a completely new way of living that was in many ways organized around needing a car to get to places. So.So anyway, I guess that's a bit of a sidebar. It's kind of thinking about how cities are in America today. But historically, they weren't that way. So anyway, setting that aside, for most normal people in our country today, they look at the landscape and don't really think about these issues. It's just like, it is what it is. You live in America, you have a house, you have a car, you drive to places. And that is baked in to the cake.that like that's part of the lifestyle. And so as a result, a lot of people, especially families with kids, they're not really like thinking about like urbanism or walkability as a thing necessarily for their children or for their family location. Some people do. I think there's more people that think about it now than used to. There's probably more people who think about it from the standpoint of like, it'd be cool to have like bike trails nearby.because a lot of suburbs have done a great job of building like bike trail networks. But not many people are thinking about, you know, I want to live in a place where they have like a neighborhood main street that we can walk to with the kids. Again, I wish they would, but it's just not in the minds of most people. What is in the minds of most people, especially people who have a choice in where they want to live, not everybody has a choice, not everybody can afford to move. But for people...Kevin K (26:29.996)For middle class people especially who have a choice, and if you have kids, this is the reality. You're thinking about crime and safety first and foremost because you're trying to protect your children from harm. That is first and foremost in the minds of nearly every parent that I know. How do I protect them from harm? And yes, that can include, you know, there are,can include walking and biking as a part of that, but what most people are thinking about is, I want to live somewhere where our house isn't likely to get broken into, where our car isn't likely to get stolen or carjacked, where it's less likely to run into violent crime, especially in public. Because violent crime is a reality in our society. We have a lot of it. My city is a particularly violent city.unfortunately, and we can't ignore how prominent that is in the minds of most people who have a choice. So I always put that up there, like that's number one. If people aren't thinking about that or factoring that into, you know, why people might be leaving cities, then they're completely missing the boat. The second thing that people think about really are the quality of the schools when you're thinking about your kids. Andsure that's a loaded topic. We all know the history of public schools is fraught with a lot of different issues. But there's just simply no question that every parent is trying to get their kids into the best possible school that they can, the best one that they can afford. And by afford meaning whether it's a private school that they want to pay for or it's a public school in the place with the house that they can most afford with the best public school.so that is a major consideration and, you know, frankly, most big cities fail in this area. Most of our big cities in the country, including my own have public school districts that are often at the bottom of the list in terms of rankings for schools in their Metro areas. you can argue with me whether you want, if you want to, about whether that's fair or not fair. It doesn't matter. All people know is.Kevin K (28:56.65)school, those schools bad, other schools better. And people are going to act on whatever they think is best for their kids. Because you're a really weird person, I think, if you want to experiment with your children by sending them to a school that is potentially subpar. So again, there are a lot of factors involved with why schools are better or not.You know, in our city, we happen to have a unique network of charter schools that was started 20, 25 years ago. And so charter schools are public schools, but they each operate as their own independent school district, essentially. And our kids go to a charter school in the city that is an excellent school with some of the best academic ratings in the state of Missouri.really great school. a foreign, it's a unique foreign language immersion school and we really like it. We're very, happy with it and we have many friends who have had their kids there and have their kids there and so it's kind of a unique situation. That was an incredible enticement. I will tell you before we had charter schools in the city as a choice, people as soon as they had it, as soon as their kids hit like elementary school age, they were out of here.they were moving to the suburbs. And now that we have a whole selection of charter schools as an option where people don't have to pay, we have many, many more families that are choosing to stay in the city and keeping their kids in those schools. So that's an encouraging thing. That's generally been a good thing. But a lot of cities don't have that choice. A lot of parents don't have that choice.When we lived in Savannah, Georgia, we didn't really have that choice. think there were two charter schools in the city of Savannah and they were both just unbelievably oversubscribed and very, very difficult to get into. And again, you have to ask yourself as a parent, you know, are you going to just like play a lottery game with your kid's future? And most parents are not. They're not going to if they have a choice. Again, many parents don't have a choice, but if you do have a choice,Kevin K (31:20.694)you're just not gonna play that game. And you'll make whatever sacrifice you need to for your kids, if it means moving, if it means moving to somewhere that's more expensive, whatever you have to do for your kids' future. So that's a big deal. The other aspect of schools, things we can't, the discussion we can't avoid, although I think a lot of people would love to avoid it, is that there is still a tremendous hangover from the COVID policies. And the schools that were closed,the longest during COVID were almost all schools in major cities and especially schools in large school districts in inner cities. And there are many, many parents who have just not forgotten that and have not let go of it and will not let go of it. I think obviously there was plenty of evidence thatpeople left, a lot of people left those districts during the COVID era so they could be somewhere where their kids could be in school. And I would suspect that there is a hangover from that for a lot of people still looking to get out who are still very angry about what happened during that era, kept keeping their kids out of school for a year, some places, two years. And they want to be somewhere where they know that's not going to happen.again or where they suspect that won't happen again. that's another aspect of the school situation that in the current era is a big deal. So again, top of the list when you have kids, crime and safety, and schools. I think the third thing after that is cost of living. And this is where the affordability discussion comes in.You know, this has everything to do with housing affordability primarily, but it also has a little bit to do with taxes and overall cost of living. You know, I live in a city where our city has an income tax, a 1 % income tax. It's the only city in our metro area that has that. And so I get it when people don't want to be part of that.Kevin K (33:41.068)when they say to themselves, well, I can live somewhere else in this Metro and not pay an income tax. I can be in a better rated school district and I'm going to have lower crime. I mean, honestly, that's the logical choice. Who wouldn't? You really have to be a weirdo or like me to say we want to like live in the city when those are your basic choices. And it's funny that any of these things get framed otherwise.Like that is the normal rational choice to make is to live somewhere that's less expensive where you get more for your money that is safer for you and your kids. So that's just the hard truth for how all these things work out that a lot of American big cities fail in those key areas compared to their suburbs. And then unfortunately what's happened over the yearsis that the primary political constituencies have adjusted to all this to kind of reflect their populations. big cities tend to focus on policies that are the people who are left in those cities who like them, wealthy people, childless people, and oftentimes people who don't have a choice to move somewhere else. And then suburban cities tend to keep reinforcing and focusing onlike families and kids, oftentimes to the exclusion of attracting younger people and single people and childless people too. So they have that blind spot in a lot of suburban areas. And so there's that issue as well. I think in the minds of a lot of city and urban policymakers, what's really great for kids is just not top of mind. And so it kind of becomes like a self -licking ice cream cone.in the policy world. And it's just an unfortunate side effect of where we are. So what can cities do? What can urban areas or major cities do about all this? Honestly, that's always a question. I've just never been the kind of person that I am satisfied with stating a problem and not trying to give.Kevin K (36:03.458)some concrete ideas on like what to do, what else could be done. And so I'll take a shot at a few things here. I mean, I think a lot of this is kind of going to logically follow from the other part of the conversation. But first and foremost, cities need to be serious, and I mean really, really serious about public safety and crime. And too many cities just are not. My city is not.just flat out not serious about it right now. We have one of the worst murder rates and crime rates in the country. There is no sense of urgency on this issue from our leadership at all. There are people who care. There are people who are trying to do things. But there's no sense of urgency related toHow do we deal with this immediately and today? It's mostly like about like longer term solutions. And I'm, you know, long, I'm all for the longer term solutions. Those are great. But if you don't deal with things immediately, then you lose people. People just leave and they get fed up and they're going to move on. So if your city is in that category that it's not really serious about crime and safety, you're going to lose people and you're especially lose middle -class families with kids. That's just part of the reality.Another thing that cities can do is try to find ways to support innovation in education. I'm going to write about this more at a future date here, but I've had long had some thoughts about ways that public school districts, especially really large ones, could be reformed. And I think there's a lot of reform needed in public school administration and education.And if you are a logical person, you would start with the ones that are the most underperforming. And we are fortunate here in Kansas City, Missouri, that we have more choices than most with charter schools, with private schools, and a public school district. But our public school district needs to be better. There's just no other way to say it. It's got to be better. And we've got to find ways to just innovate much more quickly.Kevin K (38:28.41)and in more thoughtful ways than what we're doing right now in education. Or again, people will leave. It's just that simple. If the schools suck, people are going to move somewhere else. So the third area, not really all that surprising, but when we talk about cost of living is cities need to get really serious about trying to be affordable with, and to try to make their housing as affordable as possible.I've stated this here before in this podcast, but as a refresher, I don't think that means like we need to build capital A affordable housing. That is just generally not as, that's not what I'm talking about. We're talking about housing for middle -class people generally that have kids. The path to affordability there is to do what a lot of cities have started to do, which is really reform their codes and processes.to actually make it easier to produce new housing and produce it at scale. So whether you're talking about single family houses, townhouses, duplexes, missing middle housing, whatever it is, most cities have become really, really difficult to work in to produce new housing. And their suburban counterparts are quite easy to work in.For somebody like me, I don't like the housing that is being produced in most of our suburbs. The standard suburban format, industrially spit out house in community. That doesn't appeal to me. But it sure would be nice if our city, if we could produce housing at the pace and ease at which it happens in a lot of suburban places. So that is something that we're seeing progress in.We're starting to see reform in a lot of cities, but we've got a long, long ways to go to get that better. And obviously the last thing, I think this is a little more challenging, it's probably more from an entrepreneurial standpoint, but we really need more amenities for kids and families in urban places. Like if you really care about having and retaining kids and families in urban places, they've got to have those.Kevin K (40:52.546)amenities that families come to expect nowadays. You know, this isn't this isn't 1950 anymore where a lot of places just didn't have amenities. Now there's an expectation and if people don't have it, they're going to go where where those expectations are being met. So, you know, neighborhoods should have pools. They should have swimming pools. They should have play areas and playgrounds and park spaces.It would be nice if there were more businesses that were more welcoming to families and kids and more like family focused businesses. So those can't be mandated. I'm not saying like those can be mandated from the top down, but it would be smart for people who care about those things to encourage them, try to create them. So I'll just like sum up here by saying thatI think the frustrating part here, and I think probably a lot of you may feel this way as well, is that a lot of our cities could be absolutely amazing for families and for kids. And they can be amazing in ways that our suburban communities cannot be and may never be able to be. By having the freedom of movementon foot or bicycle and the free, ability to explore and be independent in a really well functioning place that was historically available for kids to be able to like actually walk to a neighborhood school or a neighborhood park or a pool. And there's just an awful lot of suburban communities that will never ever have that.because of the built pattern that exists, which makes it virtually impossible without like radical change. The built, the physical DNA of a lot of cities is ideal for incorporating all that. But we have an awful lot of policy problems, administrative problems, and just intransigent thinking that is holdingKevin K (43:19.57)us back and holding our cities back. time marches on. If you are a parent and you live in a city and you haven't thought about like going somewhere else where a lot of that could be easier, then you're probably unique in that regard. I've thought about it. My wife and I have thought about it. We have had discussions about, know, we are city people. There's a lot we love about the city.But might it just make more sense for us to live in one of the suburbs in the area? And there's a list of things we just really wouldn't have to think about or worry about very much. And we have never pulled the trigger on that. I don't know if we ever will. We really love our neighbors and our community. And we love the school that our kids are in, which really helps. That's a major.major factor that would keep us in the city. But the other things are a real source of frustration. We absolutely worry about the crime and safety issues. They are real and extremely concerning for us. We do get frustrated with the cost of living. That is just, it's just more expensive to live in the city and we have fewer amenities.I mean, that's just the reality. you know, is that the end of the world? No, it's not the end of the world. And we're in a pretty fortunate position compared to a lot of people. But my point is that I think that many, families, the majority of families think about things this way. They're not thinking about, boy, it would be cool if our kids could walk somewhere, you walk down the street to the neighborhood ice cream shop.and live in sort of an urbanist paradise. You're not thinking about that. You're thinking about very basic things like the safety of your children, the education they're going to get, and how much things are costing you. And that's the part of the discussion that if we want to be honest and if we really want to make things better and fix things, we have to be aware of these and have real frank discussions about.Kevin K (45:48.332)That's what I have for you today. This is Kevin. Thanks again for listening to the Messy City Podcast. And please hit that like or follow button and leave me a review if you can. Send me a note. Let me know what you think. Leave a message on the Substack page. Thanks everybody. Talk to you later. Bye. Get full access to The Messy City at kevinklinkenberg.substack.com/subscribe

19Go therefore andmake disciples ofall nations,baptizing themin[a]the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20teaching themto observe all thatI have commanded you. And behold,I am with you always, tothe end of the age.

19Go therefore andmake disciples ofall nations,baptizing themin[a]the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,20teaching themto observe all thatI have commanded you. And behold,I am with you always, tothe end of the age.

On this episode Thati dives into her recent healthy journey and the reality of what actually got her to this point. Sometimes loving yourself means having some realizations that aren't always positive. For any body has always been the "big person", the one constantly body shamed, made to feel less than even though you are "more than" everyone else this episode is for you. Don't forget to like, follow, and subscribe.IG: goodlucksis_podYou Tube: Good Luck SisTik Tok: goodlucksis_pod

Welcome back to another episode of Good Luck Sis! In this episode, hosts Elly and Thati J catch up on the exciting events that kept them busy during March and April. They share behind-the-scenes stories from Elly's wedding and Thati's bridesmaid duties. Tune in for a fun and heartfelt recap of bachelorette adventures, wedding preparations, and Elly's transition from Miss to Mrs.Key Topics Discussed- Bachelorette Party: What happened and how it went.- Wedding Preparations:Elly's journey to becoming a bride.- Q&A Session:Answering listener questions about the wedding and bachelorette party.- Life Updates:Elly's transition to wifey era.Highlights- Elly's experience as a bride and Thati's role as a bridesmaid.- Memorable moments from the bachelorette party.- Reflections on their friendship and support for each other during this busy time.Quotes- “Yes, your girl is a whole wife in the wifey era, okay? Who would have thought we would be here right now? God, only God.”- “Toast to God. Toast to God.”- Subscribe: Don't miss out on future episodes.- Leave a Review:If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a review on Apple Podcasts.- Follow Us: Stay updated by following us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/goodlucksis_pod?igsh=eGNjZzBnYjY5Nmtz&utm_source=qrContact Us- Email: goodlucksispod@gmail.com- Social Media: - https://www.instagram.com/goodlucksis_pod?igsh=eGNjZzBnYjY5Nmtz&utm_source=qrThank you for tuning in to Good Luck Sis. Join us next time for more fun, laughter, and heart-to-heart conversations!

LESSON 154I Am Among The Ministers Of God.Let us today be neither arrogant nor falsely humble. We have gone beyond such foolishness. We cannot judge ourselves, nor need we do so. These are but attempts to hold decision off, and to delay commitment to our function. It is not our part to judge our worth, nor can we know what role is best for us; what we can do within a larger plan we cannot see in its entirety. Our part is cast in Heaven, not in hell. And what we think is weakness can be strength; what we believe to be our strength is often arrogance.Whatever your appointed role may be, it was selected by the Voice for God, Whose function is to speak for you as well. Seeing your strengths exactly as they are, and equally aware of where they can be best applied, for what, to whom and when, He chooses and accepts your part for you. He does not work without your own consent. But He is not deceived in what you are, and listens only to His Voice in you.It is through His ability to hear one Voice Which is His Own that you become aware at last there is one Voice in you. And that one Voice appoints your function, and relays it to you, giving you the strength to understand it, do what it entails, and to succeed in everything you do that is related to it. God has joined His Son in this, and thus His Son becomes His messenger of unity with Him.It is this joining, through the Voice for God, of Father and of Son, that sets apart salvation from the world. It is this Voice Which speaks of laws the world does not obey; Which promises salvation from all sin, with guilt abolished in the mind that God created sinless. Now this mind becomes aware again of Who created it, and of His lasting union with itself. So is its Self the one reality in Which its will and that of God are joined.A messenger is not the one who writes the message he delivers. Nor does he question the right of him who does, nor ask why he has chosen those who will receive the message that he brings. It is enough that he accept it, give it to the ones for whom it is intended, and fulfill his role in its delivery. If he determines what the messages should be, or what their purpose is, or where they should be carried, he is failing to perform his proper part as bringer of the Word.There is one major difference in the role of Heaven's messengers, which sets them off from those the world appoints. The messages that they deliver are intended first for them. And it is only as they can accept them for themselves that they become able to bring them further, and to give them everywhere that they were meant to be. Like earthly messengers, they did not write the messages they bear, but they become their first receivers in the truest sense, receiving to prepare themselves to give.An earthly messenger fulfills his role by giving all his messages away. The messengers of God perform their part by their acceptance of His messages as for themselves, and show they understand the messages by giving them away. They choose no roles that are not given them by His authority. And so they gain by every message that they give away.Would you receive the messages of God? For thus do you become His messenger. You are appointed now. And yet you wait to give the messages you have received. And so you do not know that they are yours, and do not recognize them. No one can receive and understand he has received until he gives. For in the giving is his own acceptance of what he received.You who are now the messengers of God, receive His messages. For that is part of your appointed role. God has not failed to offer what you need, nor has it been left unaccepted. Yet another part of your appointed task is yet to be accomplished. He Who has received for you the messages of God would have them be received by you as well. For thus do you identify with Him and claim your own.It is this joining that we undertake to recognize today. We will not seek to keep our minds apart from Him Who speaks for us, for it is but our voice we hear as we attend Him. He alone can speak to us and for us, joining in one Voice the getting and the giving of God's Word; the giving and receiving of His Will.We practice giving Him what He would have, that we may recognize His gifts to us. He needs our voice that He may speak through us. He needs our hands to hold His messages, and carry them to those whom He appoints. He needs our feet to bring us where He wills, that those who wait in misery may be at last delivered. And He needs our will united with His Own, that we may be the true receivers of the gifts He gives.Let us but learn this lesson for today: We will not recognize what we receive until we give it. You have heard this said a hundred ways, a hundred times, and yet belief is lacking still. But this is sure; until belief is given it, you will receive a thousand miracles and then receive a thousand more, but will not know that God Himself has left no gift beyond what you already have; nor has denied the tiniest of blessings to His Son. What can this mean to you, until you have identified with Him and with His Own?Our lesson for today is stated thus:I am among the ministers of God, and I am grateful thatI have the means by which to recognize that I am free.The world recedes as we light up our minds, and realize these holy words are true. They are the message sent to us today from our Creator. Now we demonstrate how they have changed our minds about ourselves, and what our function is. For as we prove that we accept no will we do not share, our many gifts from our Creator will spring to our sight and leap into our hands, and we will recognize what we received.- Jesus Christ in ACIM

We meet people every day who really want to build their own business.Many of them do get excited at the beginning and get things started.However, the business never really gets off the ground.We hear people say all the time “I tried everything and it didn't work out”Come to find out they tried 2 things for a few days and quitThey get a couple no's and they quitThe problem is never “I WENT ALL OUT” and it just didn't work outWhat is really stopping people from building the business that they really want and earning the income they really want?We have discovered 6 reasons over the yearsYou might have 1 or more of theseLack of CertaintyIn yourself “I'm not sure if I can do this”Certainty is a STATE I am absolutely certain I can build this business!FearOf what others think about you.Because of our need for love & connection we fear anything that might make others not like usThe need to fit in David GogginsFear of the unknown The human need for security keeps us in our comfort zoneFear of failing again You can't fail at this business!FEAR is False Evidence Appearing Real Faith vs Fear95% of the bad things you think might happen never happenYour StoryI'm not good enough to do thatI'm too oldI'm too youngI don't have enough timeThis isn't the right timeLack of StrategyA confused mind will do nothingYou don't rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems. - James ClearLack of SupportYou need a coach & a communityBattle BuddyPeople to celebrate your wins with youPeople to help you through the challengesConsistency & FocusFlowSmall daily winsDevelop a streakDeep Work Eliminate distractions Tell your family when you are building your businessGet into a private roomSTAY FOCUSED on your businessSet a timerIt's been a pleasure spending time with you today. Stay committed and stay consistent. Remember, you have the power to Elev8 Your Life and the lives of those around you . Can't wait to see you next time! Keep elevating!!

I surrender my mind to GodWhile my mind can go in a million directions, I pray today that it goes toward love. May wildness in my mind and heart no longer foster chaos. May the peace of God within me bring all chaos to an end. Seeking order in my universe, I eschew at last the intemperate mind. I place my mind in the hands of God. I pray to be released from fear, thatI might know true love.Dear God,Please stop the storms within me.Make peaceful my mind and calm my heart.Reveal to me the love around me,That my fear might fall away.Amen.I surrender my mind to God This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.transformarticles.com/subscribe

download the notes here:https://esm.us/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/3.23.2024-Service-Notes-Cong-TM-2.pdfVayikra“And He Called”Leviticus 1:1-5:26Isaiah 43:21-44:23Matthew 5:23-30Exodus 40:1,2 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, On the first day of the firstmonth shall you set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.Jeremiah 9:23,24 Thus saith the LORD: Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches,But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth, and knoweth Me, thatI am the LORD who exercise mercy, justice, and righteousness, in the earth, forin these things I delight, saith the LORD.Acts 14:15 Good people, why are you doing these things? We are men with the samefeelings as you, and we give you the good news so that you may be turned awayfrom these foolish things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth andthe sea and all things in them.

On this episode Thati shares how her relationship with alcohol has changed drastically, what lead to this change, and how alcohol became a part of her identity. "Alcohol became a big part of my identity, to the point where I would tell people that I'm not drinking they would literally laugh. That was when I started to question my relationship with alcohol". We hope that you guys enjoy this episode, and reflect on your own personal journey regarding growth, and making changes for the better. Don't forget to like, comment and subscribe!

In this episode, the ladies discuss what age really means. They break down the societal pressures associated with age and reach the conclusion that Thati is only five years old, and what “accomplishments” define adulthood, and if you haven't reached them where does that leave you. Stay tuned to hear how they realized this. Don't forget to like, subscribe and comment. Follow us on IG @goodlucksis_pod

On today's episode, I'll be covering how recent research from HeartMath institute shows us what Chinese Medicine has been teaching for centuries, and that is that the heart houses the mind. I will also cover why that matters when it comes to fertility health! In this episode I will go over: -Why you can't control emotions directly (and what you can do to shift them over time). -How to use biofeedback on your heart brain coherence for free on an app. -The importance of your heart state and why it behaves like a little brain. For more information about Michelle, visitwww.michelleoravitz.com The Wholesome Fertility facebook group is where you can find free resources and support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2149554308396504/ Instagram: @thewholesomelotusfertility Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewholesomelotus   Transcript: [00:00:00]Welcome to the Wholesome Fertility Podcast. On today's episode, I'm going to talk about something that I find really fascinating and I've actually gotten into something called heart math, but I'm going to discuss also the connection between the heart and the uterus and why the heart is something that often gets overlooked. Emotions often get overlooked when it comes to the fertility journey. Many times when somebody's undergoing fertility challenges, they'll go immediately to what foods they should eat, what kind of supplements they should take, etc. But so much in the, literally, no pun intended, the heart of it really needs to go to The emotional state of the person from a Chinese medicine perspective and from my perspective as a practitioner I see that because that's one of the things that I look at when I'm treating people So I'm gonna give you kind of my perspective as a practitioner and I'm also gonna give you some[00:01:00]data and research and science That's out there something called heart math Institute, which I'll be Explaining a little bitmore in a bit But it is really important not to miss the state of the heart because thestate of the heart impacts the uterus directly by a vessel called bowel my I've discussed this before as the heart uterus connection and basically the heart's role onthe uterus is to open the uterus and when the heart is imbalanced, it can impact the role. Cause just think about anything. If something has a role, anything, and it has otherthings that are stressing it, thenit's just not going to do its job as well as it wouldhave if it feels more balanced and whole. So, I'll explain exactly like really the energetics of the heart. So, when I talk about energetics of the[00:02:00]heart, I'mreally talking about a TCM perspective, a traditional Chinese medicine perspective. And it's different than if you went to a cardiologist and they said, Oh, something's wrong with your heart. Nothing necessarily is physically wrong with the heart. You could still have an energetic imbalance with the heart and that have nothing to do with. like a physical manifestation or something going on like physical that really needs to get treated emergently. So I want to throw that out there again. Also, this is not medical advice. This is not something that should be used as a medical diagnosis, but I thought that it was veryimportant to address. And then you can also look into some of the resources thatI'll be mentioning. So the heart in Chinese medicine is considered to be housing the mind. So the mental state of a person is very much connected and linked to the part. So[00:03:00]the heart immediately responds to any mental conditions. And if you've been in a situation where you've had anxiety, you may realize or feel that you have heart palpitations or you're nervous about something, you'll feel it immediately in your heart. What's interesting is, is that We've always been taught that as traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, that the heart houses the mind and that there is this connection. But new research from the heart math Institute, interestingly enough, is also showing that there is a connection. There's this connection and communication that happens between the heart and the mind.So what they're finding is that the heart actually sends signals to the brain. So what state your heart is in and your heart almost has like neurons the way it functions and it's almost like another brain really? So it's fascinating to just think about because[00:04:00]most of the time you don't really think of the heart as having that much of an impact, but it can actually similarly to the gut when they talk about the gut microbiome.If you have a lot of Candida, for example, if you have certain dysbiosis where there's an imbalance in the microbiome, whatever that microbiome wants, it will signal to the brain for you to eat. So say you have a lot of Candida, um, Which likes sugar, it's going to cause you to crave sugar. So it's kind of fascinating how we think we're in control.And then we have these organs that are actually communicating with our brain, telling the brain what it wants. And so it sort of overrides our own logic and our will in a sense. So there is this really strong connection between the two. And the non top of it, the heart has a really important role on the uterus.So, therefore, having that connection between the heart and the brain, and then the heart and the[00:05:00]uterus, one can deduce, and obviously I'll be talking also about the research, that the mental state, really getting into control of the mental state, can impact your uterus. Ultimately, and that there is this connection between the heart and the mind and having this coherence.So coherence when something is in coherence and the heart math institute, they talk about that a lot heart coherence and when your heart is in coherence, which what that means is that it's organized, it has a pattern that's rhythmic and it's more consolidated where it's not as erratic. If you're stressed, what they see is that if you're in a stress mode or if you're in a mode, really, that's depleting of energy that is going to impact the way the coherence shows up in your heart. So the coherence gets impacted by your state of mind and vice versa. It[00:06:00]also impacts your state of mind. So there are certain exercises that they found, one of them slowing down your breath. And they found that doing these exercises can increase your heart coherence and therefore increase your brain coherence and that altogether over time impacts something called the heart rate variability and which, just to explain it in layman's terms, is that heart rate variability means that it can basically stretch itself and adjust accordingly to certain situations easily.Basically what it means is that it's more adaptable and over time when you do these exercises that really come down to our own intention, our breath work and our, where we're putting our energy and our focus. And also thinking about positive things that you love. So having a state of thinking about what you love in your life,[00:07:00]which points to why a gratitude journal is so important, is because it's putting your focus on what you have, and it also puts your focus on something that really fills your heart.And all of us can find something. So that's something that, over time, Is a practice.It's called a practice for a reason is because the more you practice, the better you become, and the more you train your mind to focus on those things. And when you get into that state, you really do become a magnet for more of those things.And you get into a state of receivership. So a lot of what I'm saying. Is really things that I've seen with my own patients, these are observations I've made and I think that it's really helpful to, for anybody who's going through the fertility journey to hear and also kind of a little bit of, um, uh, pre announcement, I am in the works of finishing up a book. And I'm very excited about it. It's called the way of fertility. And it talks[00:08:00]really about the energetics of fertility. And I'm very, very excited about it because it's a lot about what I've seen. It's a lot about what ancient medicine has been teaching us. And if you look at really ancient teachings, ancient medicine, they've always been pointing to very similar, like a lot of different teachings point to the similar things.And really what it comes down to is having a state of living in the accordance with the way. With a DAO, which is nameless, but it's this state of harmony that gets created when things are in balance. And when that happens, it doesn't even necessarily have to rely on what you're eating or doing. It really has to do with how you're being, your state of being and state. And, and it tends to be a really hard thing to control because it's not something that we can observe with the senses that we're, we use a lot, which are the hearing, smelling, tasting, seeing, it's a different type of.[00:09:00]sense. It's something that's more interoception. Basically what that means is that feeling inside of your body, what is going on and what heart math does.It's so fascinating and I actually highly recommend getting Um, a device. It's about 150 bucks, but it's worth it. It connects to the app, the heart math app, or you don't have to actually get the device. If you want to start the only app of theirs that you can test your coherence is the global, the global coherence one. And that is more where you're joining groups, but nobody really knows who youare. It just, all it does is measure your heart coherence, but it does so in a way of where you're putting your finger on the camera and then you connect with that and that it actually does, um, check your heart rate variability and your heart coherence through that.And so that's one free way if you want to just check it out. It won't [00:10:00]work on the just straight up heart math where they have the different exercises, But it works on the group one. So you could definitely take a look. The group one also has video lessons and it explains everything. The reason I get so excited about this is because I just completed a certification for heart math and I'm just blown away.I mean, there's so many levels of like learning about the body and the mind and now. we have so much research and so much coming out that have really been proving what has been said all along. It's basically proving what Chinese medicinesays, which is that the heart houses the mind and the connections.I mean, the heart housing the mind means without the heart, you don't have. A heldmind, basically. And so when the heart is not in a stable mode, how can it hold amind? And there are certain people, which is fascinating. I'll, I'll mention this. My husband's an ER doctor. I've mentioned that[00:11:00]before. So you've been listening to the podcast.You probably know. And what he actually mentioned, this is fascinating.Absolutely fascinating. He had mentioned that when people talk about people dying of a heart of a broken heart. There's actual science that shows that there is no medical reason, no like common medical reason for why the person would have aheart attack, meaning there's no blockage, there's no like specific reason that is typical for people getting heart attacks, so it's not like a blockage or a clot or like You know, arteries getting like calcified or, you know, all the typical reasons why a person would normally have a heart attack. They don't have that reason. They actually have a completely clear heart and that the only explanation would be that they're impacted by a very tremendous loss. Soit just goes to show how important it isto[00:12:00]acknowledge that and realize that and so with feelings I want to mention We're not really built to control our feelings. When the feelings happen, they happen. It's almost like trying to control the wind. When the wind happens, you just let it happen. You allow it to happen. If you try to stop it or resist it, it actually makes it worse. So that's why whenever I talk about validation a lot, because validation is super powerful. It's important to validate your feelings. And I remember a teacher telling me this was a health teacher in my middle school years, which happened to be really hard for me. It was around the time my parents got divorced and it was a really hard time. And I remember her mentioning. feelings aren't right or wrong.They just are. And I was like, wow, this is incredible. This really, really speaks tome on so many levels. And so that was something very powerful. And I just want to mention this to you. Like there is no right or[00:13:00]wrong way to gothrough the fertility journey. To feel through the losses and most of the time the losses happen from my understanding from a lot of my patients and obviously every case is different. But a lot of people say they go through it alone. So it is really important to find agood community. And I've actually two of my patients who I absolutely adore.They both came to me. They're both really close friends. They actually met me fairly recently, but they felt this really strong bond together and, um, they talk about each other like they're sisters.It's just amazing. And they're both going through the same thing and they're both expressing to me, Oh my God, if I didn't have her, I don't know what I would do.It's just like nobody else gets it. So to have that person in your life that truly gets itis priceless. And unfortunately not[00:14:00]everybody has that. However, nowadays, there are a lot of communities out there where people feel so hurt and so seen and this is for pregnancy loss or people going through the fertility journey and I'm not talking about just like some of the Facebook groups and you have to be really careful because sometimes I've heard from a lot of people that it can bring them down and they hear bad news and so it really depends on what it is, you know, getting clear on like what it is that makes you feel better. and finding the group that resonates for you. And sometimes it is just venting, needing a place to vent and have that. What I mean by bringing them down is when they're seeing like people get getting pregnant and then losing it and then it gets into their mind, Oh my God, is that going to happen to me? You know, those kinds of things. So you really have to know yourself and knowhow certain things are impacting your heart, your heart state, how it feels. And really interoception is this[00:15:00]golden key of connecting with your body.And one of the best ways to strengthen that is really getting quiet and heart math isa wonderful way as well.And you could do that a couple of times a day or just even once a day for five minutes. And start out. So the amazing thing about it is that it's like biofeedback.The device connects, you, you basically put it on your earlobe. It's super easy, not complicated at all. And if you get the device, you could also do it with your finger. Um, so I'd mentioned that, but if you do get the device, it's really, really easy touse. You literally put it on your earlobe. And what's amazing about it is that it is a form of biofeedback, which basically. It teaches your mind, when you're aware of what's happening to your heart, to pretty much control the heart.And the tool that you do that with is a breathing, a certain type of breathing rhythm. And it also tells you, it[00:16:00]has a little, like, I don't know if it's like circle, each one is a little different. So you'll see, but it'll basically have a tool that shows you, you inhale to one end and then you exhale to another end.And you just follow this circle or meter, you know, everyone's a little different andyou follow that. And as you're breathing, you're breathing from the heart area. So you just imagine as if your heart is breathing and you go in and out and then youfocus on emotions of love. You bring yourself back to a place in your life.Maybe it's when you met your partner or something that really, really resonated, or even like connecting with your pet. Something that makes you feel that warm and fuzzy feeling. Getting to that state and when you do that, you start to, it's pretty much meta meditation, which is loving kindness. It's very similar to that. And then you do that every single day. At first you start out with your eyes closed and you focus on this[00:17:00]and you measure your coherence. But over time,you may not even need the device. You could be out somewhere and dealing with something that might be triggering or stressful. And during that time. You get intothe state, you'll know how to connect with that again.So you start to breathe like that on your own because over time you practice andit's something that you can bring up. It's an emotional state that you can actuallystart to bring up and control. And that's the fascinating thing about it. So as I mentioned before, emotions are really, once emotions get triggered or they'reactive, it's very hard to put them back in the box. So you just let them. Do their thing, let them feel them. Doesn't mean to scream at people or anything like that. Obviously control yourself to some extent. If you're out in public, find a space, maybe take a couple of deep breaths and kind of be with yourself and, or if you can. Just acknowledge them, talk about them,[00:18:00]feel them, be with them. It's okay. Like just really validate and go through those emotions. Once that happens, one of the things that you can control, so it's not so much emotions, but what you can control. And this is something that happens over time is number one, your awareness of what thoughts were you having that contributed to those emotions having like happening. And most of the time you will find that there's certain thoughts that can make you feel those emotions. So for example, I'm really impatient. So when I'm driving, I get really like frustrated with the drivers here in Miami and What aremy thoughts my thoughts are I have to be somewhere and and so I start to stress myself out and I feel my Heart increasing. So this is just an example I'm just giving you some random example so that you understand like how thoughts really do come into play and One evidence is of that is why? Can you[00:19:00]have ten different people with the same exact situation? But they'll have 10 different reactions to them. Some people will get sad.Some people will get angry. Some people will just not care. Everybody has a different response. What is it that's different about them? It's probably, well, it is, it's their thought or perspective on the situation. And that is one thing we can't control. So when we do have emotions and they're active, you allow yourself to go through that. You accept it. You don't resist it. You allow it to be, but one of the things that youcan do over time is control where your mind is going, and that will empower you, especially when you're dealing with challenges. So one of the ways that I find. That helps with that is a gratitude practice because all it does is it really Trains your mind over time to focus on what you do have so the small wins You know the small tiny wins my AMH increase something even if it's not like a full big one[00:20:00] Something that happens, just celebrate those wins. And then if your body does something that you're excited about, like you ovulated or the menstrual cycle is starting to get a little more regular. I have one patient where her menstrual cycle is starting to regulate, but she hasn't gotten pregnant and she's going through the same disappointment every single month, every time she gets her period. And we talked about it. I talked about validating that and allowing herself to have that good cry. And it's important to feel the feelings. And yet she told me, I know that this happened. It was really disappointing, but I'm really happy because my period is better. Like I'm seeing improvements in my body, which tells me that things are going well.So those are small wins. They're tiny little wins, but ultimately. One of the things that I find really powerful is just doing a gratitude journal and slowly moving your mind into a state of thinking about things that make you[00:21:00]feel good. AndI highly recommend starting this HeartMath practice and looking into the different exercises.You can find also tons of videos about it if you're interested and you want to learn more on YouTube. Just Look up HeartMath or go to the HeartMath Institute website and they have products. They have apps again You could start out with free. I recommend if you can invest in the device, but you don't have to have the device So there are definitely many ways to do that.But what it does is it really ultimately nurtures the state of your heart and ultimately The heart is the way through to the uterus. So I'm seeing it from a TCM perspective and how I see my patients getting impacted from the acupuncture and also from lifestyle changes. I see how they get impacted And I see how the[00:22:00]emotion component of it is really, really important. It should not be ignored. It is an important thing, and ultimately because you deserve to feel well. You deserve to feel good in your body. You deserve to not suffer. So, these are little tools, but again, if you are suffering, there's no right or wrong way. Like, It just is. So, just like feelings aren't right or wrong, they just are. However you are in this state is just how you feel, and that's okay. Like, once you have those active emotions, just allow them to be. Pemo Chodron, she's, uh, an author and Buddhist monk. And she talks a lot about sitting with your emotions. And one of the books that I love also by Michael Singer is the Untethered Soul. He talks about leaning into what is leaning into the emotions that you're feeling. And I find that to be incredibly powerful because it's[00:23:00]when you allow yourself, it's when you don't resist what is that it frees you. It really frees you and it allows the emotions to move. So you're not holding them in place, you're just allowing them to be. And you're honoring that. You're honoring the state that you're in. So, really it's two fold. It's doing the practice and guiding yourself little by little and really becoming aware of your emotional state and how that impacts your heart. And noticing also, like, how does your heart feel? Sometimes you will literally feel a pressure on your chest if you're feeling anxious. And again, when you're feeling that just be with it, but the awareness of what that can teach you in that moment showing you how your body's reacting is huge. Because it shows you, it starts to teach you how your body responds and how yourbody sends you signals when it is in certain states. So I hope this was beneficial for you. I[00:24:00]do feel like it can really empower you once you really understand that inner terrain. I talk a lot about that. And it's because it is, hands down, one of the most powerful things you can do. Not only for your state of being, but also for your body. Your body will respond to your emotions and your state and yourthoughts are what controls the emotion. So that's kind of like the steering wheel. If you guys ever want to, you can DM me on Instagram. That's always a good place to find me. And my Instagram is at the wholesome lotus fertility. And you can DM me. I have a lot of people, actually, alot of listeners reaching out to me there. I also give a lot of free fertility content on there, so it's a good place to go.Lots of good tips on diet, supplements, lifestyle, mind tips, all of that. And thank you so much for tuning in today. Have a beautiful day.

I surrender my mind to GodWhile my mind can go in a million directions, I pray today that it goes toward love. May wildness in my mind and heart no longer foster chaos. May the peace of God within me bring all chaos to an end. Seeking order in my universe, I eschew at last the intemperate mind. I place my mind in the hands of God. I pray to be released from fear, thatI might know true love.Dear God,Please stop the storms within me.Make peaceful my mind and calm my heart.Reveal to me the love around me,That my fear might fall away.Amen.I surrender my mind to God This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.transformarticles.com/subscribe

Matt Abrahams is our special guest for this episode. He is a strategic communication lecturer from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, host of "Think Fast, Talk Smart" podcast, and the author of the new book “Think Faster, Talk Smarter.”In this episode, we explore the significance of spontaneous communication, strategies to manage anxiety, the correlation between martial arts and communication, and tips on navigating networking situations.Matt AbrahamsMatt Abrahams is a passionate, collaborative and innovative educator, author, podcast host, and coach. He is the Larsen Lam Family Lecturer in Organizational Behavior at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business where he teaches two very popular classes in Strategic Communication and Effective Virtual Presenting. He received Stanford GSB's Alumni Teaching Award in recognition of his valued service to teaching Stanford Alumni around the world.In addition to his teaching, Matt is much sought-after keynote speaker and communication consultant for Fortune 100 companies. His online talks garner millions of views and he hosts the popular, award winning GSB podcast called Think Fast Talk Smart.Matt is especially interested in applying communication knowledge to real-world issues. In service of this goal, he published Speaking Up Without Freaking Out, which is now in its 3rd edition. His book was written to help people present and communicate in a more confident, connected, and compelling manner.Prior to teaching, Matt held senior leadership positions at several software companies, where he created and ran global learning and development organizations.Matt received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Stanford University, his graduate degree in communication studies from the University of California at Davis, and his secondary education teaching credential from San Francisco State University. He is a prolific writer with articles published for the GSB as well as Fast Company, Toastmasters Magazine, Inc.com, Quartz, etc. He has also published several research articles on strategic planning, persuasion, and interpersonal communication.⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower and gives practical advice on how you can apply it immediately.

Well, hello there, listeners, and welcome back to Horror Hill. I'm Erik Peabody, your humble host,and I'm back in the studio after an unexpected adventure last week. You can hear all about that over on the main Chilling Tales for Dark Nights channel, but for now, let me just say thatI'm glad I keep a spare head in a jar. Now that I'm back among the living and ready for action, we're going to be staving off our post-Halloween blues with a particularly grisly double-feature this evening. Both of these stories are horrifically gruesome in various ways, listeners, so gird your loins, and we'll jump in. Head to https://www.tryfum.com/HORROR and use code HORROR to save an additional 10% off your order today. To watch the podcast on YouTube: http://bit.ly/ChillingEntertainmentYT Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast for free wherever you're listening or by using this link: https://bit.ly/HorrorHillPodcast If you like the show, telling a friend about it would be amazing! You can text, email, Tweet, or send this link to a friend: https://bit.ly/HorrorHillPodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I surrender my mind to GodWhile my mind can go in a million directions, I pray today that it goes toward love. May wildness in my mind and heart no longer foster chaos. May the peace of God within me bring all chaos to an end. Seeking order in my universe, I eschew at last the intemperate mind. I place my mind in the hands of God. I pray to be released from fear, thatI might know true love.Dear God,Please stop the storms within me.Make peaceful my mind and calm my heart.Reveal to me the love around me,That my fear might fall away.Amen.I surrender my mind to God This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.transformarticles.com/subscribe

Unleash your authentic self in this thought-provoking episode that explores the transformative power of sexual expression. Lesley Logan with Dr. Celeste Holbrook guides you through candid conversations about overcoming shame, cultivating self-acceptance, and navigating the path towards a deeply fulfilling and liberated sex life.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co . And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe.In this episode you will learn about:How to embrace sensuality and body acceptance.How to become aware of what you want your sex life to feel like emotionally.How to have an experience that feels fully embodied, pleasurable, and present.Why Dr. Holbrook loves the idea of body neutrality.How to nurture sexual resiliency and redefine intimacy as you grow. Sexual liberation and overcoming societal shame over sex. Episode References/Links:Follow Dr. Celeste Holbrook on InstagramDr. Celeste Holbrook's Inspiring Your Worth WebsiteCaged Lion by John SteelGuest Bio:Dr. Celeste Holbrook is a sex educator, speaker and a small town Texas horse girl who helps people achieve pleasurable, connective sex through mental and behavioral changes. She speaks to audiences of all ages, diffusing the sensitive topic of sex through direct language and a knack for making the awkward approachable. She has a Ph.D. in Health Education from Texas Woman's University and a virtual practice where she delivers sex education and coaching to couples and individuals. Celeste believes everyone deserves to define pleasure for themselves, inside and outside of their bedroom.  If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox.Get your 15% discount for Toe Sox – use coupon code LESLEY15Be It Till You See It Podcast SurveyBe in the know with all the workshops at OPCBe a part of Lesley's Pilates MentorshipResourcesWatch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube!Lesley Logan websiteBe It Till You See It PodcastOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley LoganOnline Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTubeProfitable PilatesSocial MediaInstagramFacebookLinkedInEpisode Transcript:Lesley Logan00:56All right, Be It babe, I am so thrilled to have this guest back. So if you haven't listened to our firstepisode,you are going to want to check out the show notes and make sure you listen to that one nextor pause this one. Listen that one, come back to this one because Dr. Celeste Hallberg is back. Andjust an amazing way I've been following her since we had her onthe show. And first of all, I just wannasay, one of our top downloaded shows, so people are definitely interested in this topic. So I had to haveyou back Dr. Celeste can you tell everyone who you are and what you do, just in case they don't knowyet.Celeste Holbrook01:31Hi, Lesley. Well, thanks so much for having me back. My name is Celeste, I'm a sex educator, I helppeople find pleasure in the areas of their bedroom and their life. And I'm excited to chat today andextend our conversation from lasttime.Lesley Logan01:46Yeah, so me too. So Okay. Um, one of the things that I think we talked about kind of like, at the end ofour last episode, when we got off of the recording was like, just even bodies, like our bot, how we feelabout our bodies,how we feel in our bodies, what even society makes us feel about our bodies canhave that it can affect us in having sex be in the bedroom, be in the world. And so I kind of wanted tostart off with that and kind of hear what your thoughts are, and how you've kind of worked with peoplein that way.Celeste Holbrook02:15Yeah, for sure. And I think we both, you know, have this interesting perspective about body, you'reworking so much helping people be within their body. And so I'm really excited to havethisconversation in this dialogue, because I think it's so important. So as a sex educator, I'm working with-2-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aipeople one on one, I'm working with couples, and something that comes up so so often is, I don't feelcomfortable in my body, or I don't feel comfortable getting naked, or I don't want to have sex with thelights on, it's a really common one. Or if I just, you know, fill in the blank, then sex would be better. Andso that's probably where I want to start is that in terms of, in terms of sex, the waythat your body looksis such a tiny, tiny, tiny part of your sensual experience. So we think of sensuality as the use of yoursenses. You're talking about the way your partner tastes and the way your skin feels, and the way yourclitoris feels, and what you're hearing the the noise of your partner breathing. And so you're having thisbeautiful big sensory experience that has, and your vision or your partner's vision is such a small part ofthat experience, right? And it's so clouded by culture and societyand what we deem as appropriatelysexy. And so you can have the most beautiful, orgasmic erotic, wild, lovely sexual experience inwhatever body that you have. It's like it's not required to look a certain way in order to have great sex.Lesley Logan03:56Okay, love everything I'm like, like, that's just like, please like rewind, save that. Because I don't thinkpeople even think about that way, the way you just, like laid out what our sexual experience can be hasvery little to do with how we look because it's that's not even where we're feeling. And it's so funnybecause like, it sounds so simple. And yet that none of us are thinking about that like you said, we'relike, oh, if I if I look a different way, or if I lose some weight, or if like all thesedifferent pressures we puton ourselves as if that's what's going to make the sex better. But that's not it at all. What you just said islike not at all.Celeste Holbrook04:35And to be fair, you you might feel better if you put on a piece of laundry that you feel really great in,right. But I think as we're going to dig in today, that's more about actually feeling safe in your body thanit is about looking a certain way. And maybe we just don't right in here, so I haven't yet...(Lesley: Yeah,yeah, yeah. Let's go there.) Okay, so I have this theory. about the way that we interact with our ownbodies. And I have been calling it the harm reduction theory. I don't know if that's a great use of thatterm. But basically, I feel like the things that we do, I'm gonna say as women, but this applies foranybody. But women have more pressure from society to appear a certain way, right? The things thatwe do to manipulate our appearance, we do them to help reduce the negative messaging that actuallygets through. So think about it like armor. And that's why I call it the harm reduction approach. So myeyelashes that I put on, my nails or whatever it is that you're doing makeup, boob job, it doesn't matter,whatever it is that you're doing to alter your appearance, is in an effort to feel safe from the negativemessages we continue to get, right? So putting on eyelashes, putting on makeup is kind of the price Ipay to be heard. Sometimes, like, I want people to pay attention to me. So I'm going to look like theywantme to look a lot of the times. And so I think that helps give us some compassion. Both directionslike compassion for the woman who has a BBL, right, we want to like sometimes tear her downcompassion for though woman who doesn't do anything. (...) So. Soit's a way to give compassion to allends of the spectrum, really, of how we interact with our own appearance in the world.Lesley Logan06:32Yeah. Yeah, all that. And I, I, it's so, it's so true. You said feeling safe in our body. And one of the thingslike that attracted me to doing Pilates was actually felt like I was in my body for the first time. Like, I waslike, Oh, I'm, what am I feeling I've never felt before. Oh, this is this is me being in my body. Right? So-3-Transcribed byhttps://otter.ailike, yeah, I can so relate to whatyou're saying and understand it. Because I think so many people aredisassociated from their body from feeling things that when they don't feel safe inside it, because it'snot familiar to them. And then we are doing all these things. We think we do all these things to be likefeel, to feel seen and feel heard. And all of that keeps you from actually just being feeling like all thatstuff, feeling safe. Unless you are consciously making the choice. I'm doing this because it makes mefeel a certain way. Sowhat are your steps for helping women? Or everyone listening, but like, How dowe start to feel safe, safe in our body? Like, like, is it, Do we need to like, touch ourselves more? Do weneed to like be with ourselves more? Like, what are those steps thatmay be like, baby steps to like, thenext level?Celeste Holbrook07:45Yeah, yeah, well, since we, since I am usually viewing the lens of sex, let's talk about it in terms of sex,right. So, I think, the first step really, for feeling great in your ownsex life and safe in your own body isto just to become aware of what you want your sex life to feel like emotionally, because then you canstart to build in. These are the behaviors that helped me feel the way I want to feel. So let's say you andI are partners, and we do this activity together. So I sit down and I say okay, my dream sexualexperience would feel, I really get down to like, what do I want to experience emotionally when I'm withyou in a sexual experience? I want to feel erotic, wild, connected and loved. Okay, so those are myfeelings. And then you write it down. I want to feel intimate and close and connected and safe, right?And so then we look at both of our lists and say, like, Oh, we're both looking for connection. We're bothlooking for some fun. And I have some words over here that maybe you don't have, and you have somewords over here that I don't have. But at least we know what we're both kind of going for. Right? Yeah,yeah. So we know emotionally what we want. And then you can start building behaviors. And so if thebehaviors I'm coming around to body in a second, so then the behaviors might be like, Okay, we bothwant to feel connected in sex. What if we spend a little bit more time talking before sex? What if we hadmore sex where we are looking at each other instead of you're looking at the back of my neck orsomething like that? And so then when you get down to the behaviors, then is where you start to saylike, Oh, I feel uncomfortable when you're looking at me straight on. Right? then then you can start tounderstand or feel like, oh, that's this place where I feel a little something. Something's coming up, youknow, and I really don't love the word insecure because I think a lot of women aren't necessarilyinsecure. I think they are driven by culture to tell you like you don't look okay. Right? When deep downI'm pretty secure. But everybody's telling me I shouldn't be because of the way that my body works, orlooks.Lesley Logan10:05Right. Okay. Yes. So I love that you work backwards. That's a great way to think about it. Like, it's like,okay, where do we want? Where does it work? The end result is how we want to feel at this stage. Andthen what are the behaviors that will get us there, and then seeing which behaviors feel good or feellike I would like to run away from that right now. And then going inward on those things. And that canbe stuff we have to do around our bodies, or it could be other things we have to explore with our partneror with ourselves. And so that is really interesting. And I also have never heard anyone talk aboutinsecure in that way. I think you're completely correct. And you should do a TEDx on this. Because weare walking around thinking we're just insecure, when really, we actually know what wewant. But it'sthe outside world, it's telling us that we're wrong. Yeah, yeah. Cuz Would you feel that way about your-4-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aibody if you were alone on a fucking Island? You would not. So it's not about you. It's about everybodyelse. Oh, my goodness, how do we?Where do we start with that? We'd like to start with our children(...) we would start with ourselves, I think, yeah, you know, because actions are not caught on top. Butokay, so, so okay, we, we've gone through the steps of like, how we could figure outwhere our workneeds to be. What have you found in working with couples and people on bodies that they haveenabled,l ike we've heard some steps or some tips or some tools that have helped them kind of getaround that? Because I do. I hate saying, okay, just turn the lights off. Because that'd be a terrible like,your partner wants to see you. I'm sure they are with you. So where are we? Is it that we've gotta workwith a therapist, like, is it outside of your scope? Like what do we, what do you do?Celeste Holbrook11:55Yeah, so some things that, let's start here. Most people feel a little weird on some level on some thingsin sex, like, oh, like, my, the way that I feel right now is not right, or whatever. So this is not, you know, ifyou're listening,I don't want you to feel like you're out of the ordinary. If you feel, you know, this feelingsof insecurity or discomfort around your appearance or your body in sex, that's most people. You're notalone. Right? And so I think the next step for once you have identified the behaviors that you want toengage in that help you feel what you want to feel, then is where you do the work where you are sobeautiful at emulating is embodiment is really, okay, when we're in this behavior that we both agree onbringsus connection. How do I continue to get back into my body because a lot of times insects, we willspectator, which is where we look, we feel like we're watching the event, instead of being inside theevent or like, Oh, should I be louder? Should I be softer? Should I, you know, pull my sheets up overmy butt or whatever. And so, noticing that, oh, you know what, I'm not in my body right now. I'm goingto come back into my body. What does my clitoris feel like? What do my boobs feel like? What is thefeelingof my partner's hand on my butt? Like getting back into your actual body using your senses, andwe call that anchoring. And Pilates and yoga and all kinds of different movement activities are reallyhelpful for a lot of people in that practice. Okay, return, return, return back into my body, so that I canhave an experience with you that feels fully embodied, and pleasurable and present. So the process ofanchoring is the answer that question I think.Lesley Logan13:53Yeah, yeah. And also like, Thanksfor bringing up (...) shout out to Pilates. Because I always say likehow we do one thing is to do everything. So if you're distracted in your movement practice, you'regonna be distracted while you're driving, be distracted while you're having sex, like your need to straplike, like, we have to have these moments. We practice how we want to feel and be so that we candraw upon them when it's needed, like a strength and a muscle. I'm gonna totally sidetrack ourconversation. Just want you to know that Joseph Pilates definitely created Pilates for sex. He actually,that's awesome. He told there's a book called The Caged Lion. John Steele wrote it. And JosephPilates took John on a walk and he's like, You need to have more sex. And John was like, thrown off bythis 80 year old man telling what do you need to do. And he said, all of the exercises I created are sopeople can have better sex.Celeste Holbrook14:41I love that. I really need to know more about this. I need all the information here.-5-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aiLesley Logan14:49I think like, you know, I mean, not our society so harsh on our bodies and what we're supposed to looklike and even as a body positivity movement, unfortunately as women who are bigger bodies, if they dogo on a journey of weight loss for whateverreason, personally, professionally, whatever that is, they're,they're attacked for it. So on both spectrums, like you said earlier, we cannot win, you cannot, it doesn'treally matter, someone's going to hate on you from any side. And so, you know, whathave you found?You have your daughters, you work with a lot of women, what have you found to help women whomaybe have not realized that they're not insecure that they just that they just haven't owned what theyknow about themselves how they want to feel?Celeste Holbrook15:31Yeah, you know, I really love, I was on board for body positivity until I realized it was still about thebody. And so I, I love the idea of actually just neutrality, I don't have to love my body, but I don't have tohate her. And so body neutrality is just like, Yeah, this is my body. And this is what how she functions isthat she doesn't function. And this is how we're going to work together to get through life. Andsometimes that does mean not shaming yourself for engaging in those harm reduction activities ofmaybe it is weight loss, right? Maybe it is surgery, right? Maybe it is something that helps you movethrough the world in a safer way. And that's okay, like, we have to be okay with that for women to dothat. And continueto march towards the idea that my body, I am more than my body, right? I'm somuch more. And so, you know, it is interesting. I do have, as you say twin daughters who are 11. Andthere are no two humans on Earth that are compared more than identical twingirls. Oh, she's the blankone. Oh, she's the blank one. And it's always around appearance versus boys that get a little bit morelike, Oh, he's the athletic one, or he's the smart one or whatever. Identical twin girls are compared morethan any other to humans on Earth, their bodies, right? People talk about their bodies all the time.Lesley Logan17:14That has to be so hard to, like, observe.Celeste Holbrook17:17Oh, I call it out now actually. So so much. You know, people want to say like, Oh, she's the bigger oneor she's the taller one or she's the littler one or she's the whatever one she has a frog or she has shorthair. She has brown hair, like actually Zoey really loves art and Ella really loves theater. And you know,I will like redirect the conversation so, so hard just to try and change the way that we automaticallymake comments about women's bodies from the get go. To the point where I think I almost went toofar. My my, one of my daughters asked me the other day she she asked me like Mom, do you think thatI am pretty? Because I never ever say anything about their appearance, right? And I was like, Oh,maybe I maybe I maybe I went too far.Lesley Logan18:05The pendulum swung. Yeah, I mean, I guess like that. I first of all, I thinkit's amazing that she evencame to you. So like, kudos to like you've obviously taught her a lot. But also like you're trying to protecther so much from that and she's going to be there are both going to be inundated with it in all of lifeoutside of thehousehold. So it's kind of hard. That's a hard, hard thing to walk. But I have not thoughtabout that about like, just, it's okay to like, like, like it's almost like the word whelmed. It's okay to be-6-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aiwhelmed about your body, you can just like it's like, it doesn't have to be this thing that I love or I hate Ican actually be very neutral about it. We can all be neutral about everybody's bodies. And then maybewe'll see even some of those harm reduction things even reduced because people won't be needing toseek certain ones out or more most of many out just for feeling seen.Celeste Holbrook18:58Yeah, I love that you are getting where I'm trying to go. I feel like I'm like all over the place right now.But like, that's where I would love, I would love us to do just as much harm reduction as we need inorder to continue to move forward in diversity of body and where we can see, and I think and I and Iwould love to hear your view on this. I think we've done a lot in the last I would say five years. I thinkwe've really like you're seeing so much more diversity online and you're seeing all these differentbodies, right?Lesley Logan19:30Every mailer I get I like will look at I'm like, Oh, they kept her stretch marks and oh, they have this andand so like, I noticed that in a way that like excites me because it becomes more makeups it becomesmore than norm like you're just seeing that. I'll actually so where I started. So I grew up in a householdwhere my grandmother was over 300 pounds you lose 100 gain100. Thin Finn was like the best thingshe was so sad was taken off the market. So I've definitely like I was in a diet culture household. I justthought you were on die. it Are you off the diet, but likeCeleste Holbrook20:03There's only two choicesLesley Logan20:04Yeah, that's it, you don't just like enjoy your food that you're eating. Shout out to like the snack wells.Right? So we'll be at three different types of milk (...) Skim milk, 2%, home. Yeah, my brother had togain weight, I should belosing weight, like the whole thing. That's not my parents fault. I was doing amodeling thing. So anyway, I do get you're going with this. And I, the reason those I noticed thosethings in a positive way is because when I was a first Pilates instructor,this woman came into thestudio, and I was running the studio, and she went to the teacher, and the teacher was like, okay, sowhat are your goals? Like, what, what? Why are you seeking out Pilates, which is like a typical thing,you'd ask people for any reason they're trying to hire you, right? And the girl goes, well, I want to looklike her. And she puts an ad of a woman in lingerie in front of us. And, you know, the teacher was like,well, you're very beautiful. I don't like why do we need to look likeher. She's like, because that's me.She like this is I'm the model. And they have airbrushed her. So she's the model for this line. And theyairbrush her. So everything that's put out is not her real body that we're looking at right now. So like shehad ababy, and she's trying to get back to who she was no, like, she's trying to be something that doesnot exist in physical form. And I remember going, Holy fuck, what are we all doing here? Like, what arewe doing here? How am I contributing to this? I did not have the tools at the time. But like, I've definitelyin the last five years have seen like, how there are tools out there that we can no matter what sizebusiness you have, like tap into, and also just being kind of like changing different words. But if that wasnot the first model that I ever saw, do that another girl, I was at a pool event for a bunch of fitnessinfluencers. And she's like, Yeah, I'm just trying to look like this again, I'll just like like this. And I said, I-7-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aidon't really understand.She's like, well, I use IU, she used her own app to remove her ribs to like, looka certain way. And I really was just like, having such a hard time because I was also looking to all thesepeople who, because of what society was doing to them, or they're doing to themselves, that wasactually not reducing harm, it was actually causing more. And so I, I really liked the where you're going.And I feel like we have come so far in five years, in the last five years, I think we have a lot more workto do on people, not judging people wherever they are on their journey in their own bodies. And that's,that's where I get like really frustrated, cuz I get frustrated for the girls that that one of them works for usin another capacity. And she's sharing her journey.And she was trying to lose weight. She's trying tohave a baby, she's type one diabetic. And people were just either criticizing her for trying to be ateacher or criticizing her for trying to lose weight. I was like, Oh my gosh, this poor girl, like it'snot ourplace to decide what she wants to look like. So I really appreciate you bringing that up in this episode.Because I think we can all think about how are we, first of all, forgiving ourselves for doing harmreduction acts that we might be participating in or want to. And then also, maybe being kinder, as yousaid earlier to people who are. Yeah, yeah. And I think you hit the nail on the head is that we're all like,we're all trying to feel better. We're all trying to like, move in this way towards something that feels likevitality for our own life. Right? And probably a year from now, I'll think back to this conversation. But Iwould have said something different, right? Because I think about that on a year ago is podcast and I'mon a journey too, but I think that us as a whole. And maybe I'm talking about women as a whole movingtowards the idea that all our bodies are Okay. And yeah, you know, they're all welcome here. Yeah.Yeah. It's funny, I was listening to another podcast, and it's a comedian.And she, somebody criticizedhow she like, did a 90 second thing on a holiday. And she said, You know, when you're a professionalspeaker, and you like speak for living just (...) it's just a numbers game, you're going to say things like, Ishould have said that a little bit differently, or I should have been a little bit more clear or, or this or that.She's like, soundbites or clips like or reels only have 90 seconds like you're reduced to hoping peoplecan read between the lines. And of course, somebodysomewhere is going to take somethingespecially anything we say even today or any episode I've ever had out of context. And hopefully it isfor conversation and not an accusation. I think there's a difference there like and I think also, you know,being kind to ourselves about the intent we had at the time we set it at and as we as we get older welearn more, the more information, the more people you coach, I'm sure like, you'll even maybe it's notharm reduction theory, it's a, you change the words, whatever. And I think like, that's part of, if we can'teven start to be kind to each other for being in process of figuring out the theories are working on.That's even one maybe step towards being kind to each other about how we look.Celeste Holbrook25:23Yeah, well, I mean, for sure, for sure. And like I recently have been really working on being called in,like, you know, being being called in for whatever some, you know, this probably happens to you too,happens to everybody, somebody DM me the other day, like, you know, what you said on this reel, or,or what was a webinar I was doing about menopause was really harmful to me. And I felt like it was notgreat. Not great suggestion. And I went and got some help from a different provider. And this is whatthey said, and this was really helpful. And I thought you should know. And I just wanted you to knowthat this was, this was my experience with your content. I was like, All right, though. Okay. Like, I wentback and listened to her. And I was like, I couldsee where she was coming from. Right? And so the,what I have been working on is creating thickness around being called in so that I can be better. Youknow, and sometimes people call you and you're like, meh, I don't, I don't know. But a lot of times there-8-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aiis a little bit of a grain of opportunity to learn in there. And so I think it goes both ways, calling in kindlyand also being too fragile about when it happens, you know?Lesley Logan26:44I think that calling and kindly is like, is the thingthere, though. Like, I actually love that she caredenough about you. Yeah. And the content that you're putting out there to share that what yousuggested, or what she heard, was not helpful. But here's what was. And I that kind of feedback is, itdoes feel like a kick to the stomach. Sure. But also it's like, wow, had this person not told me (...) I maynot know that this I could reward I could rephrase this, or I could qualify this or, or, you know, whatever.And I think so that's really cool because so few people actually take the time to share that. Otherpeople will take no time at all to be kind and they will, and for that it's like hard, because it's like, there'sno, there's no actual back and forth, there's no way to actually lean into that and, andengage in aconversation. So I think it's like, Yes, I have had to as well. And sometimes like, you know, we've I'velooked at it, and I'm like, okay, can see what you're saying that is really not at all the intent of that. Andlike, how can we keep goingforward without having that intent? Like, what do we do to change thewords, we need to change this thing? Like, and, and so I think, and then also who is saying it alsomatters to me like, I'm like, this is, I might, have I always been creating this foryou, or are you actuallybetter suited like for this over here? And that's like, so, you know, it's hard to know. But it's like, it'sbetter to even like, evaluate and go, where does this feel? Where did I make like, what can I learn fromthis? And, and then also, like, we're always learning I think it's really hard for, as people who arespeakers of a topic. Of course, we're considered experts. And so we are held to a higher standard, butat the same time, like we're still human beings, there's still moreto learn. There's still types of situationsyou may have not encountered yet in your expertise.Celeste Holbrook28:43Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And I think what you said earlier, about, like, what was my intent?And what was the impact? like,impact always, to me, means more than my intent, like, I didn't mean to,you know, give this kind of what felt like hard advice about menopause. But the impact was that she feltunseen and unheard. And so the impact was always more important than the intent for sure.Lesley Logan29:13Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I think it's also something to talk about with this topic is like, you know,there's people who are, you know, in monogamous relationships, where their bodies are gonna changeas we get older, notjust menopause, but like, you know, we're gonna get older, both parties are gonnaget older unless you keep trading him for a younger model. (...) ladies, go ahead. The men have beenthere for a long time, by all means. No judgment on that harm reduction,if that works for you. But, whatare your suggest, like, I'm obviously, you mentioned, like having that conversation with your partner. Itfeels like that conversation is going to change over time, maybe even constantly. Or maybe even in amonth, but alsolike over the course of our of our relationship. How have you seen people approachthat as human? As we get older, our bodies are gonna change, like, how have you seen peopleapproach that?Celeste Holbrook30:12-9-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aiYeah, well, I think it's if we can thinkabout it as a beautiful thing, meaning you're not having sex withthe same person for 40-50 years. You, I mean, it's the same person in your bedroom, but you aretotally new people. Because of your experiences, and because of what you've been through and whatyou're, what you're currently going through. And so in a way, it's kind of like it brings that novelty, whichwe thrive off of insects, we want things to be novel all the time in sex. And so what I like to teachcouples is that your best bet for a longterm sexually pleasurable relationship is sexual resiliency. Andwhat I mean by that is the ability to look at your sex life and go, Okay, where can we pivot? Where canwe do something different? Okay, you're having trouble with erectile, you're having erectile issues,right? Where can we pivot to where we still experience some really beautiful pleasure and connection,but maybe an erection isn't always required? Right? So how do we define sex more broadly? If wedefine sex based on what we want to feel instead of what we do, right? then sex becomes like veryopen. And maybe sex when we first got together was penis and vagina you know, so heteronormative,right? But maybe as we age sex is both laying down and touching each other. Or maybe sex as we ageis you giving me some looks across the table from waffles when we're 70. You know, and I feel all ofthose fun, beautiful things again. I used to go and teach courses for the early onset on Alzheimer's unit,where you have a partner without Alzheimer's and a partner who has just been diagnosed, and we'regoing to talk about, okay, as the disease progresses, how do you still connect intimately when possiblysome consent is going to come off the table eventually? Because consent is not there anymore, offeredanymore, right? What's your sex gonna look like? Is it, you know, holding hands on the porch while youwatch the sunrise? Is that you're going to be your sex eventually. Right? And so being able to redefineit over time is the key to sexual resiliency.LesleyLogan32:42Yeah. It's almost like you have to like put through like, every year you're checking your insurance thingsevery year, you're checking, you're making sure you've updated all these things. Maybe you're like,Hey, where's our consent on? Yeah,exactly. You know? Yeah. I don't know if we talked about this onthe last episode, we might have. So forgive me, everyone. But when you talked about the Alzheimer'sthing, this is there was a New York Times article on elderly sexually active adults. And how muchcriticism there was a judge who, whose husband has Alzheimer's and like, he had a partner in thehospital that he was with, and she was like, so like, there was a there was a picture of someone whereshe was this judge was famous judge in the Supreme Court was sitting with her husband, who hasAlzheimer's, who was also sitting with his partner from the hospital. And people are like, how could shedo that? It's like, everything is on her. Like, she's just being like, rude. But it's like, her husband hasAlzheimer's. He's in a hospital. And we're judging that these two people who are like on a different roadin their brain than the rest of us are having some sort of consensual relationship.Celeste Holbrook33:54Non monogamous. Yeah.Lesley Logan33:55Yeah. And so I just felt so bad for her, but the whole article kind of went into, like, where we, as adultshave, have, like, adult children have got to let their parents sexual behaviors be what they want them tobe. And it's not our choice.-10-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aiCeleste Holbrook34:13Yes. Yeah. You can't regulate that. Yeah.Lesley Logan34:16Yeah. They try to regulate you, but you don't get to do it.Celeste Holbrook34:20You don't get to do it. You don't get to do it. And it's part of like, if you thinkabout, you know, part ofthriving for a parent might be their sexuality and their ability to feel pleasure in that way. And, youknow? how if we can just move past the the puritanical shame around sex, and if we can just look at itlike, Oh, what a beautiful thing that they can still engage in that helps them feel human, right? Sex justhumanizes us. Pleasure just humanizes us and so if we can just move past our own stuff, you know,then it's like, oh, yeah, that's actually a really beautiful thing.Lesley Logan35:00Yeah, the movie pass the puritanical shame. I feel like that might be your other book...(Celeste: Yeah,for sure.) I feel like it's a series.Celeste Holbrook35:13I think you are totally right.Lesley Logan35:15Oh my gosh, oh mygosh, Dr. Celeste, I just adore our conversations. I love exploring this topic withyou, I know that it affects so many people. And so just being able to bring you into their world into theirear so they can explore more with you. Because, you know, beinguntil we see it is really hard to do ifyou're not feeling seen, and if you are not experiencing all parts of yourself. And it can be really difficultto go out there in the world if like, you also don't feel super strong, and your sex life or how you feel inyour body and all that stuff. So this is just a really wonderful topic. This will not be the last time we hadyou on the show, just because I fucking love you. Let's have at least an annual if not semi annual. I loveit. We'll do a whole series. That's my podcast, I can do what I want. You can do whatever you want.Before I let you go, we're gonna take a brief break. And then we're gonna find out where people canfind you, follow you, work with you. And then you'll Be It action items. // All right, Dr. Celeste. Where doyou like to hang out? What's your favorite social places? Which website? Where can people work withyou?Celeste Holbrook36:17Well, I'm on Instagram at Dr. Celeste Holbrook. That's Dr. Celeste Holbrook, where we have a lot offun, and we sling a lot of dildos. And you can find me on my website at Drcelesteholbrook.com Wherewe can work together one on one, or I can work with you and your partner to create a sex life that feelspleasurable for for both of you. And I just love to hearfrom you. I love hearing what you got to say. Ican learn a little bit from you.Lesley Logan36:45-11-Transcribed byhttps://otter.aiYeah, so yeah, you have a deemer, if you aren't, I hope that you feel safe and secure to share whatyou took away from this episode, because it would bepart of that taking away the shame of the topic.Celeste Holbrook37:17I am trying to get on a TEDx stage to talk about pleasure. And so I am using the idea of discipline to doand submit applications even when I don't want to like not waiting for motivation. So that wouldprobably be what I have to offer today is, discipline used to scare me, because I thought it took awayfreedom. But in in reality, discipline has opened me up to lots of opportunities. So discipline, even whenyou don't feel motivated.Lesley Logan37:49What a great reframe of that word. Right. You know?...(Dr. Celeste: I hated that word before) Yeah.Well, because it sounds like you need to be disciplined. (...) But you're, you're actually taking this like, ifI'm disciplined on this thing that I want, even if I don't want to do it right now, it's gonna open up thedoors for the things I want. I love that. And you must let us know when you get a TEDx because we willhave we have to share it. We'll have to put it in the show and haveto have you back. We'll put it in theFYFs. A new segment on on the Be It pod on Friday. That's Fuck Yeah Friday, so you must share awin. So we'll have to share yours when that happens. Yeah. I love you. You're amazing. You're doingsuch amazing work forpeople everywhere and especially women. So thank you for being here,everyone. Thank you for listening. You know, please, I'd love for you to share this publicly. It'd beamazing. It'd be a step and a thing of you and look at me. I'm helping get rid of shame around this topic.However, at the very least, maybe text it to a friend. Let us, get us a review and let Dr. CelesteHolbrook know what your takeaways were. I would love to hear them and until next time, Be It Till YouSee It.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

I surrender my mind to GodWhile my mind can go in a million directions, I pray today that it goes toward love. May wildness in my mind and heart no longer foster chaos. May the peace of God within me bring all chaos to an end. Seeking order in my universe, I eschew at last the intemperate mind. I place my mind in the hands of God. I pray to be released from fear, thatI might know true love.Dear God,Please stop the storms within me.Make peaceful my mind and calm my heart.Reveal to me the love around me,That my fear might fall away.Amen.I surrender my mind to God This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.transformarticles.com/subscribe

I surrender my mind to GodWhile my mind can go in a million directions, I pray today that it goes toward love. May wildness in my mind and heart no longer foster chaos. May the peace of God within me bring all chaos to an end. Seeking order in my universe, I eschew at last the intemperate mind. I place my mind in the hands of God. I pray to be released from fear, thatI might know true love.Dear God,Please stop the storms within me.Make peaceful my mind and calm my heart.Reveal to me the love around me,That my fear might fall away.Amen.I surrender my mind to God This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.transformarticles.com/subscribe