Podcasts about unable

This week we're replaying a classic episode where your hosts Steve and Yvonne interview Bibi Fell of Fell Law, PC (https://www.fellfirm.com/).   Remember to rate and review GTP in iTunes: Click Here to Rate and Review   View/Download Trial Documents   Case Details: California trial lawyer Bibi Fell, a founding partner at Fell Law, PC and a partner at Athea Trial Lawyers, shares how she successfully represented a breast cancer patient who fell victim to the beliefs and unconventional cancer treatment of a New York Times bestselling author masquerading as a licensed doctor. Plaintiff Dawn Kali was diagnosed with treatable Stage 1 breast cancer and rejected traditional treatment options in favor of the "Father of the Alkaline Diet" Robert O. Young's "pH Miracle" approach, which focused on making the body less acidic and more alkaline. This process involved costly extended stays at Young's Rancho del Sol in Valley Center, California and expensive intravenous treatments that consisted of little more than baking soda. Unable to pay, Dawn worked for Young in exchange for treatments that were ultimately ineffective. After much time had passed, Dawn went to an oncologist and was diagnosed with terminal Stage 4 cancer that had spread to her spine and femur. At trial, Bibi Fell demonstrated that Young's "pH Miracle" treatment was neither scientifically nor medically sound. In spite of the defense's claims that Dawn was aware that Young was not a licensed medical doctor and that she was not prevented from seeking conventional medical treatment, a San Diego jury found in favor of Dawn for her claims against Young of intentional misrepresentation, negligent misrepresentation, false promise and negligence. In October 2018, the jury awarded Dawn a $105,356,000 verdict, including $15 million in punitive damages. Guest Bio: Bibi Fell Bibi represents plaintiffs who suffered catastrophic injuries or the death of a loved one. She is the Founding Partner of Fell Law, PC, in San Diego, California and is a Partner at Athea Trial Lawyers, a nationwide plaintiff's firm comprised of six prominent female trial lawyers. Bibi is one of the few women attorneys to have received a verdict over $100,000,000.00 as lead trial counsel. Bibi is a National Board Member for the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA). Membership is extended by invitation only to lawyers who have demonstrated extensive trial experience, civility and professionalism. In 2018, Bibi was one of three finalists for Consumer Attorneys of California's “Consumer Advocate of the Year,” Consumer Attorneys of San Diego's “Trial Lawyer of the Year” award and received the “Outstanding Trial Lawyer” award and “Outstanding Advocate” award from Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. In 2020, she received the “Trial Lawyer of the Year” award from Pepperdine Law School. Bibi has also been selected to be a member of Lawdragon 500, The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers, the Daily Journal's Top 100 Women Lawyers, and has been selected as a Top 50 San Diego Superlawyer and Top 25 Women Superlawyer. Bibi gives back by teaching Advanced Trial Advocacy at the USD Law, serving as the program director for the National Institute for Trial Advocacy's Pacific Deposition Skills program, and teaching trial skills through NITA around the country and internationally. Bibi devotes her time to serve as a “Parent Partner” to parents of children newly diagnosed with Hepatoblastoma, a malignant liver tumor found in young children. Read Full Bio   Show Sponsors: Legal Technology Services - LegalTechService.com Digital Law Marketing - DigitalLawMarketing.com Harris Lowry Manton LLP - hlmlawfirm.com   Free Resources: Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 1 Stages Of A Jury Trial - Part 2

Logan Gilbert had a perfect game going into the 6th and still gets tagged with a loss as the M's falll 2-1 to the Rangers and we see 13Ks from Mariners hitters. Salk wants to know why it's happening, but more importantly... what's going on with Julio. We revisit the conversation with NFL Draft Scout Matt Miller (ESPN).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Logan Gilbert had a perfect game going into the 6th and still gets tagged with a loss as the M's falll 2-1 to the Rangers and we see 13Ks from Mariners hitters. Salk wants to know why it's happening, but more importantly... what's going on with Julio. We revisit the conversation with NFL Draft Scout Matt Miller (ESPN).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite an impressive showing from Derek's hair twin Lourdes Gurriel Jr, the D-backs were unable to complete their first three-game sweep of the season vs the Nationals. We take a look at the bullpen being a disaster in this series, no RISP kings for Arizona, and why they are unable to close out potential series sweeps. WATCH YOUR FAVORITE TEAMS HERE: https://www.fubotv.com/phnx  SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports  Keepin It 100 Golf Scramble: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/phnx-keepin-it-100-classic-scramble-golf-tournament-tickets-617328515207  Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. Manscaped: Save 20% Off and Free Shipping with the code “PHNX” at Manscaped.com.  BetMGM: Download the BetMGM app and sign-up using bonus code PHNX (betmgm.com/phnx).  Place a pre-game, moneyline wager in the amount of at least $10 on any market at standard odds price. You will receive $200 in Bonus Bets instantly regardless of the outcome of your wager! Just make sure you use bonus code PHNX when you sign up! Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA) 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI).  Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario. Knockout Nights: Join our cornhole league during the 1st Friday night of every month! They're free to enter and will include food and beverage specials, giveaways, and BetMGM prizes: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/622016186157 Pins & Aces: Check out pinsandaces.com and use code PHNX to receive 15% off your first order and get free shipping. PHNX: Join us at the BetMGM Sportsbook at State Farm Stadium for all Suns' away playoff games. Our PHNX Suns watch parties, presented by NUTRL, will feature food and drink specials, PHNX giveaways, and BetMGM deposit matches. Join us by grabbing your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/616706063437 Circle K: Text PHNX to 31310 to join the Circle K SMS subscriber club and get BOGO 32 oz Polar Pops! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you! OGeez!: Learn more about OGeez! at https://ogeezbrands.com//. Must be 21 years or older to purchase. Rotowire: Get your free trial and unlock all the best fantasy sports news and analysis at https://rotowire.com/phnx Four Peaks: Enjoy a refreshing Four Peaks' Red Bird Lager during the NFL Draft on April 27th. Must be 21+. Enjoy responsibly.  Roman: Go to https://ro.co/PHNX today to get 20% off your entire first order.  When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

YOUR REAL SPIRITUAL BIOGRAPHY The Master's Plan • Ephesians 2:1-10 (p. 917) • Redeemer's • 5/11&12/19 Intro: I have a confession. Sometimes I get nervous when I hear Christians speak of being saved or having salvation. Don't get me wrong: I think we need to be saved. I like the word. But I don't think most people have the right idea. Christians often think of it simply as being forgiven—and that's barely the beginning. And non-Christians normally interpret “save” to mean preserve or collect—like saving leftovers for later, or saving bottles for the dime deposit. Sometimes we use it in its rawest meaning of to rescue or deliver, as a doctor saves a patient having a heart-attack, or a firefighter saves a home from being burnt down. But when the normal person outside of the church thinks of saved in the religious sense, they wrongly picture emotionalism, or unthinking televangelists buttonholing their audience with the Q, Are ya saved? •I'd like to try to restore the word today, because it describes perfectly what has happened to us as believers in Christ. (But you might object: “uh, rescued doesn't really describe my spiritual story…”) •If you were to ask how Barb and I feel in love, how we met and eventually married, you probably would hear two different versions of the story. Apparently I am under the mistaken notion that I sought and courted her; but she insists that long before I knew she existed, she went after me. Same thing with believers: Ask many of us how we became Christians, and you'll likely hear a story that doesn't sound anything like how God tells it in the passage we're going to look at today: We'd say something like, initially we heard or read about Jesus, or knew someone whom we respected as a Christian—a friend or co-worker or mom or dad; we grew to understand what God had done for us and at some point, began to believe it. He loved us, and offered forgiveness to us, so whether motivated by a desire to know God, or to settle the issue of our guilt, or because we wanted what our friends or family had, or simply because we thought it the right thing to do, we decided to believe in Jesus and accept His forgiveness. But whatever the motivation, we decided. We did it. It was our choice. We could have decided to reject Him and His offer, but we thought better of it. It was all pretty much up to us. That's our story, and we're sticking to it. But it hardly sounds like a rescue—which what being saved really means. And when God tells your story, your real spiritual biography, from His viewpoint, it sounds very different. Something very different happened: it wasn't a pretty picture of a person thoughtfully and independently and objectively weighing factors and then giving some reasonable assent to Christ; instead, the picture was initially shocking and repulsive, and a miracle occurred to change everything. NB when God tells the story, there is Then (vss. 1-3) and a Now (vss. 4-10): I. [THEN: THE BREATHING DEAD] (vss. 1-3) This describes our past condition. NB were…once walked…once lived…were… The divine diagnosis could be summarized in 3 statements: A. You were dead!” (vs. 1): It's figurative, but pregnant with meaning! When God described our condition as dead, it implies you were: 1) Unable to help yourself. Spiritually speaking, how badly off were we? Picture salvation as a person falling off a cliff. What do we need from God? Some think a person just needs God's motivation and encouragement to climb back up (“You can do it!”). Others think that in the fall, we were hurt, and so now we need God's help back up. God must assist us as we make our way back up the cliff. But God says when we fell, we broke our neck and died. We're lifeless. Lying at the bottom of the cliff, we can't do anything, because we're dead. 2) Unresponsive. Ever have a good conversation with a corpse? They don't talk much, do they? One of the signs of death is the inability to respond to stimuli. They don't respond to light (pupils are fixed), or to sounds (a clap), or to pain (prick a toe); they don't react at all. Completely unresponsive to God. Spiritual zombies. Alive but dead. One of the first funerals I did as a young pastor was for Dwayne, a 21 year old drug dealer who had been murdered. At the funeral, his girlfriend overcome with grief approached the casket, stood frozen, reached out to touch him, caressed him, and when he didn't respond, began to cry, and loudly call to him, and grip him, and shake him, until she attempted to crawl into the casket with him. But no amount of love, or concern, or touching or prodding can make a dead person respond. And you were that dead person. 3) Separated: When someone dies, they're gone. The body may be lying before you, but you're separated from the person who once inhabited that body. So spiritual death means a person separated from God. In fact, the Bible tells us that if a person remains in that dead condition and dies physically, they stay separated from God forever. [Is 59:1-2/x] Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that He does not hear.” •So what killed us? trespasses and sins. trespasses are those things we do knowingly; we know where the boundary is, where the line has been drawn, where the forbidden field is, and we cross over anyway, intentionally. But sins refer to our passive failures—a failure to measure up, to meet God's standards. We do things God told us not to do, and we have failed to do what He has instructed us to do. Together, these two terms represent the whole range of human evil. [John Stott: Before God we are both rebels and failures.”] The poison that killed us spiritually was our rebellion against God, our disobedience to God. And our condition was complicated by this: [B. You were enslaved!] (vss. 2-3a) NB three controlling influences: 1) The World: (vs. 2a): We drifted along the stream of this world's ideas and values (like a current in the river: do nothing and the flow will take you to where you might not wish to go.) It involves peer pressure, and the no-so-subtle temptation to do and think along the same lines as everyone else. Be a part of the “in” crowd. I speak up about evolution because there is real pressure not to criticize the theory or investigate alternatives. “We are accidents, there is no unseen God in the universe, and that's that. That' scientific.” Or the world tells us no one has any right to judge our sexual preferences, or our gender, or whether one religion is better than any other. They're all right and nothing is wrong. Unless of course you think one is wrong, and then you're wrong. But behind the world is a personality controlling it, giving it direction and leadership. To this tyrant we once were enslaved: 2) The Devil: (vs. 3b-3a) He's a created but fallen angelic being, elsewhere known as Satan (adversary), or the devil (accuser or slanderer), the one who opposes God. And his kingdom is that of the air—not the atmosphere (as opposed to land/earth), but rather the sphere under heaven. EG you have Heaven (the place of God), Earth (the home of men), and the air (the realm of unseen spiritual beings, usually evil). So he operates in the unseen dimension of life. And he does as he wills; and he intends to work in/influence people disconnected from God, prompting them to disobey and rebel against God. So if that weren't bad enough to feel the squeeze from outward influences, inwardly we were self-destructive, and trapped by our own nature and desires: 3) The Flesh: (vs. 3b) There's nothing wrong with bodily desires for food, and drink and sex and sleep; but when they become paramount in our lives, they tend to take over, so we become enslaved to our physical appetites—obese, and alcoholic, and lustful, and slothful. And flesh doesn't just mean bodily; [Gal. 5:19-21] flesh refers to living on a single plane—just life lived apart from God. There's attitudes of the mind that can enslave us too: the desire to always be right, pride, ambition, comparisons, anger, revenge, self-consuming self-centeredness. No matter how it appeared from the outside, inside us the spiritual connection with God was dead. And we were enslaved. Because of that: C. You were condemned! (vs. 3b) NB by nature: i.e. we naturally did wrong things. You don't have to be told to do them, don't have to be instructed or trained in Evil 101, or Advanced Selfishness; How to be critical and judgmental.” Don't have to instruct kids how to throw a tantrum. (Without much trying, we'd all get A's.) We naturally do things that arouse God's anger. It's part of being part of the fallen human race. Result? •children of wrath: It doesn't mean God hates little kids. It's a figure of speech meaning worthy of wrath; i.e. if we got what we deserved, we get objects of God's judgment. And His wrath is not his losing his temper and flying off the handle. It's never arbitrary, but it is His determined response to human evil and rebellion. [Stott: “It is God's personal, righteous, constant hostility to evil; his settled refusal to compromise with it; and his resolve instead to condemn it.”] •Summary: It's a bleak picture. God regards all who are not following Christ as being spiritually dead, morally enslaved and divinely condemned. This is God's diagnosis of every person without Jesus. Even a nice guy who is religious, and is a faithful spouse and loving parent still needs someone to rescue him from his condition as much as a serial killer or child molester does. The popular notion today is that everyone is a child of God, though some are sinners, and some are saints: [graphic]. But the Bible only makes two distinctions: [dead/alive/x] If you haven't pass into the upper circle, by default you're in the lower. No exceptions. How can we read such words without our hearts being gripped with new concern for those who don't know Jesus? They're spiritually dead. Enslaved. Condemned. With such a condition, it would take nothing short of a miracle of God to rescue people from such a living death! Exactly! II. [NOW: LIVING MASTERPIECES (2:4-10) One of the most beautiful and relieving words in the entire passage is this: BUT… What we've read isn't the whole story. BUT: [A. Who initiated this?] (vs. 4a) [God did] He intervened for us! Your story is a story about God! [B. What motivated Him? (vs. 4b) [great love] That's pretty amazing considering what we were like. We were exactly the opposite of what God wanted. No corpse is attractive. Yet God not only felt pity for us, but he had surpassing love for us! And if he loved us when we were corpses, how much more does He now love us since we are living? And if His love didn't depend upon our performance then, how could it now? [C. What exactly did He do?] People who don't understand the problem ought not to prescribe the prescription: like a band-aid for an aneurism, or an aspirin for cancer, or a tourniquet for a sore throat. People who don't understand what our condition prescribe more rules or laws or legislation, harsher punishment, no punishment, universal education, mandated tolerance, less expectations, working together, doint your own thing, trying harder, sincerity, church attendance. But NB what God did: (vss. 5-6) [1. For the dead: “…made us alive”] Not only a new start, but a new life. We are spiritually reborn! [2. For the enslaved: “…raised us up”] He freed you, and empowered you with the Holy Spirit. [3. For the condemned: “…seated us with Him”] Instead of being under judgment and an outcast, you take our place next to Jesus in the seat reserved for you, and a place of acceptance. •So salvation is far more than being forgiven. It is being made alive, it is being delivered from evil's power and control; it is being rescued from deserved wrath. Now can you understand why in the midst of describing what God has done for us, Paul had to keep emphasizing that we are rescued by grace? Grace means getting what we don't deserve and couldn't earn. We didn't initiate it; we were dead. We contributed nothing, except our sin and guilt. We didn't deserve it—what we deserved was to be judged. [D. What purpose did He have? (vs. 7)] [to display His glorious grace] (cf. 1:6) kindness is love in tender action. So today you are demonstration, a picture of his amazing grace. In the near and distant future, when He wants to illustrate His love and mercy, and His gracious nature of being the God who gives what isn't deserved, he'll point to you and me. [E. How did He pull it off?] (vss. 8-9) BTW—these are our memory verses for this series. …this is not your own doing. What's this? Refers to the entire rescue/salvation! [1. The Necessity of Grace: it's why we can be saved] If we were to be rescued or saved, it had to be by grace. We can better understand grace by pointing out what can't coexist with grace. [Robert Farrar Capon: “Grace cannot prevail…until our lifelong certainty that someone is keeping score has runout of steam and collapsed.”] EG: •Fear: When we understand grace, that God forgives completely in X without strings attached, we are no longer worried. It's done, taken care of. It was freely given. •Debt: in terms of a payoff or payback—grace means gift or freely, not “bargain” or “payment plan.” You couldn't pay it back if you tried. It's one thing to respond with such gratitude that you forever are changed by the gift; it's another to try to work off the debt—something that would wound His heart. •Pride (of human accomplishment): How can we be proud of what we didn't do? Christians who boast or think of themselves as better than others either don't understand what they were then, what they are now, or how they got there. Grace. [2. The Importance of Faith: it's how we receive salvation] through faith: Faith isn't something we pat ourselves on the back for having. It's nothing more than a response, entrusting yourself to the truth. It is a means by which we receive and experience salvation. What satisfies your thirst—the drink or the straw through which you sip the drink? Faith is important, but it doesn't earn anything; it receives what God offers. [3. The Place of Works:] (vss. 9-10) [not the basis, but the outcome of salvation] NB we once walked taking our cue from the world (vs. 2), but now we walk looking for and fulfilling the divine opportunities that God before has prepared for us! In fact, workmanship is a word to describe a work of art, craftsmanship, even a masterpiece. One of the evidences of our salvation is our changed life! We do things that serve Him and others not to earn His favor, or try to be saved or stay saved; we live out love and gratitude for all He has done for us in saving us and including us and using us. Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound—that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost…but now am found…was blind…but now, but now, but now…I see. Do you see?

A seemingly ordinary date night turned deadly when Erick Aguirre discovered he and his date were scammed out of $20 by a parking lot attendant. Unable to let it go, Aguirre left his date inside the restaurant, retrieved a gun from his car, and fatally shot the scammer in the parking lot. In a chilling display of composure, Aguirre returned to the restaurant and resumed his date, leaving many to question what drove him to commit such a violent act. Want to listen to ALL of our Podcasts Ad-Free? Subscribe through Apple Podcasts, and try it for 3 days free: https://tinyurl.com/ycw626tj Follow Our Other Cases:   Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski (All Cases) - https://audioboom.com/channels/5040505-hidden-killers-with-tony-brueski-breaking-news-commentary Chad & Lori Daybell - https://audioboom.com/channels/5098105-demise-of-the-daybells-the-lori-chad-daybell-story The Murder of Ana Walshe - https://audioboom.com/channels/5093967-finding-ana-this-disappearance-of-ana-walshe Alex Murdaugh - https://audioboom.com/channels/5097527-the-trial-of-alex-murdaugh The Idaho Murders, The Case Against Bryan Kohberger - https://audioboom.com/channels/5098223-the-idaho-murders-the-case-against-bryan-kohberger Lucy Letby - https://audioboom.com/channels/5099406-nurse-of-death-the-lucy-letby-story Follow Tony Brueski On Twitter https://twitter.com/tonybpod Join our Facebook Discussion Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/834636321133

Welcome to part 2 of a mini-series of three episodes from the Acholi Quarter in Kampala, Uganda. If you've heard the first part, you would know that it's a quarter with challenges, that's getting help from a foundation called 22STARS. They also make jewellery from recycled paper, and 22STARS helps them sell it worldwide. You should go back and listen before this one if you haven't heard it. DON'T CALL IT A SLUM In my work with these episodes, every time I've read up on this quarter, it's been referred to as "a slum." Maybe it's just me. But I'm not too fond of that label. So, I looked into what can be classified as a slum area. Here's what I found:  "The housing units in slums are usually substandard and lack Basic amenities such as clean water, sanitation, ventilation, and electricity. Slum areas are characterised by high population density, with many people living in small spaces. And they typically lack access to basic services such as health care, education, and sanitation facilities.  Slums also often have poor infrastructure, including unpaved roads, limited or no access to public transport, and inadequate sewer system. Plus, often with a high level of poverty and unemployment which can lead to social problems such as crime, drug abuse, and other forms of social deprivation." So, with that definition, the Acholi Quarter in Kampala, Uganda, can be classified as a slum, but it is so much more. It's also a vibrant and lively neighbourhood that bursts with energy and personality.  " While it may be a factually accurate description of the living conditions in the Acholi Quarter, the use of the term "slum" can also be seen as stigmatizing and degrading to the residents who live there. So, instead of using the term "slum," it may be more appropriate to use terms such as "informal settlement" or "underserved community" to describe the Acholi Quarter while also acknowledging the challenges faced by residents and the need for greater investment in infrastructure, services, and opportunities." From the moment I step foot in this bustling community, I'm swept up in the sights, sounds, and smells of everyday life. In this episode, I'll walk into the area with Susan Laker and Nicholas Basalirwa from 22STARS. This organization has done much in recent years to improve the living conditions in this area, such as initiatives to provide better housing, sanitation, education, and access to services.  WALKING TOUR IN THE COMMUNITY In the latest episode, they gave me the lowdown on the microloans they've been handing out to help small local businesses, and now they're showing me some of the success stories. As we walk, the aroma of sizzling street food surrounds us. Vendors are hawking everything from grilled meat skewers to piping hot samosas. And then, there it is: "Rolex." I'll get back to that.  As we weave through the area, Susan points out some small businesses that have benefited from 22STARS' microloans. It's clear that this organization has significantly impacted the community, and first, we meet Ashan Grace, who has a small food stand. Susan introduces her: "She's one of our beneficiaries. She has one child in the project, and she is also benefiting from the small business loans. She was making beads before, but because of Corona, she had to go back to selling food. She's doing very well. She goes to the big down and buys vegetables and then, she splits them into a small quantity so that it can meet the level of the community. Because here, no one can afford to go to the supermarket and buy at the high price. But when she buys in bulk directly from the vehicle this one is sold at 100 shillings."  GETTING A ROLEX Beyond its reputation as a bustling hub of activity, Acholi Quarter is a testament to the resilience and strength of its people. This is never more evident than when Susan introduced me to Abdul Doreen. Despite her disability, Abdul is up at the crack of dawn, making one of Uganda's most beloved street foods: Rolex. This delicacy features a perfectly rolled chapati filled with eggs and veggies – the kind of dish that'll make you forget all your troubles. And no, the name has nothing to do with the fancy timepiece brand. It's actually a clever combination of "rolled" and "eggs."  "She has three two kids sponsored by 22STARS and she does not let the disability put her down. She's a very strong woman. She starts very early in the morning at six o'clock and here until afternoon. After 2-3 hours of rest, she's back again to be here in the evenings." This community was established by refugees who had fled from the conflict in northern Uganda. Despite facing insurmountable challenges, they have created a thriving and tightly-knit community. It's nothing short of remarkable. Many locals have started their own businesses, ranging from retail shops to tailoring and hair salons. There are a lot of outdoor shops where vendors sell everything from vegetables to delicious street food. Despite the numerous obstacles that Acholi Quarter has encountered, it remains a place of hope and inspiration. The people here are a shining example of the power of community and the incredible strength that can be harnessed in even the most trying of circumstances. As I speak with the locals, I am struck by their warmth, sense of humor, and unwavering determination to build a better life for themselves and their families. It's truly inspiring to see firsthand how they've turned their struggles into triumphs. DRINKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE As I looked around, I couldn't help but notice a group of guys having drinks in the middle of the afternoon. It got me thinking, so I asked Nicholas if alcoholism was a problem in this community. "Unfortunately, yes. Alcoholism is a significant issue here, and it has contributed to high rates of domestic violence. You see, in this culture, women are expected to work and respect their husbands. However, most husbands drink heavily during the day with the other men. When they come home, they take out their frustrations on their wives, resulting in a lot of domestic violence." Nicholas went on to explain that due to high unemployment and a lack of education, many people here end up turning to alcohol as a way to escape their problems. They spend their money on booze instead of providing food for their families. Most women are not even allowed to work by their husbands, but as they face mistreatment, they yearn to start working. Unfortunately, their husbands won't let them; if they try to, they face severe beatings. Despite these challenges, things are starting to change.  "That's why the small business loan program is such a great thing. Most of the people benefiting from it are women, and it's been very positive for the community. Others are changing their mindset as they see how these women are developing at a rapid pace." It's heartening to see that progress is being made, but there's still a lot of work to be done to address these deep-rooted issues. WEATHER OF KAMPALA Kampala experiences a tropical savannah climate characterized by two rainy and two dry seasons. The rainy seasons are from March to May and from October to November, while the dry seasons are from December to February and from June to August. During the dry seasons, the temperatures range from 25°C to 30°C (77-86 F), and the humidity is relatively low. The weather is pleasant, and there is minimal rainfall, making it ideal for outdoor activities and sightseeing. So, this is also the best time to visit Kampala, but that also makes it the peak tourist season and accommodation and travel costs may be higher during this time. During the rainy seasons, Kampala experiences heavy rainfall, and flooding is not uncommon. The temperatures range from 20°C to 28°C (68-82 F).  Kampala is 21.71 mi (34.95 km) north of the equator, so the temperatures don't change much. Overall, the area has a warm and comfortable climate throughout the year, and you can enjoy the city's attractions anytime.  STONE QUARRY As we ascend to the hilltop, we arrive at the quarry – a gritty place where laborers hack away at rocks and building materials. It's nestled smack in the middle of the teeming Acholi Quarter, where life is raw and unvarnished. Beyond the quarry, there's a water hole that locals have nicknamed "the beach." But make no mistake; there's nothing idyllic about it. As Susan shows me around, she points to the pulverized stones that litter the landscape. "These used to be whole rocks, but we crushed them to pieces," she says. "Now they're just scars on the earth." She goes on to explain that when it rains, the water fills the "beach" with a murky brown liquid. "That's when we have no work to do, and our families go hungry," she laments. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and many in the community turned to craft beads as a way to survive. But when the pandemic hit, and the market dried up, it was back to square one. "People suffered a lot," Susan tells me, her voice heavy with emotion. It's a stark reminder that life in this part of the world is a constant struggle, and resilience is a quality that's in short supply. The quarry is a place where physical labor meets danger head-on. The workers toil away, extracting stones and breaking rocks using hand tools like hammers and chisels. It's a grueling process that requires strength, endurance, and a willingness to put oneself at risk. Susan gestures towards the waterhole, where the rocks are brought after they've been broken down. "The men bring the rocks here and break them into medium-sized pieces," she explains. "Then, the ladies and children crush them into smaller pieces. These stones are used to build the concrete houses you see around here." The work is backbreaking, and the conditions are far from ideal. The dust kicks up, making breathing hard and causing respiratory problems and other health issues. "These workers use a lot of energy and time, but they're paid very little," Susan tells me. "A full 20-liter bucket pays only 200 Ugandan shillings – not even one Euro. So, they have to work from dawn to dusk to earn just 1000 shillings." It's a harsh reality that underscores the challenges faced by those working in the quarry every day. CHILDREN WORKING HERE TOO As Susan pointed out earlier, it's not just adults who work in the quarry – children can be found here too, which is a grave concern given the hazards involved. Many of these children are forced to drop out of school to support their families, who can't afford the cost of education. This deprives them of formal education and exposes them to physical harm and exploitation. It's a vicious cycle that needs to be broken, and the 22STARS Foundation is working hard to do just that. "When we put the children in our program, we take them out of the quarry," Susan tells me. "We pay for their school fees, uniforms, and provide them with daily meals. We also offer business loans to their parents to help them generate income." It's a comprehensive approach that has yielded positive results. Every Sunday, the foundation cooks a hot meal for every child in the program, ensuring they don't go hungry. The 22STARS Foundation is one of many organizations combating child labor in the quarry. Together with other NGOs and government agencies, they're raising awareness about the dangers of child labor and offering alternative education and livelihood opportunities for children and their families. These initiatives include scholarships, school fees, and vocational training. As we look down at the waterhole, a few children swim in the murky brown water. It's a stark reminder of the unsanitary conditions they're exposed to daily. Thankfully, the foundation also provides donated clean water to the community. Susan points to some new concrete buildings built thanks to a fundraising effort. "Before, people lived in mud houses that would collapse in heavy rain," she explains. It's heartening to see tangible progress being made, but there's still much work to ensure a better future for the children and families living in the Acholi Quarter. MEETING THE QUARRY TYCOON As we prepare to depart the quarry, I'm introduced to Achan Scovia, a woman who has lived and worked there her entire life. She started crushing rocks at just five years old, but now she's a "Quarry Tycoon," according to Nicholas. With a microloan, she could employ other workers to make her job more manageable, and she sells the stones she extracts. Nicholas and Susan speak highly of her, describing her as a savvy businesswoman. She started crushing stones in the quarry when she was just five years old, but already when she was just one week old, she was out here on her mother's back when she was working here in this dusty quarry. Not exactly a healthy place to be for a new-born.  She was born into a family of quarry workers and was exposed to the dangers of the quarry from a very young age. Unable to afford to send her to school, her parents gave her away in marriage to a man who also worked in the quarry. They had two children, who also grew up working in the quarry. "Quarry kids, quarry parents, quarry grandparents." Susan laughs as she describes the generational cycle of quarry work in Achance's family, but she is also optimistic about the future. Thanks to the support of organizations like 22STARS, Achance's grandchildren can attend school and have a brighter future ahead of them. It's a small but meaningful step towards breaking the cycle of poverty and providing new opportunities for families like Achance's. FINAL WORDS FROM SUSAN We finish this episode with some impactful words from Susan Laker:  "I know, with the good impact we are doing, these are new generations with new jobs. We are getting doctors, nurses – no more quarry workers. So, we are driving the poverty out of our community through education. That's why my t-shirt says, "Education is the key." It's the best way to drive disease and poverty out of the community. Out of Uganda. Out of Africa.  Because when you are educated about HIV, these chronic diseases, and how to control yourself from getting infected. That's why I say it's the way to drive out diseases. Because I had malaria, I had to go to the hospital and treat myself. But back then, no one thought anything about it. Some even said that I was "bewitched", and that it was black magic. And they end up dying because it's malaria! It's got nothing to do with black magic, but they say that because they lack the education.  They don't know that you have to see a doctor if you feel a symptom. So they end up dying. And they don't know that they have to sleep under mosquito nets to prevent getting infected with malaria.  But when you're educated, you know that you must sleep under mosquito nets to protect yourself from mosquito bites. That you have to see a doctor in case you have a sign.  And that's why when someone asks me, "What is your favourite gift?" I always say that it is taking children to school, finding them education. That would be the best gift in the world. Seeing the world change, seeing my community change.  That makes me very happy. That makes me forget my past and feel like I've done something good to change the world." GET INVOLVED If you want to support 22STARS – either by donations or by helping out in any other way, go to Foundation22stars.org. And if you're interested in becoming a wholesaler or buying some of their amazing jewellery for yourself, go to 22stars.com. Like they say on the website: "For every item purchased, we will help a child in need." One pair of earrings is five pencils, one bracelet is one dental care, one clutch is one set of clothes, one necklace is one meal.   NEXT: SUSANS OWN STORY That's it for this episode from Kampala, Uganda, in the next. And the last one in this mini-series will focus on Susan's story. Hear how she got angry when her parents gave her away to be married when she was just thirteen years old, and she also had her son at that age. And hear why that maybe was a good thing.  Remember to share this episode if you think some of your friends should hear it.  My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you

Welcome to part 2 of a mini-series of three episodes from the Acholi Quarter in Kampala, Uganda. If you've heard the first part, you would know that it's a quarter with challenges, that's getting help from a foundation called 22STARS. They also make jewellery from recycled paper, and 22STARS helps them sell it worldwide. You should go back and listen before this one if you haven't heard it. DON'T CALL IT A SLUM In my work with these episodes, every time I've read up on this quarter, it's been referred to as "a slum." Maybe it's just me. But I'm not too fond of that label. So, I looked into what can be classified as a slum area. Here's what I found:  "The housing units in slums are usually substandard and lack Basic amenities such as clean water, sanitation, ventilation, and electricity. Slum areas are characterised by high population density, with many people living in small spaces. And they typically lack access to basic services such as health care, education, and sanitation facilities.  Slums also often have poor infrastructure, including unpaved roads, limited or no access to public transport, and inadequate sewer system. Plus, often with a high level of poverty and unemployment which can lead to social problems such as crime, drug abuse, and other forms of social deprivation." So, with that definition, the Acholi Quarter in Kampala, Uganda, can be classified as a slum, but it is so much more. It's also a vibrant and lively neighbourhood that bursts with energy and personality.  " While it may be a factually accurate description of the living conditions in the Acholi Quarter, the use of the term "slum" can also be seen as stigmatizing and degrading to the residents who live there. So, instead of using the term "slum," it may be more appropriate to use terms such as "informal settlement" or "underserved community" to describe the Acholi Quarter while also acknowledging the challenges faced by residents and the need for greater investment in infrastructure, services, and opportunities." From the moment I step foot in this bustling community, I'm swept up in the sights, sounds, and smells of everyday life. In this episode, I'll walk into the area with Susan Laker and Nicholas Basalirwa from 22STARS. This organization has done much in recent years to improve the living conditions in this area, such as initiatives to provide better housing, sanitation, education, and access to services.  WALKING TOUR IN THE COMMUNITY In the latest episode, they gave me the lowdown on the microloans they've been handing out to help small local businesses, and now they're showing me some of the success stories. As we walk, the aroma of sizzling street food surrounds us. Vendors are hawking everything from grilled meat skewers to piping hot samosas. And then, there it is: "Rolex." I'll get back to that.  As we weave through the area, Susan points out some small businesses that have benefited from 22STARS' microloans. It's clear that this organization has significantly impacted the community, and first, we meet Ashan Grace, who has a small food stand. Susan introduces her: "She's one of our beneficiaries. She has one child in the project, and she is also benefiting from the small business loans. She was making beads before, but because of Corona, she had to go back to selling food. She's doing very well. She goes to the big down and buys vegetables and then, she splits them into a small quantity so that it can meet the level of the community. Because here, no one can afford to go to the supermarket and buy at the high price. But when she buys in bulk directly from the vehicle this one is sold at 100 shillings."  GETTING A ROLEX Beyond its reputation as a bustling hub of activity, Acholi Quarter is a testament to the resilience and strength of its people. This is never more evident than when Susan introduced me to Abdul Doreen. Despite her disability, Abdul is up at the crack of dawn, making one of Uganda's most beloved street foods: Rolex. This delicacy features a perfectly rolled chapati filled with eggs and veggies – the kind of dish that'll make you forget all your troubles. And no, the name has nothing to do with the fancy timepiece brand. It's actually a clever combination of "rolled" and "eggs."  "She has three two kids sponsored by 22STARS and she does not let the disability put her down. She's a very strong woman. She starts very early in the morning at six o'clock and here until afternoon. After 2-3 hours of rest, she's back again to be here in the evenings." This community was established by refugees who had fled from the conflict in northern Uganda. Despite facing insurmountable challenges, they have created a thriving and tightly-knit community. It's nothing short of remarkable. Many locals have started their own businesses, ranging from retail shops to tailoring and hair salons. There are a lot of outdoor shops where vendors sell everything from vegetables to delicious street food. Despite the numerous obstacles that Acholi Quarter has encountered, it remains a place of hope and inspiration. The people here are a shining example of the power of community and the incredible strength that can be harnessed in even the most trying of circumstances. As I speak with the locals, I am struck by their warmth, sense of humor, and unwavering determination to build a better life for themselves and their families. It's truly inspiring to see firsthand how they've turned their struggles into triumphs. DRINKING AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE As I looked around, I couldn't help but notice a group of guys having drinks in the middle of the afternoon. It got me thinking, so I asked Nicholas if alcoholism was a problem in this community. "Unfortunately, yes. Alcoholism is a significant issue here, and it has contributed to high rates of domestic violence. You see, in this culture, women are expected to work and respect their husbands. However, most husbands drink heavily during the day with the other men. When they come home, they take out their frustrations on their wives, resulting in a lot of domestic violence." Nicholas went on to explain that due to high unemployment and a lack of education, many people here end up turning to alcohol as a way to escape their problems. They spend their money on booze instead of providing food for their families. Most women are not even allowed to work by their husbands, but as they face mistreatment, they yearn to start working. Unfortunately, their husbands won't let them; if they try to, they face severe beatings. Despite these challenges, things are starting to change.  "That's why the small business loan program is such a great thing. Most of the people benefiting from it are women, and it's been very positive for the community. Others are changing their mindset as they see how these women are developing at a rapid pace." It's heartening to see that progress is being made, but there's still a lot of work to be done to address these deep-rooted issues. WEATHER OF KAMPALA Kampala experiences a tropical savannah climate characterized by two rainy and two dry seasons. The rainy seasons are from March to May and from October to November, while the dry seasons are from December to February and from June to August. During the dry seasons, the temperatures range from 25°C to 30°C (77-86 F), and the humidity is relatively low. The weather is pleasant, and there is minimal rainfall, making it ideal for outdoor activities and sightseeing. So, this is also the best time to visit Kampala, but that also makes it the peak tourist season and accommodation and travel costs may be higher during this time. During the rainy seasons, Kampala experiences heavy rainfall, and flooding is not uncommon. The temperatures range from 20°C to 28°C (68-82 F).  Kampala is 21.71 mi (34.95 km) north of the equator, so the temperatures don't change much. Overall, the area has a warm and comfortable climate throughout the year, and you can enjoy the city's attractions anytime.  STONE QUARRY As we ascend to the hilltop, we arrive at the quarry – a gritty place where laborers hack away at rocks and building materials. It's nestled smack in the middle of the teeming Acholi Quarter, where life is raw and unvarnished. Beyond the quarry, there's a water hole that locals have nicknamed "the beach." But make no mistake; there's nothing idyllic about it. As Susan shows me around, she points to the pulverized stones that litter the landscape. "These used to be whole rocks, but we crushed them to pieces," she says. "Now they're just scars on the earth." She goes on to explain that when it rains, the water fills the "beach" with a murky brown liquid. "That's when we have no work to do, and our families go hungry," she laments. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and many in the community turned to craft beads as a way to survive. But when the pandemic hit, and the market dried up, it was back to square one. "People suffered a lot," Susan tells me, her voice heavy with emotion. It's a stark reminder that life in this part of the world is a constant struggle, and resilience is a quality that's in short supply. The quarry is a place where physical labor meets danger head-on. The workers toil away, extracting stones and breaking rocks using hand tools like hammers and chisels. It's a grueling process that requires strength, endurance, and a willingness to put oneself at risk. Susan gestures towards the waterhole, where the rocks are brought after they've been broken down. "The men bring the rocks here and break them into medium-sized pieces," she explains. "Then, the ladies and children crush them into smaller pieces. These stones are used to build the concrete houses you see around here." The work is backbreaking, and the conditions are far from ideal. The dust kicks up, making breathing hard and causing respiratory problems and other health issues. "These workers use a lot of energy and time, but they're paid very little," Susan tells me. "A full 20-liter bucket pays only 200 Ugandan shillings – not even one Euro. So, they have to work from dawn to dusk to earn just 1000 shillings." It's a harsh reality that underscores the challenges faced by those working in the quarry every day. CHILDREN WORKING HERE TOO As Susan pointed out earlier, it's not just adults who work in the quarry – children can be found here too, which is a grave concern given the hazards involved. Many of these children are forced to drop out of school to support their families, who can't afford the cost of education. This deprives them of formal education and exposes them to physical harm and exploitation. It's a vicious cycle that needs to be broken, and the 22STARS Foundation is working hard to do just that. "When we put the children in our program, we take them out of the quarry," Susan tells me. "We pay for their school fees, uniforms, and provide them with daily meals. We also offer business loans to their parents to help them generate income." It's a comprehensive approach that has yielded positive results. Every Sunday, the foundation cooks a hot meal for every child in the program, ensuring they don't go hungry. The 22STARS Foundation is one of many organizations combating child labor in the quarry. Together with other NGOs and government agencies, they're raising awareness about the dangers of child labor and offering alternative education and livelihood opportunities for children and their families. These initiatives include scholarships, school fees, and vocational training. As we look down at the waterhole, a few children swim in the murky brown water. It's a stark reminder of the unsanitary conditions they're exposed to daily. Thankfully, the foundation also provides donated clean water to the community. Susan points to some new concrete buildings built thanks to a fundraising effort. "Before, people lived in mud houses that would collapse in heavy rain," she explains. It's heartening to see tangible progress being made, but there's still much work to ensure a better future for the children and families living in the Acholi Quarter. MEETING THE QUARRY TYCOON As we prepare to depart the quarry, I'm introduced to Achan Scovia, a woman who has lived and worked there her entire life. She started crushing rocks at just five years old, but now she's a "Quarry Tycoon," according to Nicholas. With a microloan, she could employ other workers to make her job more manageable, and she sells the stones she extracts. Nicholas and Susan speak highly of her, describing her as a savvy businesswoman. She started crushing stones in the quarry when she was just five years old, but already when she was just one week old, she was out here on her mother's back when she was working here in this dusty quarry. Not exactly a healthy place to be for a new-born.  She was born into a family of quarry workers and was exposed to the dangers of the quarry from a very young age. Unable to afford to send her to school, her parents gave her away in marriage to a man who also worked in the quarry. They had two children, who also grew up working in the quarry. "Quarry kids, quarry parents, quarry grandparents." Susan laughs as she describes the generational cycle of quarry work in Achance's family, but she is also optimistic about the future. Thanks to the support of organizations like 22STARS, Achance's grandchildren can attend school and have a brighter future ahead of them. It's a small but meaningful step towards breaking the cycle of poverty and providing new opportunities for families like Achance's. FINAL WORDS FROM SUSAN We finish this episode with some impactful words from Susan Laker:  "I know, with the good impact we are doing, these are new generations with new jobs. We are getting doctors, nurses – no more quarry workers. So, we are driving the poverty out of our community through education. That's why my t-shirt says, "Education is the key." It's the best way to drive disease and poverty out of the community. Out of Uganda. Out of Africa.  Because when you are educated about HIV, these chronic diseases, and how to control yourself from getting infected. That's why I say it's the way to drive out diseases. Because I had malaria, I had to go to the hospital and treat myself. But back then, no one thought anything about it. Some even said that I was "bewitched", and that it was black magic. And they end up dying because it's malaria! It's got nothing to do with black magic, but they say that because they lack the education.  They don't know that you have to see a doctor if you feel a symptom. So they end up dying. And they don't know that they have to sleep under mosquito nets to prevent getting infected with malaria.  But when you're educated, you know that you must sleep under mosquito nets to protect yourself from mosquito bites. That you have to see a doctor in case you have a sign.  And that's why when someone asks me, "What is your favourite gift?" I always say that it is taking children to school, finding them education. That would be the best gift in the world. Seeing the world change, seeing my community change.  That makes me very happy. That makes me forget my past and feel like I've done something good to change the world." GET INVOLVED If you want to support 22STARS – either by donations or by helping out in any other way, go to Foundation22stars.org. And if you're interested in becoming a wholesaler or buying some of their amazing jewellery for yourself, go to 22stars.com. Like they say on the website: "For every item purchased, we will help a child in need." One pair of earrings is five pencils, one bracelet is one dental care, one clutch is one set of clothes, one necklace is one meal.   NEXT: SUSANS OWN STORY That's it for this episode from Kampala, Uganda, in the next. And the last one in this mini-series will focus on Susan's story. Hear how she got angry when her parents gave her away to be married when she was just thirteen years old, and she also had her son at that age. And hear why that maybe was a good thing.  Remember to share this episode if you think that some of your friends should hear it.  My name is Palle Bo, and I gotta keep moving. See you.

In answering a question about Republicans making President Biden''s age an issue, Michael Steele's statement constructs the messaging Democrats must use. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/politicsdoneright/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/politicsdoneright/support

Are you feeling stuck? Unable to go after what you want? Or frustrated by the mental loop playing in your head, thoughts that keep you fearful, insecure, worried about others' judgment, rejection, loss — anything. Or maybe you're living, at least emotionally, in a past failed relationship. Maybe you won't forgive yourself for a mistake you made and you continually go over in your mind what you could have done differently. Or maybe, you're holding onto limiting beliefs from childhood that don't serve you. Or maybe it's something else entirely. Regardless of how, exactly, you're stuck in the past, the way of being can hold you back in all areas of your life and prevent you from enjoying the present moment. Negative life experiences can impact us greatly, leaving emotional scars and beliefs that can continue to rule our lives years after the event. On this week's episode I discuss some of the reasons we stay stuck in the past and share 8 tangible things you can start doing right now to help you break free from the past and start living in the present. My next group coaching cohort, U N L E A S H E D, is launching June 5th. Email me at nancy@thefiercewoman.org if you're interested in enrolling. The Woman of Faith podcast is passionate about sharing stories of faith that will inspire you to boldly live the life you were created for. Here we remind you that you were created to make an impact whether it's on 1 person or 1,000. Help us elevate the podcast and our reach to other prospective listeners like you by leaving a rating, a review, and comment. The easiest way to support the podcast is by sharing it with someone else. Connect with me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/iamnancyruffin Follow the podcast on Instagram: www.instagram.com/womanoffaithpodcast Connect with me on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@NancyRuffin/about Connect with me on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamnancyruffin Website: https://www.iamnancyruffin.com/ The Success Academy for Personal & Professional Development: https://thenancyruffinsuccessacademy.teachable.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/womanoffaithpodcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/womanoffaithpodcast/support

A call to set our hope fully on the future Kingdom of Christ, desiring deeply the honors and rewards He will give at that time. - SERMON TRANSCRIPT - I. “What’s In It For Me?” Turn in your Bibles to Mark 10: 280-31. You might also want to refer over to Matthew 19: 27-30, the parallel passage. This is a very unusual week for me. Yesterday as I was thinking about the sermon, I felt that I had swung and missed the text, so I did what a lot of pastors do, but I never want to do, which is write Sunday’s sermon on Saturday. I know that that's a common thing, but it's just not... So I don't work well under that kind of stress, but I wanted to go a different direction, but some of the points would be similar. A week ago, my daughter Jenny sent me a text. She asked if I'd be willing to bring a pack and play to church. That's a portable crib so that they could use it this week. So I texted her and said, "What's in it for me?” Now, my kids know I do this kind of thing from time to time, my wife will ask me a favor and I'll say that, "What's in it for me?" I just like playing with that a little bit. She texted back something like this, "Not much. I'll owe you a small favor within reason." So she gave me a kind of a coupon I can turn in, but nothing big. That's how that went. If you look at Matthew's version of Peter's question, you can hear a kind of an echo there. In Matthew 19:27, Peter answered Jesus, "We have left everything to follow you. What then will there be for us?" Or putting it more personally, “what's in it for me?” That's the name of my new sermon, “What's in it for me?” It is a little bit shocking because it seems so selfish, so worldly, so mercenary. We feel like we should be at a higher moral level doing everything we do for Jesus without any thought whatsoever of personal benefit, without any thoughts of rewards. Soldiers who fight ardently for love of country are patriots, but soldiers who fight for money are mercenaries. We feel like we're called to a higher level in terms of virtue in our service to Christ, a more perfect standard. As I was reflecting on this, it brought me strongly back into one of the most significant insights of the Christian life I've ever had, that I've ever received from another teacher, another pastor in the word of God or a book that I've ever read. The kind of insight that has the power to change your entire ethic, your entire approach to life. It has been for me that insight has to do with the combination of my desire, my relentless desire for personal blessedness, personal happiness, something to come to me to make me happy and, as clearly revealed in the scripture, God's relentless desire to be glorified, to be central, to be above all things. The author of this insight, of course, is John Piper book, Desiring God. Peter's desire for reward and Jesus' response in Mark 10 and in Matthew 19 for me was, I don't mean to be facetious, but kind of a portal into Piper. It kind of went through a warm hole as I was riding my bike yesterday back into those themes and what Piper calls Christian hedonism. Let me walk through the calculus of Christian hedonism. “What's in it for me” reminds me of things I've said often about the flesh, the essence of the flesh, which begins from infancy. Some of you have newborns. I've heard how it's going for you and you are well aware of what I've called that fanatical commitment to self-interest that we see at 3:00 in the morning in an infant that isn't really used to being alive yet and isn't enjoying it. It’s a fanatical commitment to self-interest, and that seems directly contrasted with the call of Christian discipleship. Christianity seems at least at one level to be all about self-denial. We follow a savior who left the comforts of heaven to come to a cursed planet, to live a life of poverty and sorrow. Who lived every moment to bless other people, then willingly lay down his life even on a cross, even with that exquisite physical suffering and the infinite eternal spiritual suffering of being our substitute, continually saying no to himself. Did He ever ask in any sense “what's in it for me?”? No. In fact, He called on his disciples, as we've already seen in Mark's gospel, to a life of self denial. Mark 8:34, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross. Follow me for whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life from me and the gospel will save it." At the end of this same chapter, Mark 10, Jesus says, "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." That doesn't seem like a life of “what's in it for me”, but Jesus gives a rather perplexing answer. It is perplexing at a lot of levels, but right away just the fact that He doesn't rebuke Peter at all. I mean, you think it'd be an opportunity to say “you're thinking all wrong here. What kind of question is that? You shouldn't be thinking about rewards. You should be willing to serve. Leave everything for me and not worry about what's in it for you.” Actually He goes into detail about what the apostles will get having left everything both in this age and in the age to come. Mark 10: 29-30, “'I tell you the truth,’ Jesus replied, ‘no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields from me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children in fields, with them persecutions and in the age to come eternal, life.’" It's even more developed in Matthew's account. Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel and everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or father, children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life." How do we harmonize this? How can we understand this yearning for rewards? What's in it for me? What do I get? A desire, a strong desire for personal blessedness, something to come back to us in the Christian life. John Piper has sought to harmonize these things in Desiring God, indeed in his whole ministry. He puts it this way. There are two irrepressible forces in the universe as we study scripture. First, God's desire for his own glory in all of his creation and in all of his creatures. Second, our desire to be happy. The standard evangelical appeal pits the one against the other as if only one of those two can be fulfilled. It's either we're going to live for the glory of God or we will live for our own happiness, our own blessedness, and we have to make a choice., and pray God, it's the right choice. Either God gets the glory or I get the joy. Not both. The normal evangelical appeal is will you surrender to God's will for your life? Are you going to keep pursuing your own personal happiness? Then there are subthemes in the same kind of approach like Christian worship, like we should all come here on Sunday and say, “Lord, we want you to know this is all about you today. We're here for you. We want to make you central. We want to put you first. It's not about us. We want you to be glorified in my worship today, I don't want anything out of this.” It seems so holy and then also Christian service. When you serve other people, don't ever think what's in it for you. The point is their happiness not yours. You are not the point. Their needs are the point. Our selfish joy and service should never be our goal. Rather, it's an accidental byproduct of a life well lived for Christ. Kind of bump into happiness along the way as you're serving others. Piper exposed the fundamental flaw in this. It's deeply flawed actually, and he drew out quotes to help establish it. First of all, on the second desire, the repressible force that we all have to be happy. It's just a fact. We're wired this way. Blase Pascal put it this way, "All men see seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend toward this end. The cause of some going to war and of others avoiding it is the same desire in both attended with different views. The will never takes the least step, but to this object. This is the motive of every action of every man, even those who hang themselves." He's not saying it’s good or bad, he's just saying it is. It just is what is. CS Lewis in his powerful sermon, “The Weight of Glory” said, "If you asked 20 good men today what they thought the highest of the virtues, 19 of them would reply unselfishness. But if you ask almost any of the great Christians of old, well, he would've replied love." You see what's happened, a negative term has been substituted for a positive. The negative ideal of unselfishness carries with it the suggestion not primarily of securing good things for others, but of going without them ourselves as if our abstinence and not their happiness is the important point. If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit this notion has crept in from Kant in the stoics which is no part of the Christian religion. In other words, it's like true virtue is making sure you personally derive no pleasure whatsoever from an act. An action is moral only if it's done from effectively sheer duty, disinterested benevolence, disinterest meaning I don't get anything out of it. Benevolence is something good done not for you, but he other person. If you seek, if you desire, or if you should happen to receive any blessing from it, it's actually morally ruined to some degree. Rubbish says John Piper, that's complete rubbish. It's not Christianity. Yes, it is true that God has a relentless desire to be glorified in all his creation and by all his creatures. God created all things for the praise of his glory, and when redemption is finished, the entire universe, the new heaven, new earth, the new Jerusalem are going to be radiating with the glory of God. But our desire for personal delight and happiness is not an enemy to that. Not at all. Actually God created it for that. He created that drive for personal fulfillment and pleasure and happiness and satisfaction to find its residence in God. So Piper adjusted the Westminster Shorter Catechism in “What is the chief end of man?” The chief end of man is to glorify God by enjoying him forever. God is most glorified in us when we're most satisfied in him. That's his well-known slogan. The more we say to God, I want you, I want as much of you as I can get. I'm hungry for you. The more God's glorified, especially in worship, the better. I know that sounds all holy and all that, but imagine coming to God and saying, “God, I want you to know I don't really personally have any needs today, but you apparently are kind of needy. You need my worship, so I'm here to give you my worship. Hope you're satisfied with it.” I can see God saying, “Can I just tell you something about what's going on up here in heaven? First of all, before anything was made, I was fine, perfectly blessed within the Trinity. Secondly, I'm made out of fullness, not out of emptiness. I don't need any of my angels or people that praise me, but I just want you to know I got 100 million angels up here who doing a phenomenal job. You guys are pathetic. I don't need you to worship me. You need me and you need to worship me, so come hungry and I'll feed you.” That's what true worship is. It's seeking our pleasure vertically in worship is what it's all about. It's saying to God, “You are what I want. You're what I need.” Then horizontally the same thing. It's like, can you imagine serving another person and saying, “I want you to know I get nothing out of this exchange. Hope you're blessed by it.” Piper likens it to an anniversary, like giving your wife flowers and saying that to her, “I want you to know I'm not enjoying this moment at all. I'm not getting anything out of this horizontally. I hope you enjoy the flowers I bought you.” What he calls dutiful roses. That's corrupt. Love is where I find my blessedness in your blessedness, right? I find my happiness in making you happy. It makes me happy to make you happy. It makes me blessed to bless you. That's why I'm a cheerful giver, because I'm excited about blessing you. Vertical and horizontal. That's what we're talking about here. Rather than being shocked by Peter's question- “We've left everything to follow you. What then will there be for us?” - we should delight in Christ's stunning promises or rewards, both in this life and in eternity. We should yearn for him. We should be yearning for him. We should want as much as He wants to give us in that next world. C.S. Lewis put it this way, “the New Testament does have lots to say about self-denial but not self-denial as an end to itself. We are told to deny ourselves and take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ and find our lives in him.” It says it right there in that passage and nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire for us. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We're far too easily pleased with what? What are we far too easily pleased with? The answer in the Bible is always the same, idols, creatures, created things going after them as our ultimate purpose in life. That does not satisfy. That's what the rich young ruler was doing. So that's the context. II. Peter’s Question In Context Let's look at Peter’s question in context. Remember last week, the rich young ruler, seemingly the perfect seeker coming, but he was fundamentally a flawed man. “As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him, fell on his knees before him and said, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good except God alone." Then Jesus uses the law of God to expose his need for a savior. “You know the commandments. Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not give false testimony. Do not defraud. Honor your father mother.”Unfortunately, the man thinks he passed all that test. He's basically a good person just needing a little bit more to get him over the hump. "Teacher," he declared, "All these I have kept since I was a boy." Then Jesus probes his soul, searches him. “Jesus looked at him and loved him. ‘One things you lacked, he said. ’Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’" Based on my introduction of the sermon, that's an appeal to what Piper called Christian hedonism. Give up what cannot satisfy you. Give up what you cannot hold onto to gain something that will bring you eternal happiness. That's the invitation here, but the man can't take it. He's shattered. He leaves. “His face fell. He went away sad because he had great wealth.” Jesus then seizes the opportunity to teach about the eternal dangers of wealth. Jesus looked around, said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God.” The disciples are amazed at his words, but Jesus said again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God. It is easier for camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." The disciples are doubly stunned by this. They're wiped out by this. It goes against their theology of wealth and blessedness. They wonder about salvation. The disciples were even more amazed and said to each other, “Who then can be saved? Jesus looked at them and said with man, this is impossible, but not with God. All things are possible with God.” Now Peter steps up and connects the dots. I think he's picking up on the treasure in heaven phrase, the treasure in heaven. He says, "Well, what about us? We've left everything to follow you." Mark just has that simple statement, he doesn't have the rest. “We have left everything to follow,” but there's an implied question, “are we in on that treasure in heaven thing?” Matthew's version is broader. He openly says it. "We have left everything to follow you. What then will there be for us?" Let's remember how the apostles had in fact left everything for Jesus. He doesn't deny that at all and how significant it was. Remember back in Mark chapter 1, “As Jesus walked beside the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake for their fishermen. ‘Come follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘And I'll make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him. When He had gone a little farther, He saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat preparing their nets. Without delay, he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him." It's a big deal walking away from your livelihood, stepping out in faith to follow Jesus like that. And Matthew, the tax collector in Matthew 9:9, "As Jesus just went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. 'Follow me,' he told him. And Matthew got up and followed him.” Matthew walked away from his lucrative tax booth. That took courage and sacrifice. Matthew 8, "A teacher of the law came up to him and said, ‘Teacher, I'll follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus said, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nest. The Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” “I don't know where I'm going to sleep tonight. I don't know how we're going to eat." Remember how his disciples were walking through the grain fields on the Sabbath and picking heads of grain and rubbing them together in their hands to eat them? Why? Because they were poor. It was a big deal what they did. III. Jesus’ Promise of Earthly Rewards . . and Earthly Suffering All right, so we've left everything to follow you. What then will there be for us? Jesus promises earthly rewards first, and He asserts this with a solemn oath. "Truly, truly. I say to you." He says this a lot, but whenever he says this, it's serious. It's a very serious statement. I'm making a vow to you. Or you can take this to the bank, heaven and earth will pass away, but this promise will never pass away. You can take this to the heavenly bank promising this to you. Think of an illustration. Imagine the royal prince during a war. He's captured, but he manages to escape and he's being chased. He's a fugitive, making his way through a territory. He comes to a farmhouse where there's a simple peasant who lives with his family. He reveals who he is and asks if he can borrow the family's one horse to ride on and get away from his pursuers. Then he writes the man a note and he signs it and he seals it with his signet ring using wax from the candle on the man's table. He promises not only the return of the family horse, but 20 gold pieces, a change of clothing for everyone in the family, and the permanent status as friend to the royal household. All of that written out, signed with a signet. Jesus also in his humiliation is speaking of a future time when He will sit on a throne of glory. “I won't look then what like I look now and I'm promising you, and you can take it to the bank.” Mark focuses on earthly rewards initially. "I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields from me in the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age." In this present age, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields. Why does He list that? He’s telling them that what they give up, they’re going to get back and 100 fold. This is a promise made to the apostles who have left their home base and have ventured out in faith to serve Jesus and the gospel. And not just them, but 20 centuries of missionaries, of traveling evangelists and servants of the gospel who have physically left places to go. There's a spiritual leaving that I want to talk about at the end of the sermon, but they physically left. I read years ago about John Patton, the missionary from Scotland to the New Hebrides Islands in the South Pacific. In my opinion, he traveled oversea farther than any missionaries ever traveled from his home to his mission site, 13,000 nautical miles. It was a long journey. The parting scene between him and his father is just gut wrenching. His father was an incredibly godly man who deeply loved his children, and his children deeply loved him, and his father walked with him to a point where they had to part and say goodbye. This is the account. It says, "My dear father walked with me the first six miles of the way. His counsels and tears and heavenly conversation on that parting journey are still fresh in my heart as if they had been but yesterday. But tears are on my cheeks as freely now as they were then. Whenever memory steals me away to that scene. For the last half mile or so, we walked together in almost unbroken silence. My father as often was his custom as carrying his hat in his hand while his long flowing yellow hair was yellow then, but later years white as snow streamed like a girl's down his shoulders. His lips kept moving in silent prayers for me and his tears fell fast, when our eyes met each other in looks for which all speech was vain. We halted on reaching the appointed parting place. He grasped my hand firmly for a minute in silence and then solemnly and affectionately said, 'God bless you, my son, your father's God prosper you and keep you from all evil.' Unable to say anymore, his lips kept moving in silent prayer, as tears flowing. We embraced and parted. I ran off as fast as I could and when about to turn a corner in the road where he would lose sight of me, I looked back and saw him still standing with head uncovered where I had left him gazing after me, waving my hat in a due. I was around the corner and out of sight in an instant, but my heart was too full and too sore to carry me further. So I darted to the side of the road and wept for a time. Then rising up cautiously, I climbed the to dike if he yet stood where I'd left him. Just at that moment, I caught a glimpse of him climbing the dike looking out for me, but he did not see me. And after he had gazed eagerly in my direction for a while, he got down and then set his face toward home and began to return there. His head's still uncovered and his heart I felt sure still rising in prayers for me. I watched through blinding tears till his form faded from my gaze, then hastening on my way, vowed deeply and offed by the help of my God to live and act, so I was never to grieve or dishonor such a father and mother as he had given me.” I mean, how do you say goodbye like that to go to a mission site? He never saw his father again. That was like a funeral. So what then will there be for us if we do that? If we leave, what will there be for us? If you look at Jesus's promise for the earthly part, it's you will get what you need to do your mission. I think that's what He's saying. You'll get what you need. This is not prosperity gospel stuff. This is not health and wealth, this is not Joel Osteen's Your Best Life Now. We're not going that direction. He's not saying you'll permanently own other people's homes. Instead, it's Hudson Taylor's spiritual secret. God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply. That's what it is. God's going to give you what you need and He's going to give you encouragement along the way that you're part of a vast family of God and that family is going to take you in and care for you and meet your needs and you will not be at a loss. That's what He's promising. No one who has left homes or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age, homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, He says. This relates I think to the practical promises and preparations made in Matthew 10 when Jesus first sent the apostles out on the first missionary journey. Remember how He said, “Don't take any bag for your journey. Take no tunic or extra sandals or a staff or any bag of gold or silver because the worker's worth is keep. And whenever you go to someplace, find some home there and stay there at that home until you leave. And then at the end of that, he promises rewards for the host family. “Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a profit's reward. Anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man's reward. And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones, because he is my disciple, he'll never lose his reward.” So any help given to the traveling missionary and the traveling servant of God gets eternally rewarded. We have clear examples of this in the Book of Acts. Think about Peter. Remember how Peter had that vision of a sheet let down with all kinds of animals when the messengers were going from Cornelius's house and that was the beginning of the ministry to the Gentiles. Well, he was staying at somebody else's house. Simon the Tanner at Joppa, that wasn't his home. He was up on the roof and he got hungry and they were making him lunch. That was really nice of Simon, the Tanner's wife, to make Peter lunch. That's an example of the very thing we're talking about here, isn't it? Or about Paul? How many times has it happened with Paul, the resources for the ongoing mission are in the mission field itself. Paul goes over to Philippi and there's a rich woman there named Lydia. She hears the gospel. The Lord opens her heart, she comes to faith, and then she invites Paul and his missionary team to stay with her at her estate. Acts 16:15, "When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. If you consider me a believer in the Lord, please come and stay at my home. And she persuaded us, stay there." That's one of the hundred homes or more, right? It's provision for those that are traveling out doing the gospel work. Or again, Paul in Romans 16:23 says, “Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy sends, you his greetings." Who's Gaius? I don't know, a host person. It also extends to family relationship. You leave your mother, you'll get a hundred mothers. You're like, I don't know if I want a hundred mothers or a hundred fathers or a hundred brothers. It doesn't matter. You're going to get them. He says here, Romans 16:13, "Greet Rufus chosen in the Lord and his mother, who's been a mother to me too." So Rufus' mother, Paul's adopted mother. I just picture her making him chicken soup. Rufus' mother, Jesus said, "You'll get a hundred times as much in this present age." I've seen this in my life. My wife and I sold almost everything we owned and went to Japan. And when we got there, we were greeted by Japanese Christians and host people who cared for us. I've seen it in China, I've seen it in Kenya, South Africa, Germany, Poland, Macedonia, Greece, England. That's my story. I've been in so many host families. They've fed me. They've given me their guest room. They've let me use their car. I've seen the promises. In India I stayed at the home of dear Christian family there. Now this is general benefit for all Christians. We're part of a universal church, aren't we? We're part of a big family of God. We've got brothers and sisters all over the world. You haven't even met them yet. As soon as you meet them, you're going to find out that they love the same Jesus you do. They read the same Bible you do. You're part of a vast family of God. That's what he's talking about here. Now he also added, and with them persecutions, let's be honest, it's not going to be easy for you as you travel around. With them persecutions, you're going to suffer. You're going to go through very, very difficult times. IV. Jesus’ Promise of Eternal Rewards In Matthew’s Gospel, He promises more clearly eternal rewards. In Mark’s gospel He says, “and in the age to come, eternal life.” Let's not minimize that. How could we? What is eternal life? “This is eternal life,” said Jesus, “that they may know you the only true God in Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” You're going to be lavishly blessed in your relationship with God for all eternity. That's what you get. But what else? Stop right there. That's enough. That's God. Remember what God said to Abraham in Genesis 15:1, "Fear not Abraham. I am your shield and your very great reward.” What do I get, God? You get me." Oh, that's enough. And I'll give you some other things too. But the other things aren't the point. You get me in the age to come, eternal life.” He does get specific in Matthew's Gospel, in some interesting ways. He says there will be the renewal of all things when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne. The renewal of all things, it's an interesting Greek word, only used twice. A new genesis, a new creation, a new heaven, a new earth. He talks about it in terms of the soul. He washed us with the rebirth and regeneration by the Holy Spirit. That's the conversion [Titus 3]. But here we've got this. "And at the renewal of all things, when the new heaven and new earth comes in and I sit on my glorious throne, then you who have followed me, the twelve apostles will sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel." What does that mean? I don't know. I'm not preaching on Matthew; I'm just alluding to Matthew today. But I don't know, it's just some kind of... Some people think it's millennial kingdom, some people, it's just positions of honor, positions of authority, positions of glory. That's what you get far beyond anything you ever gave up. This is part of Jesus's regular pattern of promising rewards. He doesn't just do it once or twice. He does it again and again and again. "Blessed are you, when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad." Why? "Because great is your reward in heaven." Wow. I mean, He goes down to our personal disciplines and our benevolence. When you give to the needy, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing. Don't announce it with trumpets. Don't seek horizontal acknowledgement in this world. Don't go after that. But your father who sees what is done in secret will reward you. And when you pray, don't announce it and make everyone see how holy you are. Go into your room, close the door and pray to your father's unseen, and your father sees what is done in secret. What does He say? He'll reward you. The same thing with fasting. He'll reward you. He talks about rewards all the time. He says at the end of the Bible, Revelation 22:12, "Behold, I'm coming soon. My reward is with me and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." If we're not supposed to think about rewards, why does He talk about them so much? He talks about them a lot. He says, "I am coming soon and I'm bringing a huge bag of eternal rewards and I'm going to reward each of you according to how you've lived your life according to your service to me." V. Earnestly Desire All Rewards I think we should earnestly desire them. You should say, well, I don't know. Should I be saying what's in it for me? I'm not recommending that you say that, except as a joke, but there's nothing wrong with thinking I am interested, Jesus, in what you have to give me for my life of service. I'm interested in it. Actually, I don't just think it's not like some guilty pleasure. I think it's actually imperative to the way we think about God. Hebrews 11:6 says so. "Without faith, it is impossible to please God because anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists, and that He rewards those who diligently seek him or earnestly seek him.” So you have to believe in a rewarding God. But look at the verse in Hebrews 11:6. "He rewards those who seek him." He doesn't reward them with something other than himself. He rewards them with himself. We must believe that. Therefore, desiring rewards is only mercenary if it's somehow disconnected from the thing itself. C.S. Lewis put it this way, "A woman who marries for money is mercenary because money is not the natural reward of love. But a woman who marries because she expects that the man who will become her husband will make her happy and bring her lasting joy in multiple experiences of love is not mercenary. That's the essence of why you get married." In fact, it is actually wrong to serve Christ and say, “I don't care what you give me" when He has made these promises of lavish reward, that's actually wrong. Just as it is wrong for a person about to get married to say to their prospective spouse, I want you to know I don't care if you make me happy in our future marriage. That doesn't matter to me. Even if I knew that our marriage would make me miserable for the rest of my life, I would go ahead and marry you. I'd be like, what's wrong with you? That's twisted. I'm not going to say that to Jesus. “I don't care, Jesus, if you make me happy, if I follow you, I don't care if I'm eternally unhappy. I'm still going to follow you.” That doesn't make any sense. It's not the way the New Testament's written. Not at all. So we therefore should want the reward. We should actually store up as much of the reward as we possibly can. “Do not store up treasure on earth where moth and rust destroy and thieve break in and steal, but store up treasure in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy and thieves do not break in steal. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” You're supposed to store up treasure and you're supposed to have your heart there and think about it. What are the rewards? There are three Cs - crowns, commendation, and capacity. I’m just going to go over this quickly. First of all, crowns. It's like you’re getting a crown? Maybe, I don't know. I don't know about each of you individually. If any of you individually comes to me and says, “Do you think I'm getting a crown?” I will say, I don't know. But there are crowns and what are they? Emblems of honor for faithful and courageous service to Christ. Like in Revelation 4:4, "Surrounding the throne were 24 other thrones and seated on them were 24 elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their head." So there they are, crowns, emblems of honor, connected in some way to them, to their person. Or again, Paul in First Thessalonians 2 said, "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? You are my crown,” he said to the Thessalonians. He led them to Christ. He planted that church. "You are my glory and my joy." He said the same thing to the Philippians. "Therefore my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown." That is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends. The people you lead to Christ, they are your crown. The people you serve. You help plant a church, that's a crown. Pastors, elders. Peter says, who've served faithfully as under shepherds, under the good shepherd, the chief shepherd. It says, when the chief shepherd appears, First Peter 5:4, "You'll receive a crown of glory that will never fade away." "What are the rewards? There are three Cs, crowns, commendation, and capacity." Peter wrote that to motivate elders and pastors to serve faithfully because they're going to get a crown of glory that'll never fade away if they do. I know that those 24 elders were casting their crowns down constantly before the throne of God and of Christ. That's their way of saying, everything I have received and achieved came ultimately from you and by your grace for your glory. All of my crowns are a subset of your glory. That's how it's married together. It's not a separate thing, but crowns. And then commendation. What's that? Praise from God that God would speak well of what you did in your life. Most famously, in Matthew 25, his master replied, "Well done, good and faithful servant. You've been faithful with a few things. I'll put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master. Well done, good and faithful servant." That's commendation from almighty God. Or 1 Corinthians 4:5, says, "Judge nothing before the appointed time. Wait till the Lord comes. At that time, the secret motives of men's hearts. All of that will be revealed and at that time, each will receive his praise from God." Those three words, “praise from God.” I know heaven's all about praise for God. And well it should be. We're going to praise God, but there is praise from God should you want that. I'm asking brothers and sisters, should you want God to praise you? You actually should. You should want him to say, well done, good and faithful servant. You should want him to honor you. You should want him to praise you because He won't do it amiss. He won't do it lightly. It will be so meaningful to you to have your Father express pleasure in how you lived your life. Praise from God. That's commendation. "Should you want God to praise you? You actually should. You should want him to say, well done, good and faithful servant." Then finally, capacity. This is the hardest to understand, but I think it's true. God is infinitely glorious. No creature can fully take him in. But the more faithful you serve in this life, the more of his heavenly glory you will be able to understand and take in. How do I think this way? I think of God's glory as an infinite ocean. All of us are like vessels or various volumes, like a thimble, a cup, a bowl, a bucket, a vat, a super oil tanker, different volumes, but the ocean's infinitely greater than any of them. All of them 100% full, But they just have different capacities. So when He says, “Well done, good and faithful servant, you've been faithful with a few things. Now I'm going to put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.” What He's saying is, “share my joy together. I want you to feel my joy of the service you've rendered. I want you to come into me and experience my joy and my delight." In Luke 6:38 it says, "Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, press down, shaken together, running overly poured into your lap. With the measure you use, it will be measured to you."That's where I get the different volumes. What's poured into our lap? What is the reward? It's God. You get more of God and He always has more to give you. So how much of God do you want in heaven? That's the question. There's going to be some judgment day surprises. Look at verse 31, "Many who are first will be last and last, first." People we thought were great, maybe weren't as great as we thought they were, and some obscure brothers and sisters are going to be elevated like the widow that gave the copper coins. Jesus said what? She put in more than anyone. Many who are first will be last and last, first. Therefore, Paul says in First Corinthians 4:5, "Judge nothing until the appointed time.” Wait till the day, and at that point, we'll find out. George Whitfield, one of the greatest preachers of all time, wanted this to be his epitaph on his tomb. He said, "Here lies George Whitfield. What sort of man he was the great day will discover." That's pretty simple. In other words, here lies George Whitfield, what he was like you'll find out on Judgment Day. That's the point, the final day will reveal how we actually serve the Lord. VI. Lessons First and foremost, if you're an unbeliever, you walked in here as an unbeliever, it's not for you to be storing up treasure. The Bible actually reveals if you're not yet a Christian, you're storing up wrath every day, so come to Christ, trust in him. Trust in his precious blood. This is what He says to you in John 6. When you come and ask him, what must we do to work the works of God? This is the work of God: to believe in the One He has sent. Believe in Jesus. Then you can start storing up treasure in heaven. For you Christians, I would just say in your own way, say “what's in it for me? Help me to understand heavenly rewards and store them up. Help me to store up as many as possibly can.” I want to speak specifically about the dynamic here of leaving things for Jesus. Some of you will be called, and you don't even know it right now, to leave your home, your country, your family, your friends, and go somewhere overseas, some other place to serve Christ. You're going to be called to do something you never thought you could do. Drink in the promises here. God will take care of you. He will meet your needs. Do not be afraid, but step out in faith to go do great things for God. He will provide for you. God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply. He will take care of you. Most of us are not going to be called on to leave our familiar surroundings, but we are to live lives of aliens and strangers in this world, to venture out by faith in serving him. Some of us, some in this church are going to leave this church in the next year to go church-plant. You're going to join our church-planting effort. You're going to stop coming here on Sunday mornings and go to another place. It's not because I hope you don't like us, it's because God's calling you to do a work, to venture out. Be willing to do hard things, be willing to venture out, be willing to risk things in your service to Christ. Close with me in prayer. Father, thank you for the time we've had to walk through this deep, powerful, complex topic. I thank you for the truth of the word of God. Help us, Lord, to seek your glory, to seek you as hungry and thirsty. You are our God. Earnestly, we seek you. We desire you as in a dry and weary land. You are all we need, all we want, and that we would go after you. Fill us, oh Lord, with a yearning to store up treasure in heaven. Treasure being intimacy and closeness with God and with Christ. Help us to be willing to risk things or be willing to go places we never thought we could go and do things we never thought we could do to serve you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Please SHARE this episode with someone who loves old time radio shows like you do! And get FREE full-length pulp audiobooks, pulp eBooks, and old-time radio shows by emailing WeirdDarkness@RadioArchives.com!IN THIS EPISODE: A radio writer is offered $600 a week to work for Basil King, "the most hated man in radio." Unable to stand it anymore, the writer decides to kill the scumbag...using the sponsor's new product!SOURCES AND ESSENTIAL WEB LINKS…The stories in this episode were provided by http://RadioArchives.com Weird Darkness Retro Radio theme by Storyblocks.= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46Find out how to escape eternal darkness at https://weirddarkness.com/eternaldarkness WeirdDarkness® - is a production and trademark of Marlar House Productions. Copyright, Weird Darkness, 2023.

Did the D-backs curse the Suns? Did the Suns curse the D-backs? And who did we curse?? After winning the first two games in the series, the Arizona Diamondbacks were brought back down to earth on Sunday by the Colorado Rockies. We take a look at the numbers from this series and discuss what the D-backs are going to do after Gallen and Kelly in their starting rotation. WATCH YOUR FAVORITE TEAMS HERE: https://www.fubotv.com/phnx  SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube: https://bit.ly/phnx_youtube ALL THINGS PHNX: http://linktr.ee/phnxsports  Keepin It 100 Golf Scramble: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/phnx-keepin-it-100-classic-scramble-golf-tournament-tickets-617328515207  Gametime: Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code PHNX for $20 off your first purchase. BetMGM: Download the BetMGM app and sign-up using bonus code PHNX (betmgm.com/phnx).  Place a pre-game, moneyline wager in the amount of at least $10 on any market at standard odds price. You will receive $200 in Bonus Bets instantly regardless of the outcome of your wager! Just make sure you use bonus code PHNX when you sign up! Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (CO, DC, IL, IN, LA, MD, MS, NJ, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY). Call 877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY). Call 1-800-327-5050 (MA) 21+ to wager. Please Gamble Responsibly. Call 1-800-NEXT-STEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (KS, NV), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help (MI).  Visit BetMGM.com for Terms & Conditions. US promotional offers not available in DC, Nevada, New York or Ontario. Knockout Nights: Join our cornhole league during the 1st Friday night of every month! They're free to enter and will include food and beverage specials, giveaways, and BetMGM prizes: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/622016186157 Pins & Aces: Check out pinsandaces.com and use code PHNX to receive 15% off your first order and get free shipping. PHNX: Join us at the BetMGM Sportsbook at State Farm Stadium for all Suns' away playoff games. Our PHNX Suns watch parties, presented by NUTRL, will feature food and drink specials, PHNX giveaways, and BetMGM deposit matches. Join us by grabbing your free ticket: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/616706063437 Circle K: Make sure you're not missing out on all this great stuff, and be stocked all March Madness long! Head to https://www.circlek.com/store-locator to find Circle Ks near you! OGeez!: Learn more about OGeez! at https://ogeezbrands.com//. Must be 21 years or older to purchase. Rotowire: Get your free trial and unlock all the best fantasy sports news and analysis at https://rotowire.com/phnx Four Peaks: Enjoy a refreshing Four Peaks' Red Bird Lager during the NFL Draft on April 27th. Must be 21+. Enjoy responsibly.  Roman: Go to https://ro.co/PHNX today to get 20% off your entire first order.  When you shop through links in the description, we may earn affiliate commissions. Copyright Disclaimer under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The book of 1 Samuel opens with the story of Hannah. Unable to have children, Hannah was suffering. In her “deep anguish,” she vowed to the Lord that if He gave her a son she would give him back to the Lord “for all the days of his life” (1 Sam. 1:9–11). Vows were common in ancient Israel. They often involved dedicating something to the Lord, whether a person, an animal, or real estate. Vows were also entirely voluntary. Nowhere in Scripture does God command the making of vows. However, if a person did vow, it was vital to fulfill it (Eccl. 5:5–6; Mal.1:13–14). Leviticus 27 outlines ways in which vows could be fulfilled. A person dedicated to the Lord could serve at the tabernacle or be redeemed through paying a price (vv. 1–7). The price was set by the age and gender. This was not an assessment of someone’s intrinsic worth. The Bible is clear that all, male and female, are created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26–27). Rather, it was an assessment of a person’s value as a worker. Provision was made for the poor so they could make this kind of vow and could afford to fulfill it (v. 8). Rules also outlined different situations that could arise in the dedication of property or animals (vv. 9–28). The basic principle at work was that a person needed to be faithful to give what they vowed. Scripture recognizes the human tendency, after the excitement of the moment when a vow was made, to go back on it once the request is answered or the moment of crisis passes. Fulfilling a vow was a joyous occasion (Ps. 61:8; 65:1). It was a time when people could recount God’s faithfulness and celebrate in His presence (Ps. 66:13–15). >> Have you ever promised God something in a moment of desperate need? Did you fulfill your vow? Today’s reading is a reminder to take our vows seriously. When God does answer prayer, it is appropriate to celebrate through testifying about it to others.

The Toronto Maple Leafs could not close out the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 bringing on some anxious thoughts. Mike DiStefano and David Morassutti look at what went wrong for the Leafs and how they were finally brought back to earth a bit. They look at the Good,Bad and Ugly from the game breaking down everything from Ilya Samsonov's play, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly shining through the bad, Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews looking subpar and of course Justin Holl getting exposed yet again. To end the show, Mike and Dave look at what changes the Leafs should consider heading into Game 6 including whether Michael Bunting should come in and any other lineup changes Sheldon Keefe should consider. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! ebay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let's ride. eBay Guaranteed Fit only available to US customers. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Full Text of ReadingsWednesday of the Third Week of Easter Lectionary: 275The Saint of the day is Saint Pedro de San Jos BetancurSaint Pedro de San José Betancur's Story Central America claimed its first saint with the canonization of Pedro de San José Betancur. Known as the “Saint Francis of the Americas,” Pedro de Betancur is the first saint to have worked and died in Guatemala. Pedro very much wanted to become a priest, but God had other plans for the young man born into a poor family on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Pedro was a shepherd until age 24, when he began to make his way to Guatemala, hoping to connect with a relative engaged in government service there. By the time he reached Thavana, he was out of money. After working there to earn more, he got to Guatemala City the following year. When he arrived, he was so destitute that he joined the breadline that the Franciscans had established. Soon, Pedro enrolled in the local Jesuit college in hopes of studying for the priesthood. No matter how hard he tried, however, he could not master the material; he withdrew from school. In 1655, he joined the Secular Franciscan Order. Three years later, he opened a hospital for the convalescent poor; a shelter for the homeless, and a school for the poor soon followed. Not wanting to neglect the rich of Guatemala City, Pedro began walking through their part of town ringing a bell and inviting them to repent. Other men came to share in Pedro's work. Out of this group came the Bethlehemite Congregation, which won papal approval after Pedro's death. A Bethlehemite sisters' community, similarly founded after Pedro's death, was inspired by his life of prayer and compassion. He is sometimes credited with originating the Christmas Eve posadas procession in which people representing Mary and Joseph seek a night's lodging from their neighbors. The custom soon spread to Mexico and other Central American countries. Pedro died in 1667, and was canonized by Pope John Paul II in Guatemala City on July 30, 2002. Calling the new saint an “outstanding example” of Christian mercy, the Holy Father noted that Saint Pedro practiced mercy “heroically with the lowliest and the most deprived.” Speaking to the estimated 500,000 Guatemalans in attendance, the Holy Father spoke of the social ills that plague the country today and of the need for change. “Let us think of the children and young people who are homeless or deprived of an education; of abandoned women with their many needs; of the hordes of social outcasts who live in the cities; of the victims of organized crime, of prostitution or of drugs; of the sick who are neglected and the elderly who live in loneliness,” he said in his homily during the three-hour liturgy. The liturgical feast of Saint Pedro de San José Betancur is celebrated on April 25. Reflection As humans, we often pride ourselves on our ability to reason. But as Pedro's life shows, other skills may be an even more crucial element of our humanity than a clever mind: compassion, imagination, love. Unable to master studies for the priesthood despite his efforts, Pedro responded to the needs of homeless and sick people; he provided education to the poor and salvation to the rich. He became holy—as fully human as any of us can ever be. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

True Crime Personality and Psychology True Crime Psychology and Personality is a podcast that profiles criminal personalities, discusses personality disorders, and examines real life events from a scientifically informed perspective. Want more mental health content? Check out our other Podcasts:  Mental Health // Demystified with Dr. Tracey Marks  Healthy // Toxic Cluster B: A Look At Narcissism, Antisocial, Borderline, and Histrionic Disorders Here, Now, Together with Rou Reynolds Links for Dr. Grande Dr. Grande on YouTube Produced by Ars Longa Media Learn more at arslonga.media. Produced by: Christopher Breitigan and Erin McCue. Executive Producer: Patrick C. Beeman, MD Legal Stuff The information presented in this podcast is intended for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not professional advice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

TW for Sexual Assault and Suicide Marco is low on cash, and after meeting a friend who takes an interest in him, he considers doing something he never thought he ever would have to do. Manny grows closer to Jay and concocts a sham engagement on the spot to keep her meddling parents at bay. Later, Unable to cope with her rape, Darcy descends down a self-destructive path of lies, promiscuity and disturbing behavior that could cost her everything about which she cares. Meanwhile, Jimmy is tired of relying on Ashley for everything, and with his friend Trina to help him spread his wings, Jimmy is left with a tough decision to make. email us at degrassijrhigh@gmail.com Connect with us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠. Find The Unofficial DTNG Playlist on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Get your Amazon questions answered live! Join Jason Mastromatteo and Faith Denniston every Friday at 12noon EST for an exciting Q&A session. From product listing to A+ content and everything in between, bring your Amazon questions and get expert advice.00:00 Avoid Shipping Mistakes: Tips for Amazon FBA and UPC Labeling Accuracy00:32 Tools for Seller01:51 Trademark expired02:30 Unable to delete parent-child variation, listing might be listed somewhere03:53 Backup the catalog05:18 Keepa report Sales History07:09 Amazon Global Store08:06 Updating a 10 year old ASIN08:17 FBA ships out wrong item 09:22 A+ variation for each ASIN09:57 Limit orders per customer

Ryan Blackburn reacts to the Denver Nuggets 114-108 loss in overtime to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite Nikola Jokić's 43-point performance, the Nuggets didn't have enough to survive Anthony Edwards' strong play in clutch time. Jamal Murray struggled in his minutes. Michael Porter Jr. wasn't very involved. Aaron Gordon struggled defensively. The Nuggets ultimately didn't have enough to defeat the T'Wolves in Game 4, and Ryan shares what he would do in Game 5 to try and ensure the gentleman's sweep.

The Atlanta Braves were unable to find the answers against the Houston Astros in a 6-3 loss on Saturday at Truist Park. For the second straight day, Yordan Alvarez provided the visitors with a go-ahead home run to start a four-run rally against Kyle Wright in a fateful sixth inning. Grant McAuley recaps the action and provides a preview of Game 3 on Sunday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's early 1835 and Cape Governor Benjamin D'urban an his 2000 men were winding their way through the AMatola mountains, searching for Maqoma and Thyali's warriors. The going was tough albeit the scenery sublime. These glorious mountains were going to lead to one of the more inglorious moments in British military history. By early April 1835 the Boer commandos, Scots 72 highlanders, English settler corps, and the Cape Khoe regiment were trying to dislodge the amaXhosa from their mountain fastness. The strange army of men who distrusted each other, this marching formation of mutual suspicion, began to seize Xhosa cattle and raze their homesteads. Most of the engagements were unremarkable, the Xhosa refusing to stand and fight against overwhelming odds, the British troops becoming frustrated. IT was a stalemate broken here and there by bizarre incidents. Like the clash on April 7th where one of the Scots highlander officers emerged from battle with an assegai stuck out of his back. A soldiers remarked “There's ane of them things sticken' in ye, sir!” To his shock. Still, they believed the Xhosa were retreating eastwards to the Kei, towards their regent, Hintsa. In terms of their food and resources, the amaXhosa had suffered hugely, most of their cattle had been taken, they had very little food. What was anathema to the warriors had also been observed - the British had shot women and children. Unable to come to close quarter fighting, the men of the empire had resorted to opening fire on the homes and into the bushes indiscriminately, also firing their canon into the huts. This was not how the Xhosa fought a war. The amaxhosa were taking note about how the British treated women and children when fighting, and that was not good news for British women and children in the future. Colonel Harry Smith spurred his horse across the Kei River at Noon on the 15th April 1835. It was the first time that the British army or a colonial army had entered the country of Gcaleka and the first time that they'd aimed at their king, Hintsa. So in April 1835, the Mfengu chiefs approached Smith's soldiers, and swore allegiance to the British, now and in the future. A remarkable event really.

Dougie Hamilton scores the game-winning goal in OT. Akira Schmid makes 35 saves in his NHL Playoff debut for the Devils.   New York's #2 Sports Show is an Influencer Audio production.   Music provided by Stephen Dillaro: https://soundcloud.com/stephendillaro

The Atlanta Braves got early runs and a great start from Bryce Elder, but the Houston Astros' bats came alive live to claim a 6-4 win at Truist Park in the opener a three-game weekend series.  Grant McAuley of Locked On Sports Atlanta discusses Elder's latest gem, the late inning issues that compounded on Atlanta, some early offensive signs that disappeared as the game went on, and provides a preview of Game 2 on Saturday as Kyle Wright makes his third start of the season. Make sure you subscribe to the channel and hit the bell to enable notifications, so you'll know when we drop a new episode. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! eBay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let's ride. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply. Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Ultimate Pro Baseball GM To download the game just visit probaseballgm.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you'll get 15% off your next order. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don't miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Atlanta Braves jumped on the board early and got a great start from Bryce Elder, but they were unable to hold that lead late. Instead, the Houston Astros scored five times in the final three innings to claim a 6-4 win at Truist Park on Friday. Grant McAuley recaps the action and previews Game 2 on Saturday.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raj Prakash Paul || The Lord's Church India

Hour 3 -  Good Wednesday morning! Here's what Nick Reed covers this hour: A competition in New Zealand for children to hunt and kill feral cats has been scrapped following public outcry. Four years after Democrats made political hay out of migrant children being separated from their parents at the border, Republicans have turned the tables on the issue amid evidence the Biden administration has lost track of as many as 85,000 minors it allowed to enter the country unaccompanied by parents, leaving many prey to cartel extortion, forced labor, abuse and trafficking. Nick plays audio from Sen. Josh Hawley talking about the migrant minors in our country. FOX News media and Dominion Voting Systems have reached an agreement over the defamation lawsuit. Biden's ATF Director Steve Dettelbach is unable to define the term “assault weapon.”

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) recently waded into unexpected controversy with the release of proposed data fields for the beneficial ownership information (“BOI”) reporting regime that will take effect at the beginning of next year. FinCEN's inclusion of “Unknown” and “Unable to identify” options for several of the proposed data fields has generated concern that incomplete BOI may be less valuable for some users, such as financial institutions. These concerns stand in contrast to the potential impossibilities and practical constraints that reporters of BOI face. Please join Mayer Brown partners Brad Resnikoff and Matt Bisanz as they discuss this controversy and how it may affect the implementation of the BOI reporting regime.

It's 1985, and after a whirlwind prior year the three remaining former Beatles are laying relatively low in their respective corners of the globe. Unable to accept the shortfall of his first solo cinematic debut, Paul McCartney is back in the studio - specifically his newly-minted Hog Hill Mill Studio - doing the one thing that always helps him in times of trouble: making new music. Sessions for his as-yet-untitled new LP feature co-written songs with rocker Eric Stewart and production from mid-80s producer dujour Hugh Padgham. Striking out for a contemporary sound, Macca sought to lose himself in a band environment once more - blending into a group of musicians who can generate excitement in a room...AND understand who's the boss. While Paul plonked away, Ringo Starr was himself BACK on the screen co-starring in Willie and the Poor Boys - a collection of artifacts which featured Bill Wyman's super-group project of the same name. All in all a fairly relaxed start to what would become yet another monumental year in music history... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Living A Heart Centered Life with Guest Cris Agafi Another guest that walks the walk So pleased to have another guest bringing a great message and sharing the 'How To' You will hear a different perspective that also runs with the thoughts here and intertwines in so many places. And it's good to hear different viewpoints so we can broaden our understanding and growth. Please share this episode  https://personaldevelopmentunplugged.com/334-living-a-heart-centered-life-with-guest-cris-agafi as well as the Personal Development Unplugged podcast Cris Agafi, is a heart intelligence coach and best-selling author, co-creator of HeartQ™ and the Heart Intelligent Lifestyle™. Cris guides others in finding the inner knowing of their heart, connecting to their innate heart intelligence and designing an aligned and fulfilling life. Unable to be authentic and not really knowing himself in the past Cris didn't realize this lack of trust in his own inner voice muted his intuition. He felt unclear, uncertain, confused, and lost. After about 10 years of his inner journey, Cris was brought face to face with the importance of self-honesty and awareness of the shadows of his unconscious. He became intentional and dedicated his life to personal and spiritual development. Cris learned to trust his intuition again and to distinguish between his heart's true desires and the ego's attachments.  Recognizing every interaction offers the potential to turn triggers into gifts, he has crafted a process that he's eager to share with others struggling to know themselves. https://www.facebook.com/crisagafi https://heartq.com/ Shine brightly Paul Please remember you can leave a comment or email me with questions, requests and feedback. If you have enjoyed this or any other episode please share and subscribe. Just email me feedback@personaldevelopmentunplugged.com If you want to subscribe to the podcast (I know you do) click here to learn more Or simply click here to go straight to Apple Music / iTunes to subscribe OR leave a review Remember for my specially designed programs for developing Supreme Inner Confidence, Free Your Life of Anxiety and specialize Hypnosis tracks go to PaulCloughOnline.com If you want to access my FREE HYPNOSIS tracks go to paulcloughonline.com/podcast Follow and inter-react on twitter @pcloughie Why not look for me and the podcast on > SPOTIFY AND the app Castbox I'm also in iHeart radio YouTube - copy n paste UC3BlpN4voq8aAN7ePsIMt2Q into search bar The Libsyn podcast page http://personaldevelomentunplugged.libsyn.com Stitcher, tunein, learnoutloud, Google Play Music Here is your show on RadioPublic: Listen to Personal Development Unplugged on RadioPublic I'm a therapist but not your therapist The information with this website or online work, techniques and exercises provided within these free and paid products are for educational purposes only. Do not use the techniques or exercises contained within some of these free or paid products whilst driving or operating machinery, or if you suffer from epilepsy, clinical depression or any other nervous or psychiatric conditions. The information provided is not a substitute for proper medical advice. If in doubt, please consult your doctor or licensed medical practitioner. Any decision you make having received any of Paul Clough's free or paid products are your own and you remain wholly responsible for any decisions and actions you take. Music by Wataboi from Pixabay, Music by DreamHeaven from Pixabay, Music by ccjmusic from Pixabay, >, Music by freegroove pixabay seduction-jazz-112149 from Pixabay, Music by prazkhanal Pixaby ventura-117073 from Pixabay,

Synopsis Over the centuries, many composers have set verses from the Bible's Book of Psalms to music, often in response to times of turmoil and trouble. One unusual Psalm setting had its premiere performance on today's date in 2013 at Bethel University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Entitled Seven Psalms, the new work was scored for a jazz quartet of bass, drums, saxophone and piano accompanying a solo vocalist and 15-member choir, and was created by Minneapolis composer Jeremy Walker, who confesses the music was motivated by his own personal struggle. Walker's burgeoning career as a jazz saxophonist was sidetracked by an illness which stymied doctors for 12 years until finally diagnosed as Lyme Disease. Unable to continue as a saxophonist, Walker turned to the piano and composition, and found himself drawn to the Book of Psalms, where he heard echoes of African-American spirituals and the blues. "The book is just dripping with human hope and suffering all intertwined so it seemed like blues material to me," he said. "It occurred to me to blend the jazz vernacular harmonic universe with the psalms. And right away the call and response between solo voice, or between the band and the choir, were sounds I could hear," he said. Music Played in Today's Program Jeremey Walker (b. 1972) Psalm 130, from Seven Psalms Jason Harms, vocalist; 7 Psalms Chamber Choir Jeremy Walker Quartet CD Baby/iTunes/Amazon release

Is there a moral case for forgetting our past and not keeping the painful wounds alive?

A Charlotte, North Carolina, mom says she has been unable to secure vital records, including a birth certificate, for her newborn after she was undecided on a name for her son. 

In this episode, Arpit Maheshwari, Principal @Stellaris Venture Partners, joins our host Digjay, to talk about his background and path leading up to Stellaris, the investment philosophy at Stellaris and the journey from Fund I to Fund II, stand-out attributes of select founders from Stellaris' portfolio, scaling up as an investor and balancing mindshare between different sectors, managing relationships/conversations with startups that are unable to achieve venture scale and value add from investors. Stellaris is an early-stage sector-agnostic investment firm, currently investing from its second fund of $225mm. Since its inception in 2017, the firm has invested in 30+ startups across sectors like SaaS, financial services, B2B commerce, consumer brands, social commerce, education, electric vehicles, healthcare, and more. Some of its marquee portfolio startups include the likes of Whatfix, MamaEarth, Turno, Slintel, Limechat and Signzy among others.  Prior to Stellaris, Arpit ran Corporate Innovation for Arvind Limited, managed product and strategy for Cardekho.com's used-cars business, and headed product management at iProf – an edtech start-up. An IIT-Delhi/IIM-Ahmedabad alum, Arpit started his career with a 3-year stint at BCG. You can connect with Arpit here on Linkedin / Twitter ---- Show notes – (01:45) Arpit's path leading up to Stellaris Venture Partners (05:06) Stellaris - the investment philosophy and journey of the firm from Fund I to Fund II (14:06) Stand out attributes of select founders from Stellaris' portfolio (21:27) Scaling up as an investor and balancing mindshare between different sectors   (30:04) Managing relationships/conversations with  startups that are unable to achieve venture scale (34:05) How has being an investor influenced Arpit over the years? (35:35) Rapid fire and closing remarks ---- If you liked our episode, you can subscribe to our podcast on any podcast platform of your choice (like⁠ Spotify⁠ & ⁠Apple iTunes⁠). We would appreciate it if you could leave us a review on ⁠Spotify⁠ or ⁠Apple iTunes⁠. This helps others discover the podcast organically. You can visit⁠ thevcpreneur.com⁠ and follow us on Twitter⁠ @thevcpreneur⁠_ & Instagram⁠ @thevcpreneur⁠ for more episodes and interesting insights on the startup ecosystem. You can also follow our host Digjay here on ⁠Linkedin⁠ & ⁠Twitter

The Atlanta Braves were unable to get anything going in a 4-1 loss to the San Diego Padres on Saturday at Truist Park. It marked the first time Atlanta had dropped consecutive games this season. Grant McAuley and Jake Mastroianni of Locked On Braves break down the offensive struggles, takeaways from Charlie Morton's second outing of the year, and another injury for the Braves to contend with as Travis d'Arnaud was knocked out of this game. All of that and a preview of Sunday's finale with Dylan Dodd on the mound looking for a series split. Make sure you subscribe to the channel and hit the bell to enable notifications, so you'll know when we drop a new episode. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! ebay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let's ride. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.  Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Ultimate Pro Baseball GM To download the game just visit probaseballgm.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you'll get 15% off your next order. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don't miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Atlanta Braves tapped into their usual supply of early offense, but they were unable to find the key hits late in the game in a 5-4 loss to the San Diego Padres on Friday night at Truist Park. Grant McAuley and Jake Mastroianni of Locked On Braves discuss Jared Shuster's second big league start, the free passes that cost him along with the adjustments he's looking to make, the impact of Ronald Acuña Jr., and a big night for Austin Riley, as well as a preview of Game 3 of the series. Make sure you subscribe to the channel and hit the bell to enable notifications, so you'll know when we drop a new episode. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! ebay Motors For parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in the game with eBay Guaranteed Fit. eBay Motors dot com. Let's ride. Eligible items only. Exclusions apply.  Gametime Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONMLB for $20 off your first purchase. Ultimate Pro Baseball GM To download the game just visit probaseballgm.com or look it up on the app stores. Our listeners get a 100% free boost to their franchise when using the promo LOCKEDON (ALL CAPS) in the game store. Built Bar Built Bar is a protein bar that tastes like a candy bar. Go to builtbar.com and use promo code “LOCKEDON15,” and you'll get 15% off your next order. FanDuel Make Every Moment More. Don't miss the chance to get your No Sweat First Bet up to ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS in Bonus Bets when you go FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Atlanta Braves got their offense going early, but they were unable to come through in the late innings as the San Diego Padres claimed a 5-4 victory to even up the four-game series on Friday night at Truist Park. Grant McAuley recaps the action and provides a preview for Saturday's matchup between Charlie Morton and Michael Wacha.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unable to resist the allure of rank punditry any longer, Jonah brings his trusted election sherpa, A.B. Stoddard, back to the Remnant for a journey through the depths of human depravity (or, more specifically, the burgeoning 2024 election). They kick things off with a discussion of Trump's arraignment—and what it means for the primaries—before delving into the logistics of a Biden reelection campaign. Afterward, they touch on a variety of subjects, including the prospect of a Kamala Harris presidency, the Wisconsin Supreme Court election result, and Trump's deadly habit of juggling chainsaws. Show Notes: - Trump's speech at Mar-a-Lago - A.B.: “Why (and How) Biden Should Decline to Run Again” - A.B.: “Will DeSantis Rescue Republicans or Let Them Down?” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ian Cooke was at home in Brighton, East Sussex, on the morning of August 25th, 2016, when his phone rang. The caller was his 21-year-old son, Ash. Ash told his father he had been struggling to contact his girlfriend, 19-year-old Shana Grice. She was not answering her phone, and to compound matters, Shana had failed to show up for work. Unable to leave his shift, Ash asked his father to go and check on Shana at her home on Chrisdory Road…*** LISTENER CAUTION IS ADVISED *** This episode was researched and written by Emily G. Thompson.Edited by Joel Porter at Dot Dot Dot Productions.Script editing, additional writing, illustrations and production direction by Rosanna FittonNarration, editing assistance, additional writing, and production direction by Benjamin Fitton.Listen to our companion podcast ‘They Walk Among America' here: https://play.acast.com/s/they-walk-among-americaBecome a ‘Patreon Producer' and get exclusive access to Season 1, early ad-free access to episodes, and your name in the podcast credits. Find out more here: https://www.patreon.com/TheyWalkAmongUsMore information and episode references can be found on our website https://theywalkamonguspodcast.comMUSIC: Tesseract by Cody MartinCrooked Man by Wicked Cinema Things Gone Wrong by Moments Salvation by Moments I Can See by Moments Quiet Desperation by JCar Shadow Passage by Cody Martin Arcadia by Cody Martin Apex Program by Cody Martin They Walk Among Us is part of the Acast Creator Network - https://www.acast.com/theywalkamongusSOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter - https://twitter.com/TWAU_PodcastFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/theywalkamonguspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/theywalkamonguspodcastSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/theywalkamongus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China: A senior practitioner of 82 years has received many blessings from Falun Dafa over 20 years of practicing. Unable to read or write, spends all of her days telling people the truth about the persecution. Original Article from Minghui.org: “China Fahui | Master Told Me to Save People, So I Do”

INTRODUCTION: Adrienne Zetty Barrows in fully licensed funeral director, embalmer, crematory retort operator, and life, health and accident insurance producer. She has an academic background in Religion, Philosophy, and Psychology, and strong community development and educational outreach skills. Adrienne is committed to the values and standards of independent and family-owned funeral homes. INCLUDED IN THIS EPISODE (But not limited to): ·      Insight Into The Mortician Profession·      Themed Funerals!!! #MardiGras·      Let's Talk Embalming ·      Paranormal Activity In Funeral Homes·      Can't Escape Karen – She Shows Up At The Funeral Home Too·      COVID-19 Burnout·      Accept That You Can Die At ANY Age – You Are Not Guaranteed To Get Old ·      Dangers In Donating Your Body To Science·      The Importance Of Life Insurance CONNECT WITH DE'VANNON: Website: https://www.SexDrugsAndJesus.comWebsite: https://www.DownUnderApparel.comTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sexdrugsandjesusYouTube: https://bit.ly/3daTqCMFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SexDrugsAndJesus/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sexdrugsandjesuspodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/TabooTopixLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devannonPinterest: https://www.pinterest.es/SexDrugsAndJesus/_saved/Email: DeVannon@SDJPodcast.com   DE'VANNON'S RECOMMENDATIONS: ·      Pray Away Documentary (NETFLIX)o  https://www.netflix.com/title/81040370o  TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tk_CqGVfxEs ·      OverviewBible (Jeffrey Kranz)o  https://overviewbible.como  https://www.youtube.com/c/OverviewBible ·      Hillsong: A Megachurch Exposed (Documentary)o  https://press.discoveryplus.com/lifestyle/discovery-announces-key-participants-featured-in-upcoming-expose-of-the-hillsong-church-controversy-hillsong-a-megachurch-exposed/ ·      Leaving Hillsong Podcast With Tanya Levino  https://leavinghillsong.podbean.com  ·      Upwork: https://www.upwork.com·      FreeUp: https://freeup.net VETERAN'S SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ·      Disabled American Veterans (DAV): https://www.dav.org·      American Legion: https://www.legion.org ·      What The World Needs Now (Dionne Warwick): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfHAs9cdTqg INTERESTED IN PODCASTING OR BEING A GUEST?: ·      PodMatch is awesome! This application streamlines the process of finding guests for your show and also helps you find shows to be a guest on. The PodMatch Community is a part of this and that is where you can ask questions and get help from an entire network of people so that you save both money and time on your podcasting journey.https://podmatch.com/signup/devannon  TRANSCRIPT: Adrienne Zetty Barrows[00:00:00]You're listening to the sex drugs and Jesus podcast, where we discuss whatever the fuck we want to! And yes, we can put sex and drugs and Jesus all in the same bed and still be all right at the end of the day. My name is De'Vannon and I'll be interviewing guests from every corner of this world as we dig into topics that are too risqué for the morning show, as we strive to help you understand what's really going on in your life.There is nothing off the table and we've got a lot to talk about. So let's dive right into this episode.De'Vannon: Hello everyone. Thank you so much for tuning in to the Sex Drugs in Jesus podcast. I'm your host of. And today I have with me a lovely woman by the name of Adrian Zeti Bar. Adrian is a fully licensed funeral director and embalmer, a crematory retort operator, and life health and accident insurance producer. So in the day's show,we're gonna be talking a lot about death, and we're gonna give you an [00:01:00] inside look into the life and profession of a mortician. We're gonna talk about covid 19 implications, paranormal activity in funeral homes, the importance of life insurance people please it. Life insurance, like seriously. Uh, the dangers in donating your body to science, cuz it's not always what it seems.And the fact that you need to accept that you can die at any age and that you're not guaranteed to get old. Please listen seriously and please share this with someone you love. Hello all you delicious souls out there and welcome back to the Sex Drugs in Jesus podcast. I'm your host, Devon, and I'm here with my homegirl Adrian Zeti, who is a mortician.Yes. I'm talking with a woman who deals with the dead today, darling. And I cannot wait to get into it. How the fuck is you doing? Adrienne: I am so excited. I just finished my funeral directors and morticians have [00:02:00] difficult schedules most of the time, so I'm just finishing up my 10 day. So I am doing absolutely nothing today except for talking with you, which I'm very excited about.Ooh, De'Vannon: I'm excited to have made it on your schedule. So I want to read over a few statistics before we get into like the questions. And so, you know, it is very rare you come across a mortician unless somebody didn't died, you know, you, you know, as a friend or in passing. And so this is a very, very interesting career field that a lot of people just, it's just not talked about.So, absolutely. You know, it's not, it's not like you're gonna be at dinner and be like, oh, so, you know, I was dealing with this body the other day, or whatever the case may mean. So, So in my research, and this, this website that I pulled this information from is called Zia, Z i P P I a.com. It says there are over 22,000 funeral [00:03:00] directors currently in the United States.64.7% of them are men, and about 35% of them are women. I was pleased to, to research that women are paid the same as men. Kinda. Adrienne: No, it's true. It's true. But so you have to look at, typically if you have a male dominated field, when women start coming into that field, rather than women's base pay rising to meet their men's, more often than not it the average salary goes down, sadly enough.So but yeah. So with assertiveness and shrewd salary negotiations typically yet is, it, is. It is pretty equal. And I would like to point out, yes, it is majority male field at the moment, but all, almost any funeral school, any funeral program is gonna have a majority of women in it at this point nowadays.So all of the new funeral directors, so people coming into the field right now are by and large [00:04:00] majority women. For instance, in my graduating class, I think one, I think there was one guy, maybe two guys made it. I'm not sure there's one. I don't think he passed final. But but the, you know, 90% of the class was female.De'Vannon: Do you think that that has to do with a breakdown of the patriarchy? I think, Adrienne: I think it has to do with. Hmm, that's a good question. I think it has to do with women. The value that women add to funeral services is it's kind of unique. There's a certain kind of warmth, I think, and a tenderness that we bring to it.Not to say that we're not all tough broads, you know what I mean? Like we can still hold our own with, of fellas in terms of the physical demands and the emotional demands of it. But I think there's a certain there's a certain qua I think that women add to funeral service, and I think that's appreciated by families.And [00:05:00] so I think women, well, you know, when I first started I think a lot of families kind of would see a female funeral director and think it was like the B team coming out. So I know that's your eyebrow raises exactly how I would feel the couple of times that I've encountered that. But as soon as they, they experience the kind of service that we're, you know, that, that women offer, I think that that.Breaks down any kind of misgivings that people have because it is a traditionally male career. So, Hmm. De'Vannon: Well, well, yeah, I would say then that then it, it's probably along that patriarchal like breakdown. Cause what, what you're saying is they didn't think that you could do it just cuz you're a girl and Correct.But the proof's in the pudding and, you know, the world is changing now and it's not all about old white men running every fucking thing anymore. Exactly. Adrienne: Exactly. And if you notice, it's old white men, bless their hearts [00:06:00] that have kind of painted the industry in a corner to a certain extent. You know, it's, it's the old, I don't know if you've seen the movie The Big Lebowski, but there's a scene where one of the characters dies and they go to the Mortician Hall says, this is our most modestly, you know what I mean?There's a certain kind of attitude or approach to funeral directing and how, you know, how we monetize the services that we offer people, you know what I mean? So, a lot of the misconceptions that people have, not just about female funeral directors, but a lot of people have a very negative impression of the industry in general.So I won't say we're as bad as car salesmen used car salesman use car salesman. But a lot of people, you know, they come, you know, they're sitting across the desk from the funeral director for the first time. If they've not had that kind of experience, they just kind of know what they know from TV or from, you know, what happened with Aunt Gladys's service or you know, they hear something and so they come and they're sitting down across from me and they have, a lot of people are very guarded because they [00:07:00] have this idea that my job is to separate them from their money, you know, to try to get them to prove how much they love their mom by spending more on a casket, that kind of thing.So those fears from the general public are from generations of. You know, same old, same old kind of treatment. And so I think women coming into the industry, hopefully is kind of helping the industry itself to express value to consumers, you know, so that we, we can really show them that it's not just, you know, sell you our, you know, whatever kind of, whatever they're trying to sell you.It's not about that. It's about family care, personal care to their families. So hopefully it's redefining the value that we offer. Mm-hmm. De'Vannon: Nothing like some good value, honey. Now, one this, this website also is saying that funeral directors are most in demand in Tucson, Arizona. [00:08:00] And now if that, I don't doubt them, but I wonder why.And I used to live in Tucson when I was stationed in the Air Force. I wonder, have you heard of any kind of like, demand in a certain city or state more than another? Or, or do you have any idea why? In Tucson that you'd, video1042642136: I Adrienne: think it probably correlates to a higher retirement age population. So if Tucson, Arizona is a popular area for folks to retire to when they're tired of the cold, you know, Northeast Winters that they would go to Miami or Tucson, you know what I mean?That you'd have a higher demand for funeral services in general. That De'Vannon: makes sense. That's my best guess. That, that makes perfect sense. You're so smart. I love that. We called it, we called them snow bunnies when I was Station. Yes. Adrienne: There. I've been called a snow bunny before. De'Vannon: Oh, we're not talking about role playing honey.Or, or, or, or getting our Wolf of Wall Street on too. [00:09:00] If you haven't seen the movie, then you'll know what I mean with, with the snow button references there. Yeah, so there's like, whenever starts to turn cold in Arizona, there's this large migration of RVs and shit that just swarm down into Tucson or wherever, whenever starts get cold in general.Cause some people gets to fuck away from the, the ice and they come down somewhere like that. That's not, that's, that's not gonna be iced out. And I, I'm sitting here thinking like, I wonder if it's like a breaking bad reference. It's like people getting shot up or whatever. But what she said made more sense.Adrienne: Well, no, but that, that could be a part of it too. I mean, it could be sad to say, you know, with substance use issues sometime play, play into it. So if you have, you know, endemic issues in, in a, you know, larger metropolitan area, that might sadly, you know, bring up the death rate. So you mentioned De'Vannon: Like school, what kind of training?Is [00:10:00] required. And then tell then tell us, well, before we get into the training, tell us exactly what you do and tell, explain to us the difference between a funeral director, mortician and an undertaker of what your Okay. Title. Adrienne: So some of some of those titles are a distinction without a difference kind of things.So, and some of 'em are just kind of more old fashioned. So like the old guard would more often than not identify themselves as a mortician or an undertaker. Nowadays more people say funeral director, it's a little imprecise because and it does vary state by state. But, so that could mean that they are just front of the house, so to speak, that their only job is to sit and meet with families, to plan services, to make funeral arrangements and or to take out those services, you know, go out to church and stuff.But in that, it could also, so most of the time I would introduce myself as a funeral director. Now I am also an embalmer, so I do front of the house and back of the house. Some states [00:11:00] it's some states it's one license to do both duties. In other states, you can get a funeral directing only license or an embalmers only license.That's a little less frequent. And then, and also, you know, there are some states that are either completely unregulated, like Colorado or states like Florida that have introduced something that's kind of like, I, I don't wanna, no offense anybody, but like funeral director light. Like it's a, it's a, it's a, it's an easier to obtain license that allows them to do most of the jobs of the, the front of the house of funeral directors under the guidance of a full fledged, fully licensed funeral director.So, but it's, it's, those are the three basic duties, the making arrangements, carrying out services, and then, you know, embalming back of the house. Whatever kind of prep work and care for the actual, the, the physical care of the decedent [00:12:00] that we, we De'Vannon: take care of. So when you go to school for one, do you go to school for all of them and they just kind of train you on everything or, Adrienne: and then, yeah.Most of the time, I'd say like the most, the, the, the typical route is going to be bef there's before Covid and after Covid. So I would say after Covid I mean, online schooling was existed before Covid certainly, but it seems like that seems to be primarily, you know, how most people since Covid go to funeral school?So I, I went well before Covid and so I physically went to school. So I, I went to I physically showed up in class every day, and it's a two year program. So most of those programs are something like, they'll have like a base requirement. Like you, you'll have to have had. Let's say 60 hours of something, just something just going to college, you know, math, whatever.And then after you have a requisite number of hours you can apply to be in the program. And then typically it's a two year program. It's an associate's degree in most places. There are some [00:13:00]places and a couple of states that actually require bachelor's degree. But majority of time it's it's a two year associate's degree program.Some of the programs are a little more regimented. Some of them are more flexible. And by that I mean like there are some programs where you take class 1, 2, 3, 4, and then the next semester you take 5, 6, 7, 8, versus some other programs that are a little more self-selecting for the students, but that tend to take longer.So it might take four years to graduate, for instance. So but it's pretty, I, I always joked I should have tried out for Jeopardy after I finished funeral school because you study a little bit of everything. So, I mean, there's, there's, you know, history, religion, law, accounting, computers. English, chemistry, pathology all, all kinds of stuff.It really runs the gamut. So it's pretty challenging and difficult. And then once you, you know, typically you pass, you [00:14:00] graduate from your program and then you have permission to sit for the national exam, the national board exam, there's two parts. Funeral directing and embalming, or well, and arts and sciences.And then you are licensed by the state and then you do whatever you're doing. Now there's also mixed in there an apprenticeship. So you have your schooling and then you have your actual work experience. And the two are surprisingly different. So what you're learning in school is to pass the national board exam, and it's very frequently it's a different, at the very least, it's a different kind of information than when you're actually practicing funeral directing and involvement.Do you see what I mean? Like what, what your day-to-day skillset looks a little bit different in the reality of it versus the school part of it. I'm sure that that's, you know, that that happens in other professions too, I'm sure. De'Vannon: Right? The, but why did you choose this career path? Did you, did you feel like it was a calling?Do you feel like it [00:15:00] was like a spiritual thing? Like of all the things you could have been in all the nine realms? Why, why this, Adrienne: that is a great question and I I came into it relatively late, so I had you know, I've gotten my bachelor's 10 years before I decided to go to funeral school. And for a long time, I guess in my personal case, it was important to me that I find meeting in what I do, like, I, I wanted to make sure that I, you know, I come from a long line of some, some good people that you know, you know, Social workers and psych psychiatric nurses and a, their whole careers were spent caring for and dedicated to people.And so I kind of wanted to do something that felt like it had that kind of impact. But, you know, I got a degree in philosophy and religion, so I ran a college bookstore for 10 years like you do, you know? So I, I, I guess I had a couple of life experiences. I had a couple of friends that either died or had a, a close, you know, close family member die.And [00:16:00] through those interactions and those events, I think that kind of planted a seed. And when I decided against law school, it kind of occurred to me personally that I, you know, I would've been a good lawyer, wedding planner, the. Pastor, nurse Carpenter, like all of the different component skills that you kind of smoosh together to make a good funeral director.But once, once that occurred to me, and I was into my thirties, I was well into my thirties, it was like, duh. You know, and then I like ran the thought past a couple of people who know me, who know me best, and they were like, oh yeah, that absolutely makes sense. And then from there on out, it was, that was it.And I, I've been doing it full, full course ever since. And it's, and you're right, to me, it is a, it is a vocation, it is a calling. It's not something that you just do like, instead of, you know, getting your insurance license. Do you know what I mean? You don't just capriciously happen upon it. I don't think, I, I think the best funeral directors would be hard pressed to find happiness in any [00:17:00] other line of work, if that makes De'Vannon: sense.It makes perfect damn sense. But have you ever, have you ever thought about getting out of this career field since you've, oh, you Adrienne: always kind of have to have, I don't wanna say an exit strategy. But it is a, it is a quickly changing field, and so I'm a very opinionated, strident kind of person. And so far I have been able to afford my integrity throughout my career.But, you know, you have to be able to you know, you gotta keep working and you have to, you know, if, if there ever comes a time when you're not gonna be able to find an environment that you're comfortable working in, then you have to have an exit strategy. And it's also incredibly physically demanding.It's almost every embalmer I know has a bad back and a lot of 'em have cancer. So it just kind of comes with the territory. It's, it's, you know, it, it's constant exposure, not constant, but I mean, it's, it's plentiful exposure to some pretty nasty chemicals. And while there are [00:18:00] certain safeguards that we take, there's a certain amount of risk, you know that we, that we take De'Vannon: on.Well, that brings me to my next question I was gonna ask you about like pathogens and physical safety and things like that. I was thinking in terms of like coming in contact with blood or whatever that is, you know, whatever's in the body, but where the fuck are people getting cancer from? And it's, I mean, you say it's so casually as though, oh well another person.Not like you don't care, but like, it happens so damn much. What, but how, how, how can, how can cancer be that prevalent in your career field and people aren't getting sued or something? Do you have to sign like waivers or some shit or what? Adrienne: No, but it's, I guess it's just something that's understood specifically when we go through funeral school and we take chemistry classes and we know about, you know, we know about the dangers of formaldehyde.So there are chemicals that we use in this country that other countries don't allow cause of that, you know, [00:19:00] kind of from the protecting the practitioner kind of point of view, we don't really have those kind of. Protections. You know, I think and, and I mean, I, and honestly, I don't know many people in the industry that are like fighting for those protections necessarily either.So it's just kind of an accepted risk that we take, I guess. De'Vannon: Ne it works for y'all. Let it work. It works for me too. Adrienne: You gotta die somehow, you know what I mean? So the fact that that we have a little bit more exposure, you know, it's, I think it's that sometimes we're called the, the last first responders, but I think a lot of first responders have that.There's just a certain amount of risk that you have, you know, er nurses and you know, cops, firemen, you know, it's, it's service. We're doing service. I'm certainly, I don't wanna compare us to, to the, the real first responders, as it were, but it, it's a similar kind of, there is risk that is inherent to the job, [00:20:00] so we do what we can, but it's always gonna be there.De'Vannon: Everyone has their role to play firefighters or whatever, but having to do with somebody's last rights is a, is a high honor as old as time. It is, it's sacred. Adrienne: It's it's sacred. And that's kind of the joke I make is that you know, when most people talk about the world's oldest profession, hey, let's talk about something else.But in truth you know, funeral, you know, funeral, the, the job of caring for the dead has been around since time. Im memorium. So, so yeah, it is, it is. It's, it's, it's sacred. It really is. So it's, sometimes it's a, it's a lot of day-to-day stuff too. You know, it's a lot of bureaucracy and logistics and that kind of stuff.But when you really get down to the core of it, when we're interacting with families, when we're there, we're the first people that, you know, we're the first call. It, it is, it's a high honor. [00:21:00]De'Vannon: For the schooling, do you have to do continuing education courses every year? Adrienne: Yes. Most states. So there, like I said, Colorado for instance, there's not a license that's required to practice in Colorado.So I think in that case, there's not and certainly the rules are different in some states it's, you know, 24 hours in a year, 12 hours, and yada, yada, yada. But yes, there is absolutely continuing education and hopefully, you know, practitioners are excited about that in the sense that just the developments in science and, and the, the way that the chemicals that we use are evolving and there's always something more to learn.video1042642136: So. De'Vannon: Mm-hmm. How many funerals do you do a day, or what's the most you've done in a day? That's hard to Adrienne: answer because, so a funeral versus. Making funeral arrangements. So there are, I would say nowadays in most places, cremations, specifically direct cremations. So that's a, that's a cremation with no associated rights or [00:22:00] services.So it's, it's for the most part, a matter of paperwork so that a body may be cremated and then you return the herb to the family and that's it. So I think for the highest volume firm I was at, I think I was handling like 12 to 14 cases a week. Now, of those only maybe two or three would actually be, and would involve a church or like going somewhere or doing something or viewing the body or doing any of the associated rights.So and it's, it's different rates in different communities. So in Louisiana where I first got my license, there's a lot of Catholic. And Catholics have a lot of rights and rituals that are associated with, with death and with burials. So we had a lot of services there. So, but I've also worked in more kind of secular communities.I worked around, you know, in, in New Orleans when Covid hit, so there were a lot of services where there were no services. It was just, [00:23:00] it was just here for the deceased and thatDe'Vannon: was it. Right. And so she mentioned Louisiana. She used to live down here. She's up in Maine now. I am eating up on my damn lobster.Adrienne: That's a big ass crawfish up here, huh?De'Vannon: I like your style. I'm picking up what you're putting down baby. So so how many, what's the most amount of bodies you've embalmed in a day? I'm just trying to get a feel for like, in a Adrienne: day. Mm. Three, maybe four, but I'm not I'm, I'm a very good embalmer, but I don't consider the speed with which I embalm a body as a, as an indicator of how good I am at embalming.So there are some embalmers that are like, I can embalming 45 minutes or something like that. So, but to me that the timing of it doesn't reflect the quality of the embalming. So for the most part, you know, it takes, I'd say an hour [00:24:00] and a half, two hours. They could be a lot longer, they could be a lot more complicated.That it every, literally, everybody is unique. And so certain things you wanna, a one pointer would be the, the, the thing that the embalmer most efficiently is gonna go for. And that's where we only have one point of entry into the arterial system. But sometimes, you know, shit happens and you, you have to raise other sites.And so every time you have to raise a different site, that adds on time. video1042642136: So De'Vannon: do you remember the first body you ever mbed? Adrienne: I remember the first autopsy body that I encountered. No, I do actually, no, I do remember the, well, not the first body that I embalmed. I remember the first time that I saw an embalming.Okay. And it was at one school that had, essentially, they had the contract that they would care for all of the indigent populations. So if a [00:25:00] homeless person passed away, they would kind of cycle through the funeral school and then go be cremated. And so the very first embalming I saw was a little off-put to me because it was kind of like, you know, the teacher said Go and then you'd have like five students just like go at it and it.It felt very un sacred, I guess. And so I was like I don't, I don't know if I can do this, you guys. So, but then I went back and then I, the next embalming I saw was kind of a, a demonstration. So it was someone who was coming to, to show a specific skill. So it was one embalmer working on the body, and he was much more respectful.And I, and that, that kind of helped me feel settled a little bit, you know? So but yeah, so I do, I do remember that, and it is quite an adjustment as is, like I mentioned, the autopsy. The first time I saw, I walked in and saw an autopsy body, I would said to my classmate, if I pass out, I'm [00:26:00] not even embarrassed because this is horrifying.It's, it's really existentially distressing, you know, to see So, but power through it. And that's that's, I think the thing that helps people kind of get over that bump is, like I mentioned, kind of the craftsmanship of it. That we put people back together and so they, they, they leave look at a hell of a lot better than they did when they came in.So that's, that's the goal. And so that's part of, I think how, how we could deal with what we deal De'Vannon: with. So with an autopsy, are you like peeling the skin back and digging in there versus with embalming, you're like using more like tools to put stuff in? Adrienne: Yeah, so for an on autopsy body, personally, I try to be as minimally intrusive as possible.So yeah, so we would try, if I can, if I can raise one area and that is sufficient to accomplish what I need to accomplish with arterial embalming. Great. With autopsies, you don't [00:27:00] have a choice. It's already, it's already been decided for you that it's, it's gonna be a different process. So but yes, it's, it's very, they're, they're opened and then you do what you're doing with the arterial system and you treat everything and then close 'em back up.But. Yeah, it's a lot. De'Vannon: Talk to me about the paranormal activity. Cause so a person, you know, when they die, when their spirit depart, like is severed from the body, but when they're in your hands, they have not officially been laid to rest yet. And so they're kind of like in a, a waiting period, like their soul is at this time.So, yeah. Have you ever seen a spirit? Has anyone spoken to you? Adrienne: Yeah. So not every funeral director would they not, they don't all [00:28:00] believe in paranormal activity, so I've seen some shit though. So yeah, no, I've seen a, I've seen a couple of my favorite one, I was standing in the prep room. I know I was ironing a flag or something, I don't know.And I look over and there was a corkboard on the wall. And two pieces of paper, not on one, not on one tack, on two separate tacks, two pieces of paper out of nowhere, flew vertically and then fell down. And so it wasn't like a loose tack and then gingerly, you know, lifted down to the floor. No, this, well, I flew across the room and all I could do is say hello.I acknowledge that something is here and I hope that you're doing okay, and I'm just gonna do what I'm doing, and that's great. So but I, yeah, no I, I've, most of the places that I've worked, most of the people acknowledge at least a [00:29:00] little bit of funny business, you know at the first place, the place where I I, I did my apprenticeship, had a name, I forgot what they named.It was like Bessie or something, but like, it was so frequent that, that certain things would happen to. Clocks in the room and this and that and that they named her. So, or him, I don't know. I didn't ask the gender, but and I have actually, I've heard things before, which is a little off-putting. So, but you know, a lot of these funeral homes, they're very, very old buildings.So, and if they've been funeral homes for that long, then yeah, it's, it's not really De'Vannon: surprising. When you say you heard things, is it like a, a rattling noise, an auditory voice, Adrienne: or, I've heard auditory voices. I've heard my name when I was verifiably the only person on the floor or in the building to the extent that I [00:30:00] got up from what I was doing and kind of walked around like, hello, who's there?You know what I mean? So that's happened a couple of times. So, but not every place, surprisingly. So the place that I'm currently working out of I haven't really, I haven't really encountered anything. And even though I probably work with more of the, more, more of the kind of spooky oriented people in the field at my current location, it's not, no one's ever mentioned anything at this particular place.So that's, it's not, it's not just the funeral homes. I think it has, there's, there's more to it than that, at least. What am I to say? I De'Vannon: would say some, I would say such, you know, funeral homes and places that are like a congregation of the dead would prove to be some sort of a nexus point, you know? Yeah, no, Adrienne: and it's, different cultures have different ideas of it too.So in I just did a Cambodian Buddhist [00:31:00] funeral and that is a part of it. So there's a big part of it is the, the monks. Come and they do this beautiful chanting, and the idea is that they're chanting instructions at the spirit of the deceased to kind of talk them through what their next steps are.Like hang a left at the, at the star, you know what I mean? Or whatever it is. So, but they're, they're actually trying to help guide spirits that may may not know how to proceed forward. So, but, and, and I al I also have heard of funeral homes as kind of being a transition point. So I've heard a couple of, of good ghost stories wherein they invited whatever entity was bothering them at their own home.And they went and they were just like, come on buddy. And they went to a funeral home and kind of like an elevator to the sky kind of a thing. Like it's a, it's a place of transition, but also though it's the place of the place where the death actually happens, [00:32:00] and then the place where the bodies ultimately go.So, you know, graveyards and, and that kind of thing. De'Vannon: And I would imagine the, the newly dead or practicing becoming dead and, you know, and getting used to those new abilities and everything like that. And you're their perfect little Guinea pig. I call out your name too. If I'm, if I, if you're like working on my body, need no one else to talk to you, Adrian's here.Well, Adrienne: and that's, it's, you know, and there are some people that kind of lean into that. And so I've known people that go so far as to try to find out the deceased person's musical tastes. And so rather than playing what I wanna hear when I have them in the prep room, or if I'm driving them to the cemetery, that you'd play a little Johnny Cash or whatever it is that they were into, to, you know, let 'em, let 'em feel a little at home at least for their, their last little time.De'Vannon: Okay, now play me some Beyonce or [00:33:00] Madonna. Girl. Go ahead. On and tw while you are working on me. So do you, do you ever have any dreams that are related to your job or anything Adrienne: like that? Not like I used to when I was a waitress. I've had waitressing dreams where I'm, you know, pour coffee in the middle of the night or anything like that.So, no, actually, I guess thankfully, no, not too much. I'm pretty good at kind of shaking it off. Yeah, having and uh, separating. De'Vannon: Separating it com. Compartmentalizing Adrienne: com compart, I'm so great at it, you know what I mean? I had a difficult childhood, so it's one of my life skills. De'Vannon: I've worked in the service industry and I, I, and I still do I I would agree.Waiting tables is way more horrific probably than you. It is the dead body. At least the bitch can't talk back like the motherfucker Karens and shit. Adrienne: Oh, you'd be surprised. We get some, Karens, we get some, and rightfully so, you know what I mean? Like, and I don't, not to poke fun at families, but there are [00:34:00] families that behave.They, you know, I'd say misbehave not because of grief, but because of an inflated sense of entitlement. So I, we get those two, but yeah, not, not as traumatizing, I don't think is in the restaurant world, to my recollection. De'Vannon: What the fuck could Karen come into her funeral home? But like, what, what could she demand that Is she, is she asking for free shit?She reduced to shit what the Adrienne: person Sometimes, sometimes it is. I want to come. So, you know, cause if you Google a funeral home, they're gonna say 24 hours. And what that means is that if a death occurs at three o'clock in the morning, we will dutifully respond to you and bring your loved one into our care regardless of the hour.That does not mean that you can follow, you know, the van back to the funeral home to make arrangements at three o'clock in the morning. So there are people that, that try to, you know, just show up whenever, or demand to make [00:35:00] arrangements outside of our normal operating hours. Or they'll, d i we, I had recently had a family that was gobsmack that a Catholic priest wouldn't have a, a funeral mass on a Sunday.They don't do that. Okay. They don't do that for archbishops. They don't, that's not that, that's just not a normal practice. And just, you know, the, oh, my, my word. How could you not? You know what I mean? So, and, or scheduling services before ever talking to the funeral home and then being surprised that, you know, Oh, I scheduled this mask to happen two days from now.What do you mean you can't, what do you mean you have three other services that day or, you know, so that, that kind of stuff. And so partially more often than not, it's people not knowing they haven't made arrangements before. So they don't know. They think, you know, maybe they just have a wrong idea, but sometimes it is just straight up entitlement, so.De'Vannon: Hmm. So do you see like a psychiatrist or do you, are you kind of meditating? Do you do yoga? How do you, how do you keep yourself mentally and emotionally in check? [00:36:00]Adrienne: I am very purposeful about my time away from work, so there is a tendency I'm tempted to say, especially with the ladies. I've seen it, I think a, a little more frequently with my female colleagues than with my male of being, I don't know, I don't wanna say overinvested, but like, Unable to check out on days off, like micro not micromanaging or being involved in things instead of just trusting and passing it off to your colleagues on your off days.Cuz that's, you know, you can try as we might, we try to minimize any kind of duties, you know what I mean? If, if a if a brand new family comes in and needs services on my day 10, I'm most likely not gonna be the director that sits with him to make arrangements because I am almost assuredly going to be out, you know, a as those arrangements need to be made.So some funeral directors have trouble setting those boundaries between being at work and being available. [00:37:00] You know, so I'm pretty good about that. Setting boundaries. So on my off times, I'm off for the most part. So that's a big part of it. I am, I have a very supportive partner. Who, so I have some mutual accountability in my household, which helps.So if I have had a particularly nasty day and I wasn't able to kind of shake it off on my way home, you know, on my commute or something like that, that I have I, I have, you know, my husband that can kind of since that and give me an opportunity to talk about something if I need to, if I'm struggling with some, you know, some, and it's, I think as a surprise to you, it has less to do with any kind of the grossness of my job, more so than it does about the emo emotional turmoil that, that we deal with.You know, it's hard. I, I'm very empathetic and so it's difficult to [00:38:00] see people suffer and then have to just, you know I dunno, it, it's hard to see people suffer and not have a way to help them. And so in, in one sense of it, I think it's easier for me because instead of just seeing suffering and just being like, oh, I wish I knew what I could do, I actually do know what to do in some circumstances.And so it's not just passively seeing suffering happen. I see the same suffering that everyone else does, but I can actually step up and I can help out and I can hopefully bring a little bit of peace to some people, and that is rewarding in and of itself. So I think that kind of feeds pour into my cup, as it were.That's a, a metaphor we hear a lot is you can't pour from an empty cup. So I, I try to focus on ways to pour back into my cup and so thank you notes. I, if I, if I'm really down or if I'm really exhausted, I have my thank you notes for [00:39:00] my families and that means the world to me and that is just a reminder of why, you know, why I'm doing what I do.And that helps too. So and then also mood altering substances. So, and Bravo personally helps me a lot. So, De'Vannon: well, this is the sex, drugs and Jesus podcast. So put on the drugs right now, drugs, man. And everything's a fucking drug. Fucking coffee. The fucking drug. Yeah. So I, I heard you and you said you can't pour from an empty cup.I've heard it said before in another way where it says you can't give away what you don't have. Yeah. And so whatever is, you can't, if you nothing in the cup, you can't pour a shit out, but you also can't create things that are not there. So, like you said, you're empathetic, but you have em empathy to give.So that's very, very, very highly high, high vibrational of you. I heard you say that you had a [00:40:00] traumatic childhood. What, what happened? Well, Adrienne: not traumatic, but, you know, my parents were divorced. My dad wasn't around a whole lot. You know, we were, you know, mom writing hot check for groceries, stuff like that.So, And I've, I've also looked like a 34 year old woman since I was about eight. So I was like five 11 I think by the time I was in the fourth grade. So just, just a weird, awkward a childhood lacking of privilege, I'll put it that way. So not too mad. I know there's a lot of people who've had it worse, so De'Vannon: we've come to a point in this fucked up ass country where the things that you just said, Or just as common as rain.Yeah, absolutely. But that shit's fucked up. It's not supposed to be that way. Yeah. That, that's still quite dramatic. We're this, this, this country has got so used to trauma, but I guess that's true. You know, from shootings in schools and every, wherever, every fucking day or a couple times a day to [00:41:00] this, this is like, oh, well dude, this is what we do.We get divorced and we shoot people. How are you? Right, right. Yeah. Whatever. I'm getting me a fucking Mexico citizenship. Yeah. Adrienne: I, I, yeah. Well, take me with you. I don't know where we're going, but it sounds great. De'Vannon: So what about your to, to the gaze, obviously to the gaze. I really, really like the way the cartel runs their state.Yeah. Down there there's nothing but peace in the streets. And people just don't, there's you, don't you? There's no violence, there's no fentanyl in the damn narcotics that you don't have that foolishness in Mexico. Why the fuck can the cartel run a country better than politicians? Adrienne: That's a really good question.That's a really good De'Vannon: question. Because they don't lie. I mean, they don't have an agenda. If you fuck up, you like die or you just gonna be dealt with. And it's just, it is what it is. It is what it's exactly. [00:42:00]And so that's my love going out to all my helico people down there. Have you ever seen anybody in your profession who just could not deal?I'm talking about somebody who had made it through school and was already. In the profession, and then something happened and they were just like, I can't even, Adrienne: yeah. And I've seen people that were almost a good fit, but then in some very important ways discovered that they were not. So I think I think the pandemic was an incredibly difficult time for this pro profession.And I think that if you made it through that, then you probably are made of, of, of the tough stuff and, and you're gonna make it through throughout your career. But yeah, it's high pressure. It is incredibly it's incredibly difficult and a lot of times it's thankless and a lot of times it's back to back to back to back.And, and [00:43:00] that can be difficult if you don't kind of so you know, at a lot of firms, when you have a properly functioning team, you can kind of support one another. So for instance, if a funeral director has a death in the family, A lot of times it's a little hard to deal with other people's families when you're actively dealing with your own grief.You know? So in those kind of cases, a director might step back from the front of the house stuff and just do prep room kind of stuff. So, or I'm, I'm particularly skilled with more tragic kind of cases, or maybe not skilled, but I'm, I'm more willing to, you know, put me in there, coach for a lot, a lot of the more difficult cases that some, some folks shy away from.But I can't do those kind of cases back to back to back, so I might have to No, continue. I, I saw your quizzical eyebrows and so I'm, I'm waiting for your, for your De'Vannon: question. Um, What, can you give me an example of what a difficult case would [00:44:00] be versus a non difficult case? Adrienne: Well, you know, we're all gonna die and I think when you know, when grandma dies after three months of hospice care and everybody got to fly in and.See her and hold her hand. And you know, you have that time to at least intellectually prepare for a death or if it's a death, that's kind of an in order death. Those, I don't wanna say they're easy. I mean, you, the person who's burying their mom, it's gonna be difficult for them regardless. But those kind of deaths that are expected and kind of feel more natural versus you know a two year old who was shot or a 13 year old who hung himself or a murder, suicide or just the tragic kind of circumstances because the care that the families need or, or, or when there's a death in kids are there.So not, not physically present with the death, but I mean, like when someone, when a child loses a parent, something like [00:45:00] that, or a child loses a sibling, those kind of cases are. Just a lot more complex in what the families need from the funeral director. And so there's just more coming out of the cup as it were, you know than with some, some deaths that are natural.I don't know if natural is the right word, but I think you get my meaning. De'Vannon: Right. What's your what's your most gut wrenching memory? Like something that when you think about it, it justAdrienne: I had a couple of of, of tough cases. I had one, the last place I was working in Louisiana was during Covid. And one lady, God bless her, she lost six family members inside of six months. They weren't all covid but. Yeah, she, she basically lost everyone that she loved. And so like the, the, like the, the [00:46:00] fifth or sixth time when I answered the phone, hi Peter, this is Adrian.And I heard her voice. I literally was like, are you hitting me? I never wanted to talk to you again. And it made her just have a belly laugh. So I'm glad that you know, that I was the one to help her through that. But that was difficult. I mean, I had one where, ah, a kid killed himself. Poor dumb kid, you know?And I had to pooch his Boy Scout truth were the Paul bearers. And so trying to talk that Boy Scout, you know, these kids through what is certainly a foundational moment in their lives, you know, it's the first time they've lost anyone and it's a peer. And they're at this like hugely well attended funeral service and all eyes on, and they, and it's the first time they're having to step into that role.And so having to give them kind of the. Giving them the pep talk and, and you know, the eyebrow nods and the getting 'em through it. That part of that, that, that one [00:47:00] stuck with me. That was a, that was a difficult one. So there's a lot. I mean, it's really, I think part of the beauty of this job, as draining as it can be, is I get to see some of the most beautiful human moments that are, you know, I had one time I we were about to put the urn into the niche, into the, you know, the wall of the mausoleum and I don't know, I think he was like eight and it was his grandfather, but they were very, very close and it was a very tough loss for him and Right.You know, right at the end, this little kid, you know, I'm like, you know, ladies and gentlemen, this is concludes our services and blah, blah, blah. And this kid just gets up and he goes and he lays on the table and he hugs the irm. You know, and it was just this incredibly beautiful, poignant display, you know?[00:48:00] And as hard as that was to kind of navigate, I what an honor it is to just see that and, and to be able to help that kid process that, De'Vannon: thank God for the silver lining in these dark ass rain clouds. Now you've mentioned the pandemic a couple of times, and you know, when we were in the thick of it all over tv, you know, you saw like the the nurses, doctors, frontline workers, morticians or caregivers as well.So was there a lot of burnout? And is, is there anything you'd like the world, the world to know about your a how the covid effected y'all since it really didn't get a lot of media coverage? Well, Adrienne: it didn't, and I guess thanks for noticing that it didn't, so, because it, it did mean, not necessarily personally, but I've got some colleagues that were working in New York City at the height of the game.Oh lord gee. Yeah, I mean, and so when New York had, its like a heroes parade kind of [00:49:00] a thing, initially funeral directors were not included. And yeah, that was felt, that was felt by people, you know, because, you know just little old me in New Orleans, not New York, so we didn't have those kind of numbers.It was a hotspot city. It was bad. Wasn't that bad. But yeah, I mean, I know how many hours I was working a day and how many days, days on end that I quarantined myself from my family because I didn't want to bring home those germs. And so, you know, I was spending spending, you know, a week at a time.Away from them. So it's difficult not just because of the long hours and the hard work, but being separated from the emotional support of our families, you know, to keep them safe. That's incredibly difficult. And then to have everyone from, rightfully so, but everyone from, you know, the, the worker who shows up at Walgreens [00:50:00] and nurses and Uber drivers, rightfully so thanked and appreciated for showing up and for getting out there and for exposing themselves to risk so that they could serve their community in whatever the way that they do.But then not to have, not to have funeral directors included, kind of smarted a bit. So, but they did, I know at least with the, the first big one, the New York Heroes Parade or whatever, they did add funeral directors, but it was an afterthought, you know? But, but, and honestly, I think it's just kind of depressing.I think I, I don't think it was like an intentional slight like, ah, Stupid morticians. Nobody cares about this. It wasn't that, but it was, you know, how do we keep this hero's parade upbeat and like high five nurses, good job doctors, and great job, bringers of the Dead. You know what I mean? Like, it's, it's, it's, it's to acknowledge a mortician is to acknowledge death.And I think, you know, at certain points it just, it gets a little sticky. [00:51:00] But yeah. De'Vannon: Well, I, I, I love morticians and from my ww f Fandom Wrestling Days, you know the Pa Paul? Oh yeah. The Undertaker, the under the Paul Burrows, one of my fa everyone's fucking favorite character. He's coming there with that be toning his theme music and shit.That bitch was boss, so Yeah. I, I fucks with y'all. I fucks with it. Adrienne: We're fun at parties. I'll tell you what. So that's, that was my joke is you know, I'm my, I have a degree in religion. I was very politically active back in, back in my day, and I'm a mortician, so, you know, I'm fun at dinner parties.Right. So I, I bring all the good hot topics. De'Vannon: What, what kind of reactions do you get from people when, when you tell them what you do? Dinner parties or wherever? Adrienne: I've gotten some, I've gotten, so I lived, I was in Miami when I first started funeral school. I lived in Miami. And I was the, one of the two little [00:52:00] moments of my life where I was kind of a stay-at-home mom.So my daughter was started school in Miami. It's her first time at this school. And so I was doing like, you know, p t a kind of crap and selling pencils and doing whatever. And I had this like p t a buddy lady I don't remember her name or anything, but anytime we had a little activity, she was my buddy and we'd, you know, hang out.And then in talking, when I said that I was gonna start funeral school, She never made eye contact with me again. So for some people there's a really serious kind of taboo about it and people like literally avert their eyes sometimes. So that's kind of interesting. But for the most part people are just, I, I think either shocked because you don't meet many morticians and or shocked because I'm a lady mortician.And so I think it's, that's surprising to them too. And so a lot of times they kind of assume that I'm just, just a funeral director, [00:53:00] not to minimize people that are solely funeral directors, but they assume that I'm just a funeral director and that of course, I'm not an embalmer. No. You know, so that's interesting seeing people's reaction in that way, but for the most part, people are just curious.And I have gotten some very interesting questions from people, you know. De'Vannon: Y'all running from the mortician or averting your eyes, like what Adrian is saying is not gonna help you to cheat death. Adrienne: It's true. It's like they think I'm jinxing them. Yeah. So De'Vannon: We better get a grip on ourselves and get, and get with the program.You know, like, like when King David from the, from the, from the Bible got ready to die, he said, you know, I go the way of all the earth. Mm-hmm. You know, if you wanna believe you're coming back as a butterfly or a stingray or whatever, okay, that's on you. But either way, you gotta die before you can be reincarnated if that's what you believe is going to happen.So you cannot run from death. And the, the thing [00:54:00] that intrigues me the most, or intrigues me or extends out to me the most about death is something that my my spiritual mother evangelist Nelson would tell me when she was a alive. And, you know, she was like, it is no old people don't die as much as young people.You know? And I thought about it, I was like, I've been to a lot of funerals in my life, but maybe five of those were old people. Most of them have been people like in between like 20 and 40. Wow. You know, so, so no, we, we, we, we, we won't be running from death and don't be, don't be stupid and think just because you're young that you're guaranteed to live to get old.So get a grip on it. Get your spiritual life in order, because eventually you will be laying down on a table in front of Adrian someone. Well, yeah, Adrienne: and it's, and it's, I, some, I, I don't know. I guess I have my personal belief [00:55:00]system. I e everything's gonna be okay. It's either nothing or. Everything's fine.You know what I mean? I, I believe in a benevolence underneath underlying the universe. And so I'm not afraid of whatever's in the next room, so to speak. You know what I mean? But there are people that are just, that are deeply, deeply fearful of it. And it's sad. It just, and, and so you're right. So the kind of reaction is not to kind of process and reflect on that, but rather to completely avoid it.And, but that's not how this works, you know? Avoiding it, pretending it doesn't exist. It doesn't help. De'Vannon: Yeah. You don't want everything about how you live in this life affects your afterlife. The, the dead people I know, they still speak to me like in dreams and stuff like that. That's why I don't believe in reincarnation, because they are still spirits.So they couldn't be a giraffe and still hear in spirit talking to me. And so [00:56:00] you don't wanna part this plane of existence like. Like in any kind of like spliced way. Like you don't wanna like be feeling like you're being ripped. You need to be, you need to be at a point where you're ready to let it go because you don't want Absolutely.You don't wanna wrecked afterlife one thing that taught me this when I was in middle sch in high school now as a teenager, and I woke up dying in the middle of the night. I had like a strange heart rhythm. You know, it happens in teens sometimes. Yeah. It just does. And I woke up and I couldn't breathe.Like, I couldn't catch my breath. I'm not asthmatic it, I've never have been. It wasn't that, it wasn't an episode, it was like, and as this was happening in this dream state or whatever, I was in, it's like I was looking down this tunnel at the reception hall at the church that I was attending, but it was like, it was the, the person that I saw was someone who was dead already, and I [00:57:00] didn't recognize the other people.So it was almost like it was a flipped. A version of a reality and it almost looked like the dead people were still doing the same stuff that they used to do when they were alive. And as my breath was escaping me, it's like I saw them and I remember just really, really, really wanting more time. Cause I was like, somewhere between 15 and 16, you know, I was like, you know, I really wanted more time and I just could not breathe.I couldn't force myself to breathe. The air was just leaving and none was coming back in. And I just like passed out or whatever. And then I woke up, you know, the Lord wasn't ready for me to die. But what I remembered is that I wasn't ready to go. And I hated that sense of not being prepared. Adrienne: Well, no, and that's back in the old days, people used to carry like little do dads and jewelry pieces that would say, memento mori, remember you must die.You know, it's, it's the fact that we know that this is a [00:58:00] terminable date. That this life is not forever makes us value what we have right now. And I think that when you have that kind of experience, that it really, it makes you confront and be purposeful about, about where you are now because you have that undeniable experience of knowing that it's not forever.You know?De'Vannon: And I know, I know we're slightly over time. Can, can you gimme another Oh, I don't care. I'll talk to Adrienne: you all night. I'm fine. I ain't doing shit De'Vannon: today. Thank you. I appreciate it. There's a, there's a couple of more points that I really, really, really, really, really a need to make. Let's talk about life insurance for a second here.Okay. But my aunt kicked the bucket a couple of years ago. This shit, okay? She was one of those ones who liked to go spend a per check at the riverboat casino. Every, every month. I'm not judging her for that. We had plenty of good times at Casino. She was also one of those ones who [00:59:00] believed that the rapture would happen and that, that she therefore did not need life insurance.Well, she died and she didn't have any life insurance, and then she didn't have any savings because it was all up at the casino. Because she was always gonna strike it rich. Okay? On average, at least down here in Louisiana, I don't know what it is, everywhere else, you're looking at about 10 ish grand.Okay. To, to put a bitch in the ground if they're not a veteran, a beast, you know? So if you die and you don't have no money, then that burden then falls to your loved ones to either, I guess, just discard you and leave you in the morgue. Down here you'll see people having car washes and bake sales and shit, trying to hustle money to pay for a funeral.And these are not necessarily like, I mean, my mean, my aunt was like an older person. I think she was in like her sixties, seventies. Okay. Right, right. Like a 15 year old kid who just happened to, you know. Yeah. It's not a surprise Adrienne: that you know, [01:00:00] that you might die someday days or relatively soon, you know?Yeah, no, it happens. It happens all the time. And different, different places. So what's the question? So what do you do? Like, De'Vannon: I'm, I'm stressing the fact that this sort of thing can tear families down in a Oh, absolutely. Because my, a sibling that I no longer talked to attacked me because in their opinion, all three of a siblings were supposed to come up with like $2,500 or something like that.I told my mom to burn her sister up and cremate her. You don't have no money, you don't have no options. But my, but my mom didn't wanna do that, and so I was like, okay. Then I will figure out what I'm gonna donate and then we'll just do the funeral. But I'm giving you the side eye cuz I don't agree, but I'm still gonna help you, my mother.But the sibling of mine decided that they were going to come up with the money. [01:01:00] This person's always been controlling and I think probably a little narcissistic too, if not much. And so they decided to insult me and call me like entitled and everything. Cuz I said, I'm not paying 2,500 or 2,800.Let me see what I could come up with. And then they went and drudged up, you know, over, you know, years ago when I was homeless in Houston, when I got h i right and, you know, hepatitis and all of that. And were saying like, you owe this to our parents and they helped you and everything like that. I was like, no, no, they're not doing that now.It's not the time for you to bring up my history and then use it as a weapon to demonize me because you cannot control me. But. Her not having life insurance is what made the breeding ground for this. Now, this sibling of mine should have been come to me if they had some beef about what I went through.Right, right. Adrienne: And not, not wait for this terrible loss in your family to then also bring that up. How ridiculous is that? But it happens all the time. And I [01:02:00] think it's because it's, it's easier to fight with your siblings than it is to grieve a loss a lot of times. So, but you're absolutely right. Not every state life insurance isn't part of pre-planning in every state, which I didn't really know.So in Louisiana, yeah, if you wanna pre-plan, most of the time you, you sit down, you figure out what services you want, how much they cost, and then you essentially buy a, a, a, a, an insurance policy to fund it. Not every state does that. So it would, Maine, they have mortuary trusts and you specifically cannot have you can't sell life insurance for the purposes of funerals.But the point, the point, the underlying point being, We're all going to die. And a lot of people kind of make some assumptions about what's gonna happen or what the contingencies are, and oh, don't worry about me, just donate me to science. That's not how that works. So in most places, you have to be on a donor registry 30 to 60 days before death, and you're still not [01:03:00] guaranteed for acceptance.If they're all filled up with, you know, 67 year old chubby white ladies that day, then your body's not gonna be donated and someone's gonna have to pay for your funeral. Now, some states you know, some places the coroner will step up or there there's indigent funding or something like that. Like the city will pay X amount of dollars for cremation and y amount of dollars for burial, that kind of stuff.So sometimes there are some kind of safeguards, but not all the time and not every municipality. So there were some parishes in Louisiana. If you had a living blood relation who had a penny to their name, you were not going to be paid for your, you know, indigent funeral stuff was not gonna come into play.The coroner was simply not gonna approve that. So it is wise to, on some level, have some kind of preparation, whether or not that's a life insurance policy, an [01:04:00] emergency savings fund, or something like that. I think to your point, too, expressing what it is that you want or would want or absolutely don't want.So at some point I never knew, but my mom, she was like, please don't cremate me. That idea horrifies me. Okay. Dooly noted. You know what I mean? So, funding not withstanding, I, I know what she wants to do. So there's not, because families, a lot of times there's, there's, there is contention about what to do and the fact that sometimes families are limited by what, what funds they have available, you know, so yeah, aside from pre-planning, just giving yourself and your family members the grace to, you know, maybe grandma would've wanted a, you know, a copper basket and a most beautiful spot in the cemetery, but if you've only, you're only able to muster a couple of thousand dollars, then that's not gonna happen.And so let's, let's give ourselves permission to just do [01:05:00] what needs to be done and, you know offer ourselves some grace and forgiveness and it not being what we wish we could do, you know? But yeah, family, family, family's fighting all, all the time. Not just about financial stuff, but it, it becomes, I, I literally had one time, two sisters, dad died, his two sisters left, and at some point, the arrangement conference, I don't know what made her mad, but she looked over at her sister and she said, I don't even know why you're here making these arrangements.Daddy never even loved you. So, okay, let's take a step back ladies. Let's maybe take a deep breath and acknowledge that we're going through some difficult things right now, and maybe not try to rectify the entire history of your difficult sibling relationship right now. You know what I mean? So yeah, yeah.We, we see that girl. De'Vannon: Y'all get life [01:06:00] insurance. I don'