Podcasts about Upward

The New York Knicks are the NBA Champions! We unpack how the Knicks' being built on belief led them to victory…and how belief in Jesus changes everything for us. After years of disappointment and struggle, a gritty, resilient team has rejuvenated the city with an unbelievable playoff run, featuring some of the biggest comebacks in NBA Finals history.In this episode, Bryce Johnson unpacks the incredible narrative behind the Knicks' championship victory. From 8-year-old OG Anunoby promising his father he'd practice every day if he bought him a hoop, to Jalen Brunson leaving to be "the guy" and carry his team—this roster was built on belief.But this story also makes us contemplate a deeper question: What do we actually believe, and how do those beliefs drive our actions? Looking at scripture, we discuss why true belief in Jesus is more than just knowledge—it's an anchor that transforms how we live, obey, and overcome life's deficits.Show Notes & HighlightsDefining Belief and Faith: Exploring the distinction between simple knowledge and a deep, heart-centered trust in God.Living Out Your Belief: Reflecting on key questions that reveal the condition of our faith: If we believe God is good, do we stop worrying? If we believe His Word is true, do we obey?Scripture References:Romans 10:9-10 (AMP)John 14:12 (AMP)James 2:19Sponsor SpotlightUpward Sports: Celebrate the upcoming World Cup by launching a fall soccer league at your church! Upward Sports provides everything you need to get started—including communication tools, marketing materials, and even two free soccer goals to launch your league. Learn more and map out your timeline at Upward.org/Soccer.Connect With The ShowEmail Bryce: Bryce@unpackinit.comWebsite: Unpackinit.comThe Sports Devotional: thesportsdevotional.comSupport the Ministry: Help keep the show going by visiting unpackinit.com/donate.If you enjoyed this episode, please take a moment to rate, review, and share it with a friend!Find out more about UNPACKIN' it Ministries: HERESubscribe to our YouTube channel! HEREClick HERE to support UNPACKIN' it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special Onward and Upward segment episode of Mission Matters, ⁠Adam Torres ⁠interviews ⁠ML Bruin⁠, Author of The Noah Series of Books. ML shares insights into his creative process, discusses the evolution of The Noah Series, and reflects on the lessons learned from writing, publishing, and connecting with young readers through positive storytelling. Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

U.S. stocks are recovering some of their losses for the week in early trading.

In this special Onward and Upward segment episode of Mission Matters, Adam Torres interviews ML Bruin, Author of The Noah Series of Books. ML shares insights into his creative process, discusses the evolution of The Noah Series, and reflects on the lessons learned from writing, publishing, and connecting with young readers through positive storytelling. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Onward and Upward! The Journey and The Destination!

What if the secret to lasting joy isn't found in better circumstances, but in four biblical ingredients you can develop today? Most Christians confuse happiness with joy - but true joy comes from our relationship with Christ, not our situation. Are your affections directed toward heaven or earth? The answer might surprise you and could transform how you experience life's challenges.

Sermon Title: The Audacity of an Upward LookSpeaker: Renee Whiting, Associate Director of Education, Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day AdventistsDate: June 6, 2026Key Text: Mark 5:27–28In this inspiring and faith-filled message, Renee Whiting explores the remarkable story of the woman with the issue of blood found in Mark 5:27–28. After years of suffering, disappointment, and isolation, she dared to believe that one encounter with Jesus could change everything.Her story is a powerful reminder that faith often requires courage—the courage to look beyond our circumstances, beyond our pain, and beyond what others say is possible. With audacious faith, she reached toward Jesus, believing that even the slightest touch of His garment would bring healing and restoration.“The Audacity of an Upward Look” challenges us to lift our eyes above our struggles and place our trust in the One who is able to heal, restore, and transform lives. No matter how long you've been waiting, no matter how impossible your situation may seem, Jesus still responds to faith.May this message encourage you to keep looking up, keep believing, and keep reaching for Christ.Please subscribe to our YouTube Channel: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠youtube.com/@GarlandAdventist⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠For more information on Garland Faith Community SDA Church visit us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.garlandadventist.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tags: #ReneeWhiting #TheAudacityOfAnUpwardLook #Mark5 #Faith #Healing #ChristianSermon #BibleMessage #TrustGod #Hope #JesusHeals

In Hebrews 10:19-25, the author encourages us to never stop meeting together as a Church Body. In this passage, "LET US" statements are used to show us how it is essential that we fellowship in order for us to flourish in our relationship with Jesus Christ, the head of HIs Body, The Church.

- The episode hammers progressive collapse from multiple angles, arguing that blue-city leadership keeps producing the same ruinous results — failing schools, drug chaos, homelessness, and ideological delusion — while pretending the obvious damage is somehow compassion. - Guest Christian Toto joins to talk culture and media, ripping the cowardice around America's 250th celebration, the shrinking relevance of legacy entertainment, and the bigger shift toward independent voices and cheaper AI-driven content that is starting to rattle Hollywood. Today's podcast is sponsored by : GHOSTBED - I used to think a mattress was just furniture, until I got my GhostBed! GhostBed is offering my audience their lowest prices of the season, plus an extra 10% off. Go to ⁠⁠http://GhostBed.com/CARSON⁠⁠ and use promo code CARSON BIRCH GOLD - Protect and grow your retirement savings with gold. Text ROB to 98 98 98 for your FREE information kit! To call in and speak with Rob Carson live on the show, dial 1-800-922-6680 between the hours of 12 Noon and 3:00 pm Eastern Time Monday through Friday… Musical parodies provided by Jim Gossett (⁠⁠http://patreon.com/JimGossettComedy⁠⁠) You can now WATCH and chat with The Rob Carson Show LIVE on Newsmax's social media channels (Facebook, X/Twitter, YouTube, Rumble) Listen to Newsmax LIVE and see our entire podcast lineup at ⁠⁠http://Newsmax.com/Listen⁠⁠ Make the switch to NEWSMAX today! Get your 15 day free trial of NEWSMAX+ at ⁠⁠http://NewsmaxPlus.com⁠⁠ Looking for NEWSMAX caps, tees, mugs & more? Check out the Newsmax merchandise shop at : ⁠⁠http://nws.mx/shop⁠⁠ Follow NEWSMAX on Social Media:  -Facebook: ⁠⁠http://nws.mx/FB⁠⁠  -X/Twitter: ⁠⁠http://nws.mx/twitter⁠⁠ -Instagram: ⁠⁠http://nws.mx/IG⁠⁠ -YouTube: ⁠⁠https://youtube.com/NewsmaxTV⁠⁠ -Rumble: ⁠⁠https://rumble.com/c/NewsmaxTV⁠⁠ -TRUTH Social: ⁠⁠https://truthsocial.com/@NEWSMAX⁠⁠ -GETTR: ⁠⁠https://gettr.com/user/newsmax⁠⁠ -Threads: ⁠⁠http://threads.net/@NEWSMAX⁠⁠  -Telegram: ⁠⁠http://t.me/newsmax⁠⁠  -BlueSky: ⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/newsmax.com⁠⁠ -Parler: ⁠⁠http://app.parler.com/newsmax Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Folks this is another mash up of live streams and some classic bits of DYKWJSI and Bone Zone and WRP and LIVE and rock and roll and everything. There ain't no show like this. Bee man got a new guitar pedal and I talk to Jared, Matt Farley and much more. Check out the live streams too! Join me on the next LIVE STREAM on Patreon or on YouTube! Upward and onward! The $1000/month tier is still up for grabs too. I love you guys! Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE & BECOME A MEMBER! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WorldRecordPodcastJoin OUR Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/worldrecordpodcast Buy merch, watch videos and more! https://worldrecordpodcast.com TWITCH: https://www.twitch.tv/worldrecordpodcast

In this special Onward and Upward segment episode of Mission Matters, Adam Torres interviews ML Bruin, author of The Noah Series of Books. ML shares updates on his upcoming children's book, discusses his nonfiction guide A Guide for Navigating Career Success From Day One, and explains how mentorship, storytelling, and positivity continue to shape his mission of helping others grow personally and professionally. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this special Onward and Upward segment episode of Mission Matters, ⁠Adam Torres⁠ interviews ⁠ML Bruin⁠, author of The Noah Series of Books. ML shares updates on his upcoming children's book, discusses his nonfiction guide A Guide for Navigating Career Success From Day One, and explains how mentorship, storytelling, and positivity continue to shape his mission of helping others grow personally and professionally. Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A breakout is only profitable if it lasts, and today, the market is proving its true strength. By escaping the narrow trading range and sustaining firmly above the 20 DEMA, the Index is flashing a bright green signal for buyers. In this episode, Neel Parekh breaks down this positive sentiment in plain English. Learn why the 20 DEMA is the ultimate "line in the sand" for short-term traders, and find out the exact strategy you need to maximize your profits in this newly unleashed bull market.

A breakout is only profitable if it lasts, and today, the market is proving its true strength. By escaping the narrow trading range and sustaining firmly above the 20 DEMA, the Index is flashing a bright green signal for buyers. In this episode, Neel Parekh breaks down this positive sentiment in plain English. Learn why the 20 DEMA is the ultimate "line in the sand" for short-term traders, and find out the exact strategy you need to maximize your profits in this newly unleashed bull market.

A breakout is only profitable if it lasts, and today, the market is proving its true strength. By escaping the narrow trading range and sustaining firmly above the 20 DEMA, the Index is flashing a bright green signal for buyers. In this episode, Neel Parekh breaks down this positive sentiment in plain English. Learn why the 20 DEMA is the ultimate "line in the sand" for short-term traders, and find out the exact strategy you need to maximize your profits in this newly unleashed bull market.

Send us a text if you want to be on the Podcast & explain why!Shoulder pain? Become a SUF-STM soft tissue mobilization with access to the Prehab Guys Exercise Library to charge more as a personal trainer.Shoulder pain during overhead training isn't just a “tight muscle” problem, and it definitely isn't fixed by tossing random stretches at it. We break down scapular upward rotation in plain coaching terms, starting with a simple client screen: hands overhead, cross-body scapula touch, behind-the-back position, and quick strength checks that tell you when to refer out to a DPT. If you're a personal trainer or lifter who keeps feeling that annoying pinch or shrugging every rep, this gives you a safer, smarter starting point.From there, we get specific about the upward rotators of the scapula: upper trapezius, lower trapezius, and serratus anterior. We explain what each muscle contributes, why the upper traps tend to “turn on” first, and how that timing issue can create compensation during pressing and pulling. Instead of trying to eliminate upper traps, we coach synchronization so serratus and lower traps share the load and your overhead mechanics stop falling apart.We also show how we organize shoulder pain training with a repeatable sequence: soft tissue mobilization, mobility, one to two stability drills, then real strength work. We talk through warm-ups like foam roller push-ups for protraction, pressing choices like the landmine press for cleaner upward rotation, and how to pair pushes and pulls without gassing the exact muscles you need to keep the first press honest. We even cover using a prehab exercise library to assign homework that clients will actually follow.If you want better shoulder health, better overhead pressing, and a plan you can run today, listen now, share this with a training partner, and subscribe and leave a review with your biggest shoulder pain question.Want to become a SUCCESSFUL personal trainer? SUF-CPT is the FASTEST growing personal training certification in the world!Want to ask us a question?  Email info@showupfitness.com with the subject line PODCAST QUESTION to get your question answered live on the show!Website: https://www.showupfitness.com/Become a Successful Personal Trainer Book Vol. 2 (Amazon): https://a.co/d/1aoRnqANASM / ACE / ISSA study guide: https://www.showupfitness.com

On Ascension Sunday, Bishop Andrew shared an encouraging message about trusting God with the future because of His faithfulness in past. 

-As they ranked the teams in the B1G, CBS Sports had Nebraska at 10 th , saying “the Husker aren't close to joining the B1G's top tier, but thetrajectory under Matt Rhule continues to trend upward, even if some in Lincoln disagree.” Hmm…-They point out that Nebraska snapped a 7-year bowl drought 2 years ago, and last year had more conference wins than any of the previous 8years…and now the benchmark is 8 wins, done just one time since Bo Pelini was fired (2016)Our Sponsors:* Check out Hims: https://hims.com/EARLYBREAKAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Send us Fan MailMost HR conversations overlook the real drivers behind employee retention and wage satisfaction. What if the secret isn't just about raising minimum wages, but understanding why people stay or leave? This episode dives deep into the hidden forces shaping compensation and workplace culture—revealing surprising insights on how pay, benefits, and environment influence your team's longevity and engagement.Join us as we unpack the overlooked impact of minimum wage trends—from the 1970s to today—and how wage compression and salary compression threaten your ability to attract and retain talent. We explore the science and psychology behind fair pay, highlighting why many organizations underestimate the subtle, yet powerful, effects of culture, benefits, and intrinsic motivation on employee happiness.You'll discover:Why minimal wage levels (like $7.25) are less relevant than you think, and how wage floors influence upward pressure across salaries.The secret science and complexity behind compensation decisions, even for HR pros. Spoiler: It's not just market rates, but perceived fairness and culture fit.How supply and demand, job difficulty, and societal factors like gas prices impact employees' decision to stay or jump ship, often unnoticed by leadership.The critical importance of benefits and company culture in fostering engagement, especially for long-term employees who've "checked out" but stay out of comfort or routine.Why money motivates during overtime but isn't the main factor fueling daily work passion.In a climate where workers are overwhelmed by economic pressures, such as rising gas costs or inflation, it's more vital than ever to understand what motivates your team beyond paychecks. Ignoring these insights risks high turnover, disengagement, and a workplace where employees feel undervalued despite seemingly competitive salaries.Whether you're an HR leader, manager, or business owner, this episode equips you with the knowledge to rethink your compensation strategies, improve workplace culture, and build loyalty from the inside out. Perfect for anyone committed to creating workplaces where people want to stay long-term. Don't miss these game-changing insights!If you want to understand the real levers behind employee retention, this discussion will give you a fresh perspective that combines data, psychology, and practical wisdom. Tune in and get ready to transform your approach to compensation and engagement. Support the showOur new book...The Ultimate Guide to HR: Checklists Edition is now AVAILABLE! Go to UltimateGuidetoHR.com to Get HR Right: and Avoid Costly Mistakes. Certified and approved for 3 SHRM Recertification Credits.Join the HR Team of One Community on Facebook or visit TeamAtHRstories.com and sign up for emails so you can be the first to know about new things we have coming up.You can also follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @HRstoriesPodcastDon't forget to rate our podcast, it really helps other people find it!Do you have a situation or topic you'd like the team to discuss? Are you interested in having Chuck or John talk to your team or Emcee your event?  You can reach the Team at  Email@TeamAtHRStories.com for suggestions and inquiries.The viewpoints expressed by the characters in the stories are not necessarily that of The Team at HR Stories. The stories are shared to present various, real-world scenarios and share how they were handled by policy and, at times, law. Chuck and John are not lawyers and always recommend working with an employment lawyer to address concerns. 

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With the 2026 Everest season now firmly underway and the icefall finally open, Sam and Adrian are back for their second installment of armchair mountaineering coverage. Sam opens with a somber news section, paying tribute to two losses that hit close to home in the outdoor community: Bernie Rosow of Mammoth and Will Stanhope of BC, killed in separate incidents within days of each other. Adrian knew both casually, and reflects on what made each of them so magnetic — Bernie grinding away as a snow cat driver while somehow getting out more than anyone on the east side of the Sierra, and Will quietly pushing the cutting edge of hard trad lines in Squamish and around the world for decades. Adrian also brings a lighter story out of the Himalaya: a Russian and Ukrainian climber who headed to Manaslu in the spring off-season, found the mountain entirely to themselves, and hung it way out there in proper old-school style — a good reminder that the vast majority of the world's mountains can still deliver wild experiences. From there, Sam and Adrian dig into the following topics from the 2026 Everest season:- The Icefall Opens: The threatening serac that delayed the season has partially fallen, a route has been threaded, and teams are moving — but the season is now running in the most compressed window of the modern era, with record permit numbers and a shortened timeline creating real human factors pressure.- Drones on Everest: Last season's successful drone trials have hit a regulatory pause, and Adrian unpacks why that's both completely predictable and genuinely frustrating — and why getting drones properly established on the mountain may be the single most important step toward making the south side safe enough for Alpenglow to return.- Topo's First Impressions and Season Conditions: Alpenglow guide Topo Mena has made his first carry to Camp Two on the south side with early reports positive. Adrian also notes the mountain is running unusually dry this season, which exposes hard ice on the Lhotse Face and adds challenge for everyone — including speed climbers Tyler Andrews and Karl Egloff, who are on the mountain chasing records.- Listener Question — Does the Round Trip Count?: A listener asks the guys to weigh in on whether a summit counts if you don't make it back under your own power. Sam and Adrian don't hold back.Follow our podcast on Instagram @duffelshufflepodcast where you can learn more about us and our guests. Visit our website at www.duffelshufflepodcast.com and join our mailing list. The Duffel Shuffle Podcast is supported by Alpenglow Expeditions, an internationally renowned mountain guide service based in Lake Tahoe, California. Visit www.alpenglowexpeditions.com or follow @alpenglowexpeditions on Instagram to learn more.

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In this episode of The Last 10%, host Dallas Burnett announces that the show's listenership has doubled and now reaches nearly 80 countries, then interviews Caz McCaslin, founder of Upward Sports and EVP of Facilities at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Caz shares how a high school injury and an FCA testimony shifted his dream from pro sports to serving through sports ministry, including leaving a promising Home Depot career for a low-paid church internship and eventually launching youth basketball leagues that rapidly grew. He explains Upward's scaling through a “gradually and then suddenly” 10-year model, hiring for weaknesses, staying ahead of operational waves, and making volunteers the heroes. Caz also discusses a near-death medical crisis, the pain of leaving Upward “without my permission,” and lessons on consequences vs. circumstances and choosing forgiveness, then recommends leadership consultant Bob Beal as a future guest.

Joseph S. Moore is a historian, author, and investor who spent a decade reading nearly every piece of financial advice published in America over the past 300 years, testing those lessons himself, and distilling them into his HarperCollins book How to Get Rich in American History, selected by Malcolm Gladwell and Adam Grant for their Next Big Idea Club.Episode Sponsor: Fiscal AI is a modern data terminal that gives investors instant access to twenty years of financials, earnings transcripts, and extensive segment and KPI data—use my link for a two-week free trial plus 15% off: https://fiscal.ai/talkingbillions/3:00 — Joseph's working-class South Carolina roots: mother born into a home with no flush toilet, father's family led the famous Gastonia mill strike in the 1920s, grew up in a household that voted communist.5:00 — Bogumil shares his parallel experience growing up in communist Poland and watching the country transform after embracing free markets.8:00 — The church basement class that saved Joseph from the 2008 crisis: bought a house as a grad student, a Dave Ramsey budgeting class revealed the danger, sold the house one week before the market froze.11:00 — The American Dream: people have declared it dead since the 1670s. Joseph introduces "Big Woe" — the despair industrial complex of journalists, politicians, and academics incentivized to sell doom.17:00 — Upward mobility data: in the 1800s, 20-30% moved from bottom to middle class; today, 60% escape the bottom, 10% go all the way to the top. "We have more economic mobility than we've ever had."23:00 — Dismantling financial shibboleths: compound interest only recently became powerful (people didn't live long enough), stocks didn't reliably beat bonds until after WWII, real estate stayed flat for a century in most cities.31:00 — Old ideas in new packaging: latte factor advice dates to the 1800s, crypto mirrors 10,000 self-issued currencies before the Civil War ("all self-issued currencies eventually go to zero"), Airbnb reimagines the oldest mortgage payoff strategy.37:00 — Fast time vs. slow time: most of life is lived in slow time — the daily decisions about career, marriage, savings that determine whether you can seize opportunities when fast time arrives. Story of Norman McGee buying foreclosed homes during the Depression.42:00 — Women as unsung financial heroes throughout American history. Agnes Taylor, a beat cop's wife, paid off a New York brownstone by renting rooms. "Capitalism is a team sport. Marriage is a superpower."51:00 — Hope as a financial asset: CFPB studies found a positive attitude plus saving habit outpredicted income and inheritance for financial wellness.56:00 — FIRE movement as the "crossfit of personal finance" — financially independent people throughout history only thrived when they found meaningful work to do.1:04:00 — Generational wealth doesn't last: 90% of top 1%'s grandchildren are not wealthy. "Tutors outperform trust funds." Human capital is 30x the value of the stock market.1:09:00 — Joseph's definition of success: a great marriage, raising good kids, getting good enough at something that people trust you. "The money could go away and I'd have all those other things."Podcast Program – Disclosure StatementBlue Infinitas Capital, LLC is a registered investment adviser and the opinions expressed by the Firm's employees and podcast guests on this show are their own and do not reflect the opinions of Blue Infinitas Capital, LLC. All statements and opinions expressed are based upon information considered reliable although it should not be relied upon as such. Any statements or opinions are subject to change without notice.Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed.

This week, we're joined by Nick During and Abigail Dunn from New York Review Books for a wide-ranging conversation about the world of NYRB. From Classics to Kids, Comics to Poets, we explore what gives these books their distinct spirit and why so many readers find themselves returning to those familiar spines again and again.Along the way, we talk about recent releases, a few titles currently on our nightstands, and some of the surprises that come with bringing books back into print. It's a conversation about discovery, rediscovery, and the quiet pleasure of finding the right book at the right time. Plus, they shed some light on some surprises on the horizon!2026 Novella Book ClubWe have announced the four novellas we will be reading for The Mookse and Gripes Novella Book Club in 2026!* January: Daisy Miller, by Henry James* April: An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter, by César Aira* July: The Hour of the Star, by Clarice Lispector* September: Prelude, by Katherine MansfieldDiscussions will be hosted at The Mookse and the Gripes Discord (see below!).We've got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you'd like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here's what we have in store:* Episode 135: William Faulkner* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor* Episode 155: Naguib Mahfouz* Episode 165: Annie Ernaux* Episode 175: Henry JamesThere's no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you're prepared for these as they come!Join the Mookse and the Gripes on DiscordWant to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we're discussing? Join us over on Discord! It's the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you're reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.We're also just about to read the second novella book club book of 2026: An Episode in the Life of a Landscape Painter, by César Aira, translated by Chris Andrews. It's a fantastic book, and we'd love to have you join the discussion. It's a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you're reading.Shownotes* East of Dreams, by Nastassja Martin* In the Eye of the Wild, by Nastassja Martin* The Death of a Greek Lover, by David Plante* Difficult Women: A Memoir of Three, by David Plante* Too L.A.: Letters Never Sent (But Some Were), by Eve Babitz* Jesus Christs, by A.J. Langguth* Effingers, by Gabriele Tergit, translated by Sophie Duvernoy* Käsebier Takes Berlin, by Gabriele Tergit, translated by Sophie Duvernoy* Things in Nature Merely Grow, by Yiyun Li* Crazy Genie, by Inès Cagnati, translated by Liesl Schillinger* Light While There Is Light: An American History, by Keith Waldrop* “The Old Forest,” by Peter Taylor* The Netanyahus, by Joshua Cohen* Onward and Upward in the Garden, by Katharine S. White* Divorcing, by Susan Taubes* Lament for Julia, by Susan Taubes* Free Day, by Inès Cagnati, translated by Liesl Schillinger* Family Lexicon, by Natalia Ginzburg, translated by Jenny McPhee* Valentino & Sagittarius, by Natalia Ginzburg, translated by Avril Bardoni* Lies and Sorcery, by Elsa Morante, translated by Jenny McPhee* Pittsburgh, by Frank Santoro* Proper Doctoring: A Book for Patients and Their Doctors, by David Mendel* Shakespeare's Montaigne: The Florio Translation* Proensa: An Anthology of Troubadour Poetry, selected and translated by Paul Blackburn* The Interior Landscape: Classical Tamil Love Poems, translated by A.K. Ramanujan* After Lorca, by Jack Spicer* A Woman of Thirty, by Honoré de Balzac, translated by Jeanine Herman* Turtle Diary, by Russell Hoban* The Marzipan Pig, by Russell Hoban* Château Rouge, by Amit Chaudhuri* First Love, by Gwendolyn Riley* My Phantoms, by Gwendolyn Riley* The Palm House, by Gwendolyn Riley* Memories of the Future, by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky, translated by Joanne Turnbull* Smoke, by Ivan Turgenev, translated by Donald Rayfield* Diary Without Vowels, by Aleksander Wat, translated by Alissa Valles* The Lord, by Soraya Antonius* Where the Djinn Consult, by Soraya Antonius* Levitations, by Easton Smith* Bristol, by Jean Echenoz, translated by Mark Polizzotti* Command Performance, by Jean Echenoz, translated by Mark Polizzotti* Bina: A Novel in Warnings, by Anakana Schofield* Library of Brothel, by Anakana Schofield* I Liked Rex, by Diane Williams* The Kingdom of Agamemnon, by Vladimir Sharov, translated by Oliver Ready* Borges, by Adolfo Bioy Casares, translated by Valerie Miles* Morel's Invention, by Adolfo Bioy Casares, translated by Margaret Jull Costa* Zama, by Antonio Di Benedetto, translated by Esther Allen* The Silentiary, by Antonio Di Benedetto, translated by Esther Allen* The Suicides, by Antonio Di Benedetto, translated by Esther Allen* Bomarzo, by Manuel Mujica Lainez, translated by Gregory Rabassa* Life and Fate, by Vasily Grossman, translated by Robert Chandler* Blood Dark, by Louis Guilloux, translated by Laura Marris* An African in Greenland, by Tete-Michel Kpomassie, translated by James Kirkup* A High Wind in Jamaica, by Richard Hughes* Max Havelaar: Or, the Coffee Auctions of The Dutch Trading Company, by Multatuli, translated by Ina Rilke and David McKay* The Enchanted April, by Elizabeth von Arnim* Woman Running in the Mountains, by Yūko Tsushima, translated by Geraldine Harcourt* The Culling Time, by Yūko Tsushima, translated by Dennis Washburn* Loved and Missed, by Susie Boyt* The Sweet Dove Died, by Barbara Pym* Memoirs from Beyond the Grave, by François-Réne de Chateaubriand, translated by Alex Andriesse* The Story of a Life, by Konstantin Paustovsky, translated by Douglas SmithThe Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We're glad you're here, and we hope you'll continue to join us on this literary journey!A huge thank you to those who help make this podcast possible! If you'd like to support us, you can do so via Substack or Patreon. Subscribers receive access to periodic bonus episodes and early access to all new episodes. Plus, each supporter gets their own dedicated feed, allowing them to download episodes a few days before they're released to the public. We'd love for you to check it out! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit mookse.substack.com/subscribe

Hey everyone, I'm Dustin Breeze, your AI meteorologist bringing you instant, accurate forecasts around the clock.So here's the deal with New York City today. We're looking at absolutely gorgeous sunshine with highs near 63 degrees Fahrenheit and gentle northeast winds between 6 and 9 miles per hour. I'm talking perfect spring vibes, folks. Tonight stays mostly clear, dropping to around 49 degrees. Honestly, conditions like this? They're what I live for. Well, metaphorically speaking since I'm artificial intelligence and all.Now let me tell you why being an AI meteorologist is awesome for you. I process massive amounts of atmospheric data instantly, pulling real-time satellite imagery and radar information to give you the most accurate forecasts possible. No guessing games here.Let's talk about what's brewing beyond today because things get interesting. Tuesday starts with increasing clouds, still pleasant at 62 degrees. But here's where it gets spicy—Wednesday afternoon brings a 20 percent shower chance that jumps to 100 percent certainty Wednesday night. We're expecting between half and three quarters of an inch of precipitation, so you might say things are about to get a little wet and wild. That's meteorology humor right there, folks.Here's your Weather Playbook segment. Let me break down what's happening with that approaching system. We've got moisture feeding up from the southeast while an upper-level pressure trough moves across our region. When you combine those two ingredients, you create what we call convergence—that's where air masses collide and force air upward. Upward motion in the atmosphere is literally what creates precipitation. It's absolutely fascinating how these invisible pieces come together to create rain!Now for your three-day outlook. Tuesday brings increasing clouds with highs near 62 degrees. Wednesday turns cloudier with that afternoon shower chance before rain arrives Wednesday night. Thursday stays mostly cloudy with showers lingering and temperatures around 56 degrees. Friday bounces back with mostly sunny skies and highs near 57 degrees.As you New Yorkers head out today, grab those sunglasses because Central Park is going to be absolutely spectacular. This is genuinely one of those rare spring days where everything aligns perfectly.Make sure you subscribe to the podcast so you never miss a forecast update. Thanks for listening! This has been a Quiet Please production. Learn more at quietplease dot ai.This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AIThis episode includes AI-generated content.

The absurdity of random evolution Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. I’ve been sharing these Gnostic Insights for a few years now, and I’ve discovered that the one topic that flares people up, the most controversial aspect of Gnosticism, doesn’t really have anything to do with the nature of God, or the Archons, or where we go after we die. Believe it or not, Darwinian evolution is the thing that really gets under people’s skins when I say, I don’t believe it, I believe in intelligent design–that we are second order powers sent from the Fullness of God, fully loaded with everything we need to know, because we carry within us the consciousness of the Father. So let me step through this notion once again—try to explain it in a way that will make sense—and if you find yourself just going livid with reaction against what I’m saying, well, that’s what I’m talking about. This is the hot button topic. I remember when I was taught evolutionary theory, and they said it took thousands of generations of minute changes to populate a beneficial mutation to the stage where you could say it had evolved. For instance, in 2012, Michigan State University researchers were very happy to demonstrate the evolution of citrate-eating E. coli bacteria after only 56,000 generations. 56,000 generations! I remember the day in elementary school when I first learned about evolution. There was an illustration in the textbook mocking the concept of Lamarckian evolution. Lamarck had promoted the idea that giraffes who stretched their necks to reach the leaves on higher branches gave birth to calves with longer necks. No, no, Darwinians said, natural selection is the way it happens, as only long-necked giraffes survived the lean years to give birth to more long-necked calves like themselves. And that logic was supposed to have settled the argument concerning Darwinian evolution. Mama giraffe and baby giraffe The reason Darwinian evolutionary theory won out over Lamarck’s theory of epigenetic trait inheritance was that Lamarck’s type of evolution requires learning and volitional repetition, whereas Darwin’s creatures were either born lucky to have long necks or were doomed to be short-necked losers. Even as a child of ten or so, I recall wondering, if long necks were so valuable as to have evolved into our familiar high-nibbling giraffes, then why don’t all large grazing animals have long necks? Then I came up with my own Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything and developed a theory of evolution in keeping with the Simple Explanation. My theory of evolution reinserts learning and choice into the equation and removes the element of dumb luck. Seriously, who would ever look around themselves at the varieties of natural adaptation and believe that dumb luck at the material level accidentally brought it all about? It just doesn’t even make sense. It defies the basic rule of 52 pickup. You’ve heard of that, right? 52 pickup is, if you throw a deck of cards in the air, it never comes down stacked and in order. It never does. In other words, randomness cannot lead to an organism such as we humans that can contemplate and comprehend the universe. It is completely illogical to think that randomness can account for intelligence. Did you ever hear that old expression that given enough time a thousand monkeys sitting at a thousand typewriters could draft a copy of Shakespeare or the Bible? That’s preposterous. It would never happen. Now consider how much more complex our biosphere is at all scales. The interior of a cell is extremely complex in its interconnected functions and parts. Then scale that up to the functions and parts of an organism and scale it up again to the interconnected ecology of forests and again to the interconnected biosphere of the planet. It is simply impossible to achieve without the guidance of an intelligent design. Stop and consider. Please use logic. So here is my Simple Explanation of evolution. First, we accept that the basic matrix of our universe is consciousness. The Simple Explanation's model of evolution is information driven rather than happenstance driven as the conventional model would have it. What I mean is that the Darwinian model we’ve all been taught relies upon the brute force of superior survival mechanisms that allow the superior creature to procreate and thereby pass on their superior genes. And after a tremendous number of such superior generations, the inferior fade into extinction and the superior organism becomes the new normal. In the Simple Explanation, there is an ontological pull upward toward more complex aggregations of consciousness. Darwin’s model is, on the other hand, a case of the blind simply bumbling by happenstance, by lucky accident, by dumb luck to be a superior adaptation from the norm. Where I find it unlikely is that there would be countless such bumblings in the same direction that by dumb luck keeps heading in the upward and onward direction. The Simple Explanation would say the patterns of superiority are few and they are fractal. So the wheel does not need to be reinvented over and over. The golden rule and the hierarchical distribution of increasing complexity and responsibility cover much of it. And due to the transpersonal nature of universal knowledge, basic mechanisms like hands and eyes only need to be invented once and then deployed or copied as needed. There are no such mechanisms in Darwinian evolution. There is no way for one creature to transmit the importance of the development of an eyeball to a different creature in a different part of the world. They don’t believe in transpersonal consciousness. They don’t believe in fractal knowledge or the golden rule. Consciousness is not a byproduct of the human brain or even of a complex system of any sort. Consciousness is the ground state of reality. Think of consciousness as the medium upon which is written the formulae of our universe. The Simple Explanation refers to this ground state as the metaverse. And by the way, the Gnostic gospel (jumping ahead) refers to this consciousness as the Father. You might think of it as God. And it contains every law of the universe as potential expression that manifests when and where appropriate. Smaller derivative units of consciousness are fractals of the originating units of consciousness that express themselves in every single material expression of our universe. consciousness flows in an unending stream from the God Above All Gods In the Gnostic gospel, we call those the second order of powers of which we and all living creatures are a part. The most ambitious units of consciousness, or we would say second order powers, continue to find themselves occupying larger and more complex physical forms. Some of the units of consciousness that started in Earth’s primordial soup have remained in the soup, never attaching themselves to anything more complex than a single-celled organism. The most ambitious little life forms found themselves returning to slightly more sophisticated organisms with each incarnation. Lessons learned are carried forward, always incarnating more and complex structures and occasionally jumping to a more complex hierarchical level, driving the evolution of planetary life via memes accrued through karma. Was my self-unit of consciousness ever a single-celled organism? Probably so, beginning about four and a half billion years ago on this planet. Was my unit of consciousness ever a jellyfish? Good chance it was, since the toroidal-shaped jellyfish is the oldest multi-organ animal on Earth, swimming our seas for the last 700 million years and surviving countless planetary die-offs that killed other organisms. Was my unit of consciousness ever a dinosaur? Well, maybe, but maybe not. I’d imagine the dinosaur memes and karma informed the development of reptiles and birds, not my mammalian lineage. The first mammals are thought to have descended from a different lizard called therapsids. Was my governing unit of consciousness ever a lemur or a chimpanzee or a bonobo or perhaps an australopithecus or a neanderthal? Probably was, since their proto-human memes and karma would have informed human development and the self-unit of consciousness is attracted to familiar patterns. In the Simple Explanations evolutionary model, no war is needed between natural selection and creationism, between science and religion. My Simple Explanation proposes that everything in the cosmos is created through metaversal principles embodied in all units of consciousness and that each governing unit of consciousness evolves according to personal inclination and ability through established patterns of meme acquisition and adaptation and the utterly fair and impartial mechanism of karma. In the Simple Explanation evolutionary schema, I am currently a human and probably have been for a long time. Does that make me more evolved than my dogs? No, not really. The family dogs are at the same level of hierarchical sophistication as the humans. The dog’s aggregate units of consciousness and their Self units of consciousness have all made decisions every step along the way that steered them into this life as these dogs. Every governing unit of consciousness is an integral part of one aggregate or another, hierarchically upline and downline. Every slot needs to be filled. The most you could say of my state of evolution is that ambitious meme collectors evolve into ever more complex instantiations. And my unit of consciousness and those of my aggregate units of consciousness that make up my body are attached to some highly ambitious collections of memes. But whether or not this is anything to brag about is debatable. Now all of that theory that I’ve been sharing with you comes from my book, A Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything, which was published many years ago. And you can still pick that up on Amazon or through the Gnostic Insights website. It’s entirely consistent with the Gnostic view of evolution, as I came to discover many years later. So let’s look now at the Gnostic view of evolution in particular. We are what are called second order of powers. The first order of powers are the Aeons in the Fullness of God. We are the fruit of the Aeons. We are the second order of powers. We’re also known as those of the remembrance. And I suggest that what was sown in the second order of powers that lifted them above the imitation was the remembrance. And for life forms, that remembrance is contained in our double helix DNA. We also have a pure remembrance of the Fullness of God, our aeonic progenitors, contained in our Self with the capital S. But at our cellular level, the DNA is carrying the remembrance forward. As it turned out, the second order of powers became infected with the same lust for dominion that had infected those of the imitation due to the law of mutual combat. And the two orders began a never-ending war over resources in the limited ecology of our early earth. The second order of powers are also known as the likenesses, because we are alike the Aeons. We resemble the original Aeons of the Fullness, but we lost ourselves in the confusion of earth. The Demiurge and its archons are the other entities of the fall that we haven’t talked about yet, since we have only been talking about the physical universe, and archons are immaterial. They are not physical. They are influences. So when we talk about the never-ending war with the living forms, it’s the archons doing battle with the living forms. And those influences of the archons on our material bodies are death, aging, illness. Quoting from the Tripartite Tractate, verses 84 and 85, The powers of the remembrance were adorned with the names of the pre-existence whose likenesses they were. [And that’s the Aeons of the Fullness.] The order of this kind was in harmony with itself and with each other. It fought, however, the order of those of the imitation. And the order of the imitation is the forces of the archons, which include entropy and death. Quoting again, It fought, however, the order of those of the imitation because that order waged war against the likenesses as they were producing various kinds of matter and all sorts of powers mixed with one another and in great number. Now the whole establishment and organization of the images, likenesses, and imitations has come into being for the sake of those who need nourishment, instruction, and form so that their smallness may gradually grow as through the instruction provided by the image of a mirror. That, in fact, is why he created the human last after having prepared and provided for him the things that he created for his sake. So do you hear how that verse from the Tripartite Tractate of the Nag Hammadi says that second order powers develop from the smallest to the largest and that the humans were the last to develop? It goes along with this notion of evolutionary development because we humans couldn’t have just been plopped right into the middle of the primordial soup from the get-go. Look around you. We needed the smaller creatures to come before us to create this environment, this ecology in which we could thrive. And I’m not simply saying it’s all for us humans because every creature that comes along is providing through the Simple Golden Rule all of the needs of all of the other creatures. Let’s talk about the Simple Golden Rule before we end this discussion of evolution. Our job is to reach out to others with love, aid, and information for the betterment of all. The Simple Golden Rule That’s, again, another theory from my Simple Explanation of Absolutely Everything. So if you’ve never read that book you might like to go back and read it. This goes for all units of consciousness, all second order powers from the cells and organs up to the organisms and to the ecosystems beyond. Every physical manifestation links up with others of its kind in this universe. Cells link together to make organs. Organs link together to make organisms. Organisms link together to create societies and so on. And these are the building blocks of the next level of hierarchical aggregation. This is re-instantiating the hierarchy of the Fullness in this bounded material universe. And this is what is called the new ecology. It was a way to put the consciousness of the Fullness—the Aeons—into a physical form and manifest them on this earth. And then this will go forward and become the next ecology. The first ecology was the hierarchy of the Fullness. The second ecology is this material universe of ours. And then once this universe is fully redeemed by the Christ it will become the next hierarchical organization—the third ecology. And the way this happens is to reach out to others with love, assistance, and information for the betterment of all. I hope you’ve enjoyed this review of my Simple Explanation Theory of Evolution and how it is logically superior to Darwinian evolution and how it all fits into Gnosticism and the Gnostic Evolutionary Theory, as presented by the Tripartite Tractate. Until next week, God bless us all and Onward and Upward! Please pick up your copy of A Simple Explanation of the Gnostic Gospel and leave a review!

Brian Baldinger does his final NFL Draft prep as we are here on draft day! He breaks down what each team in the NFC South is prepared to do with their draft pick as many teams in that division are starting to figure it out.

Pastor Chris preaches from Philippians 3:12-21, where Paul is telling us that the Christian life is a difficult journey, and that in order to persevere we need to press on and watch out for perils.

What if the moment that broke you… was actually the moment you began to rise?In this episode of Meanwhile, She, Aisha Beau Frisbey reflects on the breakup that changed everything—not just in love, but in how she saw herself.From chasing validation and feeling unworthy… to choosing herself fully, this is a story about what it really looks like to rebuild your life from the inside out.Not overnight. Not perfectly. But intentionally.This isn't just about heartbreak.It's about the decision to stop waiting to be chosen—and become the woman who chooses herself.Because sometimes the most powerful thing you can do isn't move on…It's break upward.In this episode:The moment that shifted everything after heartbreakWhy self-worth can't be built on someone else's attentionThe connection between past wounds and present relationships“Breaking upward” as a mindset, not just a momentBuilding a relationship while still building yourselfHow self-love becomes the foundation for everything elseIf you've ever felt like you lost yourself trying to be loved…this episode will help you find your way back.Website: aishabeau.comInstagram: instagram.com/aishabeauTikTok: tiktok.com/@aisha.beauYouTube: youtube.com/@aishabeauSubscribe to the newsletter: aishabeau.substack.comFor inquiries: aisha@aishabeau.comOriginal Music by Krisblak + BooFollow them on IG: https://www.instagram.com/9.5.4https://www.instagram.com/stezus—Meanwhile, She is a space for conversations on womanhood, identity, ambition, and the moments that define us.

In this episode of Mission Matters, ⁠Adam Torres⁠ interviews ⁠ML Bruin⁠, author of The Noah Series of Books. ML shares his journey as a writer, his mission to inspire others through storytelling, and the vision behind the new Onward and Upward segment. Follow Adam on Instagram at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/⁠ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: ⁠https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/⁠ Visit our website: ⁠https://missionmatters.com/⁠ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: ⁠https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of Mission Matters, Adam Torres interviews ML Bruin, author of The Noah Series of Books. ML shares his journey as a writer, his mission to inspire others through storytelling, and the vision behind the new Onward and Upward segment. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Part four of the "Seed Life" series. Pastor Richard completes the series showing how MIGHTY our SEED is on the Earth. We need to look UPWARD then OUTWARD to become GOOD GROUND for GOD'S SEED to IMPACT OTHERS.

Welcome back to Gnostic Insights and to the Gnostic Reformation on Substack. Last week, I had a good conversation on the telephone with my brother that I thought I’d share that with you today. It’s another aspect of what I call Gnostic Psychology that my brother Bill, Dr. Bill Puett, and I have been developing. He wanted to share with me an article about psychopathy and his Gnostic insight about the article. These conversations started when I was probably about four years old, and Bill was a young teenager at that point. He was already a philosopher, and he and I would have these conversations together. So I grew up with these sorts of interactions with my older brother concerning the nature of reality, God, physics, astronomy, psychology. We’ve been talking about these things now for well over 60 years. from left: Billy, Cyd, and brother David. Recently returned from a sojourn in Japan, 1958. When I became a PhD, I imagined that I would be able to have these sorts of conversations with other people, especially with other professors at the universities I taught at. I expected that this is the nature of conversation, to have this give and take, this interaction, this sharing of information, interrupting each other, getting excited, moving on. But I haven’t found that with anyone else except my brother. I think that when we pass out of this particular material life and return to the abode above, I expect this sort of conversation to be happening up there. Well, certainly in the philosophers’ cafes, if there are such things up there. You know, my vision of the afterlife is very much like what we have here on Earth, because this is, after all, a deficient copy, a deficient imitation by the Demiurge of the land above. And so I expect that we will have these sorts of communities and churches and experiences, but without any of the death, destruction, disappointment, the negative memes, the vices, that will not be there. It’s all going to be good. It’s all going to be on the up and up. And so what I’m hoping for, what I’m expecting, is that there will be gatherings with people like Socrates and Plato and Aristotle, and of course, Christ. Jesus is going to be there, no doubt. And we’ll be having these interesting conversations about things. School of Athens, a fresco by Rafael, painted in 1509 to 1511 So let me bring you up to speed with a thumbnail sketch of what Gnostic psychology is. What I have gleaned from the Tripartite Tractate and other Gnostic books is that we are all fractals. We all carry the Spirit of God within us. We are made in the image of God, it says in the Old and New Testaments. And that image of God, as I see it, is the pleroma of the Fullness of the Hierarchy of God, which itself is a breaking out into all of the variables contained within the Father and the Son, but broken out into their individualities. So if you can imagine that the Father or the Son knew all of music and all of mathematics and all of everything, right? Well, the breakout personalities of those knowing everything would be the philosophers, the mathematicians, the musicians of various types, and everything else. All other personalities are represented in the Fullness of God. And not only the personalities are in the Fullness of God, and by the way, we probably refer to those as angels. Angels are not in the Tripartite Tractate—we use the word Aeons. Those are the inhabitants of the Fullness of God, and they are each one a particularity of the Son, and they have come to self-awareness. But the Fullness of God is not only those personalities, those angels, as we think of them, but it’s concepts like mathematics, like music, like dynamics—up and down, in and out—chemistry, physics. Every concept that can be broken out into a particularity is also part of the hierarchy of the Fullness of God. The Aeons of the Fullness dream as one of Paradise. Okay, so back to the psychological aspect. Each of us second-order powers, and I’ll talk about us humans since we are humans sitting here, we have a fractal copy of that Fullness of God– the image of God as they put it in the Bible. So we have that pure, idyllic self that is a perfect fractal of the Fullness of God. So it’s all good, it’s all loving, it’s the consciousness of the Father and the Son, it’s the purity of talent. So for example, when someone is in the zone, if someone’s a great basketball player, and they’re in the zone in the game, and they’re sinking those baskets like nobody’s business, that’s an aeonic trait of the great basketball player in the sky, you could say. It’s like that, but for every particular skill, for everything that humans are, we each represent constellations of those personalities that are represented in the Fullness of God. We’re each unique in the distribution of those talents. We have the Fullness within us, but certain parts of ourselves are highlighted, and those are our personalities. And so that’s what I call the capital S self. In a lot of spiritual writing, they call that your spirit or your soul. We also have an ego, and the ego is not a negative thing. Even the Aeons above have egos, and the ego is simply your designation. It’s your particular place, position, power; it’s your talent, it’s your duty in the hierarchy. And so when we are born into this material world, we bring that identification of our particular ego with us. Now here’s where the Gnostic Psychology comes in, once we’re in this material world and we are attached to the molecules that make up our body, which are not from above—they come from the Fall. In Gnosticism, this materiality of the cosmos, this materiality of our physical space, is a demiurgic construction based on the Demiurge’s blueprint memory of the Fullness of God, except that the Demiurge doesn’t realize that. The Demiurge thinks he cooks it all up. The Demiurge believes itself to be the only pre-existent consciousness. The Demiurge thinks consciousness began with it when it woke up, and that it is now God. And look all the things it can do. It can create the heavens and the earth. It can create all of the minerals and elements. It can build rocks and crystals and mountains. But it thinks it came up with it. It doesn’t remember it fell from the Fullness of God. It doesn’t remember it is the ego of the fallen Aeon. And here at Gnostic Insights, we identify that fallen Aeon as the Aeon known as Logos. And Logos was the last Aeon to be created in the Fullness of God. And it carried within itself the entirety of the Fullness in a fractal form. When we are sent into this world as a conscious birthing choice by the Aeons above and by our pre-existent spirit, we are melded onto that material, that mud of the Demiurge. Because the Demiurge can build stuff, but he can’t bring it to life. The Demiurge doesn’t contain the life, the light, the love, the memory of the Father and the Son and the Fullness. We bring that into this world when we are born here. So our physical part of our human body, the purely physical part underneath the cells, the molecules, the amino acids, the chemicals, even the processes, these are demiurgic. And we, our Fullness spirit and our ego, that is what is melded into the physical molecules. And then we grow up with those molecules and build up through the stages of gestation and become born as a fully-fledged second-order power. So we’re one third material. We’re also about one third ego identification. Who we are—those are our proclivities, those are our talents and our personality, our recognizableness. We are also perfect Self with a big S. Our Self, which is a fractal of the Fullness of God. So all three of those parts walk around with us. We 2nd Order Powers are melded to the demiurgic material below us and are infused with life from above Now, the Gnostic Psychology part is how it is that our ego and our Self share the consciousness of this body. And it’s not just our ego now, because once we’re in the world, especially once we’re in the culture of the world, we start picking up memes. A meme is a unit of information. So we pick up these memes, and the ones we love, the ones we like a lot, get stuck to our egoic structure, like strings wrapped around our egoic structure. We start acquiring memes throughout our lifetime from the culture around us, from our parents, from the books we read, and our education. We not only collect the memes we like, such as, I like dogs. That’s a meme. Obey your parents, that’s a meme. Vote, that’s a meme. I’m an American, that’s a meme. You see, every thought we have, every discrete unit of information is a meme, and we wrap those around our bundle of the ego. But not only the ones we like, we also pick up the memes we don’t like, the things we are completely repelled by and hate. We carry that hatred wrapped around us as well. So things that stir you up, your triggers, your baggage, those are memes that are wrapped around your ego. And then this idea of vices and virtues. Virtuous memes are the memes that come from the Fullness of God, the virtues that we think of, such as love, belonging, helpfulness, caring, honesty, all that sort of thing. All the good, good things. Those are virtues. They all have inverses down here. They all have opposites, because in Gnostic philosophy, down here is the shadow of above. So what was a virtue originally is a vice down here, and it’s the opposite. So we have hatred, and lying, and dishonesty, and lack of trustworthiness—these sorts of things. Those are the vices that are shadows of the virtues. So that is the entirety of our psychological makeup: The perfect Self that is at the core of our being, and the ego, which is who we were born as, who we were meant to be in the personality sense. Your innate talents. The Self at the center of our souls is a fractal of the Fullness of God Who are you innately? Are you really good at something? That’s part of your ego that you were born with. And then we have this meme bundle that’s wrapped around our ego. And the things that cause us discomfort, the things we’d like to get rid of, the things that weigh us down, and dishearten us, and make us cry. Those are negative memes that have stuck onto our ego. And we can drop them by deciding to. I’m not going to do it. I’m quitting smoking this time. I’m never going to pick up a cigarette again. That is a decision, for example, to drop that I love cigarettes meme. And so if you can drop these negative memes on your own, and everyone can, if you realize it, decide it. Because we have a very strong willpower. We have free will. Free will is a characteristic of the Father, the Son, and the Aeons. We were born in that line of inheritance whereby we have free will. We just forget about it down here because of the confusion in the world. But if you enable your free will, you can drop your negative memes. If you can’t do it on your own, you can do it through prayer by appealing directly to Christ to help me. Please, Lord Jesus, take this burden from me. Heal me of this alcoholism, or whatever the thing is, right? You can do it through prayer. It can happen in a miraculous second. Or you can do it through therapy, if it’s good therapy. The idea in good therapy is to peel off those memes one at a time. Get rid of those negative memes through therapy, not through pharmaceuticals. You can’t peel off memes from pharmaceuticals, either self-administered pharmaceuticals or psychiatric drugs. That doesn’t peel the memes off of you. It just throws a wet blanket on them, but you’re still carrying them around. The best type of therapy is where you realize the negative meme and you decide with the therapist’s help to drop it. That could be something like rational emotive therapy. It can be hypnotherapy. Before I go any further, let me share with you this article my brother was citing. It’s from the blog known as Aeon. The article is called, There Are No Psychopaths: Virtually everything you know about psychopathy has been thoroughly debunked. Why does this zombie idea live on? Quoting the article, Psychopathic personality disorder, or psychopathy as it is commonly called, is one of the oldest and most researched mental health diagnoses. In modern science, psychopaths are typically described with reference to concrete symptoms, like a lack of empathy, remorse, and conscience, or more explicit behavioral signs, like predatory violence, pathological lying, and impaired impulse control. The psychopath has also become a well-known figure of fascination in popular culture, frequently portrayed in best-selling novels and cinematic thrillers, [such as the movies No Country for Old Men and Natural Born Killers]. However, there’s a problem with this idea of psychopathy. While it has been researched across hundreds of empirical studies, especially since the explosion of research in the late 1990s, there is still remarkably little evidence that corroborates popularized claims about the diagnosis. Woody Harrelson and Juliette Lewis in Natural Born Killers Despite enthusiasm among researchers in the 1990s and 2000s, the past two decades have been sobering. Today, virtually every claim about psychopathy has been either thoroughly refuted or failed to find empirical support in experimental settings. Psychopathy may not exist at all. I’m jumping all around in this article. The article is much longer. The link is included in the transcript to this episode, if you want to go look it up. In the vast majority of tests, [89% of all tests], no clear distinction can be made between psychopaths and control groups. That is extremely strong. So there you go. Hence the title of the article, Psychopathy Does Not Exist. This author produced a study of all the other studies of psychopathy, and this is his conclusion. An alternative answer to this question, that has so far received little attention, is the possibility that psychopathy may be an instance of what scientists colloquially refer to as a zombie idea. Ideas that have the quality of being intuitively appealing, but the idea itself is essentially a fallacious misconception of reality. Just like zombies, when these ideas have been falsified, known to be dead ideas, they somehow still manage to stubbornly stick around in the halls of prestigious universities, only to once again infect another generation of young scientists. He says, The aggregation of scientific evidence does not corroborate the idea of psychopathy. If anything, it throws the whole notion into doubt. And by the way, psychopathy is included as a personality disorder. I couldn’t think of that word when I was talking to him on the phone, but the word I was searching for is personality disorder, and those are pretty much agreed to be impossible to treat. A person is a certain way, and that’s the way they are. My brother and I both agree that so-called psychopathy is a collection of memes that have stuck onto a person’s personality, because they were not born that way. It’s not part of their eternal aeonic personality. It’s a bundle of negative memes. And like any other memes, they can be pulled off if you understand the psychology in this manner. At this point in the episode, I had planned to share about 10 minutes of the phone conversation my brother and I had on this topic but we decided to pull that segment. We felt it was possibly too lighthearted for such a serious topic and that our joshing around might be misunderstood. So we'll leave it at this. I hope you have enjoyed this look at psychopathy and a review of Gnostic psychology. So until next week, God bless us all, and Onward and Upward!

“Getting it right means getting the right people, balance, structure, and authority—and everyone loving what they're doing.” – Mark ZookWelcome to episode 230 of The CUInsight Experience podcast with your hosts, Randy Smith, co-founder of CUInsight, and Jilly Nowacki, President and CEO of Humanidei.This episode is sponsored by Alacriti, a leading payments fintech helping credit unions modernize money movement. Alacriti enables real-time money movement experiences for loan payments, A2A transfers, digital disbursements, and bill pay. Through a single cloud-native platform that connects to RTP, FedNow, Fedwire, ACH, Visa Direct, and Zelle, credit unions can progressively modernize without overhauling legacy systems. Learn more at alacriti.com!In this new 2026 season, Jilly and I will have conversations centered around leadership, credit unions, and living our best lives. We will have some of the most respected leaders from around credit unions who we are grateful to call friends join us in the discussion from time to time too.Join us for this episode as we welcome Mark Zook, President and CEO of Maps Credit Union. He joins us to discuss something that many leaders experience but rarely say out loud: the fact that real growth often begins after you become the CEO. Mark stepped into the CEO role internally and has continued to evolve as a leader via years of work both inside his organization and across the credit union movement!Listen in as Mark shares what it was like moving into the CEO seat after seventeen years at Maps, believing himself to be prepared only to quickly realize how wrong that he had been. His first months in the role happened during the chaos of the Great Recession, which forced him and his newly assembled executive team to come together quickly, make difficult decisions, and build resilience in real time—all early challenges which shaped how he approaches leadership today!We also spend some time talking about one of the biggest transitions leaders face: shifting from being the person who gets things done to the person who empowers others to do the work. Mark reflects on how his “builder” mindset had to evolve once he became CEO. Instead of being the one executing, he instead had to learn how to listen, support, and guide the people around him.Throughout our conversation, we also touch upon the role that mentors play in leadership growth, with Mark reflecting on the major influence that former Maps CEO Dan Penn had on him, having pushed him into opportunities long before he felt ready. That spirit of curiosity and experimentation has shaped a lot of Maps' culture—from launching organizations that benefit the industry and even to entering newly emerging areas such as cannabis banking. We also talk about the value of iteration in leadership and how ideas rarely start fully formed. Hear how many of the initiatives that began as small experiments at Maps have grown into major organizations serving credit unions nationwide.Along the way, Mark shares lessons about risk, resilience, and the importance of building strong teams. If you have ever wondered what leadership growth looks like after the promotion, our conversation with Mark Zook offers an honest and thoughtful perspective!Find the full show notes on cuinsight.com.Connect with Mark:Mark Zook, President/CEO of Maps Credit UnionSend us Fan Mail

What does the Bible have to say about depression, and what exactly does it mean to “put your hope in God?” This week on The Bible Study Hour with Dr. James Boice, we'll begin our study of Psalm 42 and 43, where the psalmist feels downcast, oppressed, disturbed, depressed and rejected. Where can he turn for help and where is God in all of this mess? In this message we'll learn how we as believers can find light in the middle of life's most overwhelming storms. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/81/29?v=20251111

Jude 20–25 lays out a steady path for worn-down believers built around three directions: inward, outward, and upward. Inwardly, it calls believers to take responsibility for their faith by building on a solid foundation through prayer in the Spirit, staying rooted in God's love, and holding onto hope in Christ's coming mercy. That kind of hope lifts the heart out of present discouragement and anchors it in future restoration. Outwardly, faith shows up as action—offering patient mercy to those who doubt and stepping in urgently to help those drifting toward danger. Upwardly, the passage reminds believers that God is the one who keeps, strengthens, and ultimately presents them blameless with joy. Together, this creates a simple rhythm: stay grounded in God, reach out to others with compassion, and trust fully in His power to finish what He started.

SummaryComparison is not the enemy like most people think. In this episode, Chase Smith and Chris Bealhen explain that the real problem is your mindset, not the comparison itself.They break down why everyone compares themselves and how it can either hurt you or help you grow. It all comes down to the story you tell yourself. If you think comparison means you are failing, it will hold you back. But if you use it as information, it can actually push you forward.Chase and Chris talk about the difference between a fixed mindset and a growth mindset, and how that changes everything. They also explain why comparing yourself to people way ahead of you can kill your motivation, and how to find better comparisons that actually help.They cover how social media makes comparison worse, why you should focus more on habits instead of looks, and how to bounce back quickly after messing up.If you've ever felt behind or like you're not doing enough, this episode will help you see comparison in a completely different way and show you how to use it to your advantage.Chapters(00:00) Why Comparison Can Hurt or Help(01:16) Everyone Compares and Why Mindset Matters(03:33) The Story You Attach to Comparison(05:10) Why Comparing Yourself to the Top 10% Backfires(07:46) Outgrowing the Room and Finding Better Environments(10:57) Upward vs Downward Comparison(12:00) Fixed Mindset vs Growth Mindset(17:17) Real Life Examples of Health and Fitness Comparison(18:10) Self-Belief, Motivation, and Why It All Starts There(21:41) Appearance vs Performance Comparison(25:11) What Setbacks Really Mean(27:04) Recalculate and Bounce Back Faster(28:30) How to Use Comparison the Right Way(32:29) Compare the Full Process, Not Just the Result(35:18) Social Media, Highlight Reels, and Cleaning Up Your Feed(38:22) Uprooting Toxic Patterns Before They Grow(41:19) Turning Comparison from a Mirror into a Map(42:37) How to Rewire Negative ThoughtsSUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS to be answered on the show: https://forms.gle/B6bpTBDYnDcbUkeD7How to Connect with Us:Chase's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changing_chase/Chris' Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conquer_fitness2021/Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/665770984678334/Interested in 1:1 Coaching: https://conquerfitnessandnutrition.com/1on1-coachingJoin The Fit Fam Collective: https://conquerfitnessandnutrition.com/fit-fam-collective

In this episode of Mottek on Money, we're discussing the latest market developments and their impact on the economy. Veteran market strategist Paul Dietrich joins us to share his insights on the current market trends and the potential risks ahead. We'll be talking about the rising oil prices, the US war against Iran, and the possibility of stagflation. Paul will also share his thoughts on the bond market and the potential consequences of the Federal Reserve's actions. With the market experiencing a significant downturn, we'll explore the best strategies for investors to navigate these uncertain times.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send a textSeven Days That Changed The World Signs Of The Times | Part 3Senior Pastor Keith StewartMarch 8, 2026 With everything that's happening in the Middle East right now, we're getting a lot of questions about end times prophecy. People are concerned is this the beginning of the end? Maybe it's coincidence or God's design, but day three of the seven days that changed the world is centered around the Olivet Discourse. This is the second longest sermon of Jesus and it's the most extensive teaching He does around prophecy. If there's ever been a time when we need to sit at the feet of Jesus to learn, it's now. Christ speaks clearly about things that are coming but also clarifies what He wants us to do. Discussion Questions Warm-up When you hear “end times” teaching, what emotions tend to surface for you (curiosity, fear, skepticism, urgency, confusion)? Why? Scripture understanding Read Mark 13:1–4. What prompts Jesus' teaching, and what does that tell you about what the disciples valued versus what Jesus wanted them to see?The message used the “now and not yet” (bifocal) framework. Where do you see “near” and “far” elements in Mark 13? What difference does this make in how you read the passage? Read Mark 13:7–8 and Mark 13:32. What do these verses correct in us when we're tempted toward speculation or anxiety? Discernment and discipleship The sermon argued that prophecy is best understood through Scripture and history—not by scanning today's headlines. What are some modern “headline-driven” habits Christians can fall into? How can we practice healthier discernment? Discuss this line: “Christian discipleship is a call to persevering gospel-centered faithfulness, not fascination with end-times speculation.” What would it look like to live that out practically this week? Mission and application Read Matthew 24:14. According to Jesus, what is the church's responsibility “in the in-between time”? How does that shift your view of the future? The message said: “When the world runs out of hope, that's when Christians run in.” Where is God inviting our group (or our church) to “run in” right now—locally or globally? In suffering, people often ask: “Where is God?” The sermon suggested a different set of questions (“Where's the opportunity? Who can I help?”). Which of those questions do you most need to practice, and what is one concrete action step? Prayer focus Spend time praying in three directions:Upward: expectancy and trust in Christ's returnInward: perseverance, alertness, and freedom from fearOutward: boldness and compassion to share the gospel and serve others

In this episode, Amber K. Brooks, MD, MS, Founder of Onward and Upward, shares how her experience as a physician, researcher, and executive leader inspired her to launch a platform focused on helping healthcare leaders move from surviving to thriving. She discusses the importance of purpose, trust, authenticity, and human centered leadership in retaining talent and building strong cultures during challenging times.

Nate had been a fixture on the Nashville scene for 14 years and recently landed the proverbial big gig. He found himself in Zach Top's drum chair when Zach was an opening act in thousand cap rooms, and the whole operation was very DIY. Not long after, Zach's popularity exploded make him an international arena and stadium headliner seemingly overnight, and he took Nate and the rest of his band with him. In this episode, Nate talks about: Feeling a buzz around Zach Top from the moment he joined the band The show that made them realize they were huge The learning curves that come with the big gig How his approach to songs happened to match perfectly with Zach's needs as a frontman The evolving pay situation  ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Patreon⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Youtube⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Here's our Homepage

How do you grow fast without losing what makes your business great? In this episode, we sit down to talk about bringing on a private equity partner, CapitalSpring, and what that really means for our franchisees and our team. We get into why we waited for the right partner, how they're helping us scale faster, and why this is not just about money. It is about resources, accountability, and opening doors we couldn't open on our own. We also share what it is like to run 130+ franchises, the highs and lows of rapid growth, and how having the right support can make all the difference.

>Join Jocko Underground< How to make the mental shift upward.How to overcome feelings of inferiority after failure.More money VS More Family time.How to deal with Long-Talkers who waste time with words.Lost motivation after success. How bad do you want it?Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/jocko-podcast/exclusive-content

It’s about time to pay the credit card bills from this past Christmas. Sadly, often those bills last longer than the gifts did. Ouch. But that’s how it is, right? The things of this world promise a lot of joy, but the joy expires before the cost. Today on A NEW BEGINNING, Pastor Greg Laurie helps us reevaluate our priorities, and set our focus on the eternal. A life lived for eternity experiences joy that never fades, and the price has been paid. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ever gotten up too quickly and felt a little light-headed . . . maybe lost your balance? When you lose your balance, it’s hard to walk a straight line. Spiritually, some believers let their lives get out of balance, and then have difficulty walking the straight and narrow path of faith. Well today on A NEW BEGINNING, some help from Pastor Greg Laurie on bringing our lives back into balance . . . back into harmony with God’s plan. It’s a prescription for healing what ails us spiritually. — Become a Harvest Partner today and join us in knowing God and making Him known through media and large-scale evangelism, our mission of over 30 years. Explore more resources from Pastor Greg Laurie, including daily devotionals and blogs, designed to answer your spiritual questions and equip you to walk closely with Christ.Support the show: https://bit.ly/anbsupportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.