Podcast appearances and mentions of Wendell Berry

Text us your questions!We continue our conversation with pastor and author Matt Erickson of Eastbrook Church in Milwaukee. The job of many pastors feels like that of a CEO, with a focus on leadership strategy and the "three Bs": buildings, budgets, and butts in seats. This conversation offers a slower, deeper, and more hopeful way to think about church health, discipleship, and long-term spiritual formation.We dig into the sequoia metaphor: doing work you may never see mature, trusting God with fruit you can't control, and learning to “know the soil” of a local congregation. That leads into the daily practices that make this possible, from deep roots in a pastor's own life with God to the courage to let certain ministries die and become compost for what comes next. Then we take a hard turn into prayer, including Simone Weil's claim that “unmixed attention is prayer,” and why contemplative attention can be a distinctly Christian practice rather than mere mindfulness.From there, Matt helps us frame pastoral work inside Charles Taylor's “secular age,” where belief is an option and we all live under cross-pressure from competing ideas and value sets within a larger secular frame. We talk about the constant temptation to become a religious salesperson in a spiritual marketplace and why “bearing witness” could be a better model. We also wrestle with orthodoxy, the role of the creeds as family story, and the difference between right belief and lived faithfulness. Finally, we go straight at the question many pastors dread: how to pastor through Trumpism, political idolatry, and public Christian compromises, with the Black church and voices like Howard Thurman and Bonhoeffer shaping the horizon.Catch Part 1 of this conversation here.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal.Other important info:Rate & review us on Apple & SpotifyFollow us on social media at @PPWBPodcastWatch & comment on YouTubeEmail us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.comCheers!

Hoe blijf je werkelijk mens in een tijd waarin technologie steeds verder binnendringt in ons leven en denken? De Engelse schrijver en denker Paul Kingsnorth laat in zijn boek Tegen de machine zien hoe de Machine, onder de vlag van vooruitgang, de westerse beschaving heeft afgebroken en de aarde vernietigt. In de traditie van denkers als Wendell Berry, Jacques Ellul en Simone Weil houdt Kingsnorth een vurig pleidooi voor een menselijker bestaan. Voor wantrouwen tegenover macht, voor hernieuwde verbondenheid met land, natuur en erfgoed, en voor een leven met zorg voor de ziel. In deze aflevering gaat Tom Mikkers in gesprek met Frank Mulder die Paul Kingsnorth persoonlijk kent en het voorwoord schreef in Tegen de machine.

Humility and mental health are more connected than you might think. And if you add self-compassion to the humility-ego mix, then you have a recipe that can support mood, offer stress relief, and give your mind and body a break from constantly trying to defend yourself. We'll dig into all this with the "Check Yourself" step of the humility framework, unpacking ego threat, defensive thinking patterns, and the very human stress response that kicks in when we feel criticized, wrong, or uncertain. Spoiler: the ego is not the villain here. It's more like an overzealous bodyguard, and humility is how you can teach it to stand down. This is Episode 3 of Joy Lab's Element of Humility series, following Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren's framework: know yourself, check yourself, and go beyond yourself.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, anxiety, and depression. It's hosted by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Henry Emmons and holistic mental health researcher Dr. Aimee Prasek. The podcast is best paired with the Joy Lab Program. Bonus: spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).    Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube     Sources and Notes for our Element of Humility: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Episodes in this Humility series: Humility Can Be Stressful... But Worth it for Mental Health [ep. 268] Know Yourself: The Humility Practice That Quiets Rumination and Builds Emotional Resilience [ep. 269] Book: Humble by Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD Tara Brach's website Find more about Neff's work on Self-compassion at Self-Compassion.org More on C.S. Lewis from the C.S. Lewis Foundation.  Hagá & Olson. 'If I only had a little humility, I would be perfect': Children's and adults' perceptions of intellectually arrogant, humble, and diffident people. Access here. Nielsen & Marrone. Humility: Our current understanding of the construct and its role in organizations. Access here. Porter et al. Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility. Access here. Van Tongeren et al. Humility. Access here.  Weidman et al. The psychological structure of humility. Access here. Wright et al. The psychological significance of humility. Access here. Wendell Berry's book Standing by Words   Key moments: [00:00] Welcome and episode framing — checking ourselves means we accept that we don't know it all, recognize our own cultural lenses, and can sit with uncertainty without losing ourselves. [02:00] Henry on accepting uncertainty as a form of letting go of control — and why the self-knowledge work from last episode makes this possible. True inner strength means being secure enough to admit when you're wrong and hold your ground when you need to. [04:00] Enter: the ego. Aimee makes the case that the ego isn't the root of all evil. A healthy ego helps us maintain a coherent, positive sense of self. The problem isn't the ego itself; it's when the ego runs the whole show, making every decision from a place of fear. [06:30] Ego threat explained — when criticism, mistakes, or uncertainty shake our sense of self, a stress response activates. This triggers cognitive distortions: black-and-white thinking, confirmation-seeking, and rigid beliefs. It's common, it's wired in, and it doesn't have to take us down. [08:30] Henry's bodyguard metaphor: the ego is a zealous protector that sometimes overreacts wildly — treating a questioned idea like a life-or-death threat. Humility doesn't fire the bodyguard. It just teaches it to relax. [11:00] Signs the bodyguard has overstepped. Aimee walks through the obvious ones (counterattacking, deflecting, blame-shifting) and the subtler ones (shutting down, overexplaining, people-pleasing, doubling down on beliefs to avoid uncertainty). If you're nodding, you're in good company. [13:00] Henry adds the physical signs of ego threat to watch for: chest tightness, heat rising, clenched jaw, shallow breathing. Your body knows you're in ego threat before your mind does. Also: the urgency to respond immediately, spinning narratives to justify reactions, needing the last word. [15:00] The good news — and the real mental health payoff. Admitting mistakes makes us more liked and respected. Humility builds psychological safety in relationships, keeps small harms from becoming earthquakes, reduces thought distortions, and separates self-worth from performance. It's a genuine resilience-booster. [17:00] Henry's three-step in-the-moment practice: pause (especially when it feels most urgent), take one slow breath (gives your brain a chance to come back online), and ask "What would I think about this if I weren't feeling defensive?" Shift from threat response to curiosity response — and still hold your ground if you need to, just from a grounded place. [19:00] Aimee adds supportive touch as an emotional regulation tool — hands stacked gently on the body, a breath, a moment of self-compassion. Getting out of the traffic circle doesn't require a response or a win. Sometimes you just drive on your way. [20:30] Closing wisdom from Tara Brach: "The ego is not your enemy, it is your partner. Make peace with it."   Full transcript here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at helpline@nami.org. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Dillon Osleger wears a lot of hats: geologist, professional mountain biker for Specialized, trail builder, public lands policy analyst and advocate, and now first-time author. His debut book, "Trail Work: Restoring the Paths and Stories of America's Public Lands," blends science, history, and personal reflection into a look at our relationship with the places we love. It's already earned praise from the likes of Bill McKibben, Robert Moor, and former M&P guest Rick Ridgeway. And for whatever it's worth, I loved it as well.  I've read a ton of books on public lands, and this one filled in many of the gaps in my knowledge on this super-important and timely issue. Raised by two geologists who moved the family from Riverside to Austin to Northern California, Dillon grew up idolizing mountain legends like Rick Ridgeway and Jeremy Jones, and he wanted nothing more than to spend his life outside. He was, by his own account, a poor student—right up until a NOLS course at fifteen showed him he could learn through the things he was passionate about. That realization helped transform him from a 2.9-GPA high school student all the way to a scientist who holds a master's in Earth Science, with a lot of biking, skiing, surfing, and fishing along the way. We recorded this at Mountainfilm in Telluride, the morning after Dillon shared a stage with literary heroes like Kevin Fedarko. We cover his mountain upbringing, how mountain biking became his way of finding clarity, why he thinks the traditional classroom can be challenging for many curious and energetic kids, and the deep connections between public lands and the rural communities around them. We also get into the writers who shaped him—John McPhee, Wendell Berry, James Rebanks—and his belief that the world is far more purple than the red-and-blue map suggests. We also talk a lot about the process of writing his book and some of the biggest lessons learned from tackling such an ambitious project.  More than anything, this is a conversation about loving a place enough to do the work for it. I loved this one. Enjoy! --- Dillon Osleger Trail Work: Restoring the Paths and Stories of America's Public Lands Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/dillon-osleger --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Freeflow Institute, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, and the Well Done Foundation for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Introducing Dillon Osleger and highlighting TNC Colorado 6:12 - A nervous morning 8:39 - How Dillon got people interested in his book 11:12 - Growing up moving around 14:34 - Path to college 16:28 - Finding the right academia  19:16 - Mountain biking 23:30 - The question Dillon was trying to answer 28:12 - An overview of maps 34:04 - The Thomas Fire 37:12 - Public lands threats 42:30 - Real names 47:39 - Finding your why 51:13 - Bringing in jujitsu  53:16 - How writing the book changed Dillon 56:38 - The response to the book 1:02:29 - Book recs 1:09:13 - A purple world --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Preaching: Ben ConachanDuring the long stretch of the Christian year from Advent to Pentecost, we are invited to ponder the mysteries of Christ: incarnation, atonement, resurrection. The remainder of the year, Ordinary Time, turns to the generations of every day saints, the Jesus-followers who keep pushing the Divine Story forward. In an age where American Christianity seems to have lost the plot, we can turn to the stories and examples of mystics and poets, women and outsiders who have kept the way of Jesus alive in times ancient and modern. This series will explore pairs of saints whose lives and writings inspire us to keep moving forward today.This week, St. Francis and Wendell Berry guide us into a different kind of Christian imagination—one where creation isn't a backdrop to human salvation but belongs to it, and where learning to love the world around us turns out to be some of the most ancient and most human work there is.Pearl Church exists to express a sacred story and to extend a common table that animate life by love. A primary expression of our sacred story is the weekly sermon. If our sermons inspire you to ponder the sacred, to consider the mystery and love of God, and to live bountifully, would you consider supporting our work? You can donate easily and securely at our website: pearlchurch.org. Thank you for partnering with us in expressing this sacred story.

In this week's episode Frs. John and Sean take up Wendell Berry's Life is a Miracle: An Essay Against Modern Superstition. Laying out his critique of Edward O. Wilson's Consilience, the podcast discusses how the Enlightenment worldview seeks to enshrine empiricism and adorn science as the capstone of reality. In Berry we find a compelling argument for the true unknowability of creation, which as gift, is nothing short of a miracle.

Humility is a powerful (and mostly misunderstood) mental health skill that's grounded by self-knowledge and self-compassion. Humility is also a powerful antidote to rumination and harsh self-criticism and a tool to support mood and emotional resilience. We'll build up humility through this series by taking a positive psychology approach along with Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren's framework to build humility (know yourself, check yourself, go beyond yourself.) This episode is all about Step 1 (know yourself) and it turns out it's both the most uncomfortable and the most freeing place to start. About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, anxiety, and depression. It's hosted by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Henry Emmons and holistic mental health researcher Dr. Aimee Prasek. The podcast is best paired with the Joy Lab Program. Bonus: spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).    Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch this episode on YouTube   Sources and Notes for our Element of Humility: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  Episodes in this Humility series: Humility Can Be Stressful... But Worth it for Mental Health [ep. 268] Book: Humble by Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD Find more about Neff's work on Self-compassion at Self-Compassion.org More on C.S. Lewis from the C.S. Lewis Foundation.  Hagá & Olson. 'If I only had a little humility, I would be perfect': Children's and adults' perceptions of intellectually arrogant, humble, and diffident people. Access here. Nielsen & Marrone. Humility: Our current understanding of the construct and its role in organizations. Access here. Porter et al. Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility. Access here. Van Tongeren et al. Humility. Access here.  Weidman et al. The psychological structure of humility. Access here. Wright et al. The psychological significance of humility. Access here. Wendell Berry's book Standing by Words   Key moments: [00:00] Why self-knowledge comes first in the humility framework — and why skipping it makes the rest of the work harder. [02:00] The humility paradox: who scores highest on self-reported humility? People with narcissistic traits. What this reveals about why self-knowledge matters. [04:30] Reflection vs. rumination: same self-focused action, completely different energy — and very different effects on anxiety and depression. [07:30] Clark Griswold on the roundabout: Aimee's perfect visual for rumination, plus Van Tongeren's concept of "right-sizing yourself." [09:30] Obstacle #1: The idealized self. When the gap between who you are and who you think you should be stops motivating and starts deflating. [12:00] Obstacle #2: The better-than-average effect. Most of us rank ourselves above average — and that's statistically impossible. How this positivity bias quietly inflates us. [14:30] Obstacle #3: The harsh inner critic disguised as self-awareness. Why beating yourself up isn't humility — it's ego turned inward. [17:00] Dr. Kristin Neff's insight: self-compassion is the foundation of honest self-awareness. You can look clearly when you're not afraid of what you'll find. [19:30] Rumination as an internal courtroom — and Aimee's personal story about chronic lateness, hard feedback from a friend, and what it took to actually receive it. [23:30] Henry's simple journaling practice: notice what you observed about yourself this week. No analysis, no judgment — just patterns, held gently. [25:30] Preview of next week's "Check Yourself" episode, and a closing note from Aristotle.   Full transcript here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at helpline@nami.org. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Much of what we long to see in leadership—trust, depth, resilience, and lasting fruit—simply does not grow well in a hurry. In this episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast, Alan Fadling reflects on insights from Wendell Berry to explore a different way of leading. Instead of pushing for results, what if leadership is more like tending a garden? What if the work is less about driving outcomes and more about cultivating the kind of life where good things can grow? Drawing from Berry’s reflections on the slow work of restoring fertility, Alan invites leaders to consider the deeper kind of growth that happens over time—often unseen, but essential for lasting impact. You’ll discover: Why meaningful growth in leadership cannot be rushed What it looks like to cultivate a life-giving environment Three simple practices that help leaders foster lasting fruit How tending your inner life shapes everything you lead This episode is for pastors, team leaders, and anyone who wants to lead in a way that helps people truly flourish. Connect with Alan on LinkedIn or learn more about Unhurried Living programs on their website. Learn about PACE: Certificate in Leadership and Soul Care Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Humility is not a weakness or a sign you're a pushover, instead it's a mental health tool that just might be exactly what our loneliness epidemic and anxiety culture are desperately craving. Humility is an accurate, grounded sense of who you are. And that grounded sense of self is a foundation for confidence, deeper connection, and holistic mental health. Here's what we'll explore this episode: There are four research-backed types of humility to focus on: Relational humility — how you hold yourself in relation to others; not above, not below Intellectual humility — holding beliefs with openness; curiosity over certainty Cultural humility — recognizing the limits of your own cultural lens and genuinely welcoming differences Existential humility — making peace with uncertainty, impermanence, and the big unanswerable questions of human life You might be doing great in one area and struggling in another (that's normal). These types aren't perfectly clean categories, but they offer areas for self-reflection and focus as you work to boost your humility and emotional wellbeing throughout the month.  With these areas in mind, we'll use researcher Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren's framework to build humility through three core ingredients: Know Yourself — honest self-awareness of strengths and limits, without self-preoccupation Check Yourself — reducing defensiveness and the need to protect your ego Go Beyond Yourself — cultivating empathy and humility as a deep relational practice These three ingredients aren't just a nice framework for self improvement, they're a pathway to reducing loneliness, increasing connection, and building the kind of holistic healing and joy that Joy Lab is all about. If you're in the Joy Lab Program, your first Experiment will help you locate yourself within these four types and start the work.   About: The Joy Lab Podcast is an Ambie-nominated podcast that blends science and soul to help you cope better with stress, anxiety, and depression. It's hosted by integrative psychiatrist Dr. Henry Emmons and holistic mental health researcher Dr. Aimee Prasek. The podcast is best paired with the Joy Lab Program. Bonus: spread some joy and keep this podcast ad-free by donating (Joy Lab is powered by the nonprofit Pathways North and your donations are tax-deductible).    Like and follow Joy Lab on Socials:  Instagram Linkedin Watch on YouTube     Sources and Notes for our Element of Humility: Joy Lab Program: Take the next leap in your wellbeing journey with step-by-step practices to help you build and maintain the elements of joy in your life.  More on C.S. Lewis from the C.S. Lewis Foundation. Book: Humble by Daryl Van Tongeren, PhD Hagá & Olson. 'If I only had a little humility, I would be perfect': Children's and adults' perceptions of intellectually arrogant, humble, and diffident people. Access here. Nielsen & Marrone. Humility: Our current understanding of the construct and its role in organizations. Access here. Porter et al. Predictors and consequences of intellectual humility. Access here. Van Tongeren et al. Humility. Access here.  Weidman et al. The psychological structure of humility. Access here. Wright et al. The psychological significance of humility. Access here. Wendell Berry's book Standing by Words   Key moments: [00:00:00] Welcome + intro to Joy Lab's Element of Humility — solo episode with Dr. Aimee Prasek [00:00:30] Clearing up the bad takes: what humility is not — not weakness, not martyrdom, not dismissing your talents [00:01:00] The social science of humility: why we're drawn to humble people from mid-adolescence on, and why it primes us for connection [00:02:00] Humility as antidote to certainty culture and self-destructive perfectionism; the formal definition unpacked [00:02:45] C.S. Lewis on humility as self-forgetfulness — and the powerful paradox it reveals about hyper self-focus [00:03:30] The reframed Lewis quote: "Humility is not thinking less of yourself — it's thinking of yourself less often" [00:04:15] Introducing the four research-backed types of humility: relational, intellectual, cultural, and existential [00:05:00] Deep dive into intellectual, cultural, and existential humility — leaning into curiosity over certainty [00:06:00] Why humility is harder than other Elements — and why it's worth it anyway [00:07:00] The obstacles: certainty culture, fear of being wrong, pressure to perform vs. just be [00:08:00] Ego protection, the stress response, and why humility can feel like a physical threat to the nervous system [00:08:45] Dr. Daryl Van Tongeren's three ingredients for building humility: Know Yourself → Check Yourself → Go Beyond Yourself [00:09:45] Humility as medicine for the loneliness epidemic, anxiety, and depression — why culture is craving this right now [00:10:30] What's coming next: knowing ourselves, plus your first Joy Lab Program Experiment [00:11:00] Closing poem: The Real Work by Wendell Berry   Full transcript here   Please remember that this content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice and is not a replacement for advice and treatment from a medical professional. Please consult your doctor or other qualified health professional before beginning any diet change, supplement, or lifestyle program. Please see our terms for more information. If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call the NAMI HelpLine: 1-800-950-6264 available Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m., ET. OR text "HelpLine" to 62640 or email NAMI at helpline@nami.org. Visit NAMI for more. You can also call or text SAMHSA at 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

Actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman hosts "A Wonder Is What It Is," an audio series from All Of It with Alison Stewart celebrating poetry and inspired by Nick's love for writer, farmer and activist Wendell Berry. In each episode, Nick reads a poem and shares his reflections. Today's poem is "Questionnaire" by Wendell Berry. Produced by Simon Close Mixing by Amber D Bruce Music composed by Mark Greenberg at The Mayfair Workshop Art by Greg Ruth Series co-created by Nick Offerman, Simon Close and Carla Parisi Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Text us your questions!Randy and Kyle sit down with Milwaukee pastor and author Matt Erickson to explore a different vision of pastoral ministry: not the pastor as CEO, brand manager, or religious expert, but the pastor as gardener. Matt's book, The Pastor as Gardener: A Renewed Vision for Ministry, grows out of real ministry pressure, including moral failures, church decline, the pandemic, and the strain of navigating racial justice and polarization in a multiracial congregation.We dig into why agrarian imagery in Scripture still has bite for modern life, even in an urban church context. The gardener metaphor reframes leadership around cultivation instead of control: planting and watering while admitting we can't manufacture growth. That shift changes what we celebrate, what we fear, and what we measure, especially when the visible “fruit” of ministry looks strong but the hidden “roots” of prayer, integrity, and interior life are neglected.From there, we talk about what shepherding can still mean today, why care for the sick and grieving often gets delegated away, and why pastors need space to evolve without being treated like they've failed. Along the way we touch Gregory of Nyssa, Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, and the pressure for pastors to project certainty in a world where nobody can be an expert at everything.Look for Part 2 of this conversation in a couple weeks.=====Want to support us?The best way is to subscribe to our Patreon. Annual memberships are available for a 10% discount.If you'd rather make a one-time donation, you can contribute through our PayPal.Other important info:Rate & review us on Apple & SpotifyFollow us on social media at @PPWBPodcastWatch & comment on YouTubeEmail us at pastorandphilosopher@gmail.comCheers!

“Am I really becoming the man I want to be?” Summer is the perfect time to slow down and honestly reassess the direction of our lives. Are your priorities leading you toward the life, faith, marriage, and legacy you actually want… or are you just staying busy? This week on the Known Legacy Podcast, Bill and Travis sit down with author Ryan Tinetti to talk about his powerful book, The Quiet Ambition. Ryan shares the importance of pursuing the right priorities, finding purpose beyond achievement, and building a life that truly matters. If you've been feeling stretched thin, distracted, or wondering if success is costing you what matters most, this episode is for you. Get Ryan's book here: https://www.amazon.com/Quiet-Ambition-Scriptures-Surprising-Antidote/dp/1514011891 Get your own Wake up Guide and seven day reset: https://mailchi.mp/knownlegacy/the-wake-up-guide Join our weekly mens study - Adrenaline Shot - every Thursday morning at 6:45 am Central. https://soldiersforfaith.com/bible_study/soldiers-adrenaline-shot/ Join the Brotherhood on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1EZL78qtya/ Pick up your own copy of More Than You at www.morethanyoubook.com Chapters (00:00:01) - Known Legacy Podcast(00:01:37) - Known Legacy: Kicking Start Your Journey(00:03:35) - Question of the Day(00:07:26) - Bill's Trauma(00:08:08) - Ryan Tonetti(00:09:54) - Ryan O'Brien on Becoming a Pastor(00:12:41) - Ambition in the Book(00:15:26) - Pastors on the Panic Attack(00:19:45) - Am I Doing Enough?: A Personal Challenge(00:21:09) - A Little Verse from First Thessalonians(00:24:46) - One Square Inch of Silence(00:27:18) - How to carve out a moment of quiet in your life(00:29:46) - Treaty: To Tend Your Own Business(00:33:27) - My Calendar Won't Allow It(00:37:48) - Wendell Berry on Think Little(00:39:37) - Fast 5: Donor's Money(00:40:51) - Legacy and Stewardship(00:41:38) - Ryan Anthony on Working With Your Hands

For National Poetry Month, actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman hosts "A Wonder Is What It Is," an audio series from All Of It with Alison Stewart dedicated to poet, activist, author, and Nick's personal hero: Wendell Berry. Throughout the series, Nick reads a poem by Berry – poet, farmer, and environmental activist – and shares his reflections. Produced by Simon Close Mixing by Amber D Bruce Music composed by Mark Greenberg at The Mayfair Workshop Art by Greg Ruth Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nathan Rittenhouse and Cameron McAllister unpack the viral AI commencement speech controversy in this thought-provoking episode of Thinking Out Loud, exploring why younger generations are increasingly skeptical of artificial intelligence, corporate tech culture, and the promises of the digital revolution. Nathan and Cameron discuss the growing backlash against AI hype, the loss of authentic human connection in a hyper-digital age, and the cultural divide between technological optimism and the desire for deeper community, meaningful work, and rooted living. Drawing on insights from thinkers like Ben Sasse, Wendell Berry, Paul Kingsnorth, and Ian McGilchrist, they examine how practices like reading books, digital sabbaths, hard physical work, travel, church community, and shared stories can help people remain fully human in an AI-driven world. This conversation dives into AI ethics, technology and Christianity, digital culture, social media addiction, humanities education, and the future of human flourishing in the age of artificial intelligence.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

This session shares the Favorite Poem Reading facilitated by Steve Sherlock at the Franklin Public Library on Saturday, April 18, 2026. April is National Poetry Month and this ‘poetry and conversation” was a good way to celebrate poetry.The consensus of the group was to do this more frequently rather than wait until next April rolls around. Stay tuned. The next one may be in August or September.The list of the readers and poems or poets read is found in the show notesThe recording runs about 50 minutes, so let's listen in.--------------Marc Cohen read one by Robert Frost “To Earthward” To Earthward by Robert Frost - Poems | Academy of American Poets https://share.google/vLq8c8OjHGob31lmx Stephen Karunakaran read a few short selections from “THE KURAL: Tiruvalluvar's Tirukkural” in Tamil and English https://thomaspruiksma.com/books/tiruvalluvars-tirukkural/Faith Flaherty talked about and read a couple of versions of “How can I keep from singing”https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/How_Can_I_Keep_from_Singing%3FKen Ojukwu read a version of “The Man in the Glass”https://allpoetry.com/The-Man-in-the-GlassSteve Sherlock read (and provided a sample taste of watermelon pickle)“Reflections on a gift of watermelon pickle received from a friend called Felicity”https://oklahoma.agclassroom.org/resources/food/songs/reflections/Jayson Joyce read Wendell Berry's “The Peace of Wild Things”https://onbeing.org/poetry/the-peace-of-wild-things/Faith also read Shel Silverstein “I can not go to school today”https://poets.org/poem/sick-------------We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.How can you help?If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighborsIf you don't like something here, please let me knowAnd if you have interest in reporting on meetings or events, please reach. We'll share and show you what and how we do what we doThrough this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.newsIf you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot comThe music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana" c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.I hope you enjoy!------------------You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

✨ Like/Subscribe/Comment where you listen! YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts✨ Become a member for our reading group, community calls, and years of members-only recordings — including the excellent raps we had recently on Alexander Douglas and Wendell Berry. Our next call is this weekend, May 2, at 2 pm MDT!This week I decant a conversation with the brilliant Mathew Mytka (Website | LinkedIn) — a self-described “Earthian living on and learning from the Country of the Bidjigal, Gweagal and Kamay clans of the Dharawal Nation, in Sydney, Australia.”Mat is a moral imagineer, social entrepreneur, UX designer, educator, artist, and public policy advocate. Cofounder (with Alja Isakovic) of the the inquiry-driven social venture Tethix and mission steward (with Gemma Palmer) of Collective Futurecrafting, Mat has over twenty years' of product, project, and program management experience, designing and running real-world relational experiments everywhere from startups to federal government initiatives, Fortune 500 tech companies, and grassroots communities. He also makes delightfully weird code-as-art projects like The Ministry of Futility, a bureaucratic adventure game where players navigate a maze of pointless decisions.In short, he's precisely the kind of incompressible generalist I look to as a model for how to live wisely in our age of accelerating weirdness.Mat and I met in 2024 in the group chat that spawned the Wisdom x Technology Discord Server and immediately realized a common thread ran through both our lives: a commitment to fostering our collective imagination aimed at ecologically-grounded, mutualistic, more-than-human futures.In today's episode we riff on themes from the Tethix blog and podcast, including:• How do we embrace the lunacy of tech?• What should we do with the time that new technologies save? (if they even do) and• How do we nuture weird online communal gardens where we can play together?We also draw from the Tethix codesign principles, product ethos, and elemental ethics documents.Along the way we explore the fundamental problems of scale and institutional misalignment, the value of ritual, and the return to embodiment.✨ Become a founding member to access my online courses, including Jurassic Worlding and How To Live In The Future.✨ Browse and buy all of the books we discuss on the show at Bookshop.org✨ Music: “Scalar Reconfigurations”Chapters00:00 Intro06:02 Starting Over With Play08:05 Mat's Origin Story13:56 Online Performance and Anxiety18:24 How Tethix Began40:07 Teaching The State about The Duty of Care46:26 Collective Futurecrafting from Circles to Bioregions47:05 Start With What Exists48:34 Pivot Beyond Tech Ethics50:08 Weird Gardens for Online Community57:42 Composting The Leviathan01:01:48 Trauma, Empathy, Care01:13:11 Agency Rituals and Closing This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe

For National Poetry Month, actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman hosts "A Wonder Is What It Is," an audio series from All Of It with Alison Stewart dedicated to poet, activist, author, and Nick's personal hero: Wendell Berry. In four short installments, released every Friday throughout April, Nick reads a poem by Berry – poet, farmer, and environmental activist – and share his reflections. Produced by Simon Close Mixing by Amber D Bruce Music composed by Mark Greenberg at The Mayfair Workshop Art by Greg Ruth

In this episode, we're diving into listener-submitted spring break confessions. From trips that carried just a whiff of disappointment to the chaos that proves spring break might be one of the most overrated holiday weeks, we relive the stories that made lasting memories for better or worse.Relevant links: Our full show notes are at knoxandjamie.com/656Support an incredible, woman-owned, small business that also happens to be our Moms' Gift Guide sponsor at odetoperfume.com Don't forget to check out our gift guide for some amazing curated recommendations at knoxandjamie.com/springgiftguideRevisit: Our OG Spring Break Listener Confessions episode | All the confessions on this Instagram PostSpring Break Swag: Get Right or Get Left Shirt | Disney Decor | Headstones | Adult DiapersFact Checks: Protect The Vibe disclaimer: That professor at that college in Iowa? | How is La Jolla pronounced? | Unmarked Graves QTNA | Like the Amazing Race, Planet Hollywood still lives onDrive-bys: The PMG's Resident Disney Adult | Knox's NewsletterSpecial thanks to our contributors: @highlifewife, @imshannoncarter, @houckster5, @chelswarren67, @karacbob, @akutanzi, @candicewilberg, @mathinthewildRed Light Mentions: Emily Henry adaptations | RIP Patrick Muldoon | Top Gun 3 | Brian Cox interview (via The Times) (see also: meretricious definition)Green Lights:Mutual: Ode to Perfume!Jamie: show - Margo's Got Money Troubles (Apple TV)Knox: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (see also: Nick Offerman reads Wendell Berry via WNYC)Bonus segment: Join us on Patreon to listen ad-free and get exclusive weekly and monthly content. Episode sponsors: Blue Lizard | Quince | Hungryroot (code: POPCAST) | Olive & June | Aura Frames (code: POPCAST) | Storyworth | Bombas (code: POPCAST) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Embracing a Robust Life: Charlotte Mason Approach with Nicole Williams, Special Patreon Release   Psalm 24:1 (NIV) The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;   *Transcription Below*   Questions and Topics We Discuss: Will you teach us what is meant by Charlotte's quote, "Education is the science of relations?" What are the unexpected benefits of living a life out of doors and delighting in nature, almost regardless of weather? What potential do you see in morning time, afternoons, and evenings?   Nicole Williams home educated her three children using Charlotte Mason's principles and methods for 18 years. She also taught four of her adopted siblings from middle school through graduation. Watching the feast of life-giving ideas restore her sibling's innate love of learning inspired her to dig deeper into Mason's philosophy of education and then to share her experiences with others. She does that now by co-hosting the podcast A Delectable Education, writing for SabbathMoodHomeschool.com, and teaching workshops. She is also the author of Living Science Study Guides, where she helps families and schools implement Charlotte Mason's natural way of teaching science. Nicole enjoys working in her garden, collecting living books, and hiking.   A Delectable Education Podcast Sabbath Mood Website   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”   Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”   Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”   Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”   John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:08)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 1:54) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   I want to say a huge thank you to today's sponsors for this episode: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and Savvy Sauce Charities.   Are you interested in a free college education for you or someone you know? Stay tuned for details coming later in this episode from today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A East Peoria. You can also visit their website today at Chick-fil-A.com forward slash East Peoria.   If you've been with us long, you know this podcast is only one piece of our nonprofit, which is the Savvy Sauce Charities. Don't miss out on our other resources. We have questions and content to inspire you to have your own practical chats for intentional living. And I also hope you don't miss out on the opportunity to financially support us through your tax-deductible donations. All this information can be found on our recently updated website, thesavvysauce.com.   This is part two of our Charlotte Mason-inspired miniseries. Emily Kaiser was the first guest to lay the foundation, and Nicole Williams is going to follow up today with more practical ideas for how we can implement this method into our own family lives, regardless of our schooling option. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Nicole.   Nicole Williams: (1:55 - 1:57) Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here.   Laura Dugger: (1:57 - 2:04) Well, can you just start us off by sharing a little bit more about your own faith and educational background?   Nicole Williams: (2:06 - 5:28) Yes, I was not raised in a Christian home actually. And neither was my husband. In fact, we had the funniest conversation recently where we were talking about him going to church when he was a kid.   And I said, well, that was really nice of your parents to see value in that. He said, no, they were just trying to get us out of the house and make us into better kids. But they didn't go with them. So, neither one of us were Christians. And then both of us became believers before we got married. And it has been so fun to watch our children grow up as believers or in a believing home, that that was the atmosphere and how that differed from him and I and our trust in the Lord.   We, you know, both of us really knew he was there, but had no knowledge of him. And so that was really fun to see the difference there. We started homeschooling.   Really, I would say it was really based on fear. We wanted to protect our kids. And that was pretty much the underlying motivation.   And then I had fear of doing it. Can I possibly do this? And when my oldest child, who's four years older than the next one, I have three, when he was just about to start kindergarten, I went by myself and toured a local private school.   And my husband was so funny. He's like, honey, I know you can do this. Give it a try.   And I just am so grateful that I have his support that I always have. I know that that is not the story for a lot of people, that their husbands don't necessarily see the value and what they're trying to do. And so, I've always really appreciated that.   But I went to school and we moved and we moved and I transferred college and transferred college. And then I was pregnant and I went in and said, “What am I close to? How can I just finish this?   And I ended up with a math and science degree, which wasn't really what I was going for. I was really interested in biology. But it's funny how that led to this, that that wasn't really where I was headed.   But then I ended up in the science field. But I didn't learn about Charlotte Mason until my oldest was in third grade. Well, actually, he was just about to start the third grade.   And the box curriculum that I was using came in the mail. And I learned about Charlotte Mason and just all of a sudden that didn't suit anymore. It just fell flat.   This big idea that I was learning about. But at the same time, my mom and dad had had by then adopted nine children. They had two biological children.   And they asked me to homeschool their last three who were in fifth, sixth and seventh grade. So, I told her, well, I'm going to do this new thing. I don't understand what it is.   So, if you're okay with that, then I'll do it. And I think it actually turned out to be a huge blessing to me. And then my two little girls started school a couple years later.   And so, they were homeschooled using Charlotte Mason's methods all the way through school. And my youngest is going to graduate in May.   Laura Dugger: (5:29 - 6:02) Oh, my goodness. That's incredible. You are on the other side; you're going to have so much value to add to each of us who are in the thick of it.   Regardless of our choice of how to school. And in case anyone has missed the recent Savvy Sauce episode with your podcast co-host Emily Kaiser, that's where we laid the foundation for this philosophy. But now to build on that foundation, will you teach us what is meant by Charlotte's quote, education is the science of relations?   Nicole Williams: (6:03 - 10:34) Absolutely. When we give a child, Charlotte Mason called it the broad beast. It's just all these subjects that sometimes in the regular world we think of as extracurricular.   So, she didn't just have history. She wanted them to be learning the history of their own country, the history of their neighboring country, and ancient history all at the same time. They started the ancient history in fifth grade, but they continued this on all the way through.   In science, they were always learning biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science all the way through school, all the way through high school. And how many of us really got that? We usually had to take biology, maybe chemistry, and historic.   That was maxing out our requirements. She wanted them to have this all the way through (Art, art history, music, music history, singing, and folk songs).   There's just all of this stuff. She suggested that when we're giving them this broad beast, we're allowing them to have natural relations with a vast number of things and thought. She said that thought breeds thought.   Children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing. We must bear in mind that growth, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education. And just stopping right there with an aside that how many people, much less children, do we know who can think about the major issues that we're faced with, the major issues in the church, in our country?   It is something that I feel like this whole question and answer, can you pass the test? Can you tell me what I want you to tell me? That is not serving our children and our culture and our country very well.   So, what we don't realize is how interconnected all of the pieces of this kind of a curriculum that she wants us to have this broad feast are. Then Mrs. Wicks, she's somebody who often wrote in kind of a magazine of sorts that went out to the parents of Charlotte Mason's curriculum users. And she said, when we remember that knowledge is truth, we know at once that no part of truth can be omitted without wrecking the whole.   Scripture, history, geography, botany and all the others are actually different facets of the same thing. And the longer we work from these wonderful programs, she means like the assigned to work that Charlotte Mason gave, the more we realize how well balanced they are, how satisfying to the hungry mind, how the subject is dovetail, how difficult it is to teach history only in history time, like the time of day, the lesson, how it will flow over into geography, literature or even into such unexpected channels as arithmetic or botany. So, the idea of the science of relations is actually the culmination of several things. There is this wealth of ideas presented to the child for them to think about.   And then they do their own work of their education, meaning that when we ask them to narrate back about a subject, they're telling us what they got out of it. But they're also kind of telling us how that relates to something else they know. So, these things are tying together.   So that is explained through something Charlotte Mason said she was telling of the small English boy of nine who lived in Japan. And he remarked to his mom, Isn't it fun, mother? All of these things, everything seems to fit into something else.   But Charlotte Mason pointed out the boy had not found out the whole secret. Everything fitted into something within himself. And so, the science of relations is talking about how everything fits into each other.   But we aren't doing it for the student. We're not creating unit studies where we say, oh, this is related to this and it's related to that. So, I'm going to pull those all together for the student.   We are letting those connections happen within themselves. And that helps memory. It helps understanding. It creates a full life.   It creates a person who knows about a lot of things and can relate to a lot of things and talk to a lot of people about whatever that person is interested in.   Laura Dugger: (10:35 - 11:02) And as you're describing this, this sounds so appealing. And like you said, it's a very robust philosophy. And yet I've heard someone say that Charlotte Mason's load was light.   Her burden was light. So, when you explain teaching your children all of these parts in homeschooling, were the lessons short enough that this did not feel overwhelming?   Nicole Williams: (11:03 - 13:16) It really is. And what we find is any time I'm doing a subject and it's too hard for the child, it's too hard for me to get through in the lesson time that she specified, it's too hard for us to understand what we're doing. Usually what I find is that we're doing it wrong.   She gave such bite sized pieces. Like, for instance, chemistry. When I am working out the science study guides that I write, I try to assign the same amount of work that she assigned.   And I'm using different books because I'm trying to use books that are more up to date with the information provided. But I still want them to have the same quality of a living book. But I will even count the words on a page and figure out, OK, if she is assigning six pages a day, there's this many words on a page.   How does that equate to what I'm assigning? What I often find is that a lesson that will be 30 or 40 minutes long, there will be 10 or 15 minutes worth of reading. And the other 15 minutes is allowing time for narrating or discussing the topic.   So sometimes we try to cram so much into our day or into our lesson times that she actually really felt like we should keep it small. These bite size amounts every day or every week. And then our mind is processing that information and working with it. Some people have done comparisons of what their kids get out of something if they read through a book fast or if they read through it slow. And so much more is gained from reading through it slow, having a time of narration, a time of discussion or using that to write an essay, say, or something like that. So, yeah, it seems like a burden because there's so many things.   But if we get in the habit of doing what she specified, it actually is light. And that switching subjects lightens it, too, because maybe you're doing a math lesson and it's hard and we're challenging ourselves and we're trying to figure out this puzzle. And then the next thing we do is sing a folk song.   You know, it just changes things up and makes us ready for maybe a history lesson after that.   Laura Dugger: (13:17 - 13:29) That's so helpful. And then getting really nitty gritty. Approximately how long would this be for an elementary age student, a junior high student and high schooler?   Nicole Williams: (13:29 - 15:24) Yeah. So, we always hear of Charlotte Mason, her short lessons people talk about. And in form one, which is the grades one through three in those first three years, they had lessons that were between 10 and 20 minutes.   Even their math lesson was only 20 minutes. And the whole point was she was trying to teach them to focus with all their might during that time. So, if we're going to read about history or a history tale is what they would have read at that time.   She wanted them to focus and listen and be able to narrate at the end of that. And if any of us have tried that, it's hard work. So, she was starting with these small amounts.   Then by the time they're in form two. So that's fourth, fifth and sixth grade. So upper elementary. They had longer lessons that went up to 30 minutes. So, the math lesson was 30 minutes at that time. Some of their history lessons were.   And then by the time they're in form three, which is middle school, seventh and eighth and up through high school, they had lessons that were more typically 30 to 40 minutes. So that doesn't seem like a short lesson to us. But the thing that we have to keep in mind is that she was building up their ability to attend closely through those years.   So, when they got up into a 40-minute science lesson in high school, they were supposed to be able to attend and pay close attention during that whole 40-minute lesson. And statistically, we know that that's not something that the adults of our day can do. Numbers have gone from a 30-minute attention span to 20-minutes here just in the last decade or so.   Thanks to social media and the switching that we're doing with our brain. So, what she was requiring of them actually appears to be really long lessons in high school. But we always talk about her short lessons.   Laura Dugger: (15:25 - 15:32) And then in high school, let's say how many of those lessons would you do on average per day?   Nicole Williams: (15:33 - 17:32) I would say six or eight lessons a day, but some of them are still short. Like for instance, they have a recitation lesson. By the time they're in high school, they're doing that on their own outside of school time.   But in middle school, they still have a 10-minute recitation lesson. They may have a 10-minute time of reading. So not all of the lessons are going to take 40 minutes.   And I also want to point out that in high school right now, many of the schools are changing to block systems. Where they are providing like an hour and 45 minutes to two hours for a single subject. So, say math.   First of all, who can pay attention to a subject that is often challenging for two hours like that? But then on top of that, they may do it in the fall semester, then not have math. Because the way they do it, these blocks, they would have like four classes a semester.   So maybe they would not have math at all in the spring. And then maybe the next year they're a sophomore and they don't have math in the fall, but they do in the spring. So, they've gone a full year with no math of any kind.   And now again, they have two-hour lessons. And then you compare that to what we can do in a homeschooling scenario. And this is what Charlotte Mason wanted us to do was every day, 30 minutes, every day, 30 minutes.   All the way through high school, every day of the week. And she actually had them doing algebra two days a week, geometry two days a week. And then continuing arithmetic, even maybe up into statistics, because some of these things they get done.   They go on to trigonometry or something in this session. But they are always getting that mental work every single day. Comparing those two things, you can see why this short lessons is valuable to just always be touching on a subject and challenging yourself in that way.   Laura Dugger: (17:32 - 17:59) There's another Charlotte Mason quote that I want to read where she says, “My object is to show that the chief function of the child, his business in the world during the first six or seven years of his life, is to find out all he can about whatever comes under his notice by means of his five senses. Nicole, how can we intentionally incorporate this idea?”   Nicole Williams: (18:00 - 22:09) So what she's talking about here is nature study, really. And we often think of nature study as just an extracurricular subject or, you know, something light. I actually my first introduction to Charlotte Mason, it was the nature study that drew me in.   But I know for a lot of people, it's the opposite. You know, they like, why do we have to do this nature study stuff? But she's also particularly talking about a very young child in this case.   So, what she tells us later in this quote is that the intellectual education of the young child should lie in the free exercise of perceptive power, because the first stages of mental effort are marked by the extreme activity of this power. So perceptive power, picking up details, paying attention long enough to pick up details. And furthermore, this little quote, it is about two sentences after the header.   Habit is ten natures, which is kind of a funny title. But habit is one of the three educational instruments that Charlotte Mason said that we were allowed as teachers, as parents were teaching our kids. She said we were only allowed three instruments of education.   That is the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit and the presentation of living ideas. So that's kind of a big thing. But what I want to point out is this idea of habits.   What we're doing when we are helping them in those first years to find out whatever comes under his notice is they're learning the habit of being attentive. And this is one of the habits of mind. She talks about habits of like our body and our mind, our intellectual habits, just habits like, you know, covering your cough or pushing in your chair.   But she talks about habits of mind when she talks about them. So, they're learning the habit of being attentive for more than a fraction of a second. She gives them a scenario where a child kind of runs by a daisy and the mom calls him back and says, “Oh, look closer. You know, this daisy closes its eye at night. So, it's like a day's eye because during the day it's open and at night it closes up.”   And for that moment, the mom is just drawing the child back to this little object lesson and helping them to look at it for just a couple more seconds than they were going to look at it on their own.   So, she's building that habit of attention and using their senses. They're also learning the habit of thinking when they're spending time in nature about what they've observed. You know, they're asking themselves, why does the daisy close at night?   And where's the bee going next? And how did the tree produce these flowers in spring? How does it know when it's time for the tree buds to open or the daffodils to bloom?   And so, they're learning the habit of thinking and they're learning the habit of imagining, which is another one of the habits of mind. Where does the tracks of this fox come from? Was it skulking around here last night?   What was he looking for and where was he going and learning to imagine? And they're learning the habit of remembering. They may see a bee and they saw a bee yesterday, but they remember that yesterday's bee had a black face and this one has a yellow face.   So, it must be a different one. And they're often narrating; we're asking them to tell us what they saw. And so, they're learning the habits of accuracy and truthfulness.   No, there wasn't a thousand bees, but there was a lot. How many? Maybe, maybe a hundred, you know, so they're learning to be accurate.   So, these habits that we're cultivating through nature study and object lessons in these very young age allow our children to make the most of living ideas when they're presented through their education. So, you know, we think it's nothing, but we're helping them when they start their reading lesson, when they start their math lesson. All of these habits of mind that we've been training through nature study are going to be able to be utilized in the child when they get to doing lessons like that.   Laura Dugger: (22:10 - 22:24) Well, that leads me to wonder, Nicole, from your perspective, what are the unexpected benefits of living a life out of doors and delighting in nature, almost regardless of weather?   Nicole Williams: (22:24 - 27:31) OK, I've just started reading the book. There's no such thing as bad weather. And she even chuckles in there.   She's from Sweden and she says that there is a poll done in Sweden where they ask people because they are like they have outdoor kindergarten. Like every day is outdoor the whole-time kindergarten in Sweden, you know. And she said all they could say is it's good for you.   And it truly is good for us. It's good for us mentally and it's good for us physically. On the mental note, Charlotte Mason talked about how we can recall something that we've seen, and it gives us a level of peace when we're kind of in our busy lives.   So, she had the children do something called picture painting, which was actually just a mental exercise with maybe mom and child would be standing at the edge of a pond and they would make a mental picture of that pond. And the mom could help by pointing out things like the reflection of trees on the lake or something like that to help them get a more full picture. But the idea was these pictures of natural places they had experienced and been to would be with them always.   And they could kind of reflect on them anytime they needed a peaceful moment. There's also studies that show that if students spend time in nature before they take a big test, they do better on the test. And interestingly, those tests were side by side with people who spent time in nature or people who spent time like walking down a busy street.   And the mental piece that came from walking solely in nature versus walking on a busy street where your mind is keeping track of the cars and the people and things like that, that's not restful. And the restfulness of walking in nature allowed kind of their brain to regroup and they did better on a test after that. That was a test that was mentioned in Last Child in the Woods, which is an excellent book.   And if you think you know all the reasons why nature is valuable and important, that book has so much more to say than you ever thought. Also, one of the things that happens is the child's sense of beauty grows. I do a whole hour-long talk on the importance of this and how we miss it.   My husband and I went away for just three nights here recently. And each morning he would go out and fish and he would come back. And the last day he said, the daffodils have bloomed since we've been here. And I said, “No, are you talking about it like the big curve in the road?” He said, “Yeah.” And I said, “Those were bloomed when we got here.”   And he just he was really focused on the river and the fish, and he'd missed it every day. And we do this when I do my talk. I actually show this little video or something really large and interesting shows up in the screen.   And every single time, 50 percent of the people don't see it. And when we think about the importance of seeing beauty around us, it's God's world. It's the beauty that he has given us to kind of encourage us and build us up and remind us of what purity looks like.   And if we don't see it at all, because we're just really honed in on our life and our schedule and the next thing we've got to get to, that's just a huge loss. So, on that note, it could lead to a greater reverence and a fuller appreciation of God. There's so much that God reveals to us through nature and we have to be able to see it in order to appreciate that.   And then, like I talked about before, it's the natural way people, young children, older people to learn. So, if they spend time in nature and they're able to, say, discern that black faced bee from the yellow faced bee. Then when we're asking them to look at the letter B versus D and there is just such a small difference between the two, they are more attentive and discerning to little details.   And then finally, my favorite one is that it lays the foundation for science. I would even say it really is science. People want to skip this and just go to the book, Work of Science.   But also, in Lash Out of the Woods, Richard quotes a man who is Stanford University School of Medicine professor. And he points out that it's alarming to teach these doctors how the heart works as a pump because they've never done anything that shows the physics of this. They've never, I think he says, like worked a garden hose or worked on a car, siphoned something.   All of these direct experiences in the backyard, they've missed those. And so, they're being trained them by rote memory, but they have no experience with the physics of the way the world works. So, it really is science also.   Laura Dugger: (27:32 - 27:44) That's incredible. And I'm hearing such a mystery involved as well. We don't know all that God is up to being outdoors and what he created, but there's so much learning taking place.   Nicole Williams: (27:44 - 27:45) Absolutely.   Laura Dugger: (27:47 - 33:22) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Did you know you can go to college tuition free just by being a team member at Chick-fil-A East Peoria? Yes, you heard that right. Free college education. All Chick-fil-A East Peoria team members in good standing are immediately eligible for a free college education through Point University. Point University is a fully accredited private Christian college located in West Point, Georgia.   This online self-paced program includes 13 associates degrees, 17 bachelor's degrees and two master's programs, including an MBA. College courses are fully transferable both in and out of this program. This could even be a great option to complete your general education courses and then transfer to the college of your choice and save money in the process.   So, if you're looking for an affordable college option while simultaneously gaining valuable work experience and earning an income, Chick-fil-A East Peoria is the place for you. You don't have to go into debt to get a great education. To apply today, please go to Chick-fil-A.com forward slash East Peoria and click on the Careers tab. You can also call the restaurant at 309-694-1044 to find out more. And if you aren't located near Chick-fil-A East Peoria, make sure you check with your local Chick-fil-A restaurant to see if they also participate in the Elevate program with Point University. Thanks for your sponsorship.   Are you utilizing Savvy Sauce Charities to full capacity? Other than our Special Patreon Release episodes, our content is now available in video form in addition to our audio only. And we have written transcriptions for every episode.   Visit our website today, thesavvysauce.com, to access all these forms of interviews. And while you're there, make sure you sign up for our email list to receive encouragement, questions, and recommended resources about once a month to promote your own practical chats for intentional living. I also want to remind you about the financial side of Savvy Sauce Charities.   As you know, we recently became a non-profit, which means all your financial support is now tax deductible. There are multiple ways to give, and we would be so honored if you would share your financial support with us so that we can continue producing free content that is accessible to the general public. Your money will go to support creatively getting the gospel message of Jesus Christ to the nations as we continue to share the good news on every episode.   And I say this is reaching the nations because The Savvy Sauce podcast is downloaded in all 50 United States, as well as over 100 countries around the world. Your financial support also supports practical needs, such as aiding our team to continue producing helpful content that is practical and uplifting and always pointing to Jesus. Your financial support, furthermore, will help us continue to expand our reach and secure future projects we have planned for this ministry.   If your ears are hearing this message right now, I am specifically asking you to give. We are so grateful for any amount, and our team will continue to seek to be good stewards of the gifts offered to us. So, if you want to write a check or set up an ongoing payment with your bank that delivers a check to us each month, this is the most beneficial way to give because no percentages are taken out for processing fees.   You can make your checkout to Savvy Sauce Charities at P.O. Box 101, Roanoke, Illinois, 61561. Additionally, with our new website, we now have a donate button. There are processing fees that we cover for these donations, but we wanted to offer listeners a seamless way to share their finances with us when we share our content with them. So just visit thesavvysauce.com and find the donate page under the tab support. Another way to find it is simply type in donate to the search bar on our website and just click the first picture shown. We are all about sharing around here, sharing resources, sharing joy, and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ.   We ask that you also will share by sharing financially, sharing The Savvy Sauce podcast episodes, and sharing a five-star rating and review. You can also share any of our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook. We are grateful for all of it, and we just love partnering together with you.   Now, back to the show.   Well, Nicole, you mentioned that your specialty is science, and when I think of your website, it has the name Sabbath in the title. So how do you weave these two together in your life?   Nicole Williams: (33:23 - 37:23) Yeah. So, I started a blog immediately after hearing a Wendell Berry poem, and that's how I named my blog. So, it was named before I started doing science curriculum.   But if you don't mind, I'd love to read the poem to you. It's beautiful. It's short.   Yeah, please do.   He says, “Whatever is foreseen in joy must be lived out from day to day. Vision is held open in the dark by our ten thousand days of work. The hand must ache, the face must sweat, and yet no leaf or grain is filled by work of ours. The field is tilled and left to grace. That we may reap great work is done while we're asleep.”   When we work well, a Sabbath mood rests on our day and finds it good. And that just had such a powerful impact on me because I realized as homeschool families, and Charlotte Mason made this very, very clear, we are presenting all of the feasts to our children, but we don't know what they're going to be interested in, what they're going to have an aptitude for, learning disabilities or challenges they may have, or places where they will excel and go above and beyond in a subject. We don't know those things.   We are working in cooperation with the Holy Spirit by sitting down every day and doing the lessons that are part of our schedule for that day. And what becomes of that within our child is up to the Lord. And that is hard for us because we have a lot to prove, or we think we do, to our neighbors, to our in-laws, to the local school, if we are having to school under some kind of an umbrella system in our state.   If we have children who have any kind of delays or special needs, we feel like we have even more to prove. And what Charlotte Mason wanted us to do was just present this information and let it take root in the child the way it would, because she said that they had a natural desire to learn. When they don't, it's because we've actually done something to destroy it.   They have a natural desire and ability to learn the types of things that we're putting before them. So, there's a lot of faith that goes into what we're doing. And frankly, there's a lot of faith that goes into a teacher in a classroom.   It's not any different. It's just that we will have a whole lot more peace in our life if we acknowledge that that's how it is, that we're not in charge here, that God is. So that is how my blog got its name.   And then science fell into that. And I feel like it's the same. It really just everything falls under that category for me, that our children are due the material that we're offering them.   And it's not within our right to hold back pieces and parts of it because maybe it's hard for us. For instance, physics. A lot of parents did not take physics in school because it was so math based in school.   But I was just talking to you about how physics is their love that God gave us. They are in nature everywhere we see. So, to kind of put blinders on and pretend like it's not there, that's not right.   It's a subject that's due to our child, whether they can handle the math or not. And so, through my curriculum, I actually have the math as optional. And I say optional, but it's not optional to the students.   It's optional because if a student can't do the math, they still have the ability to do the course and learn about the laws that God's given us. So, I don't know if that answers your question or not.   Laura Dugger: (37:23 - 37:44) I love how you explain things. And I think it's helpful that we've covered an overview of your chosen method of homeschooling. But I'd also like to know some more specific rhythms.   And so, what potential do you see in morning time, afternoons, and evenings?   Nicole Williams: (37:46 - 44:32) Yeah, I feel even more strongly about this stuff now that I'm not homeschooling because I really began to follow Charlotte Mason's ideas for her schedule. And it wasn't just the school schedule. She had kind of a whole day schedule for the kids.   She wanted them to start lessons at around nine, eight or nine. And, of course, these things are flexible. I don't want to make it sound like it's a legalistic thing, but she wanted them to start school around nine.   And then depending on their age, school stopped after two and a half to four hours. Two and a half for the youngest children, four hours for the oldest. And she had different amounts established for the different ages.   And the reason that it was kind of short like that is because she felt like twofold. One, their attention was going to be greater on their subjects if we kept their school day shorter. And she packs a lot in there.   So, there is this feeling of like the big deep breath after school is over because we've worked hard during that time, especially if you have kids, multiple kids in different age ranges. But then because after school she wanted them to have time for free play and just literally running mostly outside games, climbing trees, collecting wildflowers, doing things like that. And we know whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we know how important this free time is to kids.   For one thing, when they are playing outside, how many times have we seen our kids playing a game that is related to what we've been reading in history or tapping into whatever their science was? You know, maybe they're studying insects and now they're out there collecting them. So, there is this thing that happens in their brain.   It's like when we go to sleep after reading a book and mulling over a big question and then we wake up in the morning and we have our answer. Our brains do work in the background when we are not busy trying to shove things in. But this doesn't happen when we're playing video games or watching TV.   Our brains really check out at that. So, we have to have a play time for the kids or free time. And then she called them back just before what she called tea time.   And it really is like our dinner time an hour before then. And everybody did what she called occupations. And this was handicrafts.   And maybe your child plays the piano and they need to practice every day making entries in their book of centuries, which is kind of a history timeline kind of book, their nature notebook, things like that. So, there is this block of time before dinner. And by the way, some chores and things like that and then dinner.   And so that kind of leaves the before school in the morning and the after dinner to like leisure time, chore time, maybe getting meals cooked and things like that. Well, I started following her schedule pretty closely during my time homeschooling. I didn't really pick up on her schedule until kind of about halfway through my homeschooling journey.   But little by little, I understood more what she was saying to do and really implemented it. Well, then when I was done homeschooling, I still had one, but she was very independent. My life seems to kind of go off the rails.   I was struggling. I just could not get anything done. It felt like I was doing so much.   And I don't know. I just I can't even really quite explain it. But I was super overwhelmed with the work that I do.   I wasn't getting dinner made. And at some point I realized that all of that really somewhat rigid schedule that we had fallen into over the years was such a piece to my life. I am not a person who likes a schedule.   I actually just really want to be left alone. Whatever the day brings that I want to do, I want to do it. I am not a person who keeps a list of what they're going to do every day of the week and stuff like that.   It's just not a comfortable place to me. But what I found when all of that was taken away is that the comfort and the peace that came with those routines was gone. And so, I look back and I just have to say that is that is the potential in those things and having a time for all of the things.   So, I eventually had one day a week that I would accept, you know, doctor's appointments when I started homeschooling. If they wanted me to go to the dentist at, you know, 10 in the morning because I'm flexible, I'm a homeschooler. I would go do that and totally wreck our whole school day.   And then there came a time where I said, no, we only do appointments on Wednesday afternoons. And maybe I had a backup thing if it happened. That was the doctor's day off or something like that.   But if I had to wait five weeks for an appointment, that's what I did. Unless it was an emergency, of course. But I really landed on a pretty rigid outline.   Now, we have things happen. We moved in the middle of the school year like five times. We remodeled the house.   I lost my mom. I cared for my grandma at the end of her life. Things happen.   So, I'm not suggesting that this is like a very rigid thing, but we have to have something to aim at. And when we do and we know nine o'clock, I'm going to have my mom butt in my chair. And I expect everybody else to be there, too, because this is my job.   And there are other people who can educate my kids, and the bell will ring and it starts on time. So, if I'm going to take on this role in my life, I need to be accountable to my children, to my husband, to myself to make this a priority. And when I started having a little bit more of that attitude.   There came peace. It's just like our life under the law of the board. The rules he gives us allows us to have peace in our life.   And when we establish some of those for ourselves, it can bring peace, too. So, there's definitely potential in having kind of blocks of your day. This is what we do now. This is what we do this day of the week. That kind of thing. And everybody gets on board with it, too.   We take a nature walk on Friday. Everybody knows it. Everybody looks forward to it. And everybody holds me accountable to it. That kind of thing.   Laura Dugger: (44:33 - 44:49) That is so helpful to hear. And really, even during those especially trying seasons, it seemed like this self-disciplined intentionality with which you lived life, that that really brought in freedom kind of unexpectedly.   Nicole Williams: (44:50 - 45:25) It really did. In fact, towards the end of homeschooling, I found that my business was growing, and I felt like I had so much to do there. But when I sat down to do lessons with my kids, there was never more scheduled for that day's series of lessons than we could do during that time.   So, there was never this feeling of being behind or being rushed or trial. It was just like; this is what we're going to do today. And it gave great peace.   It really did. It took a long time for me to get to that place. I hope other people can get there faster than me.   Laura Dugger: (45:26 - 45:42) But even to hear about your journey, if you said the longest school days, I'm assuming even as they got older, it was about four hours to get everything done. So then by one o'clock in the afternoon, is that when you would do your work?   Nicole Williams: (45:42 - 47:49) It is. And so, at that point, they were older. What I found is that when we do our lessons with our kids in that kind of intense way, like we've got four hours, we're doing them.   And my kids, of course, at that age, they were both the last two were in high school. You know, one might be on one couch, one on the other. I'm in the chair and I do something with one of them and then maybe the other.   Then we're both doing. So, they're not like going off. They were there. We were all. And maybe I had a period of time to myself that I could use for planning, you know, a half hour.   They're both reading their history. I'm going to plan for, you know, tomorrow's lesson or something like that. So, there was some let up there. It is different when you have like two children who are learning to read.   You know, there is a lot more challenge than that. I used to say when they were younger that I felt like an air traffic controller and the intensity of that time of me getting from this child's lesson to that child's lesson. Now I've got to hear a narration.   We really had to be very orderly about it, or it wasn't going to get done. But when it was done, the kids wanted to go off and play. They weren't going to hang on me because they'd had a lot of really good quality time with me.   So, they were ready to go play. And that gave me like, OK, redirect, you know, have a break. I would do some work.   Often I made lunch and cooked dinner at the same time after school lesson. And then that was done and put aside. And then later I did have a child who got into ballet and spent like four hours some nights in ballet.   And then that's when I kind of did my work. You will never, ever hear me recommend to a homeschooling mom to take on work. It is hugely challenging to homeschool your kids, take care of your home and do any kind of outside work.   You really, it's hard just to do the basics. It's really hard when you have to throw some number of hours every day of work in there, too.   Laura Dugger: (47:49 - 48:02) And yet it sounds like God did call you to this work and you've participated well and you've ordered your life in this way. He's provided the grace to make this all happen.   Nicole Williams: (48:03 - 49:30) He has. I'd say one of the big things that I have taken away from all this is when you have times in your day where, you know, this is when I do school. This is when I cook dinner. This is when I do my morning chores. I will be home these days of the week. I won't go out of the house.   When you order your life in that way and you get called to do something like take care of my elderly grandma, you have room in your life to do that kind of thing. My grandma only lived a short distance from me. It took me like five minutes to get to her house.   But I would go every night, and I would take her dinner, and I'd sit with her for another hour or so and then I would put her to bed at night. Well, there were times in my life where I ran myself so hard that I could have never done that for her. So sometimes when we feel like we have a little extra time, we may take up knitting or, you know, read a book.   Do something that is edifying and building you up because you don't know what the Lord is going to call you to do in your life. And when we pack out every minute of every day, we're not really allowing him to call us into helping another person or do something that he's calling us to do. So that's my little soapbox.   Laura Dugger: (49:30 - 49:56) Yes, that is rightfully convicting. I think of a local woman here, Marsha Cook, who said margin makes me kinder. And so, I think that's worth pursuing.   But I am grateful that you work because you do a lot of good work and you have so much available. Can you just share a little bit more about your work and where we can go after this chat to learn more from you?   Nicole Williams: (49:57 - 53:15) Sure. My website is Sabbath Mood Homeschool, again, named after Brindleberry's poem. And there you will find just a lot of blog posts over many, many years.   You also find my living science curriculum there that is based entirely on how Charlotte Mason did it. So, I take no pride in my idea because it isn't my idea. I am literally just trying to basically do lesson planning for the parent.   You know, what experiment goes with this reading this week? What other resource like a current event or maybe a video would help to support this information? Just trying to take that work that the parent would need to do to prepare for that lesson and do it for them so that I have that there.   And in the last couple of years, I started making nature videos, too, to help people along with nature study. Charlotte Mason felt that it was best for the parent to learn about nature so that they could then help their kids along. So, I have videos about the different categories of flowers and birds and trees through the seasons and what to watch for.   And there's just a lot of things that like, you know, lots of people don't know that the buds on bushes and trees that form the flowers and the leaf buds are often formed in the fall. And they're there all winter long and we can look for them. So, things like that.   So, I have that there. And then I also have a newsletter that you can sign up for there. That is kind of random, both in how often it comes out and in what I include.   But I include things like, you know, the books I've read in a year and if there's a special coming up or sometimes just encouragement to something that maybe I'm thinking about at the time regarding how we spend our time or something like that. And then I'm also the co-host of a delectable education. And you've interviewed Emily and I think Liz comes next.   Right. Is that how it goes? That's correct.   All right. And the three of us together have the podcast of delectable education. And we're just finishing up our ninth season right now.   So, we have episodes on every subject of a Charlotte Mason education. Like, how do we do history? What in the world is Sulfa?   And what do we do? But then we also just have a lot of episodes just, you know, encouraging the homeschool family how to do this, what to do with afternoon times, things like that. And we put on a virtual conference every year called ADE at home.   And that is in February. And it was kind of born out of the delays of 2020, you know, but no conferences could happen. But we found that it has been a beautiful way to utilize students doing their lessons.   And so, when people watch, they're watching a family do a lesson before them, which we can never do at an in-person conference. So that has been incredible. We've gotten really good feedback on that.   So, we've continued doing it. That's about it. That's everything I think.   Laura Dugger: (53:16 - 53:40) So much on your plate, but we will link to all of that in the show notes for today's episode in case anyone wants to follow up and study further. And Nicole, you may know that we're called the Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with discernment or practical knowledge. And we would love to hear your practical life tips.   So as my final question for you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Nicole Williams: (53:42 - 54:45) Well, I would just have to say in a sentence is making a schedule and sticking to it. As much as I say that you have you have to picture me kicking and screaming on the floor like a two-year-old because I don't like to do it. But flexibility is fun, but it's not actually going to get the important things done in our life.   And we are responsible people who have integrity. And we know there are things that we must get done. And that's the only way that I know how to do it.   But I sometimes think of life creeping in. I have this mental picture of being in the front of a concert and people pushing and pushing. And if you go down, you're going to get trampled and maybe killed.   And I feel like that is how life is. It is always trying to creep in and push in on us. And we have to guard our life, our kids' school schedule, our kids' play time.   We have to guard that seriously because it's very, very important. So that's it. Make a schedule and stick to it.   Laura Dugger: (54:45 - 54:59) That is so good. And, Nicole, you just have such a warm and welcoming personality and a very calming presence. I really enjoyed this opportunity to get to interview you.   So, thank you for being my guest.   Nicole Williams: (55:00 - 55:18) Thank you so much. I wish the best of luck to all of your listeners. And I know this is a hard thing we've taken on.   It is not easy. But it is such a value. There's going to be fruits in their life throughout their whole life because of the time that you're devoting to them now.   Laura Dugger: (55:20 - 58:36) Thank you for that encouragement.   One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

This week, Jen Schwanke and I talk about the importance of proximity and presence in our work with schools. I hope the ideas remind you of the power of being connected and visible with those whom you serve, no matter, what role you play. You read more thoughts in the short post I wrote below. Or listen in for more conversation and takeaways! Staying Connected to the Work, Not Just the Ideas I've been reading a lot of Wendell Berry this year. A friend recommended him years ago, and I finally picked up his books after spending time in rural Kentucky visiting schools I serve there. Berry writes about a fictional farming community along the Kentucky River, spanning decades of change from the 1930s through the 1970s. He was not just an author and professor. He was also a farmer. Through his stories, he shows what happens when a way of life shifts under the pressure of growth, efficiency, and modernization. Yes, tractors, highways, and large-scale farming brought progress. But they also brought loss. Small farms disappeared. Communities dispersed. Relationships changed. In one scene, Andy Catlett, now an older man, attends a conference on agriculture. As he listens, he realizes something unsettling. The experts presenting no longer farm. They study it. They write about it. But they don't live it. And yet they are the ones telling farmers to “go big or get out.” That moment stuck with me. Because it raises a question for all of us in education. What happens when we get too far removed from the work we're trying to influence? A few weeks ago, I attended an evening event at a local school. The principal opened the doors to the community. Students in JROTC uniforms greeted guests. The band performed. Students led us to classrooms where they shared how they had grown through clubs, internships, athletics, and college partnerships. It was a powerful night. Walking those halls, talking with students and teachers, and being present in the life of the school reminded me of something simple: Doing the work is different from talking about the work. And I say that as someone who spends a lot of time talking about schools. So I'm reminding myself of two things. If I want to stay relevant in serving schools, I have to stay close to them. Not just through research or conversations, but through presence. And there is always a danger, even for people like me, of pushing ideas that sound good in theory but don't fit reality. The same “go big or get out” mindset can show up in education when we chase growth without purpose. Growth for the sake of growth is just action without purpose. I was reminded of that recently in a conversation with Dr. Fernando Branch (an upcoming guest on my podcast and principal of Robert F. Smith STEAM Academy in Denver). A few years ago, he made a decision to help students obtain passports because he believed exposure to the world could expand their thinking and opportunities. Since then, students have traveled to Costa Rica. This year, they're going to Italy. Families are getting passports too. Students are showing up differently because their view of what's possible has changed. That's not growth for growth's sake. That's purpose-driven leadership. It's also a reminder that what works in one school is not a prescription for another. Every community is different. Every school has its own story. But every student deserves a school that expands their opportunities. As I continue coaching, visiting schools, and having conversations with leaders, I'm reminded how easy it is to drift into becoming an “expert” who talks more than listens. We have to resist that. That's why I encourage principals to bring teachers and even students to conferences. The smartest person in the room is the room. We are better when we learn together, not in silos. Student-centered leadership looks like leaders regularly asking students what is working and what is not. It looks like inviting student voice into decisions that shape the school. It looks like prioritizing time for collaboration among teachers, leaders, and students. As I think about what works in schools, I want to stay grounded in the real work happening in classrooms and hallways, not just ideas about it. And I think that's why you're here too. Leaders who care about growth are always looking to learn. But the goal is not just to learn more. It is to stay connected to the people and the purpose behind the work. So as the year gets busy and your to-do list grows, don't lose sight of this. The relationships you build with students, teachers, and your community are where the real impact lives. Long after the meetings, the plans, and the initiatives are done, that's what will last. Now It's Your Turn How often do I intentionally seek input from students and teachers about what is working and what is not? Am I pursuing growth with clear purpose, or simply responding to pressure, trends, or expectations? What is one way I can increase authentic student voice in leadership decisions this month? The post MONDAY MATTERS with Jen Schwanke and Will Parker – Staying Connected to the Work appeared first on Principal Matters.

Listen along as we continue our series through 1 Peter. Notes//Quotes: 1 Peter 1:3-12 “Jesus matters because of what he brought and what he still brings to ordinary human beings, living their ordinary lives and coping daily with their surroundings. He promises wholeness for their lives. In sharing our weaknesses he gives us strength and and imparts through his companionship a life that has the quality of eternity.” - Dallas Willard Peter opens the body of the letter by providing a theological and hermeneutical basis for the Christian life that introduces the major motifs and themes of the letter. In the Greek, these verses constitute one very long sentence that is composed of a series of subordinate clauses modifying the main clause “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Doxology provides the context for Christians' new life in Christ (1:3–5) because both their experience of suffering grief in trials (1:6–7) and their present and ultimate salvation is the goal not only of their faith but also of the plan of God as revealed to the prophets - Karen Jobes We would like a church that again asserts that God, not nations, rules the world, that the boundaries of God's kingdom transcend those of Caesar, and that the main political task of the church is the formation of people who see clearly the cost of discipleship and are willing to pay the price. As a society of unbelief, Western culture is devoid of a sense of journey, of adventure, because it lacks belief in much more than the cultivation of an ever-shrinking horizon of self-preservation and and self-expression. - Stanley Hauerwas Luke 24:25 Image “Ask the questions that have no answers.     Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.     Say that your main crop is the forest     that you did not plant,     that you will not live to harvest.”  - Wendell Berry

For National Poetry Month, actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman hosts "A Wonder Is What It Is," an audio series from All Of It with Alison Stewart dedicated to poet, activist, author, and Nick's personal hero: Wendell Berry. In four short installments, released every Friday throughout April, Nick reads a poem by Berry – poet, farmer, and environmental activist – and share his reflections.

For National Poetry Month, actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman hosts "A Wonder Is What It Is," an audio series from All Of It with Alison Stewart dedicated to poet, activist, author, and Nick's personal hero: Wendell Berry. In four short installments, released every Friday throughout April, Nick reads a poem by Berry – poet, farmer, and environmental activist – and share his reflections.   In this second episode of four, Nick reads the poem “The Wild Rose.” Sometimes hidden from me in daily custom and in trust, so that I live by you unaware as by the beating of my heart, suddenly you flare in my sight, a wild rose blooming at the edge of thicket, grace and light where yesterday was only shade, and once more I am blessed, choosing again what I chose before   Produced by Simon Close Mixing by Amber D Bruce Music composed by Mark Greenberg at The Mayfair Workshop Art by Greg Ruth

What does it actually mean to be saved, and is the popular version of the gospel missing the point? Today we dive into a fascinating letter from Franklin Graham to Donald Trump to dissect how we understand salvation, the heart, and the kingdom of God. This episode explores why a private, internal-only faith might fall short of the radical, embodied life Jesus actually called us to live.In this episode, we deconstruct the traditional heaven-bound narrative and look at the biblical definitions of words like belief and heart. Mike and Tim discuss how faith is less about an intellectual multiple-choice test and more about our executive will and daily allegiances. We also share a powerful poem by Wendell Berry that invites us to practice resurrection in a world obsessed with profit and power.As we continue our series on the Lord's Prayer, we tackle the deep paradoxes of the kingdom. Is the kingdom of God growing like a mustard seed, or is it a secret waiting to burst forth? We look at how to recognize the signs of God's presence without trying to force or predict His timing. Finally, we contrast different views of human history to see why the way of Jesus offers a uniquely hopeful future for our world.Chapters0:00 Intro and April Fools3:15 Tim's Birthday and Aching Legs5:30 A Tale of Two Christianities8:45 Franklin Graham's Letter to Trump12:15 Deconstructing the Heaven Bound Gospel16:30 What Does it Mean to Believe20:00 The Biblical Meaning of the Heart24:15 Why the Voxology Approach Takes Time28:30 Manifesto of the Mad Farmer33:00 Practicing Resurrection in Daily Life37:45 The Paradox of a Discernible Kingdom42:00 Signs of the End vs AD 7046:30 The Kingdom as a Hidden Seed51:00 Three Views of Human History54:15 Building for the Kingdom and OutroAs always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to hello@voxpodcast.com, and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV.Our Merch Store! EtsyLearn more about the Voxology PodcastSubscribe on iTunes or SpotifySupport the Voxology Podcast on PatreonThe Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology RadioFollow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on FacebookFollow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerreMusic in this episode by Timothy John StaffordInstagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy

Leilani and Kimberlyn question, explore, and deconstruct the pervasiveness of the Celtic/Nordic Wheel of the Year  and its relationship to the world outside of Northern/Western Europe.Their check-ins:  Kimberlyn is thrilled to complete an intensive museum docent program; Leilani shares her excitement about buying an electric vehicle.Mentioned in the episode:   Gerald Gardner, Ross Nichols, and Aidan Kelly; Vi La Bianca, “Why This Witch Is Ditching the Wheel of the Year in 2023;”   Mark Green's blog  Creating Your Own Wheel ofthe Year;  a template to create your own Wheel of the Year;  Wendell Berry's poem, "Closing the Circle" Get exclusive content and support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/WitchyWit Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/WitchyWitPodcast Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/Witchy_Wit  Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/3azUkFVlECTlTZQVX5jl1X?si=8WufnXueQrugGDIYWbgc3A  Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/witchy-wit/id1533482466 Pandora:https://pandora.app.link/nNsuNrSKneb  Google Podcast:Witchy Wit (google.com)

For National Poetry Month, actor, author, and woodworker Nick Offerman hosts "A Wonder Is What It Is," an audio series from All Of It with Alison Stewart dedicated to poet, activist, author, and Nick's personal hero: Wendell Berry. In four short installments, released every Friday throughout April, Nick will read a poem by Berry – poet, farmer, and environmental activist – and share his reflections.   In this first episode of four, Nick reads the poem “A Warning to My Readers.”   Do not think me gentlebecause I speak in praiseof gentleness, or elegantbecause I honor the gracethat keeps this world. I ama man crude as any,gross of speech, intolerant,stubborn, angry, fullof fits and furies. That Imay have spoken wellat times, is not natural.A wonder is what it is.   Produced by Simon Close Mixing by Amber D Bruce Music composed by Mark Greenberg at The Mayfair Workshop Art by Greg Ruth

In this episode we join pioneering psychedelic neuroscientist Andrew Gallimore (Website | X | Instagram | Substack) to probe the bewildering high-dimensional horizons of DMT research and their implications for our understanding of consciousness and the structure of reality.In his book Death by Astonishment, Gallimore argues DMT expands the brain's “representational reach,” enabling perception of high-dimensional structures and apparent interaction with non-human “intelligent agents,” challenging standard accounts that treat the experience as mere hallucination, dreams, or Jungian archetypes. What new shapes will we—and our sciences—take as we integrate the intense strangeness of these experiences? How do we even begin to practice “truly psychedelic” science? And what insights might we be able to bring “home” to the Flatland where we spend most of our waking lives?Andrew has talked about this work in many, many other venues (his conversations with Jesse Michels and Danny Jones were especially good), so I wanted to carry the conversation into fresh terrain. Consider this episode the “200 level course”, or at least my best attempt ask a brilliant and provocative researcher some very complicated questions.Over our two hours together we discussed neuroimaging findings that challenge the “dream” and “archetype” interpretations of DMT phenomenology, how criticality and noise in complex systems inform our understanding of the psychedelic experience, and the methodological problems inherent in studying ontologically shocking experiences while maintaining scientific rigor. We also probed the philosophical implications of DMT research—such as the possibility that consciousness is more fundamental than matter—and the possible connections between DMT hyperspace and life in an era of advanced technology. Andrew also gave some context on the Noonautics research non-profit its partnership with the newly-launched Eleusis facility, a carefully-crafted venue for extended-state DMT work. But perhaps my favorite part of this conversation was spent in speculation, about how science and even language might evolve to meet the challenges presented by the ineffable high-dimensional reality that DMT reveals to us.✨ Like/Subscribe/Comment where you listen! YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts✨ Become a member for our reading group, community calls, and years of members-only recordings — including the excellent raps we had recently on Alexander Douglas and Wendell Berry.✨ Become a founding member to access my online courses, including Jurassic Worlding and How To Live In The Future.✨ Browse and buy all of the books we discuss on the show at Bookshop.org✨ Music: “Scalar Reconfigurations” & “City of Jewels”✨ Contact me to collaborate or hire me as a consultantChapters00:00:00 Intro00:08:15 Gallimore's Origin Story00:13:00 DMT as a Technology00:20:01 “Entities” & Methodological Problems00:29:06 World Models and EEG Clues00:36:57 Why The Psychedelic State is Not a Dream00:44:11 Noise, Criticality, and New Order00:47:50 The Temperature-Noise Motif00:52:47 Metabolism & Dimensionality00:53:47 The Cortex & Representational Reach00:57:44 Do We Need New Language to Study The DMT Realm?01:00:45 Is There Only The Subject?01:09:31 Psychedelic Science As Altered Observation01:17:34 DMTx & Eleusis Plans01:21:55 The Future of Transdimensional Research01:31:44 A Call for HumilityCited WorksNeural correlates of the DMT experience assessed with multivariate EEGby Christopher Timmerman et al.The Overfitted Brainby Erik HoelThe evolution of syntactic communicationby Martin Nowak et al.The Transcension Hypothesisby John SmartMiguel Fuentes & Marco Buongiorno Nardelli on Music, Emergence, and Societyfor Complexity PodcastAncient Extinction Events, Apocalyptic Cults, and DMT Entitieswith Michael on The Danny Jones PodcastOther MentionsStephen SzáraNick SandDonald HoffmanKarl FristonJordi RibaDavid ChalmersWilliam BurroughsJohn LillyPhil DickTerence McKennaRobert Anton WilsonJohn D. BarrowMentioned & Related Podcast Episodes This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe

What does it mean to give yourself fully to something — a marriage, a calling, a city, a cause — and still make peace with the fact that you won't get everything you hoped for? In this episode of The Upwards Podcast, host John Terrill sits down with professor, author, and longtime friend Steve Garber for a wide-ranging conversation about vocation, faithfulness in a particular place over time, and the trap of dualism.Drawing on literature, theology, biography, and lived experience, Steve invites listeners into the central question of his new book, Hints of Hope: Essays on Making Peace with the Proximate - Is it worth doing something that matters, even when you don't get everything you hoped for?WHAT YOU'LL LEARN00:00 — Introduction: Steve Garber and the questions that have shaped his life and writing03:26 — Steve's father, plant pathology, and the question of germination: how a scientist's work became a metaphor for vocation07:52 — Dropping out of college, living in communes, and what those years taught Steve about the nature of learning11:40 — “Common grace for the common good”: why a theology of common grace matters for how we work in the world16:40 — “Vocation is integral, not incidental”: what it means to live seamlessly, without dualism17:59 — Can you know the world and still love it? Making peace with the proximate: the essay that became a life philosophy21:31 — Who is this book written for? How Steve's audience has grown from university students to the whole world28:39 — Telos and praxis: the fundamental question of the book — is it worth doing something that matters if you don't get everything you hoped for?33:19 — Already but not yet: Tolkien, Frodo, and what the last pages of The Return of the King taught Steve in his 60s that he missed at 2036:36 — The Clapham Community, Wendell Berry, and why commitment to a people and a place matters41:26 — NT Wright on joy and sorrow woven into the fabric of a life44:45 — The perennial question: What does it mean to be human in 2026?49:23 — What Steve may write next: pedagogy and learning “over the shoulder and through the heart”ABOUT STEVE GARBERSteven Garber was professor of marketplace theology and leadership at Regent College, Vancouver, and the principal of The Washington Institute for Faith, Vocation & Culture. A consultant to foundations, corporations, and schools, he is a teacher of many people in many places. His books include Visions of Vocation and The Fabric of Faithfulness, and he is a contributor to the books Faith Goes to Work: Reflections from the Marketplace and Get Up Off Your Knees: Preaching the U2 Catalogue.BOOKS REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODEHints of Hope: Essays on Making Peace with the Proximate by Steve Garber (Paraclete Press, 2026)The Fabric of Faithfulness: Weaving Together Belief and Behavior by Steve Garber (IVP, 1996; revised ed. 2007)Visions of Vocation: Common Grace for the Common Good by Steve Garber (IVP, 2014)The Lord of the Rings (The Return of the King) by J.R.R. Tolkien (George Allen & Unwin, 1955)The Moviegoer by Walker Percy (Knopf, 1961)Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book by Walker Percy (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1983)The Homeless Mind: Modernization and Consciousness bCONNECT WITH USSubscribe to The Upwards Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts and visit slbf.org/studio to learn more about our work at the intersection of faith, the academy, and the marketplace.This episode was created by the SLBF STUDIO at Upper House.Produced by Daniel Johnson and Dave ConourEdited by Dave Conour

Today's very overdue conversation is with AI ethicist and organizational trust expert Nathan Kinch of Trustworthy By Design (Website | LinkedIn), asking questions like: How do institutions made of decent, well-meaning people continue to behave out of alignment with their stated values? How do we dig ourselves out of a catastrophic collapse in trust? How can we design practical, participatory “living labs” for organizational reflection and facilitate convivial, playful environments for working together?“Certainly one of the world's leading figures on ethics in practical applications.”— Fionn Delahunty, NLP Lab at University of GalwayAs we frequently observe on this show, we need to rework our ideas of agency and identity to adapt them to advances in our understanding of complex systems. Decisions emerge within a nexus of nested, multi-scale dynamics, and our species flourishes or fumbles in intricate symbiotic relationships with the collective intelligences embodied in cultural technologies like states, markets, corporations, and social clubs — beings that, by any reasonable account, live in worlds alien to our own lived experience and demonstrate their own goals and values. Getting them to behave in ways that nourish us requires a much more nuanced theory of change than that which created them in the first place, perhaps even a radically different vision of the links between biology, psychology, society, and environment. And given that AI is a beast of a similar order to these other “egregores” — the entities of collective computation that arise from our efforts to coordinate at scale and then impose their own top-down causal influence on our thoughts and actions — learning how to align individual and organizational purpose can give us profound insight into how to live well alongside (or in the proverbial guts of) newer, more obvious forms of non-human intelligence like LLMs that amplify our biases through lossy compression and feedback, and shape both our desires and view of adjacent possibility.In other words, the “intent-to-action” gap in corporate ethics and the “paperclip machine” problem in our built wilderness of black box super-machines are structurally identical. And if we can “tame” the secular gods of the modern industrial era , our self-domesticated species may actually still get a chance at living in a zoo of our own choosing.If you are caught in a system of technologically mediated social dilemmas — and who isn't? — this will speak to you, and I'm excited to share it.✨ If you enjoy this podcast, please consider liking, subscribing, and commenting wherever you listen: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Etc.✨ Become a member for access to our study group and community calls, and for those recordings — including the excellent raps we had recently on Alexander Douglas and Wendell Berry.✨ Become a founding member for access my five-week science and philosophy course at Weirdosphere and the raw recordings of every unreleased episode! (Anyone can chat with my course transcripts in a dedicated Google Notebook here.)This is a reader-supported publication. Please consider becoming a member:✨ Browse and buy all of the books we discuss on the show at Bookshop.org✨ Contact me with inquiries or hire me as a consultantReferenced & RelatedWhat's trust got to do with it?Nathan KinchThree reasons why AI ethics is strugglingNathan KinchIf ‘Trust is a must' for AI governance — here are 3 things regulators should doHilary SutcliffeBluesky and enshittificationCory DoctorowEnvironmentally Mediated Social DilemmasSylvie Estrela et al.FLD On Navigating Complexity in Education: A Conversation with Dave SnowdenTim LoganThe corporate cultivation of digital resignationNora Draper & Joseph TurowWilliam GibsonJohn VervaekeRajiv SethiMat MytkaNadia LeeBarronness Onora O'Neill This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe

February 24—Following a screening of the documentary Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry during the weekend of Feb. 20–22, 2026, filmmaker Laura Dunn and Mary Berry, executive director of The Berry Center, joined Library of America for an online Q&A focused on the film and its subject: author, poet, farmer, and activist Wendell Berry and his home in Henry County, KY. Hosted by Ben Lasman, online content and community manager for Library of America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

February 24—Following a screening of the documentary Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry during the weekend of Feb. 20–22, 2026, filmmaker Laura Dunn and Mary Berry, executive director of The Berry Center, joined Library of America for an online Q&A focused on the film and its subject: author, poet, farmer, and activist Wendell Berry and his home in Henry County, KY. Hosted by Ben Lasman, online content and community manager for Library of America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

February 24—Following a screening of the documentary Look & See: A Portrait of Wendell Berry during the weekend of Feb. 20–22, 2026, filmmaker Laura Dunn and Mary Berry, executive director of The Berry Center, joined Library of America for an online Q&A focused on the film and its subject: author, poet, farmer, and activist Wendell Berry and his home in Henry County, KY. Hosted by Ben Lasman, online content and community manager for Library of America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

As human beings, we are built for relationship. Yet many of the leadership models we inherit are hierarchical, extractive, and rooted in struggle. In this conversation, Nina and I explore: What relational leadership really means Why empathy, vulnerability, and collaboration are strengths — not weaknesses How climate justice, racial equity, gender equity, and economic reform are deeply interconnected Why “solving for pattern” (in the spirit of Wendell Berry) leads to cascading regenerative benefits The importance of integrating restorative, regenerative rhythms into our leadership and lives Nina also reflects on redefining sacrifice, embracing conflict as a doorway to deeper relationship, and leading from wholeness rather than burnout. Why This Matters Now We are living through overlapping crises — climate instability, political gridlock, reproductive rights rollbacks, and widening inequity. Nina reminds us that these are not separate issues, but interconnected systems. We will not achieve climate justice without racial and gender equity.We will not build regenerative economies without collaborative leadership.And we cannot solve systemic problems while remaining disconnected from one another — or from the Earth. Relational leadership invites us to lead not from dominance, but from interdependence. About Nina Simons Nina Simons is Co-founder and Chief Relationship Officer at Bioneers and leads its Everywoman's Leadership program. Throughout her career across nonprofit, social entrepreneurship, corporate, and philanthropic sectors, Nina has worked with nearly a thousand diverse women leaders to cultivate mutual learning, trust, and transformative leadership. She is the author of Nature, Culture, and the Sacred: A Woman Listens for Leadership and co-editor of Moonrise: The Power of Women Leading from the Heart. Her work integrates ecological wisdom, spiritual insight, and systems thinking to inspire regenerative futures. Connect with Nina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nina-simons/ Website: https://www.ninasimons.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1ninasimons/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nina.simons Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ninabioneers Join Me at Bioneers 2026 I'll be attending Bioneers in Berkeley from March 26–28 and look forward to meeting Nina in person and hearing her speak live. If you're considering going, now's the time: https://conference.bioneers.org/ ***Use code BRINGAFRIEND for 2-for-1 pricing*** Let's gather, learn, and co-create regenerative solutions together. Support Care More Be Better Care More Be Better is an independent, values-driven podcast. We answer only to our collective conscience. If you believe in regenerative leadership, systems change, and social impact storytelling, please: Subscribe, Rate & Review Share this episode Support the show at: https://www.caremorebebetter.com/support Together, we can care more and be better — and we can even regenerate our leadership models to heal people, planet, and the next generation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send a textDee and Carol are back to talk about impatiens, quick wins in the vegetable garden, a new book on cut flowers and several other topics, planned and unplanned.For more information, check out our Substack newsletterTo watch this episode on YouTube, click here. If you are interested in Dee's new garden hose, here's the affiliate link.Flowers:  National Garden Bureau has declared it to be the Year of the Impatien.  On the Bookshelf:  The Beginner's Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Nourish, and Create Bliss Year-Round, by Elizabeth Brown with photos by Lindsay Fairchild (Amazon Link).  Dirt:  Burp Your House. Garden to Visit: Tucson Botanical Gardens Rabbit Holes: Bertha Damon, a Lost Lady of Garden Writing.  The series of books about Mrs. Pollifax, CIA spy!  Baba Marta Day, celebrated on March 1 in Bulgaria. Also  Marce Catlett: The Force of a Story by Wendell Berry? (Amazon Link)(Check out our affiliate links here. Book links are also affiliate links.)As always, we appreciate all of you for listening to the podcast!Support the showOn Instagram: Carol: Indygardener, Dee: RedDirtRamblings, Our podcast: TheGardenangelists.On Facebook: The Gardenangelists' Garden Club.On YouTube.

Guru Madhavan reverences the world and all that is in it. Guru is an engineer, but his conception of engineering is more vast than we typically assign to the role. To it he brings a systems consciousness that widens the field in recognition of its entanglement with the social and cultural.Origins Podcast WebsiteFlourishing Commons NewsletterShow Notes:David Sloan Wilson on Origins (02:05)systems consciousness (06:40)problematizing the term 'technology' (11:00)jirnoddhara - 'repairing what is worn' (13:30)Charles Vest (15:20)Applied Minds Guru's first book (21:20)'lessons from the scrapheap' (24:00)Spanning Space by Claude Claremont (25:00)Cloaca Maxima (29:00)Wicked Problems by Guru (31:00)"How to be a poet" by Wendell Berry (31:00)"The Grind Challenges" by Guru (33:00)Evolution for Everyone by David Sloan Wilson (41:50)Flourishing Salons and the event Guru referred to (43:00)FOCUS (45:20)Elinor Ostrom (46:30)The Disuniting of America by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. (55:20)Paul Virilio's 'inverted miracle' (56:30)What does it mean to flourish? (57:30)Why War? letters between Einstein and Freud (01:00:30)Lightning round (01:05:10)Book: The Faraway Nearby by Rebecca SolnitPassion: cubist paintingHeart sing: latest bookThe Wisdom of the Desert by Thomas MertonScrewed up: communicationFind Guru online: LinkedIn'Five-Cut Fridays' five-song music playlist series  Guru's playlistLogo artwork by Cristina GonzalezMusic by swelo on all streaming platforms or @swelomusic on social media

Stella Maria Baer is a Santa Fe–based painter whose work is deeply rooted in land, light, and place. Known for her luminous depictions of moons, desert skies, horses, and wide-open Southwestern landscapes, Stella often makes her own pigments by hand—grinding rocks, dirt, and minerals into paint that quite literally contains the places she portrays. In addition to her studio practice, she teaches intimate workshops on natural pigment painting for land-based artists on her New Mexico property, creating space for people to reconnect with their creativity, their hands, and the earth itself. Stella grew up in New Mexico in a family of artists—her mother was a weaver, her grandfather a photographer, her grandmother a sculptor—and spent summers on a Wyoming ranch that shaped her lifelong love of horses and open country. Though art was always around her, she initially pursued religion and philosophy, studying questions of desire, goodness, and the inherent value of land. Painting began not as a career move but as a private, prayerful practice—drawing birds in journals to quiet a busy mind. Over time, that contemplative discipline evolved into a full-time vocation, one that ultimately drew her back home to New Mexico after years on the East Coast, where she had found herself painting the desert from memory and longing. In this conversation, we talk about that journey—from philosophy classrooms and sacred poetry to moon paintings and hand-ground pigments. Stella shares how critique shaped her work in unexpected ways, how motherhood has influenced both her art and her priorities, and the powerful story behind rescuing her horses from kill pens—animals that now carry deep personal meaning connected to her late mother. We also discuss the importance of play, silence, and being a beginner in a screen-saturated world. Stella rarely does interviews, so I'm especially grateful for her willingness to sit down and speak so thoughtfully and authentically about her life and work. It's a reflective conversation about creativity, land, faith, and following one's unique artistic curiosity. I feel like Stella and I only scratched the surface of her curiosity, land ethic, and artistic journey, so I'll look forward to having her back for another conversation in the future. But for now, I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. --- Stella Maria Baer Moon Horse Ranch Full episode notes and links: https://mountainandprairie.com/stella --- THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS: Mountain & Prairie is listener supported via Patreon, and brought to you with support from the Central Grasslands Roadmap, The Nature Conservancy in Colorado, North Bridger Bison, and the Old Salt Co-op for their generous sponsorship. --- TOPICS DISCUSSED: 0:00 - Intro and sponsor highlight 7:50 - Stella's origin story 12:00 - Art in Stella's childhood 14:35 - Zoning in and drawing birds 19:39 - Religion and philosophy degrees 21:58 - Wendell Berry and the Bible 25:07 - Responding to critiques 27:42 - New Mexico love 33:01 - Why moons? 36:07 - Importance of play 44:12 - How having kids changed things 50:54 - Stella's horses 55:28 - Stella's workshops 1:02:08 - Book recs 1:06:00 - Wrapping up --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

Send a textIn tonight's episode, with the help of a few of our listeners, I continue to reflect on life aboard the Erica and how it might have changed our lives as well as go on a hunt for the elusive 'Seventh Word'. There is often a lot of talk about how canal-life is helpful for mental wellbeing. Is this really the case? We also go in hunt for some mysterious bramble cutting vandals. Journal entry:21st February, Saturday“A silvered dawn. Milder air With the promise of Spring. Plum blossom and cowslips.”Episode Information:In this episode I read two short poems by Wendell Berry; ‘Song (2)' and ‘Woods'. I also refer to a line by WH Auden from his poem ‘Herman Melville'.With special thanks to our lock-wheelersfor supporting this podcast. Ana McKellar Susan BakerMind Shambles Clare Hollingsworth Kevin B. Fleur and David Mcloughlin Lois Raphael Tania Yorgey Andrea Hansen Chris Hinds Chris and Alan on NB Land of Green Ginger Captain Arlo Rebecca Russell Allison on the narrowboat Mukka Derek and Pauline Watts Anna V. Orange Cookie Mary Keane. Tony Rutherford. Arabella Holzapfel. Rory with MJ and Kayla. Narrowboat Precious Jet. Linda Reynolds Burkins. Richard Noble. Carol Ferguson. Tracie Thomas Mark and Tricia Stowe Madeleine SmithGeneral DetailsThe intro and the outro music is ‘Crying Cello' by Oleksii_Kalyna (2024) licensed for free-use by Pixabay (189988). Narrowboat engine recorded by 'James2nd' on the River Weaver, Cheshire. Uploaded to Freesound.org on 23rd June 2018. Creative Commons Licence. Piano and keyboard interludes composed and performed by Helen Ingram.All other audio recorded on site. Support the showBecome a 'Lock-Wheeler'Would you like to support this podcast by becoming a 'lock-wheeler' for Nighttime on Still Waters? Find out more: 'Lock-wheeling' for Nighttime on Still Waters.Contact Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/noswpod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nighttimeonstillwaters/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/noswpod.bsky.social Mastodon: https://mastodon.world/@nosw I would love to hear from you. You can email me at nighttimeonstillwaters@gmail.com or drop me a line by going to the nowspod website and using either the contact form or, if you prefer, record your message by clicking on the microphone icon. For more information about Nighttime on Still Waters You can find more information and photographs about the podcasts and life aboard the Erica on our website at noswpod.com.

Indiana University Lecturer in Music Andy Miller stops by to talk about his percussion position at IU and the opportunities for creative concert outlets (03:00), being on the 2025 PASIC New Music/Research panel on Percussion and Dance and his prior teaching position at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (22:15), growing up in Dayton (OH) and getting into music and sports (39:40), attending Wright State (OH) for undergrad (53:30), going to the University of Illinois for the Master's and changing his career focus (01:00:10), winning a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Colombía, Bang on a Can, and working in commercial cabinetry (01:12:05), his doctoral studies at IU (01:26:45), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including discussions on student mental health, Momofuku noodles, great movies, video games, Dayton pizza, and the writing of Wendell Berry (01:33:30).Finishing with a Rave on the 2025 animated film Arco (01:52:00).Andy Miller Links:Andy Miller's IU pagePrevious Podcast guests mentioned:Alexandros Fragiskatos in 2021Drew Tucker in 2026Meridythe Witt in 2026William Moersch in 2019Fernando Meza in 2020Other Links:Michael SpiroWayne WallaceLatin American Music CenterJohn TafoyaJoseph GramleyChristopher LambMerce CunninghamBeto TorrensJerry NobleRicardo FloresCarlos VivesRobert E. Brown Center for World MusicMamady KeitaBolo CondeGiovanni HidalgoJuri SeoThomas Turino“Rhythm Gradation” - Toshi IchiuyanagiBang on a Can Summer Festival“2x5” - Steve ReichJorge AlabéLars and the Real Girl trailerThe Room trailerCrime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky Hollow Knight trailerUnderworld trailerMarion's PizzaWendell BerryRaves:Arco trailer

Song: The Reach Words by: Wendell Berry Music by: Malcolm Dalglish   Notes: I learned this beautiful round from the amazing Moira Smiley, who connected me with Malcolm Dalglish to request his permission to share on this podcast. I continue to be amazed by the seeds we sow when we befriend and tend each other, unfolding understanding and trust. It's not always easy to reach forward or back -- but these seeds we plant with each other open, even if the winter is long and icy! At least that's where this poem is taking me today. And let me tell you, I practiced deep love and care for all of you whose voices are comfortable in higher ranges than mine! I taught it where I'm comfy -- but I did the reprise where Malcolm actually set the sheet music (nice tenor/soprano range) -- so if you want to buy the sheet music from him and sing along with it, that's where you should head...   Songwriter Info: Malcolm Dalglish is a hammer dulcimer player and composer from Bloomington Indiana, whose many vocals celebrate a love of our natural world. He has set many poems by Kentucky author, and farmer, Wendell Berry.    Sharing Info: Please buy sheet music on Malcolm's website if you plan to share this song as a songleader.   Song Learning Time Stamps: Start time of teaching: 00:02:50 Start time of reprise: 00:14:29   Links: Malcolm's website: https://oooliticmusic.com/    Nuts & Bolts: 4:4, major, round with optional descant   Join this community of people who love to use song to help navigate life? Absolutely: https://dashboard.mailerlite.com/forms/335811/81227018071442567/share   Help us keep going: reviews, comments, encouragement, plus contributions... we float on your support. https://www.abreathofsong.com/gratitude-jar.html

This week go deep with Alex Komoroske, CEO and co-founder of Common Tools, about his vision for a more saner, more intentional tech paradigm in which the historical contingencies that gave us the digital world we have today have been fundamentally reworked.The version of AI most of us have come to accept or reject looks like corporate-owned super-assistants with all your data. Instead, we could have a decentralized ecosystem where software self-assembles around you—private, personal, and prosocial. Alex speaks on this possible world with authority: he spent 13 years at Google as PM Director on Chrome's web platform, Search, and AR, and later led corporate strategy at Stripe before co-founding Common Tools with Bernhard Seefeld.Some of the waypoints in our conversation include: confidential compute, emergent ontologies, where we want friction, the tyranny of the marginal users, the rise of the generalist, the importance of context ownership, and software ephemerality.We can't take a reasonable principled stance on the promises and perils of AI without considering the vast unexplored possibility space that Alex opens in this conversation. I'm grateful that I get to share it with you and help light the way for promising alternatives to what many of us have come to accept as “the way things are.”Links to extensive additional reading and listening below!✨ If you enjoy this podcast, please consider liking, subscribing, and commenting wherever you listen: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Etc.✨ Become a member to support the show and score myriad perks, like our book club: our next call is on Wendell Berry's Standing by Words this Sunday, Feb 15th!✨ Become a founding member for access to my five-week science and philosophy course at Weirdosphere and the raw recordings of every unreleased episode! (Anyone can chat with my course transcripts in a dedicated Google Notebook here.)✨ Browse and buy all of the books we discuss on the show at Bookshop.org✨ Contact me with inquiries or hire me as a consultantReferenced & Related• The FLUX Collective (team project w/ several people mentioned in this episode)• Bits and Bobs (Alex's long-running archive of weekly notes)• Common Ground (Alex's dialogues w/ Aishwarya Khanduja of The Analogue Group)• The Iterative Adjacent Possible (Alex on Medium)• The Runaway Engine of Society (Alex on Medium)• Thinking like a gardener not a builder, organizing teams like slime mold, the adjacent possible, and other unconventional product advice (podcast w/ Lenny Rachitsky)• Media and Machines by Anu Atluru at Working Theorys• Accelerando & Glasshouse & Halting State (three books) by Charles Stross• The Transparent Society by David Brin• The evolution of Covert Signaling by Paul Smaldino• Landscape rules predict optimal superhighways for the first peopling of Sahul by Stefani Crabtree et al.• The Tyranny of the Marginal User by Ivan Vendrov• 1,000 True Fans by Kevin Kelly• Blindsight & Echopraxia (two books) by Peter Watts• The Computer as a Communication Device by J.C.R. Licklider & Bob Taylor• Silicon Valley's quest to remove friction from our lives by Rohit Krishnan• The Most Valuable Commodity in the World is Friction by Kyla Scanlon• Bernhard Seefeld• Situated Software by Clay Shirky• Das Rad (animated short)• Geoffrey West• Mark Pesce• Fred Turner• Robert David SteeleExplore hundreds of related podcast episodes in the archives! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe

Send us a textWhat if the simple practice of looking out your window could change the way you carry grief? We sit down with Pastor Courtney Ellis, author of Looking Up: A Birder's Guide to Hope Through Grief," to explore how everyday birdwatching becomes a practice of attention that steadies the soul, awakens faith, and gently leads us toward hope. From the first "spark bird" that turns curiosity into a habit, to the quiet patience of waiting for wings to appear, we trace a path that's grounded, embodied, and surprisingly accessible—even for restless minds.Courtney opens up about losing her grandfather and how choosing to be a granddaughter before a professional reshaped her approach to mourning. Together, we name the cultural gap around grief and offer kinder rituals for moving through loss without rushing past it. Along the way, birds become teachers: vultures as tender witnesses and “priests of the wild,” goldfinches as bright messengers in hard seasons, and even city pigeons as underrated icons of resilience and beauty. Poetry from Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver weaves through the conversation, adding language that can hold both sorrow and joy.If this resonated, subscribe, share with a friend who needs gentle hope, and leave a review to help others find the show. Tell us: what's your spark bird?Visit Courtney's website: Courtney EllisOrder Courtney's book: Looking Up!Support the showBegin Your Heartlifter's Journey: Support the show: Your Donation Matters Leave a review and rate the podcast: WRITE A REVIEW Make a tax-deductible donation through Heartlift International Visit and subscribe to Heartlift Central on Substack. This is our new online meeting place for Heartlifters worldwide. Download the 2025 Advent Guide: The Great Glimmer Hunt Meet me on Instagram: @janellrardon

The world is getting weirder every day… We need weirdness specialists. Maybe the best guy for the job is my friend, the brilliant “metashaman” (and possible octopus) Layman Pascal. In his own words, Layman “used to be a Canadian meditation teacher, yoga instructor & philosopher of Integral Metatheory but he's feeling much better now.” He leads the Metamodern Spirituality Labs, hosts The Integral Stage, Soulmakers+, and (forthcoming) Untegral Stage podcasts, and provides unique online courses. He is also a founding member of several think tanks in the developmental psychology and spirituality space, senior editor of Emerge online & is allied to numerous institutes across the field. In addition to many journal and anthology articles, he is the author of Gurdjieff for a Time Between Worlds, Sex, Death & the Occult, as well as an upcoming book about Nietzsche. Layman is known for his philosophical work on the metaphysics of adjacency, complex nonduality, coaxial developmental stage theories, sacred naturalism, archaic futurism, embodied spirituality & the “integration-surplus model of religion and spirituality” for a post-postmodern civilization facing numerous accelerating and converging crises. In this conversation we cover a lot of ground in a very short time, including: the nature of futurity and how humankind's relationship to the future is changing; how to surf intense peculiarity'; the abiding sociocultural role of “shamanoid” personalities and other useful weirdos; “wartime” mobilization for The Big Us; and other deep and delightful subjects. It's my honor to finally decant this year-old recording, now more pertinent than ever…✨ If you enjoy this conversation, please consider liking, subscribing, and commenting on your favorite podcast provider to help this work (and you!) find new allies: YouTube • Spotify • Apple Podcasts • Etc.✨ Our next Humans On The Loop book club discussion is for Wendell Berry's Standing by Words on Sunday February 15th! Become a member to participate in these calls, exclusive Discord members channels, and our monthly hangouts.✨ All of the unedited, unreleased episodes are available to founding members here.More links• Explore the archives for nine years of mind-expanding conversations• Browse (nearly!) all of the books we discuss on the show at Bookshop.org•Dig into the Humans On The Loop pitch deck• Explore the Google Notebook for How To Live In The Future, my five-week science and philosophy course at Weirdosphere• Contact me if you have burning questions!Cited pieces by Layman• The Soul of AI w/ Lee Chazen (YouTube)• The MetaModern Business Bureau (MMBB) (Substack)• Apocalyptarians (Substack)• The Society of Partial Deterritorialization (Substack)• The Two-Handed Demons (Substack)Cited pieces by others• Wendell Berry - Standing by Words• Hakim Bey - Temporary Autonomous Zone• Steven Johnson - The Revenge of the Humanities• Carol Dweck - Mindset• William James - On Some Mental Effects of the EarthquakeMentioned people with dialogues on my show• Jim Rutt (181)• William Irwin Thompson (42, 43)• Erik Davis (99, 132, 140)• Timothy Morton (223)Mentioned people without dialogues on my show• Terence McKenna (although I've interviewed Terence's brilliant close friends Ken Adams and Bruce Damer multiple times; check the archives for episodes 4, 109, 209)• Alexander Bard• Andrew Huberman• Harry S. Truman• Jacques Lacan• H.P. Lovecraft• Doug Irwin• Nassim Taleb• Friedrich Nietzsche This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit michaelgarfield.substack.com/subscribe

I may be the only other man who has had some version of the cold-night-existential experience described in today's poem, but I doubt it. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

Our worship director, Olivia Dyer, brings an inspirational message about creativity and expression. The first thing we read about God in the Bible is that He created and that we are created in his likeness. If we are created in His likeness, then even if you don't believe you are a creative person, He has made you to create. May you be encouraged this week to approach creativity in worship as we finish our 21 day fast! Book references from sermon: "Naming the Animals" by Stephen Roach"The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell BerryIn addition to this message, we encourage you to look at our 21 Day Fast website at www.bighousechurch.com/fast26 for more details, instructions, and especially to view our "Ways to Worship" PDF, which provides daily prompts on a weekly basis, which were intentionally crafted to partner with each week's message. Be blessed in your fasting and worship!---Big House Church is cultivating a community of passionate worshippers who partner with Jesus to create a kingdom culture on earth as it is in heaven. We regularly meet on Sundays @ 9 & 11 AM at the Zeider Theater in Town Center Virginia Beach.Learn more at www.bighousechurch.com.

Our worship director, Olivia Dyer, brings an inspirational message about creativity and expression. The first thing we read about God in the Bible is that He created and that we are created in his likeness. If we are created in His likeness, then even if you don't believe you are a creative person, He has made you to create. May you be encouraged this week to approach creativity in worship as we finish our 21 day fast! Book references from sermon: "Naming the Animals" by Stephen Roach"The Peace of Wild Things" by Wendell BerryIn addition to this message, we encourage you to look at our 21 Day Fast website at www.bighousechurch.com/fast26 for more details, instructions, and especially to view our "Ways to Worship" PDF, which provides daily prompts on a weekly basis, which were intentionally crafted to partner with each week's message. Be blessed in your fasting and worship!---Big House Church is cultivating a community of passionate worshippers who partner with Jesus to create a kingdom culture on earth as it is in heaven. We regularly meet on Sundays @ 9 & 11 AM at the Zeider Theater in Town Center Virginia Beach.Learn more at www.bighousechurch.com.

Wendell Berry wrote: "When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests." Where do you go to rest and renew yourself in nature? Where do you come into the peace of wild things?More info and transcript at BirdNote.org.Want more BirdNote? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter. Sign up for BirdNote+ to get ad-free listening and other perks. BirdNote is a nonprofit. Your tax-deductible gift makes these shows possible.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Marty Solomon, Brent Billings, and Reed Dent discuss courage. The regular episode is preceded by some thoughts on Josh Bossé from Reed and Brent.Support for Sophia and Ronen after the loss of Josh — GoFundMeFor Josh — Text in UsRemembering Josh Bossé — Brent Billings“When I Am Among the Trees” by Mary Oliver in Thirst“The Peace of Wild Things” by Wendell Berry in The Selected Poems of Wendell BerryDaily Prayer with the Corrymeela Community by Pádraig Ó TuamaThe Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis“Just Do It” Motivational Speech by Shia LaBeouf — YouTubeBEMA 39: A King After God's Own HeartRocky IV (1985 film) — Letterboxd

This month marks ten full years of my bimonthly book-recommendations project—a decade of weird little paragraphs about the books that grab my scattered attention. Whether you've been here since the beginning or signed up five minutes ago, thank you. I'm still baffled anyone reads these things, but I'm grateful all the same. To mark the occasion, I recorded a late-night solo episode from The Shed, diving deeper into each of my September & October picks: why I chose them, what stayed with me, and the sometimes-unexpected lessons I gleaned from each of them. Or you could just describe it as a guy sitting in his garden shed talking to himself. Your choice. You can read all of the recommendations here, or, if you're clamoring to receive more emails, you can sign up for the list here. Thanks for listening, thanks for reading, and here's to 10 more great years of great books. – September & October 2025 Book Recommendations Ed's Bimonthly Book Recommendations Sign up for the list – BOOKS DISCUSSED: 00:00 — Intro + 10 years of book-rec emails 05:45 — Burn by Peter Heller 11:00 — Jaber Crow by Wendell Berry (related rec) 11:45 — The Way Out by Devon O'Neil 17:10 — Simple Fly Fishing by Yvon Chouinard 21:50 — Pheasant Tail Simplicity by Yvon Chouinard 25:40 — Little Woodchucks by Nick Offerman 29:20 — Dirtbag Billionaire by David Gelles 35:00 — Shoe Dog by Phil Knight (related rec) 35:55 — Apple in China by Patrick McGee 40:45 — When McKinsey Comes to Town (related rec) 42:10 — The Devil's Hand by Jack Carr 46:15 — Closing thoughts --- ABOUT MOUNTAIN & PRAIRIE: Mountain & Prairie - All Episodes Mountain & Prairie Shop Mountain & Prairie on Instagram Upcoming Events About Ed Roberson Support Mountain & Prairie Leave a Review on Apple Podcasts

In the new movie Sovereign, actor Nick Offerman plays an extremist who doesn't believe in the legitimacy of the Federal government. In real life, Nick comes from a small-town political family. His father is the mayor of Minooka, Illinois, and his uncle is on the village board. In this episode Nick talks about choosing roles, how he's different from his family, his love of teaching woodworking and the profound influence of poet Wendell Berry. Listen to our 2018 interview: Nick Offerman Can Take Directions Podcast production by Andrew Dunn Death, Sex & Money is now produced by Slate! To support us and our colleagues, please sign up for our membership program, Slate Plus! Members get ad-free podcasts, bonus content on lots of Slate shows, and full access to all the articles on Slate.com. Sign up today at slate.com/dsmplus. And if you're new to the show, welcome. We're so glad you're here. Find us and follow us on Instagram and you can find Anna's newsletter at annasale.substack.com. Our new email address, where you can reach us with voice memos, pep talks, questions, critiques, is deathsexmoney@slate.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices