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Sermon for the 7th Sunday after Easter based on John 15:26 - 16:4
Most retirees nail the math. Then they hit a wall.Jim Charles retired in 2021 after more than three decades in financial services. He had the savings, the freedom, and a 90-year-old house full of doors that needed rehanging. Within 18 months, he decided to un-retire. Not because the money ran out, but because the meaning had. That experience became the foundation for Sanctuary Financial Planning, the flat-fee firm he co-founded with his wife Sarah, and for their new book, From Work to What's Next.In this episode, Jim and Sarah Charles join Gabe McManus to make the case that most financial advisors are solving only half the retirement problem. The numbers are table stakes. What most clients haven't done is the meaning work — and they don't find that out until it's too late.Jim brings over three decades of financial services experience, including his role as co-Head of Dimensional Fund Advisors' North American institutional distribution, where he worked with some of the largest institutional investors in the world. Sarah spent more than two decades at top advisory firms building a $200M+ practice, with a specialty in women's financial empowerment. Together, they hold credentials including CFP®, CFA®, CDFA®, AIF®, and CSRIC®, and launched Sanctuary Financial Planning in 2023 to deliver transparent, flat-fee, fiduciary advice built around the whole person, not just the balance sheet.Resources Mentioned:From Work to What's Next: Designing a Life You Don't Want to Retire From by Jim and Sarah CharlesThe New Retirement Mentality by Mitch AnthonyConnect with Jim and Sarah Charles:Website: sanctuaryfinancialplanning.comJim on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jim-charlesSarah on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sarah-k-charlesSupport the show
Speaker: Noble HolmesThe gospel is so powerful that it reorients our focus to a heavenly perspective.
Heaven: Real Hope For Real People || Part 2 – A Forever Worth Living
Welcome to The Morning Brew--your slow Saturday companion.In these short episodes, I share thoughtful reflections, mindset shifts, and small practices to help you reconnect with yourself—without urgency or overwhelm. Press play while you make your coffee, sit by a window, or take a quiet moment for yourself.In this Morning Brew episode, we affirm that boring seasons of life my be unglamourous and unexciting, but they're still worth living.Best enjoyed with a warm drink and an unhurried morning.
Romans 6:1-11 I Ryan MacDonald I Baptism: A story worth living1. Setting: full immersion of a professing believer in water.2. Plot: Christ's death and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-5)3. Climax: dead to sin, alive to God, and members of the body of Christ. (Rom. 6:6-11)Through baptism, we live the story of Jesus.
Latest News/Headlines | Traffic | Weather | Sports Topic I: Division in the Muslim World: The Need for Unity Topic II: Why Life Is Still Worth Living: Finding Purpose, Faith and Strength Through Hardship Presenter(s): Imam Jalees Khan Guest(s): * imam Abdul Hameed Sawiri * imam Atta-ur-Rehman Khalid * Professor Georgina Charlesworth * professor Yasuhiro Kotera Producer(s): Hania Ahmed , Atia Ahmed Lead Producer: Tayyaba Tahir Researchers: Tahira Shabbir, Zaheeda Ramjeet, Tasnima Rahim, Amatul Aleem, Iman Mahmood, Anusha Kabir
Msgr. Roger J. Landry Cottonwood Lecture, Dallas, Texas March 27, 2026 To listen to an audio recording of tonight’s talk, please click below: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/catholicpreaching/3.27.26_Sheen_Dallas.mp3 The following outline guided the talk: Introduction on the beatification of Archbishop Sheen and my own long-time devotion to him. Ten Lessons from Sheen Holiness is possible The importance […] The post Life is Worth Living to the Utmost: Perennial Lessons from Blessed-to-be Fulton Sheen, Cottonwood Lecture, March 27, 2026 appeared first on Catholic Preaching.
Does your life feel like a story that went off script? It's easy to feel hopeless when our reality doesn't match the "happy ending" we expected. But you wouldn't be alone. Consider these raw, controversial realities faced by three major biblical figures: 1. Moses - Denied entry to the Promised Land after a lifetime of sacrifice and leadership. 2. Noah - Losing his entire known world and turning to drunkenness. 3. Joseph - Enduring years of unjust slavery and imprisonment during the prime of his youth. What truly matters isn't the current scene, but what happens next. Support Rise on Fire Ministries by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/rise-on-fire This podcast is powered by Pinecast.Read transcript
Air Date - 12 March 2026Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati at Parmarth Niketan discusses the following topics and answers questions from seekers from around the world during her Satsang from the banks of the holy Ganga River:~ When Life is Not Worth Living~ Is Suffering Part of Being Human?~ How Can You Remain Detached While Still Helping Others?~ Embracing the New Life of Spirituality#LifeNotWorthLiving #Spirituality #SadhviBhagawatiSaraswati #InspirationAndTransformation #Hinduism #Yoga #NonprofitVisit the Inspiration and Transformation show page http://omtimes.com/iom/shows/inspiration-and-transformation/Connect with Sadhvi at https://www.sadhviji.orgSubscribe to our Newsletter https://omtimes.com/subscribe-omtimes-magazine/Connect with OMTimes on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Omtimes.Magazine/ and OMTimes Radio https://www.facebook.com/ConsciousRadiowebtv.OMTimes/Twitter: https://twitter.com/OmTimes/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omtimes/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2798417/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/omtimes/
March 1, 2026, | Pastor Nathan Elms To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/cqOLVQaDyrQ?si=g1tNMEBMtwjj-3kB To help support this ministry, donate by texting the number: 704-445-5353, or online using the "Tithely" App, & give to "First Church Charlotte", or by going to the website link: Giving | First Church Charlotte Breakthrough on Mondays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/ppj-surc-zvt Stay Connected Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/zss-cuin-buw Connect on Wednesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/cds-mmwh-tzk?pli=1 House to house On Thursdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/vnq-txun-ozr If you are in the Charlotte, NC area, allow us to host you at: 4929 N Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 535-1000
Feb. 26, 2026, | Pastor Nathan Elms To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/l3aZfRv29Ls?si=G1OheROL_TVSdKUD To help support this ministry, donate by texting the number: 704-445-5353, or online using the "Tithely" App, & give to "First Church Charlotte", or by going to the website link: Giving | First Church Charlotte Breakthrough on Mondays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/ppj-surc-zvt Stay Connected Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/zss-cuin-buw Connect on Wednesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/cds-mmwh-tzk?pli=1 House to house On Thursdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/vnq-txun-ozr If you are in the Charlotte, NC area, allow us to host you at: 4929 N Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 535-1000
What happens when parenting regret doesn't go away… it just evolves?In this episode, Erika is joined by fellow childfree girlie Abby Porter (aka z00mie, aka “the girl with the list”) to unpack a brand-new post from a parent whose regret has shifted from newborn exhaustion to something much heavier: existential anxiety, fear about the future, and the pressure of shaping a child's entire life.We discuss: • Why regret can become more philosophical as kids grow• The crushing pressure parents feel to “not mess up” their children• Anxiety about AI, social media, and the modern world kids are growing up in• The myth that motherhood comes naturally• Why some people realize the realities of parenting too late• How comparison culture and mommy influencers make parenting harder• Whether thinking deeply about parenthood BEFORE kids could prevent regretTIMESTAMPS00:00 Intro + Meet Abby Porter01:00 How parenting regret changes over time03:00 Fear of traumatizing your kids (even if you're a good parent)05:00 Generational patterns, anxiety, and breaking cycles07:00 Parenting anxiety about the future, AI, and safety09:00 “Philosophical garbage” — unpacking that take12:00 When motherhood isn't what you expected14:00 The myth that parenting comes naturally16:00 Social media, mommy influencers, and comparison18:00 Kids, screens, and the “iPad generation”21:00 Therapist advice: stop spiraling or think deeper?23:00 Why these conversations matter BEFORE having kids24:50 Comment reactions + final thoughtsFOLLOW ABBY PORTERYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@z00mie TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@z00mieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/z00mi.e/ MORE FROM USWebsite: https://www.dinkypod.com/ Patreon: https://patreon.com/dinkypod regretful parents podcast, parenting regret discussion, motherhood reality, childfree podcast, parenting mental health, motherhood expectations, modern parenting struggles, should I have kids, honest parenting talk, parenting anxiety, raising kids today, social media parenting pressure, AI future kidsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dinky--5953015/support.
Feb. 22, 2026, | Pastor Nathan Elms To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/_7QZOvm_hzY?si=EEHUlIQoidIAOR2o To help support this ministry, donate by texting the number: 704-445-5353, or online using the "Tithely" App, & give to "First Church Charlotte", or by going to the website link: Giving | First Church Charlotte Breakthrough on Mondays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/ppj-surc-zvt Stay Connected Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/zss-cuin-buw Connect on Wednesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/cds-mmwh-tzk?pli=1 House to house On Thursdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/vnq-txun-ozr If you are in the Charlotte, NC area, allow us to host you at: 4929 N Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 535-1000
KC Crino shows us how to be wise and discerning in our faith journey.
,recorded in Plato's Apology (399 BCE), asserting that a life without self-reflection and critical inquiry into one's beliefs and actions lacks true value #war #winstonchurchill #History #esbcnflandsportsbettingpodcast
Jan. 19, 2026, | Pastor Nathan Elms To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/pgrfZDgtYQY?si=eAfJTxAc5EgeiDpa To help support this ministry, donate by texting the number: 704-445-5353, or online using the "Tithely" App, & give to "First Church Charlotte", or by going to the website link: Giving | First Church Charlotte Breakthrough on Mondays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/ppj-surc-zvt Stay Connected Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/zss-cuin-buw Connect on Wednesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/cds-mmwh-tzk?pli=1 House to house On Thursdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/vnq-txun-ozr If you are in the Charlotte, NC area, allow us to host you at: 4929 N Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 535-1000
Jan. 15, 2026, | Pastor Nathan Elms To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/lCT7kQ-NGHc?si=5IyCSOiIg0DSg9ck To help support this ministry, donate by texting the number: 704-445-5353, or online using the "Tithely" App, & give to "First Church Charlotte", or by going to the website link: Giving | First Church Charlotte Breakthrough on Mondays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/ppj-surc-zvt Stay Connected Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/zss-cuin-buw Connect on Wednesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/cds-mmwh-tzk?pli=1 House to house On Thursdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/vnq-txun-ozr If you are in the Charlotte, NC area, allow us to host you at: 4929 N Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 535-1000
Jan. 12, 2026, | Pastor Nathan Elms To watch the video: https://www.youtube.com/live/do74XAzC9GU?si=FXRNek-N2hnP5phc To help support this ministry, donate by texting the number: 704-445-5353, or online using the "Tithely" App, & give to "First Church Charlotte", or by going to the website link: Giving | First Church Charlotte Breakthrough on Mondays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/ppj-surc-zvt Stay Connected Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/zss-cuin-buw Connect on Wednesdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/cds-mmwh-tzk?pli=1 House to house On Thursdays at 7pm: https://meet.google.com/vnq-txun-ozr If you are in the Charlotte, NC area, allow us to host you at: 4929 N Sharon Amity Rd. Charlotte, NC 28205 (704) 535-1000
Episode 148: Lives Worth Living with Steve Sharp and Perri RosenIn this episode, I'm joined by Steve Sharp (a middle school counselor in Pennsylvania) and Dr. Perri Rosen (a nationally certified school psychologist and former special educator) to talk about their new book, Lives Worth Living: Applying the Zero Suicide Approach in Schools.We have an honest, practical conversation about how suicide prevention in schools has often been treated as “crisis response only”—and why the work we do before a crisis (SEL, belonging, school climate, connection) is a critical part of prevention too.In This Episode, You'll Learn:Why suicide prevention is often seen as “its own box” in schools—and how to broaden that mindsetWhat the Zero Suicide framework is and why it can be adapted for school systemsHow SEL, belonging, and school climate function as real protective factorsWhat school counselors may need to unlearn about suicide preventionWhy “refer out and hope it resolves” isn't the full picture—and how schools still play a role in recoveryWhy re-entry and connection matter so much after a suicide-related crisisHow data and continuous improvement can strengthen a school-wide prevention system over time“You don't have to layer on all of these other things… it's many of the things you're already doing. It's just making those connections.”Key Takeaway:Suicide prevention isn't just a training or a risk assessment—it's the systems we build, the connections we create, and the culture of belonging we protect, so students can truly live lives worth living.If this episode encouraged you, I'd love for you to follow the podcast and leave a review—it helps other school counselors find support, resources, and reminders that they're not alone in this work.Resources Mentioned:Lives Worth LivingMentioned in this episode:Perks Membership
The Only Vision Worth Living For : Revelation 1:9-20 : Pastor Raef Chenery : 02-01-26 by Park Community Church
Thank you to our lovely sponsors : *VISION BOARD PARTY IN-PERSON: https://habitofagoddess.com/products/goddess-soiree-year-of-the-horse-vision-ritual-2026 *SHOPIFY: Sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://www.shopify.com/habitsofagoddess *WAYFAIR: Shop all things home at www.wayfair.com *DRIPDROP: Stay hydrated this year with DripDrop. Right now, DripDrop is offering podcast listeners 20% off your first order. Go to dripdrop.com and use promo code habits. *HERO BREAD: This year, hit your goals without giving up your favorite bready dishes. Hero Bread is offering 10% off your order. Go to hero.co and use code HABITS at checkout. *BETTERHELP: Get matched today with a licensed therapist when you visit https://www.betterhelp.com/habitsofagoddess . * Follow and connect with me here: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasminerasco1?_t=ZT-90xO4XoWDSH&_r=1 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/habitsofagoddess and Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@habitsofagoddess/videos *Here's how to support the podcast: https://buymeacoffee.com/habitofagoddess *Book a Goddess Chat session with me: https://habitofagoddess.com/products/goddess-chat-calls Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What shapes the way you live—what you hope for, what you endure, and what you value most?In this episode, Marcel Hall reflects on a once-in-a-lifetime moment from The Price Is Right and uses it to explore a much deeper question: What is the prize that truly lasts? Drawing from 1 Peter 1:3–9, the message centers on the prize of eternal life—a gift rooted in mercy, protected by God, and powerful enough to shape everyday life.For those inside the church, this episode is a reminder to slow down and cherish what has already been given—with renewed gratitude, deeper commitment, and a willingness to share hope with others.For those outside the church, it's an open invitation to consider whether there is more to life than what can be earned, achieved, or lost—and whether faith might offer a hope that doesn't fade when circumstances change.This message invites all listeners to reflect on what they're living for—and whether they've discovered a prize worth building life around.Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3–900:00 – A new year, a new perspective (2026 slogan)02:00 – Looking back: a moment from The Price Is Right06:10 – Sermon title introduced: A Prize Worth Living For07:20 – Setting the context: pressure, suffering, and hope08:50 – The main idea: The Prize of Eternal Life09:10 – Scripture reading: 1 Peter 1:3–910:45 – Mercy, new birth, and a living hope13:35 – An inheritance that can't fade or be taken away16:05 – Guarded by God's power: security for the present and future17:20 – Why faith is worth more than gold18:05 – Inexpressible joy—even in hard seasons20:20 – What the prize of eternal life includes21:10 – A turning question: “What do you do with a prize like this?”22:10 – The Clippers ball story: when something valuable isn't cherished24:05 – Response: Cherish the Prize24:30 – Cherish the prize with gratitude26:50 – Cherish the prize through commitment28:15 – Cherish the prize by sharing it30:05 – Action steps for the week32:20 – Closing encouragement and Scripture (1 Peter 1:3–4)Click here to donate to the programClick here for more sermonsOC Church of Christ
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14PVKM2Sh8L/Miami's dubbed America's digital nomad capital, but is the price tag worth it? We're unpacking the real costs, visa hurdles, and work-life balance tricks every remote worker should know before booking that flight. Crucial Constructs City: Austin Address: 16238 Highway 620 N., Website: https://crucialconstructs.com/4-great-home-based-business-ideas-what-side-hustles-i-can-do-from-anywhere-that-pay-well/
Homeopathic medicine always assumes we want to live as the RNA and our Energy Source both work towards keeping us alive. When we do not want to live we have lost ourselves and our purposes and those around us are no longer are community. We are empathic creatures with a strong will to live, and if we are being told that modern medicine is our only hope, that is LIE. All views presented are based on credible sources, but they are explained through the individual's viewpoint. Doing your own research while integrating new information is always important when forming your own viewpoint. Please feel free to contact me and share ideas on any of the topics on this podcast. I would love to hear from you at materiaplus.com or hownatureheals@gmail.com The information in this podcast is not meant to address individual health needs, it is general in nature and should not be used as medical information for your health unless used in combination with your health practitioner.
Good Morning Voice Family! Today is Vision Sunday and our first service of the year! Can't wait to hear what Pastor Taka brings to us today! If you are new to Voice Church, please take a moment to fill out the connection card at www.voice.church/connect to get more info and get connected to the church family!
Living on mission with Jesus requires investing in the church, receiving from the church, and courage. Which means...it requires Christ! Pastor Nathan Potter resumes our series through Acts with a sermon from Acts 14.
Fr. John Ehrich, STL Frjohnteaches.com Fr. John's Music
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-good-morning-portugal-podcast-with-carl-munson--2903992/support.Need help in Portugal? Contact Carl by phone/WhatsApp on (00 351) 913 590 303, email carl@carlmunson.com or join the Portugal Club community here - www.theportugalclub.com
Enjoy this special presentation featuring the classic Bible teaching of Dr. Daniel Pritchett. Dr. Pritchett is a long-time pastor and the son of Dr. and Mrs. John and Norma Whitcomb. Dr. Pritchett grew up on the mission field in the Philippines. He is a graduate of Grace College, Grace Theological Seminary and Dallas Theological Seminary. We are grateful to the Bridge Church in Martinsburg, W.Va., for allowing us to share this audio with you here.
Liberated Life Series | Episode 775Join Josh Trent, host of the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast, and Mar, co-host of the Liberated Life Series, as they expose the shocking truth about the meaning of life. Why do money, success, and approval so often leave us empty? And how can struggle, the very thing we try to avoid, become the secret key to fulfillment?If you've ever asked yourself why achievements don't make you happy or why the search for purpose collapses into anxiety, this episode will shake your perspective, reveal where most people get meaning wrong, and guide you toward a deeper truth that can never be taken away.Listen To Episode 775 As Josh Trent Uncovers:(00:00) If You Died Tomorrow, Would Your Life Mean Anything?(07:20) Why Doing the Dishes Could Save Your Soul(11:55) Happiness Is a Fool's Game(14:55) The 8-Step Authentic Abundance Formula(21:40) Why Planning Alone Will Keep You Stuck(23:55) Turning Suffering Into a Spiritual Weapon(25:35) Life Has No Meaning... Until You Choose One(27:30) What Is The True Meaning of Life?
Liberated Life Series | Episode 775 Join Josh Trent, host of the Wellness + Wisdom Podcast, and Mar, co-host of the Liberated Life Series, as they expose the shocking truth about the meaning of life. Why do money, success, and approval so often leave us empty? And how can struggle, the very thing we try to avoid, become the secret key to fulfillment? If you've ever asked yourself why achievements don't make you happy or why the search for purpose collapses into anxiety, this episode will shake your perspective, reveal where most people get meaning wrong, and guide you toward a deeper truth that can never be taken away. We ALL have problems. Stop hiding. Start living life liberated. Learn how to set yourself free from self-sabotage, limiting beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors so you will have lifelong confidence and clarity of purpose through a thriving community and practical tools, guiding you to play a new reality game. Join Josh and others in the Liberated Life Tribe to: Discover lifelong confidence, clarity, and a true sense of purpose with practical tools and a supportive community. Learn to rewrite your reality + master a new “reality game.” Unlock your highest potential in your physical, mental, emotional, spiritual + financial SELF beyond your wildest dreams through accessing the power of surrender to trust life + create new results. Join the Tribe Today (It's FREE) Listen To Episode 775 As Josh Trent Uncovers: [00:00] If You Died Tomorrow, Would Your Life Mean Anything? Why chasing money, approval, or success leaves most people empty. The shocking truth: achievements without alignment always collapse into anxiety. How Emotional Epigenetics™ reveals that unresolved trauma blocks real fulfillment. Why true meaning only comes when your biology no longer argues with your reality. [07:20] Why Doing the Dishes Could Save Your Soul How finding joy in boring, everyday tasks rewires your relationship with life. Why “mundane moments” are the secret to lasting peace. The hidden danger of chasing dreams while ignoring the present. How presence in small things creates capacity for true abundance. [11:55] Happiness Is a Fool's Game Why Jordan Peterson warns against chasing happiness. The paradox of suffering: struggle is the fuel for deeper joy. How resistance is life signaling you to grow, not a sign to quit. Why maturity means embracing suffering as necessary for fulfillment. [14:55] The 8-Step Authentic Abundance Formula The proven roadmap: Values → Identity → Purpose → Dream → Vision → Gift → Give → Receive → Repeat. Why clarity on values is the non-negotiable foundation of identity transformation. How journaling through these 8 steps gives you a clear, personal life plan. The shocking truth: you can't shortcut embodiment - even ChatGPT can't do the work for you. [21:40] Why Planning Alone Will Keep You Stuck Why silent internal blocks only dissolve when exposed in community. The hidden cost of trying to figure it out by yourself. How tribe accountability reveals the lies trauma imprints into your biology. Why the Liberated Life Tribe™ is essential: we are not designed to evolve in isolation. [23:55] Turning Suffering Into a Spiritual Weapon Why acceptance transforms pain into fuel for your highest dreams. The radical mindset shift: nothing is good or bad - thinking makes it so. How neutrality and trust alchemize struggle into growth. Why resistance is secretly the doorway to your next level of meaning. [25:35] Life Has No Meaning... Until You Choose One The bus metaphor: two passengers, same ride, two radically different realities. How perspective creates meaning, even when facts stay the same. Why focusing on despair destroys - from Robin Williams to everyday burnout. [27:30] What Is The True Meaning of Life? Why unconditional love is the real test of human existence. How community and connection become the antidote to despair. Why peace must be the foundation of true power. The ultimate paradox: God is everything and nothing - and love is the only meaning we get to create. Leave Wellness + Wisdom a Review on Apple Podcasts Links From Today's Show Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig Emotional Epigenetics™: The Sacred Science of Identity Transformation (Remember Who You Are) The Talk: Philip Seymour Hoffman & Robin Williams (Part 2)
Take a listen as Pastor Zack continues our study of the book of Acts.
Pastor Joshua implores the church to think about what is worth living for, and what is worth dying for. What are we willing to believe in so wholeheartedly, that we would dedicate our lives and be willing to sacrifice them as well. Is it Jesus? Romans 14:8-9 New Living Translation8 If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if ... Read More
You're listening to Burnt Toast! Today, my guest is Emily Ladau, a disability rights activist, and author of Demystifying Disability. Our conversation today is about the many intersections between anti-fatness and ableism. This is such an important conversation, even if you feel like you're new to both of these worlds. We investigate who is considered a “worthy” disabled person or a Good Fatty — and how these stereotypes so often pit two marginalization experiences against each other. Today's episode is free but if you value this conversation, please consider supporting our work with a paid subscription. Burnt Toast is 100% reader- and listener-supported. We literally can't do this without you!PS. You can take 10 percent off Demystifying Disability, or any book we talk about on the podcast, if you order it from the Burnt Toast Bookshop, along with a copy of Fat Talk! (This also applies if you've previously bought Fat Talk from them. Just use the code FATTALK at checkout.)Episode 213 TranscriptEmilyI am a disability rights activist. I am a wheelchair user. I'm the author of a book called Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally. It's a bit of a mouthful, but all of that is really just to say that I am very passionate about educating people about the disability experience, and doing it through a lens that recognizes that we're all at a different point on the journey of thinking about disability and talking about disability. I really want to welcome people into what I know can be a sometimes overwhelming and uncomfortable conversation.VirginiaYou have been a disability rights activist since you appeared on Sesame Street as a 10 year old. I saw the clip. It's just adorable, little baby Emily. I mean, first tell us about that if you want! Or if you're sick of talking about it, I get it. But I would also love to know: When did your disability rights work morph into fat liberation work? And how do you see these two spheres intersecting?EmilyOn the Sesame Street note, my family likes to joke that I am totally milking that, because it happened when I was 10. But that was the first moment that I really understood that disabled people do have a place in the media. Prior to that, I had not seen almost anyone who looked like me, with the exception of two books that I read over and over again. And one other little girl who was also on Sesame Street who used a wheelchair.VirginiaWow.EmilyAnd I'm sure maybe somewhere else out there, there were other things. But I was an early 90s kid, and the media had just not caught up to showing me that I belonged. So having that experience is something that I really don't take for granted.I like to joke that in many ways, I am the “typical” disabled person. If you look up a stock photo of someone with a disability, it's probably a white woman using a wheelchair. Oddly enough, she's probably also on a beach, holding her arms out. You know? VirginiaAs soon as you said it, I have a visual. I've seen that picture. Obviously, she's on a beach.EmilyYes, so I am sort of the cliche version. But at the same time, I'm not. Because there's sort of an “acceptable” disabled person, and she is the thin, pretty, white woman who is sitting in a wheelchair. I meet, I suppose, some of those traits, but I am someone who, in later years so far, has come to identify as fat and no longer sees that as the derogatory term that it was always leveraged towards me as.Any relationship that I have to fat liberation work has been sort of an evolutionary process for me. It's newer to me. I didn't understand when I was younger how that fit into disability rights work. But I see now that we can't have those conversations separately. First of all, every issue is a disability issue. So every issue impacts disabled people. And second of all, the disability community encompasses every identity, every body type, every experience. There are more than a billion disabled people around the world. So you absolutely have every single possible body type within the disability community. And if we are not talking about fat liberation, if we are not talking about LGBTQIA+ rights, if we are not talking about ensuring that our work is meaningfully intersectional, then it's not actually disability rights work.VirginiaBut it is tricky to figure out how all those things intersect and fit together for sure.EmilyI feel like I'm constantly playing a game of Tetris with that. And I don't mean that to say, oh, woe is me. But more so, how do we get society to recognize how those pieces interlock with one another?VirginiaDo you mind sharing a little bit about how anti-fatness shows up in your own experiences? Sometimes it's helpful to name those moments, because some people listening might think, oh, I've had that too, and I didn't know to name it as anti-fatness, or, oh, I've been on the wrong side of that. And it's helpful to hear why that was not helpful.EmilyThere is no clear direction to take this answer, because it's impacted me in two diametrically opposed ways.The first is that I have been judged incredibly harshly as being lazy, as being unhealthy, as being someone who maybe doesn't take care of myself in the way that I should. And the wheelchair is seen as the cause of that.On the flip side, I have also been treated as though disability is the only cause of anything going on in my body, and therefore I should be given a free pass if I am considered, as doctors would say, “overweight.”VirginiaIt's like, Oh, it's okay. You're in a wheelchair. What can we do? We can't expect you to go for a run.EmilyExactly. So you see what I mean. It's either one or the other. I'm either bad and lazy or it's like, oh, poor you. You can't get up and exercise.VirginiaBoth of those are such judgmental, patronizing ways to talk about you and your body.EmilyThey're super frustrating. I think that both of those are anti-fatness in their own right. But for me, it sends conflicting messages, because I'm trying to seek medical support for certain issues. And some doctors are like, “Lose weight!” And other doctors are like, “Well, we can't do anything because you're in a wheelchair.” And so both of those are very unhelpful responses.VirginiaOh man, it really speaks to the lack of intersectional care in medicine, that people don't know how to hold these two facts together and also give you comprehensive medical care at the same time.EmilyI wish that we could just have disabled people speaking with medical students as a requirement in every single medical school program. But instead, I feel like we're either completely relegated to the sidelines of conversations in medical school, or maybe we're brought up in very clinical and dehumanizing ways, and we don't stop to think holistically about a person.It's interesting, because my mom has often said—and I should note, she has the same disability that I do. So she's a wheelchair user as well. But she feels very strongly that a lot of other medical issues that I am dealing with now were overlooked when I was younger, because everybody was so hung up on my disability that nobody was offering me the support that I needed for other things that could have, in turn, prevented some of what I'm now navigating.So it seems like healthcare can't hold multiple truths at once.They can't think about your body and think about everything going on. It's either you're fat or you're disabled.VirginiaGod forbid you have a health condition that is not weight linked and not linked to your disability. That's going to throw them completely for a loop.EmilyYeah, it's very much a binary. I think that it's led to a lot of confusion among healthcare providers. Certainly, I know there have been delayed diagnoses on many, many things. I've also had it leveraged against me in terms of what I would consider chronic illness, because I would get sick pretty regularly when I was a child, and every time I would throw up, it would be thrown in my face: “Well you're eating poorly. You're not taking care of yourself.” And nobody thought to do anything to check what was actually going on. They just thought that I was not taking care of myself. Turns out I had gallstones and needed my gallbladder removed. But when people see the wheelchair, they don't take me seriously.VirginiaNo, and let's be clear: Gallstones is not a condition you can treat by eating salad. Like, that's not something you can nutrition your way out of.EmilyI could not lettuce my way out of that one.VirginiaAre there any strategies you've figured out that helps you get a doctor to cut through some of those biases, or cut through some of that noise and actually focus on what you need them to focus on?EmilyI have to rehearse what I want to say in a doctor's appointment. And I don't think I'm unique in that. I'm sure that there are plenty of people who put together their notes and think through very carefully what they want to say before they go. As much as doctors tend to be frustrated when the patient comes in and it's clear that they were reading WebMD, I've found I need to point them in the right direction, because at least it gets them started down the path that I'm hoping to explore.And I'm not saying that I think that I have years of medical school worth of expertise, but when I was little, I used to always complain to my parents, “You're not in my body. You don't know how I'm feeling.”VirginiaSo wise.EmilyAnd I think that that remains relevant. I'm not trying to be a difficult patient. But I have very strong awareness of what is happening internally and externally. And so if I come in and I seem like I have it together and I'm prepared, I feel like doctors take me more seriously. And I have a lot of privilege here, because I am a white woman. I communicate verbally. English is my first language. So in a lot of ways, I can prepare in this way. But I don't think I should have to, to get the medical care that I need.VirginiaDoctors should be meeting us where we are. We shouldn't be expected to do hours of homework in preparation in order to be treated with basic respect and dignity. And yet, it is helpful, I think, to hear okay, this labor can be beneficial, But it's a lot of extra labor, for sure.EmilyIt is, and I've broken up with doctors over it. And I've also had doctors who I think have broken up with me, for lack of a better way to put it.I have had multiple doctors who have just kind of said, “We don't know how to deal with you, therefore we are not going to deal with you.” And in seeking the care that I need, I have run into walls because of it, whether it's a literal, physical wall in the sense that I tried to seek care, because I was having GI distress. I tried to go see the doctor, and the doctor's office was not wheelchair accessible, and they told me it was my fault for not asking beforehand.VirginiaI'm sorry, what? They're a doctor's office.EmilyThe one place I actually thought I would be fine and not have to double check beforehand. So that's sort of the physical discrimination. And then getting into the office, I've had doctors who have said, “I'm sorry, I don't know how to help you.” Go see this specialist. I'm sorry, I don't know what I can do for you, and then not return my calls.VirginiaOh, I knew this conversation was going to make me mad, but it's really making me mad.EmilyAnd I say all of this is somebody, again, who has health insurance and access to transportation to get to and from doctors, and a general working knowledge of my own body and the healthcare system. But I mean, if it's this much of a nightmare for me, multiply that by other marginalized identities, and it's just absurd.VirginiaIt really is. You've kind of led us there already just in talking about these experiences, but I think there's also so much ableism embedded in how we talk about weight and health. And I thought we could unpack some of that a little bit. One that you put on my radar is all this fearmongering about how we all sit down too much, and sitting is killing us. And if you have a job that requires you to sit all day, it's taking years off your life. And yet, of course, people who use wheelchairs are sitting down. EmilyI think about this a lot, because I would say at least a few times a year some major publication releases an article that basically says we are sitting ourselves to death. And I saw one I know at least last year in the New York Times, if not this year,VirginiaNew York Times really loves this topic. They're just all over there with their standing desks, on little treadmills all day long.EmilyI actually decided to Google it before we chatted. I typed in, “New York Times, sitting is bad for you.” And just found rows of articles.EmilyThe first time that this ever really came up for me was all the way back in 2014, and I was kind of just starting out in the world of writing and putting myself out there in that way as an activist. And I came across an article that said that the more I sit, the closer I am to death, basically.It's really tough for me, because I'm sure there's a kernel of truth in the sense that if you are not moving your body, you are not taking care of your body in a way that works for you. But the idea that sitting is the devil is deeply ableist, because I need to sit. That does not mean that I cannot move around in my own way, and that does not mean that I cannot function in my own way, but it's just this idea that sitting is bad and sitting is wrong and sitting is lazy. Sitting is necessary.VirginiaSitting is just how a lot of us get things done every day, all day long.EmilyRight, exactly.VirginiaSure, there were benefits to lifestyles that involved people doing manual labor all day long and being more active. Also people died in terrible farming accidents. It's all part of that romanticization of previous generations as somehow healthier—which was objectively not true. EmilyYou make such a good point from a historical perspective. There's this idea that it's only if we're up and moving and training for a 5k that we're really being productive and giving ourselves over to the capitalist machine, but at the same time, doing that causes disability in its own way.VirginiaSure does. Sure does. I know at least two skinny runners in my local social circle dealing with the Achilles tendons ruptures. It takes a toll on your body.EmilyOr doing farm labor, as you were talking about. I mean, an agrarian society is great until you throw your back out. Then what happens?VirginiaThere are a lot of disabled folks living with the consequences of that labor. EmilyAnd I've internalized this messaging. I am not at all above any of this. I mean, I'm so in the thick of it, all the time, no matter how much work I read by fat liberation activists, no matter how much I try to ground myself in understanding that fatness does not equal badness and that sitting does not equal laziness, I am so trapped in the cycle of “I ate something that was highly caloric, and now I better do a seated chair workout video for my arm cycle.” And I say this because I'm not ashamed to admit it. I want people to understand that disabled people are like all other people. We have the same thoughts, the same feelings. We are impacted by diet culture.VirginiaGetting all the same messaging.EmilyWe are impacted by fat shaming. And I know that no matter what I would tell another person, I'm still working on it for myself.VirginiaWell, I always say: The great thing about fat liberation is you don't need to be done doing the work to show up here. We are all in a messy space with it, because it's it's hard to live in this world, in a body, period, And you have this added layer of dealing with the ableism that comes up. I mean, even in fat liberation spaces, which should be very body safe, we see ableism showing up a lot. And I'd love you to talk a little bit about how you see that manifesting.EmilyI think that this is a problem across pretty much every social justice movement. I just do Control F or Command F and type in the word “disability” on a website and see if it comes up in the mission statement, the vision, the values, what we care about, our issues. And so often it's not there and you have to go digging.And I don't say this to say that I think disability should be hierarchically more important than any other form of marginalization. I'm saying disability should be included among the list of marginalizations that we are focusing on, because it coexists with all other identities. And yet in a lot of fat liberation spaces, I still feel like I am not represented. I don't see myself. It's still a certain type of body, and that body is usually non-disabled or not disclosing that they have a non-apparent disability.I have a few people that I come across who I would say are in the fat liberation, fat activism spaces where they are also apparently disabled, and they are loud and they are proud about that. But for the most part, I still don't see myself. And I think that's where the ableism comes up, is that we are still celebrating only certain types of bodies. It's very interesting when you're in a space where the point is to celebrate all bodies, and yet all bodies are still not celebrated.VirginiaWell, and I want to dig into why that is, because I think it's something really problematic in how fat politics have developed in the last 10-20, years, As the Health at Every Size movement gathered steam and gathered a following, the message that was marketable, that was easy to center and get people interested and excited about, was you can be healthy at every size. And because we have such an ableist definition of what health is, that meant, let's show a fat person running. Let's show a fat person rock climbing. Let's show a fat ballerina. Let's show a fat weight lifter, and then you're automatically going to exclude so many people. So, so many people of other abilities.We had the folks from ASDAH on, who are the keepers of the Health at Every Size principles, and they've done a lot of work in recent years to start to shift this. They recognize that there was a real lack of centering disability, and I am really impressed with that. But in terms of the way the mainstream media talks about these concepts, certainly the way I talked about them in my own work for years, that mainstreaming of Health at Every Size was embedded with a lot of ableism.EmilyAnd I came to Health at Every Size pretty early on in my quest to lean into fatness and stop with the internalized body shame. But instead, I think it led to internalized ableism, because I then thought, well, if I'm not going to go climb Mount Everest, am I really living up to the principles of Health at Every Size?VirginiaThere was an expectation that we all had to be exceptional fat people. And that you had to be a mythbuster. And the reality is that fat people, just like any people, are not a monolith, and we don't all want to rock climb, and we can't all rock climb, and fatness can coexist with disability. It didn't make space for that.EmilyWe say the same thing about the disability community, And in the same way that there is the “good fat person,” there is the “good disabled person.” There's the disabled person who is seen as inspirational for overcoming hardship and overcoming obstacles. And I can't tell you how many times I have been patronized and infantilized and treated as though it's a miracle that I got out of bed in the morning. And I like to say to people, it's not inspiring that I got out of bed in the morning, unless you happen to know me well and know that I'm not a morning person, in which case, yes, it is very inspiring.VirginiaI am a hero today. Thank you for noticing.EmilyI mean, I say that as a joke, but it's true. There's nothing inspiring about the fact that I got out of bed in the morning, but in order to be performing at all times as the good disabled person, you have to show up in a certain way in the world. And I feel like that pressure is on me doubly, as a disabled fat person.Because not only do I have to be the good disabled person who is doing my own grocery shopping, but I need to be mindful about what it is that I'm grocery shopping for.I need to be eating the salad in front of people instead of something with a lot of cheese on it, right? So I feel like, no matter what I do when I'm in public, I'm putting on a performance, or at least I'm expected to. I've started to be able to work through that. Years of therapy and a healthy relationship. But for a very long time, if I wasn't the ideal disabled person and the ideal fat person in every way, then I was doing something wrong, rather than that society was wrong for putting that on me.VirginiaAnd it just feels like that's so much bound up in capitalism, in the way we equate someone's value with their productivity, with their ability to earn and produce and achieve. I haven't lived as a disabled person, but I have a kid with a disability, and in the years when we were navigating much more intensely her medical condition, I definitely felt the pressure to be the A+ medical mom, the mom of the disabled kid. There are a lot of expectations on that, too. I had to know the research better than any doctor in the room. I had to have all these strategies for her social emotional health. And I had to, of course, be managing the nutrition. And I can remember feeling like, when do I get to just exist? Like, when do we get to just exist as mother and daughter? When do I get to just be a person? Because there was so much piled on there. So I can only imagine lit being your whole life is another level.EmilyI feel like I'm always putting on a show for people. I always need to do my homework. I always need to be informed. And this manifested at such an early age because I internalized this idea that, yes, I'm physically disabled. I can't play sports. So I need to make academics into my sports, and I need to do everything I can to make sure I'm getting As and hundreds on every test. And that was my way of proving my worth.And then, well, I can't be a ballerina, but I can still participate in adaptive dance classes. And I try to get as close as I can to being the quote, unquote, normal kid. And let me say there's, there's nothing wrong with adaptive programs. There's nothing wrong with all of those opportunities. But I think that they're all rooted somewhat in this idea that all disabled children should be as close to normalcy as possible. Some arbitrary definition of it.VirginiaYes, and the definition of normal is again, so filtered through capitalism, productivity, achievement. We need different definitions. We need diversity. We need other ways of being and modeling. EmilyAbsolutely. And what it comes down to is your life is no less worth living because you're sitting down.VirginiaAmazing that you have to say that out loud, but thank you for saying it.EmilyI really wish somebody had said it to me. There's so much pressure on us at all times to be better, to be thinner, to make our bodies as acceptable as possible, in spite of our disabilities, if that makes sense.There are thin and beautiful and blonde, blue-eyed, gorgeous women with disabilities. And I'm not saying that that's my ideal. I'm just saying that's mainstream society's ideal. And that's the disabled woman who will get the role when the media is trying to be inclusive, who will land the cover of the magazine when a company is trying to be inclusive. But I don't feel like I'm part of that equation. And I'm not saying this to insult anybody's body, because everybody's body is valid the way that it is. But what I am saying is that I still don't feel like there's a place for me, no matter how much we talk about disability rights and justice, no matter how much we talk about fat liberation, no matter how much privilege I hold, I still feel like I am somehow wrong.VirginiaIt's so frustrating. And I'm sorry that that that has to be your experience, that that's what you're up against. It sucks.EmilyDo you ever feel like these are just therapy sessions instead of podcasts?VirginiaI mean. It's often therapy for me. So yes.Not to pivot to an even more uplifting topic, but I also wanted to talk about the MAHA of it all a little bit. Everything you're saying has always been true, and this is a particularly scary and vulnerable time to be disabled.We have a Secretary of Health who says something fatphobic and/or ableist every time he opens his mouth, we have vaccine access under siege. I could go on and on. By the time this episode airs, there will be 10 new things he's done that are terrifying. It's a lot right now. How are you doing with that?EmilyIt's really overwhelming, and I know I'm not alone in feeling that. And I'll say literally, two days ago, I went and got my covid booster and my flu vaccine, and I was so happy to get those shots in my arm. I am a big believer in vaccination. And I'm not trying to drum up all the controversy here,VirginiaThis is a pro-vaccine podcast, if anyone listening does not feel that way, I'm sorry, there are other places you can work that out. I want everyone to get their covid and flu shots.EmilyI give that caveat because in the disability community, there's this weird cross section of people who are anti-vaccine and think that it's a disability rights issue that they are anti-vaccine. So it's just a very messy, complicated space to be in. But I make no bones about the fact that I am very, very pro-vaccine.More broadly, it's a really interesting time to be disabled and to be a fat disabled person, because on the one hand, technically, if you're immunocompromised or more vulnerable, you probably have better vaccine access right now.VirginiaBecause you're still in the ever-narrowing category of people who are eligible.EmilySo somehow being disabled is working out in my favor a little bit at the moment, but at the same time, as I say that, RFK is also spreading immense amounts of incorrect information about disability, about fitness, about what bodies can and should be doing. And he's so hung up on finding the causes and then curing autism.VirginiaNobody asked him to do that.EmilyYeah. Like, no one. Or, actually, the problem is a few people said that they wanted it because people are very loud. Also, I saw that he reintroduced the Presidential physical fitness test.VirginiaLike I don't have enough reasons to be mad at this man. I was just like, what are you doing, sir?EmilySo on the one hand, he's sort of inadvertently still protecting disabled people, if you want to call it that, by providing access to vaccines. But mostly he's just making it a lot harder to survive as a disabled person.I am genuinely fearful for what is going to happen the longer he is at the helm of things and continues to dismantle basic access to health care. Because more people are going to become disabled. And I'm not saying that being disabled is a bad thing, but I am saying, if something is completely preventable, what are you doing?VirginiaRight? Right? Yes, if we lose herd immunity, we're going to have more people getting the things we vaccinate against.EmilyMany of the major players in the disability rights movement as it was budding in the 1960s and the 1970s were disabled because of polio. I am very glad that they existed. I am very, very glad that these people fought for our rights. I'm also very, very glad that there's a polio vaccine.VirginiaI guess this is a two part question. Number one, is there anything you want folks to be doing specifically in response to RFK? I mean, call your representatives. But if you have other ideas for advocacy, activism work you'd like to see people engaging in. And two, I'm curious for folks who want to be good disability allies: What do you want us doing more of?EmilyI am a big believer in focusing on things that feel attainable, and that doesn't mean don't call your reps, and that doesn't mean don't get out there and be loud. But sometimes starting where you are can make the most difference. And so if it feels really overwhelming and you're not gonna get up tomorrow and go to Washington, DC and join a protest, that's okay. If you don't feel like you have the capacity to pick up the phone and call your representatives tomorrow, that's okay, too. But if you can impact the perspective of one person in your life, I genuinely believe that has a ripple effect, and I think that we underestimate the power of that. Throw one stone in the ocean. All of those ripples create the wave. And so if you have somebody in your life who is being ableist in some way, whether it is through anti-vax sentiment, whether it is through the language that they use, whether it is through the assumptions that they make about people with disabilities, try to take the time to educate that person. You may not change the whole system. You may not even change that person's mind. But at least give them an opening to have a conversation, offer them the tools and the resources point them in the right direction. And I know that that's really hard and really exhausting, and that sometimes it feels like people are a lost cause, but I have been able to meet people where they are in that way. Where, if I show up with the research, if I show up with the resources, if I say I'm willing to meet you halfway here, I'm not demanding that you change all your views overnight, but will you at least give me a chance to have a conversation? That's genuinely meaningful. So that's my best advice. And I know that it's not going to change everything, but I'm still a believer in the power of conversation.VirginiaThat's really helpful, because I think we do avoid those conversations, but you're right. If you go in with the mindset of, I don't have to totally change this person on everything, but if I can move the needle just a little bit with them, that does something I think that feels a lot more doable and accessible.EmilyAnd I think it also is about honoring your own capacity. If you are a person who is marginalized in multiple ways, and you are tired of having those conversations, it is okay to set that weight down and let somebody else have the conversations.VirginiaThat is a good use of the able-bodied allies in your life. Put us to work tell us to do the thing because it shouldn't be on you all the time.EmilyAnd I'm more than happy to have these conversations and more than happy to educate but it's empowering when we can do it on our own terms, and we're not often given that opportunity, because we have to be activists and advocates for ourselves at every turn. And so sometimes when somebody else picks up that load, that means a lot.ButterEmilyI thought about this a lot.VirginiaEverybody does. It's a high pressure question.EmilyI am in the last stages of wedding planning. So my recommendation is more from a self care perspective. When you are in the throes of something incredibly chaotic, and when you are in the throes of navigating the entire world while also trying to plan something joyful—lean into that joy. My recommendation is to lean into your joy. I know I could recommend like a food or a TV show or something, but I think it's more about like, what is that thing that brings joy to you? I bought these adorable gluten-free pumpkin cookies that have little Jack O'Lantern faces on them. And I'm doing my re-watch of Gilmore Girls, which is a wildly problematic and fatphobic show, and ableist.VirginiaIt sure is. But it's such a good comfort watch too.EmilyIt's making me feel a little cozy right now. I think my recommendation is just lean into your joy. You don't need to solve all the world's problems. And I don't say that without complete and total awareness of everything going on in the world. I'm not setting that aside. But I'm also saying that if we don't take time to take off our activist hats and just be for a few moments, we will burn out and be much less useful to the movements that we're trying to contribute to.So I hope that is taken in the spirit with which it was given, which is not ignoring the world.VirginiaIt's clear you're not ignoring the world. But when you're doing a big, stressful thing, finding the joy in it is so great.Well, my Butter is a more specific, more tangible thing, but it's very much related to that, which is my 12 year old and I are getting really into doing our nails. And my Butter is bad nail art because I'm terrible at it, but it's giving me a lot of joy to, like, try to do little designs. I don't know if you can see on camera.EmilyI've been looking at your nails the whole time, and I love the color. It's my favorite color, but can you describe what's on it?VirginiaSo I've done like, little polka dots, like, so my thumb has all the polka dots in all different colors, and then every finger is like a different color of polka dots. I don't feel like the colors are translating on screen.EmilyAnd by the way, it's a bright teal nail polish.VirginiaIt's a minty green teal color. My 12 year old and I, we watch shows together in the evening after their younger sibling goes to bed. And we just like about once a week, she breaks out her Caboodle, which brings me great joy, as a former 80s and 90s girl, that has all her polishes in it, and we sit there and do our nails. And it's very low stakes. I work from home, it doesn't matter what my nails look like. Last night, I tried to do this thing where you put a star shaped sticker on, and then put the polish over it, and then peel off the sticker to have like a little star stencil. It was an utter fail, like I saw it on Instagram. It looked amazing. It looked like trash on my nails. But it's like, so fun to try something crafty that you can just be bad at and have fun with.EmilyOh, I love that for you. I really miss the days where I would wear like, bright, glittery eyeshadow and stick-on earrings.VirginiaIt is totally bringing me back to my stick on earring years. And I have all these friends who get beautiful nails done, like gels, or they have elaborate home systems. And I'm just, like, showing up to things with, like, a weird cat I painted on my nail that's like, half chipped off.EmilyI think that's the right vibe for the moment.VirginiaIt's super fun and a good bonding activity with tweens who don't always want to talk to their mom. So it's nice when we get there.EmilyYou're reminding me to go hug my mom.VirginiaPlease everyone, go hug your moms, especially if you were once 12 years old! Emily, this was wonderful. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. Tell folks where we can find you and how we can be supporting your work.EmilyYeah. So I would say the best place to find me is Substack. My Substack is called Words I Wheel By or you can find me on Instagram. But most importantly, I just love connecting and being here to support people wherever they are on their journey. So I hope people will take me up on that.VirginiaThank you, and I always appreciate you in the Burnt Toast comments too. So thanks for being a part of the space with us.The Burnt Toast Podcast is produced and hosted by Virginia Sole-Smith (follow me on Instagram) and Corinne Fay, who runs @SellTradePlus, and Big Undies.The Burnt Toast logo is by Deanna Lowe.Our theme music is by Farideh.Tommy Harron is our audio engineer.Thanks for listening and for supporting anti-diet, body liberation journalism! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit virginiasolesmith.substack.com/subscribe
THANK YOU to Virgil Bryant and his wife Michele Bryant for coming on today's episode and sharing their story. This has to be the most impactful episode we've ever recorded… and I am so glad to bring it to you for the first episode of our new podcast season. Share this episode with a friend, let's get their story heard around the world ❤️Merch link: https://uwfz.storeFOLLOW/ SUBSCRIBE TODAY!!!
Life is hard—really hard. We all face loss, disappointment, suffering, and the daily grind that seems to outweigh the wins. But what if there's something greater than the pain? What if you could live a life so filled with meaning, purpose, and calling that even the hardest moments can't steal your hope? In this powerful message, we explore the Apostle Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 4 and 2 Timothy 4—words written not from comfort, but from the heart of suffering. Yet he didn't lose heart. Why? Because he had a purpose bigger than the pain. In this sermon, you'll discover: Why pleasure and ease alone will never make life worth living How God invites you into His eternal mission What it means to carry the message of Christ in the midst of a broken world How to endure suffering without becoming bitter What you can do today to live with true, lasting purpose This is not about shallow positivity. It's about deep-rooted hope in something eternal. If you've ever asked yourself, "What am I doing today that makes life worth it?" — this message is for you. Scripture Focus: 2 Corinthians 4:1-18 (MSG, NIV) 2 Timothy 4:1-8 (MSG)
In this message, we explore how the Christian story speaks to our culture's deepest longings for truth, beauty, and goodness. In a disenchanted world, the gospel invites us to live and tell a better story—one that re-enchants reality with hope and meaning.
A DECLARATION WORTH LIVING: 10 Things About The Day (Ep. 470)This Fourth of July, let's go beyond fireworks and fanfare.In this special episode, we invite you to rediscover Independence Day not just as a moment to remember, but a mission to resemble. We explore how the truths boldly declared in 1776—truths rooted in God, virtue, and sacrifice—are not relics of the past, but blueprints for our future.We highlight our ongoing work with the Institute of American Constitutional Thought and Leadership (IACTL), forming leaders grounded in the principles that make a Republic flourish. And we share 10 inspiring facts from the American founding—each pointing to timeless virtues we desperately need today.Join us for an episode that calls us not merely to celebrate freedom, but to live it well. Because a Republic worth having is one worth building—again and again.We invite you to subscribe free to our growing daily Live IT Today reflections at LiveITToday.us—a powerful, brief, daily way to hear God's voice in the Gospel and live it out. Help us share the story of Slaying Giants—learn more at SlayingGiants.usCome walk with us. Let Him draw near. Let Him make all things new. Tune in. Be refreshed. Be challenged. Be transformed.OUR MISSION: We're uniting families in building the Kingdom. Over the past ten years, thousands have been blessed by a "family roadmap." We've been united in gathering in our respective homes every week to talk and pray using a fun, meaningful "Live IT Gathering Guide" based on subsequent Sunday readings. Get your free LIT Guide at ILoveMyFamily.us or the Live IT App at http://MassImpact.us/APP.We would be so grateful for your prayers, engagement, and Partnership.GO: http://MassImpact.us/PARTNERWe are a full-time missionary movement 100% dependent upon your prayers and financial partnership.SUPPORT OUR MISSION BY USING OUR AMAZON BUTTON:https://amzn.to/461FFATBUY GREG'S BOOKS HERE"Twelve Roses" 12 Messages. ONE LIFE.https://amzn.to/4gX4Glu"The Magnificent Piglets of Pigletsville: Our Present-Day Plight Wrapped in a Fairytale"https://amzn.to/3KIX87xIF YOU'RE A CATHOLIC MAN interested in missioned friendships marked by the hearts of men united in striving to build the Kingdom. GO:http://Pentecost365.usSUPPORT CATHOLIC BUSINESSES and leaders committed to professional excellence and building the Kingdom. GO: http://MassImpact.us/KINGDOMOh, Most Holy Spirit, come and IGNITE the Great FIRE of Your Love! Set it ABLAZE in our minds and hearts!#Friendship #Mission #Catholic #Marriage #Family #ilovemyfamily #ThyKingdomCome #christian #home #faith #children #virtue #holiness #funny #inspiring #love #parents #happiness #heaven #politics #culture
Don't tell anyone, but I always thought they were podcasts. Welcome back to NOCLIP! Today, we're going to be talking about To the Moon, a narrative game focused around learning about characters through one's memory. I imagine this description will be quite short, because there isn't a lot I can cover without spoiling the plot. While technically a sci-fi story, the game revolves around one character's past, so those elements fall more into the background during the meat of the gameplay. The result is that despite the fantastical premise, the majority of the game feels very mundane which has the effect of making it easier for the player to relate to the characters in the story, and it's very effective because the game operates on a personal level. As you learn more about each of the primary characters, you can start to see the depth they have and that characterization and what you think about their actions and motivations will influence the way you perceive the overall story. It kind of sounds like I'm just describing how to read a story, but engaging with this game the way you would a book or a movie will probably do you better than coming into it like it was Chrono Trigger. This is an extremely well written story with very little interactivity, and it's well worth checking out if you're in the mood for something simple. We're going to be talking about what being a game brings to the table for this experience, how the game goes handles its characters, and we speak ill (and not so ill) of the dead. Thank you for joining us again this week! We're on the last of our Mystery May games after this, and it's so far been a year for actually covering the games that have been on our list for a long time. The tragedy of this game, aside from Johnny's story itself, is that we waited so long to play it that it feels to me almost obsolete as a game, though not as a narrative, which still feels very well written. Did you feel similarly to me, or were you more engaged due to the interactivity? Let us know in the comments or over on our Discord! Next time, we ended up rolling a game that is has been on the list for less time than the other games this year, but one we're excited for anyway, Spiritfarer, so we hope you'll join us then!
微信公众号:「365读书」(dus365),有不定期赠书福利;微博:365读书v。主播:潮羽,365天每天更新一期。 文字版已在微信公众号【365读书】发布 。QQ:647519872 背景音乐:1.窪田ミナ - Rainbow;2.水月陵 - Worth Living;3.梶浦由記 - 灯のもとに。
This episode is a replay from The Existential Stoic library. Enjoy! Danny and Randy explore Stoic Philosophy with special guest Kai Whiting. Kai co-wrote the new book: Being Better: Stoicism For A World Worth Living In. We discuss Kai's work, his new book, and what it means to adopt Stoicism. Listen to learn about Kai's book and discover what it means to practice your philosophy. Please check out Kai's Twitter @KaiWhiting and his website, StoicKai, for more information.Subscribe to ESP's YouTube Channel! Thanks for listening! Do you have a question you want answered in a future episode? If so, send your question to: existentialstoic@protonmail.com Danny, Randy, and their good friend, Russell, created a new podcast, CodeNoobs, for anyone interested in tech and learning how to code. Listen to CodeNoobs now online, CodeNoobs-podcast, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00
Tokyo-based American Gary Bremermann didn't stumble into career clarity—he fought for it across countries, careers, and crises. From hitchhiking North America to building and burning out of his first company, Gary's story is a blueprint for real Gen X reinvention: practical, nonlinear, and painfully honest. In this first of a two-part series, he shares how early travel, entrepreneurial scars, and the brutal experience of misaligned success shaped the recruiter and career coach he is today. For Gen Xers still figuring out their next chapter—or building a life while surviving their own rough drafts—this episode offers both grit and grounded hope.>>The National Geographic Kid“I grew up with every issue ever printed—and a mind wired to explore.”Gary shares how childhood dreams of travel sparked a lifelong hunger for exploration, curiosity, and career experimentation.>>Hitchhiking Lessons You Don't Learn in Business School“I learned how to talk to anyone, anywhere, about anything.”Gary reflects on how crossing the U.S. and Canada on foot and rail taught him real-world communication skills he still uses as a recruiter and coach.>>Dropping Out—Twice“School couldn't hold me—but neither could drifting forever.”He talks about his struggles with traditional education, dropping out, traveling the world, and ultimately rebuilding himself on his own terms.>>Entrepreneurial Burnout: The Hidden Cost of Chasing Money“I was expanding globally—and being crushed by my own business.”Gary shares how chasing financial success without personal alignment almost destroyed him—and why selling his first company saved his life.>>Finding Freedom on Different Terms“Money isn't the goal. Alignment is.”After exiting his business and hiring a life-changing coach, Gary explains how he reframed financial success as a byproduct of purpose, not the point._____________________Connect with us:Host: Vince Chan | Guest: Gary Bremermann --Chief Change Officer--Change Ambitiously. Outgrow Yourself.Open a World of Expansive Human Intelligencefor Transformation Gurus, Black Sheep,Unsung Visionaries & Bold Hearts.EdTech Leadership Awards 2025 Finalist.15 Million+ All-Time Downloads.80+ Countries Reached Daily.Global Top 3% Podcast.Top 10 US Business.Top 1 US Careers.>>>150,000+ are outgrowing. Act Today.
Send me a Text Message!Before Jesus left his team and went back to his Father in heaven, he gave them a cause, a calling, a great commission. Go and make disciples. Haddon Robinson once wrote, "Somewhere I must find a cause that is greater than myself that is worthy of my life." We deperately need to be committed. Otherwise we have this awful sense that our lives don't count. We want our lives to count, so Christ offersus a cause. In John 17:18, Jesus said, "In the same way that You gave Me a mission in the world, I give them a mission in the world." Just like God sent Jesus on a mission, Jesus is sending us. That's our cause. I call it Grander-Mission Living! Do you have a cause that is worthy of your living and your dying?
This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 - 10:00)How Do Humans Make Decisions, By Rational Thinking or Intuition? The Answer Isn't As Rational As You Might ThinkThinking, Fast and Slow by Macmillan Publishers (Daniel Kahneman)Part II (10:00 - 17:27)A Decision for Death? How Does Daniel Kahneman's Assisted Suicide Fit into the Worldview of the Leading Expert on Decision Making?The Last Decision by the World's Leading Thinker on Decisions by The Wall Street Journal (Jason Zweig)Part III (17:27 - 20:56)Life is Worth Living for God's Glory – And Hedonic Pleasure is a Horribly Empty Rationale for Assisted SuicidePart IV (20:56 - 25:34)Atheism and Assisted Suicide: The Theology Behind the Final Decision of the World's Leading Expert on ThinkingSign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.
If you're too afraid to look at your inadequacies then you're designated for stagnation. Want to see Brian's way for examining his life and accelerating progress?