Podcasts about you fall in love

You build confidence by showing up when it's boring—and sticking around when it's hard. You love the process by trusting what it's building in you. Not everything has to feel exciting to be worth doing. Most people chase the high—they want passion, results, applause. But real growth? Real self-respect? That comes from doing the reps when no one's watching. You fall in love with the process when you stop needing it to feel good and start being proud that you didn't quit. Phenyx Fit Kate Hastings Podcast  @coachkate1  Mental Health Coach     

You fall in love. You're captivated. You date, court, propose, and marry. You're IN love. Everything is passionate and real and authentic and natural. But over time, things change. Life happens. And some married people find that their love hasn't been sustained, hasn't deepened. Instead of being in love with their spouse, they're indifference - or worse, find that they've grown to resent or hate them. What's TRUE of married couples is TRUE of all of us when it comes to our relationship with God. Over time, we can become INDIFFERENT, bored, fatigued, and distracted. That's not only a problem, but it's a sin. In this message, Max Vanderpool outlines the greatest threat to the American church and to the average American's "walk" with Jesus. And it isn't lust, greed, or pride. It's ACEDIA.

“You fall in love with Rome very slowly, a little at a time—but for all your life.” Nikolaj Gogol sums up so perfectly what many people experience when viisting Rome. The city can be so overwhelming, so daunting, that many people aren't able to fully experience it on their first visit, or even their first few visits. And yet, it's a city that has captivated and fascinated people—perhaps beyond any other city—for centuries if not millennia, and it continues to do so to this day. So what is it about Rome? What is it that pulls people here, over and over and over? What is it that  brings people back year after year? Tiffany and Katy try to put their finger on why so many people fall helplessly in love with Rome (either little by little or suddenly), and why one of Rome's most impressive qualities is its resilence. It's a city that has been burned, flooded, sacked, and destroyed countless times. Yet like a phoenix, it emerges from the ashes somehow better than it was before.  ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!  

You find an act in town. You fall in love with their music. You start making regular appearances at their shows. And then, sometimes seemingly out of the blue…they quit giggin’. Most of us have been there; it’s more or less a rite of passage for any dedicated scenester. But when that act does make […] The post BOOHER: “All Out Of Ideas” appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

How do YOU fall in love? Is it an up-all-night, fairy tale, magical whirlwind where you hurl yourself into the mad rush of euphoria, like Tracy does? Or is it more measured and slow burning, bucking all the Hollywood expectations of the happily ever after, like Corey goes about it? Tune in as Corey and … Read more "S5. Episode 1: Falling in Love"

In your 20s, you meet. You fall in love. You move in.But what happens in your 30s, 40s, 50s+ when combining two households isn't quite as easy? Is living together really necessary?This show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5601514/advertisement

You fall in love. You found the love of your life; you found your soulmate. And then it s over; either all of a sudden or it slowly creeps up on you. What now? Arguing, drama, passion, divorce? Watch https://www.transformationtalkradio.com/host/rose-salkova,453.html https://youtu.be/v2ICva7Uysg

You fall in love. You found the love of your life; you found your soulmate. And then it s over; either all of a sudden or it slowly creeps up on you. What now? Arguing, drama, passion, divorce? Watch https://www.transformationtalkradio.com/host/rose-salkova,453.html https://youtu.be/v2ICva7Uysg

You fall in love, you start dating, you move in together … and then it seems to start going in the wrong direction. Again. Before you label your significant other as “not the one”, remember that some changes are normal and just inevitable. Don't compare your life with all those romantic movies cause not everything you see on a large screen is true...  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You fall in love. You found the love of your life; you found your soulmate. And then it s over; either all of a sudden or it slowly creeps up on you. What now? Arguing, drama, passion, divorce? Watch https://www.transformationtalkradio.com/host/rose-salkova,453.html https://youtu.be/v2ICva7Uysg

Neal Bloom is a Managing Partner at Interlock Capital, a community of founders, investors, and subject matter experts. Victoria talks to Neal about what he finds attractive about startups and companies he's excited about, out of all the pitches he receives, how many he gets to say yes to, and when working with a team, what he uses to manage information and contacts for investors. Interlock Capital (https://interlock.capital/) Follow Interlock Capital on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/interlock-capital/), or Twitter (https://twitter.com/InterlockCap). Follow Neal Bloom on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/nealbbloom/) or Twitter (https://twitter.com/NealBloom). Check out his website (https://withkoji.com/@Nealbloom) and blog (https://freshbrewedtech.com/)! Follow thoughtbot on Twitter (https://twitter.com/thoughtbot) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/150727/). Become a Sponsor (https://thoughtbot.com/sponsorship) of Giant Robots! Transcript: VICTORIA: This is the Giant Robots Smashing Into Other Giant Robots Podcast where we explore the design, development, and business of great products. I'm your host, Victoria Guido. And with me today is Neal Bloom, Managing Partner at Interlock Capital, a community of founders, investors, and subject matter experts. Neal, thank you for joining us. NEAL: Hey, thanks for having me. It's so great to be here with you. VICTORIA: Fantastic. I'm excited to finally get a chance to talk with you. I met you at an investor hike that you organize once a month. NEAL: A founders' hike, yeah. I get up nice and early on the first Wednesday of each month in Torrey Pines in San Diego. And we hike up and down the hill with ocean views. It's not a bad day. VICTORIA: It's a great way to start the morning, I think, and to meet other people, other builders of products in technology. So tell me more about your work at Interlock Capital. NEAL: Sure. It really kind of organically happened that I became an investor, but not planned at all. I have an aerospace background then built my own edtech and talent tech marketplace. I call it the LinkedIn for students is really what we built as our first startup called Portfolium. We sold it, and I got really into startup communities, especially because of some people who helped me with my first startup. I want to be a part of building an even better ecosystem for others. And that turned into a podcast, a blog, an event series. And once I had the capital from my exit, turned into angel investing as well, too, and really just found that as I got to know people over time, the more and more I got to know them, the more certain ones stood out that said, wow, I don't just want to help them for the good of it. I also just want to be along for the ride. And I started writing checks to other founders. So that was the beginning of my investor journey about five years ago. And over COVID, a whole bunch of other later-stage experience operators, either founder-level or executives at tech companies, said, "I want to learn to do this. Can I do it alongside you?" And we created Interlock Capital as an investment syndicate. A group of us can share and utilize our brainpower, our time, and our capital to help companies. It's kind of our focus. So that's why we call it a community because it's not just kind of a one-way pitch us, and we'll write you a check. It's very much get to know the people, find the exact right domain experts who have subject matter expertise, who've been there and done that before. If they like the company and they want to personally invest, then we go to the greater group and say, "Hey, everyone, who wants to join this deal specifically?" So 18 investments later from Interlock Capital, we now also have an investment fund. So now we write two checks into every company. We do our syndicated style, pass the hat, if you will, "Hey, everyone, anyone want to invest in just this deal?" And then match it from our fund. And we're writing between $300,000 to $500,000 checks into early-stage software or/and software plus hardware companies. VICTORIA: What an incredible journey. And I love that it's led you to creating a community as part of what you do as an investment capital group. What do you find interesting about these startups and these companies that you want to be interested in? NEAL: Part of it is how much you learn about yourself, to be honest. I get to meet three to five new founders a day in a variety of ways, whether it's straight Zoom and pitch, or grab a coffee, or see them on a hike. We're kind of constantly introducing ourselves to each other. There's a bit of learning about how to size someone up to a certain regard. So you're kind of building this inner algorithm of how to top-prank people and their ideas. That's one interesting way that I never thought I would be doing professionally. There's a lot that we say versus what we do, and that's a data point that I have to keep track of because I get pitched amazing ideas that will literally change the world for so much better. And you get really excited about it, and you get invested in it. And I call it founder love. You fall in love with these founders specifically and almost say, "I don't even care what you're working on. I just want to work more with you. How do we do it?" So there's a lot of that. So there are some dating aspects [laughs] in terms of founder dating, like getting to know people. There's the determining how do we date towards marriage? Meaning, I'll write you a check, and I'm along for the ride for the next ten years. And then there's the kind of relationship maintenance which is okay; I wrote the check, now what? Where can I be helpful to the company? How can I anticipate their needs so that they have to think one more thing of how to satisfy me? It's quite the opposite way around. I'm trying not to be a barrier. I'm trying to work for them while they're sleeping. So yeah, it's really interesting the kind of the relationship aspect that goes into getting to know and helping founders take their ideas and turn it into reality. VICTORIA: That's very cool. And I have talked to people who have met you and talked to your company and just how supportive and helpful you all are even if you choose not to invest. So I think that's a really valuable resource for people. And I wonder, do you think it's something unique about the San Diego community in particular that is exciting right now? NEAL: I think so. I think San Diego specifically has always had this culture of give-before-you-get mentality, and so we kind of lead with that. There are a lot of people moving here. And you could choose many places that could be great, like LA versus San Diego, and there's a certain kind of person that chooses here versus somewhere else. And what I have found is there's a certain kind of give-before-you-get cultural mentality here that somehow people register pretty quickly and come with. And so that's an underlying greatness about us here. There's also because of the great environment we live in, by the beach, healthy lifestyle. I think we choose to work on things that maybe are also satisfying, just like our personal lives, meaning we work on things that matter, that are going to change the world, that are life-changing. That's not to say that we don't need certain other kinds of technology. I'm sure at some point, we felt we needed Twitter, and maybe we don't feel like that now. [laughs] But here, it feels like everyone's working on very impactful things, and I think that's really special to think about. Some examples of that is we've got an interesting subset of the SaaS world in nonprofit tech. So GoFundMe was founded in San Diego. They have since acquired three other nonprofit tech SaaS companies in San Diego, like Classy. So that's kind of interesting. You've got people who want to build a business that services nonprofits, and now they're all under one roof. So yeah, I think there is something special. We can dive deeper into some of the other sub-industries or categories that are interesting here, too, if you're interested. VICTORIA: Well, I could talk about San Diego all day. NEAL: [laughs] VICTORIA: Because I'm a fairly new resident, and I'm in love with it, obviously. [laughs] But let's talk more about products that can change the world. Like, what's one that you're really excited about that you've heard recently? NEAL: Ooh. I would start a little high level in certain categories that I'm really liking. I like things I'm seeing in the infrastructure space right now, meaning, you know, whether it's pipes and our water utilities, and I would include that in energy and EV, you know, kind of a mobility piece. There's even the commercial side of mobility, so trucking and freight. That whole infrastructure layer is really interesting to me right now. A certain company that, full disclosure, we invested in recently is a company called EarthGrid. They have a product that is boring holes tunnel-wise underground, but they're using just electricity and air, so plasma. And it's fascinating. They can bore holes 100 times the norm right now. They don't need to potentially trench, meaning they don't need to cut above the surface. They can just dig for miles straight underneath the ground, so they can go under things with that. And really a lot of the expensive pieces, closing lanes on freeways or highways to put fiber in or plumbing and all that. So it's really interesting to see that. Now, one element is the technology is interesting. But they have a plan to actually own their own tunnels that go across the entire United States. So they don't just want to be a device that they're going to sell to everyone. They want to actually own their own utility that has major tunnels across the United States. So that's fascinating to me because that's like think big, think exponential around that. So that's one area that's kind of fascinating to me. VICTORIA: That's super interesting, and thinking about the impact it can have on making power more secure for more people, things like that. There are just so many problems to solve, and so many are people trying to solve them. [laughs] - NEAL: Yeah, exactly. And they have a clean tech angle in that there are a lot of different ways to dig and tunnel that includes chemicals, and so their big thing is to not do that. Some of their background is installing these kinds of lines in the EV space for solar panels. So they have a big kind of clean and sustainability focus there. And our infrastructure is aging big time. We've got 100-year-old bridges and pipes and other things that it's really interesting to see the government put money into. And so that is another aspect, a business model, per se of infrastructure. You have the government putting billions, if not trillions, into upgrading our infrastructure, which as an investor, I like to hear that there's free capital out there in forms of non-dilutive funding to help these along, and that's existed for hundreds of years. Cars and oil industry got these kinds of subsidies, and then the EV and solar panels. So that's a good area that I like to look in as well is where is there additional large-scale funding to help these products really get to market? VICTORIA: That makes sense. And so you're meeting three to five founders a day, and you're watching where the funding is available. And out of all the pitches that you receive, how many do you really get to say yes to? NEAL: Oh, it's small, I mean, one to two a month if that would be a lot, and those could take a few months to work through. The best way for us to invest is to get to know the people for as long as possible. So I kind of mentioned that relationship aspect. I want to see how people operate. I want to see how they build product. I want to see how they get to know their customer and iterate and bring that back into design thinking. And so that's a big piece is getting to know and see the people do the things that they're saying. Man, there are so many companies that I like on paper, whether it's oh my God, amazing team, or, oh, cool, the product. Yes, love that idea. And then you have to look at everything together, the timing, the valuation that they want, the team. Has this team been there, done that before? So there are a lot of elements that go into it. Like I mentioned, you have this founder love where you fall in love with the people, and maybe the rest doesn't work out or vice versa. But yeah, I think each investor comes at it differently. So my area because I built two tech companies that were talent tech-related, meaning connecting people for opportunities; my investing style is very team and talent and recruitment-focused, meaning what are the superpowers of the founders? Are they aware of their weaknesses and their strengths? Have they filled in those gaps by finding co-founders that are complementary and opposites? And then my partner, Al Bsharah, he is a super product guy, and he wants to break the product and see, how can you break it? What are they thinking product roadmap-wise? That's his first go-to. And so, for us, we're super complementary in that regard. So we will assess the same company in very different ways and then come together and say, "Let's share our scores, share our rank. Where do you think this company sits at in all these different areas and boxes?" And so that's a great way, that complementary skill sets as investors. We utilize those strengths together. So yeah, it's hard for a founder to know that. A founder who's building a product, the person on the other side of the screen, they're meeting me. They're not going to know my algorithm. They're not going to know what I value more than something else. So there's this whole dance. I wish it didn't have to be that way, but it is a dance. It's a negotiation. And that's why I build a community because I'd really rather take the gloves off and get to know people when they're not raising capital, when they really are just inspired by innovation and by customers, and they're just excited, and they're building product. That's the time I want to get to know them and see how they iterate before the capital question comes in. Because when it's capital, it tends to feel a little transactional, and that's just not the name of the game per se. VICTORIA: It makes sense. And I'm curious, working with your partner who has a specialty in product, has there ever been a big surprise that he presented with you that you would never have thought of without that product perspective? NEAL: Oh yeah, absolutely. I think there are many times now where either the company is really touting a specific piece of their product, whether it's a certain kind of technology that as a non-product builder either I think, wow, that's unique. That's special; that's novel. And I go to my partner, who really is an automation expert in terms of product building, and boom, can whip it out in a second and say, "I could that with Zapier," or now ChatGPT. So I think there are those elements that are good checkpoints of putting too much...maybe I get too excited about uniqueness or a novelty of a product. And then there's the opposite. There's the team undersells their product, and really they're touting, hey, we have a background in this industry. So we're going to go build because we know how to get into that industry. Our uniqueness is go-to-market, so they think. And it turns out, hey, you're really underselling the product here. There's something special about your vision system here or your data set that you're using to build your ML model. So I've seen a variety of both of those. I think we're going to see more and more right now where ChatGPT and other AI models are going to show that maybe the tech exactly like AI isn't the specialty. That's going to be a democratization across the board. We're just going to expect that everyone can build a baseline product. So how are people going to differentiate on the product? That's where I'm really excited to see where product stands out now that more and more people have more tools at their disposal to build a good product. VICTORIA: Yeah, I'm excited for that too and to see which experiments with AI really pan out to be something useful that becomes part of everyday life. Do you have any instincts on where you think you're going to see the most out of AI innovation in tech? NEAL: AI is such a big word, and it feels so buzzwordy right now. But actually, in San Diego, we have a deep history in the high-level AI, and it starts with analytics. We have a deep, deep bench of analytics talent here. In fact, Google Analytics was founded in San Diego under the name Urchin Analytics and acquired by Google in 2004. VICTORIA: Oh. NEAL: And so you have these big analytic models and builders here that is interesting to tap into. I kind of bucket it in a few areas. I look at the vision aspect, so motion capture, motion classification, image classification. That's really interesting that I think we'll see a lot of that that applied to blank. I'm seeing that applied to life sciences, so cancer detection through some sort of imaging. Obviously, the mobility aspect, whether it's self-driving or driver assisted for blank, whether that's drones, self-driving trucks, all those areas. That's one area interesting from the AI piece. Natural language processing which there's a piece of ChatGPT to that regard. I think it is really interesting from what is your dataset? What are you tapping into? I'm also seeing that applied to digital health, whether it's clinical trials bringing AI models there, whether it's taking genomic data and saying, let's build better clinical trial classes. Maybe we don't need 500 patients when we can build the best 30 patients to enter a trial because we've got genomic data on our side. So yeah, I think I'm more looking at certain industries and saying, what is the right AI model for it? And I think that's pretty exciting. MID-ROLL AD: Are you an entrepreneur or start-up founder looking to gain confidence in the way forward for your idea? At thoughtbot, we know you're tight on time and investment, which is why we've created targeted 1-hour remote workshops to help you develop a concrete plan for your product's next steps. Over four interactive sessions, we work with you on research, product design sprint, critical path, and presentation prep so that you and your team are better equipped with the skills and knowledge for success. Find out how we can help you move the needle at: tbot.io/entrepreneurs. VICTORIA: So tell me, you know, at Interlock Capital, when you're working with a team, what do you use to really manage all of this information and these contacts for your investors? NEAL: Yeah, it's a great question. We decided to build our own products in-house thanks to my partner Al who's a great product builder. At the end of the day, there are a few different funnels we are managing within Interlock Capital. We're managing our customer, which really is the startup. We want to make sure we're keeping track of them on whatever timeline. And so we use CRMs, basically, to manage funnels per se. So that's startups. Then there's the deal flow sharing, so these are other VC firms, maybe other service providers, where we're sharing companies with each other. And then we have investors, so we're using CRM for managing our investors, like our limited partners, our LPs. So that's basic CRM. Luckily, we were able to use an off-the-shelf product called Streak for that. But what we do uniquely is we want to engage in two directions our investment community, meaning we want to get to know them, get to know everyone's expertise so we know when to tap them to say, "Hey, can you help on this deal?" And help is very broad, meaning it could be to give it a quick look before I've even met them to say, "Is this something I should even be looking at?" Or I've already met the team, maybe spent a few hours with them. And I'm asking for a deep dive with an expert to say, "Join a call with me after you've reviewed a deck and help me ask harder questions." So there's that aspect of we wanted to figure out how do we get to know our people in our group? Because we're hundreds now. So we decided to build a platform off Bubble.io and Airtable basic no-code where we could build a light profile of everyone. So everyone self-selects a number of profile aspects about themselves. It's also where we're starting to keep data and documents for them as well too. So whether it's tax documents or other forms, we can have it all in one spot. And then lastly, when we do decide to make an investment in a company, we write a very detailed memo that starts in Google Docs but then gets built into our product, the Interlock platform. And so in that memo which could honestly be 10 to 20 pages of diligence, in our language only, what are the pros, cons, and risks? We also showcase who is on the diligence team, what their specific expertise is to this investment, if they're personally investing or not. We really want to show conviction from the diligence team. And then we've built in some really cool features where you've got a Q&A board that you can upvote other people's questions about that investment. You can watch a video right there and then about the company, and then you can commit to the investment itself on our platform, saying, "I'm interested in this deal specifically. Here's the amount." And boom, we take you over to a third-party platform to just sign in and wire. So that's current day the product that we decided to build. We've got this whole product roadmap that we've built out that we want to build out more. We would love to automate a little bit more of our deal funnel so that a certain company that we meet maybe they get to a certain stage that we know we're ready for diligence. We can auto-ping the ten people that have that specific domain expertise. So luckily, we built out the profiles about everyone. Now we need to start building some automation in there so that maybe I'm not the bottleneck. I'm going to meet three to five companies a day, I mentioned. That's three to five follow-ups that I need to do. I'm never going to be as fast as the founder wants me to be on getting back to them and saying, "Here's our next steps." So if we can utilize the greater body of people that are in our investment community, that's where we'd love to build out some of the pieces next as well. So automation is kind of the hope there. VICTORIA: That's great. And I love that you're able to take advantage of these low-code tools to build something that worked for you. What was your initial approach to figuring out how to build this in a way that worked for your user group? NEAL: Well, we looked at a lot of existing products first, and there are. There are these angel syndicate websites like AngelList is a big one, you know, a consumer-facing platform where if you're interested in investing, you can join a group, or you can join a dozen groups and just get an email when they have a new investment opportunity. And so we looked at...first, it was survey what's existing out there already. Start building a product feature must-have or is nice to have list for us to get off the ground within Interlock. And then determine the pros and cons of building off the shelf, the time and cost, and maintenance versus using something that already exists. So that was a big piece, just assessment upfront before we do anything. And I think learning the landscape was big for us. I find that building tools for startups there's a lot, but there are also not a lot of mature ones because there's just not a lot of money out there to be made. There's not a billion-dollar industry of making a website to invest in startups per se yet. So that was another thing as well. It's just understanding will the companies that we choose off-the-shelf products-wise will they still be there a year or two or three from now? And ultimately, we decided, you know what? We got to build it ourselves if we really want the two-way communication, not just one-way. We didn't see everything out there. And I think the piece you always underestimate is the maintenance over time as well as all the third-party tools and apps and services that you end up needing and using and how do they play into the maintenance role as well too. We've definitely had elements of our product break because they're no longer supporting that tool anymore. So those are all aspects that you can do as much as you can self-assessment upfront. There's obviously the maintenance piece that goes into it down the road as well too. VICTORIA: That makes sense. And then, in this way, you have control over it, and you can change it as often as you want. NEAL: Totally. VICTORIA: And as much as you like, if you have the time. [laughs] NEAL: One piece that I think we have never planned or expected is that because we built it and it's super unique, there are many other angel groups who have come to us and said, "Can we use your tool? Like, yours is better than anything that exists." And we did not build ours with a commercial aspect in mind at first. We can't just clone an Airtable and be like, "Here we go. Here's your product. It's Bubble and Airtable," because if it breaks for them, we're on the hook for that [laughs] as well too. So I don't think we thought through too much around a commercialized product when we built out our own. But because we've been pinged so many times about, can people use it? It's on our mind now. Like, it literally is on our list of priorities of hiring either part-time or full-time a product builder to go back in and commercialize aspects so that we could actually maybe turn this into a product one day, this whole investment community manager software. VICTORIA: That's really cool. And it's funny, talking to founders, there's always a story about how you set out to do one thing, which was build a community around startups and founders in San Diego, and then you end up building a product, [laughs] right? NEAL: Yup. VICTORIA: And getting something marketable later that you never even intended. NEAL: Yeah, I mean, I think the big learning there is, one, listen to your customer first, then go build products. And so yes, you said it exactly; we wanted to build a community where we could be more engaged with our customer. And as we heard more and more from our customer, it told us what to build. And I always find that from other startups, that's a great model to follow as opposed to build and then go determine if there's a market out there for it. VICTORIA: Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So it's interesting that you've had this experience of building tech startups from scratch and then now investing, and then now you're back [laughs], and you have a product again. NEAL: [laughs] VICTORIA: So I wonder, if you could go back in time starting Interlock Capital or when you started your companies, like, what advice would you give yourself if you could travel back in time and talk to your past self? NEAL: Oof, so much. Spend a lot of time getting to know yourself, not just what you're good at but what you like to do business-wise. And I actually see those are two different things. Sometimes the things we like to do we're not as good at, but yet we want to spend more of our time on it, and maybe it takes us longer to do it. So do some self-assessment. I would have done that more on myself. And I'll give you an example, I, for whatever reason, like to brute force certain things like our email outreach, whereas my partner loves to build automation campaigns for it because he built a software in the email space. I know I could learn a quick automation route [laughs] to do certain things, but for whatever reason, I love sometimes the analog version of things. And that's good sometimes, and sometimes there's no time for that. So learn a lot more about myself, what I like, and what I'm good at. And then the opposite, what I don't like doing, what could I shed as quickly as possible and could hire for in some way or another, trade my time or capital for time. And then, only then, once I know myself better, then go find the perfect partner that complements everything. It's the opposite of me in that regard, opposite in network, opposite in skill sets, and in that regard too. And so I think my first startup, we were carbon copies of each other. We were both aerospace engineers who kind of wanted to do the same thing who lacked emotional intelligence at the time. So yeah, that's a big learning. But I didn't know enough about myself at the time. And it took hardship to learn the hard things. Honestly, entrepreneurs seem to learn by doing more than anything. So you can only tell an entrepreneur so much. Sometimes they're just going to have to go and figure it out by running through a wall. That's one thing I would have changed about myself in that regard. I also probably would have, even earlier during college, gotten more internships to just test myself professionally and know what environments I do well in, meaning big companies, small company, or hands-on mentorship and management or hands-off certain kinds of skill sets. How could I be presenting more often versus just kind of behind-the-scenes doing? All of those I probably could have learned quicker about myself the earlier I would have put myself in those situations as opposed to getting my first job and working at one place for five years. That's a long time to dedicate to learning one culture about that I thrive in. But you live, and you learn. VICTORIA: I love the drive to keep learning and to be like, you know, don't expect to be good at everything [laughs] that you want to do. I think that's fantastic. And what do you see success really looking like for yourself in the next six months or in the next five years? NEAL: This year, this calendar year is really about getting the fund up and running. So we've raised an initial tranche of capital and got through this calendar year to get the full capital we want for the fund in. And we're being really picky about that. We really want operators, so that just takes time to go and meet the right people that maybe have recently exited, so have a little bit of time and have a little capital and now want to spend time with earlier stage companies. So that's a big piece of this year. I also, on the community side, want to scale it a little bit. I've found recurring...like the founders' hike is a really consistent and easy way to build community, just meet new people, get to meet 30 people at once instead of maybe 30 coffee meetings to meet those people and just kind of selectively choose who is good to follow up with. So building and scaling, thinking about how to scale community growth is another area, and hiring a little bit around that. So hiring either a community manager and understanding what does that role even mean? Because it's vague in a variety of scenarios. I think we as a company could utilize it. But I think even San Diego could really benefit from someone professionally community-managing all of us. I don't even know what that means yet. And I'd actually push that back on you. Like, you're recent to town. You've started to meet people in a variety of venues. What's the community management void that you see that exists locally? VICTORIA: Oh, great question. I'm actually going to the Annual March Mingle tonight. This episode will come out a little bit later. NEAL: I'll be there too. VICTORIA: Oh, I was like, I'm going to interview you and probably see you later. [laughs] NEAL: Awesome. VICTORIA: Yeah, I think what's interesting about what I've experienced so far is that there is a thriving community. People show up to events. There are a lot of different focuses and specialties. Like, there's the San Diego Design and Accessibility meetup, which had over 30 people over and has a lot of great content. The tech coffees usually have your standard crew who comes. I'm in North County in Encinitas, and then there's Downtown San Diego. And I think you and I have talked about this, that there isn't as much of a major hub. And people are kind of spread out and don't really like to travel outside of their little bubble, which isn't necessarily unique to San Diego. [laughs] I think we've seen this in other areas too. So I think deciding where and how and maybe just building that group of community organizers too. One thing we had in DC was we would have a meetup of all the meetup organizers. [laughs] NEAL: Ooh. VICTORIA: They were just the people who are running events would get together and meet each other and talk and get ideas and bounce off, and maybe that exists in San Diego, but I just haven't tapped into it yet. NEAL: Well, that's a great, great, great, great point because, yeah, learning from others. Everyone is out there doing. Let's learn what's working and what's not. I do that actually from community to community. I do compare...I'll pop into a city on personal travel, but I'll look for, say, the Neal Bloom of Phoenix or something [laughter] and share quick notes. Something Startup San Diego started... when Startup San Diego started ten years ago and became a nonprofit shortly thereafter, it wanted to be the convener of all the organizations that help startups. And so there became kind of the startup alliance, I think, where it was all people who run different startup orgs, mostly nonprofits or just meetups getting together. And that hasn't come back since COVID, and I don't know if anyone's thought to bring it back. So this is a great time to think about that. Let's do it. Let's absolutely get the startup community alliance back together and sharing what's working and what's not. Something else that I think matters as we're coming out of COVID and really matters also for product is it feels like curation matters way more than anything before. Like, we value our time more. We want to be home a bit more. And so we're only going to go to the things that we know there's some value out of it as opposed to, oh, I'll show up to that thing. It sounds cool. I get free pizza. So the curation piece, I think, is interesting to think about, like, how do you scale curation? Because if you make smaller groups and make it more valuable, you still can't make a group for everyone. Someone's always going to be missing out. That's a piece when I think of how has product worked really well for that? Obviously, product has done amazing things on curation with using filters and ranking and other things. How do you do that in real-time for community? VICTORIA: Yeah, that's a really cool idea. And it's interesting talking with organizers from Women Who Code DC who are still there and coming back from COVID. They were all virtual events, and now they're having part virtual and part in-person. And it's interesting where some people really want to get back to the in person and see people in real life. The virtual is also still a very good option for people altogether across the board. So, yeah, I think you're 100% right on the event has to be kind of worth it. [laughs] And how do we make that real? But we still have all these other options for connecting with each other too, and we should take advantage of this. I love that here if we're going out in person, you're on a patio. [laughs] You're outside. Even though it's pouring down rain right now so we're probably going to get rained out a little bit. NEAL: I don't think I realized how outdoorsy we already were until this recent rain, one, because COVID forced everyone outdoors already. So for the last three years, we've only been going to places that have been outdoors. But then I realized, wait, every coffee shop I go to already is just open air. Every brewery, every restaurant is open-air. We've got it pretty good here. March Mingle, as big as it is, which it's like you're 17, 18, maybe 20, it's always an amazingly cool crowd and a crowd that I don't always see at every event. It's not the same, same people. It's a crowd that just comes to March Mingle. VICTORIA: That's super cool. I'm excited to see you there later. And maybe by the time we've aired this episode, I'll have actually posted about it, so it won't be a surprise [laughs] for anybody. But I love that. Okay, so, wait, that was...did we talk about six months and five years into the future of success? NEAL: We didn't. We just talked this calendar year. Five years out, professionally, I think a well-oiled community, multiple funds under management that maybe have realized, like, let's have one with different focus. Maybe there's an infrastructure tech fund, maybe there's a diabetes tech fund. I'd love to explore the curated focused thesis aspects because it's easy to be pretty general when I'm meeting so many interesting companies, and I have so many experts at my disposal. Maybe it makes sense to have multiple smaller focused funds in that regard. I think five years out; also, we will have probably weathered some financial storms, probably be on the upswing of that, and therefore maybe there are some exits that would have happened in town. There's certainly a number of late-stage tech companies that have been at it 10, 15 years that a lot of early investors and employees with stock are just kind of waiting for a liquidity event, and I really think by then we will have seen that. And that will be really interesting to see if and how people recycle their capital back into the community, both from investing, from giving philanthropically, and then their time as well. Sometimes when you have really big success, it's easy to check out and leave, and I'm hoping we're getting ahead of that cycle now. We're getting people to put some skin in the game now so that when the exits happen, they stay connected because they're got some investments in the community. So I'm really hoping that we've closed the wheel on the flywheel of capital, recyclable capital here in San Diego five years out from now. VICTORIA: Oh, I really like that. And I think it makes sense from that idea of if you've benefited from being able to run your own company and to work with all these people in San Diego that when you exit, you invest that back into the community and grow future companies with it. NEAL: Exactly. I mean, someone helped you, all of us, and they're just ahead of us. It kind of behooves all of us; then, to each stage and phase we go forward, we should look back and say, "How can we help someone behind us?" And we started this conversation that is a very San Diego culture thing. And so I'm really excited to see when that line bends back on itself, that flywheel closes. So the other aspects of that is we're starting to build some crossroads with Tijuana. We tried before COVID, and we're trying again now. And I'm really excited to see the long-term effect of connecting these cross-border communities. And then we talked about some technology, five years out, man, if GPT is updating so quickly now, I can't even imagine what AI is building product by itself five years from now. And where do the humans play a role in that? People love the splashy headline articles of here's where AI is going to replace your jobs. I'm thinking quite the opposite. I'm so excited for the new jobs to emerge that don't exist right now, for us to complement technology, that, you know, we'll be doing things that are better than humans. So that's a whole piece of technology and product that I'm excited to see play out. VICTORIA: I agree. I think that it's humans plus machines make the most impact, right? [laughs] NEAL: Exactly. VICTORIA: It by itself won't do it. But I think that's fantastic. What a great note to kind of end on. But is there anything else that you want as a final takeaway for our listeners? NEAL: One, I'd love to meet you if you're building an interesting product. I'd love to connect you into our community, so that's a self-serving ask. Find me on LinkedIn or Twitter; probably, Twitter's easier. Write me that you heard me on Giant Robots Smashing Into Others. Absolutely would love to hear that feedback loop. Also, come check out San Diego sometime. Come join our founders' hike. If you're listening to this, pretty much we have it on every first Wednesday of each month. We'd love to welcome you into the community here. And if you have an idea for a startup but haven't started yet, that's a great time to be talking and thinking how could I iterate way sooner than you would have thought. So don't wait to get started on something; just start talking to people about it. Don't be afraid to share your product ideas. No one's going to steal it. So I would just tell people to get started sooner than you think. And the world will benefit from you putting that out into the universe. VICTORIA: I love that. Thank you so much for sharing and for being a guest on our show today, Neal. We'll have links for how to get connected with you in our show notes. You can subscribe to the show and find notes along with a complete transcript for this episode at giantrobots.fm. If you have questions or comments, email us at hosts@giantrobots.fm. And you can find me on Twitter @victori_ousg. This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot and produced and edited by Mandy Moore. ANNOUNCER: This podcast is brought to you by thoughtbot, your expert strategy, design, development, and product management partner. We bring digital products from idea to success and teach you how because we care. Learn more at thoughtbot.com. Special Guest: Neal Bloom.

POP ART, WHERE WE FIND THE POP CULTURE IN ART AND THE ART IN POP CULTURE.   FATALE ATTRACTION: Join me and film enthusiast The Vern of Cinema Recall as we discuss two movies about film fatales, To Die For and Ossessione.   “You're not really anybody in America unless you're on TV.” You meet someone. You fall in love. She's married. She manipulates you into killing her husband so you can be with her forever. She betrays you. Hey, it's happened to the best of us…Sounds like it's time for Episode 97 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It's the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I'll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome back as my guest, film enthusiast and podcaster The Vern, who has chosen as his film the dark comedy, Gus Van Sant's To Die For, while I have chosen Luchino Visconti's feature film debut, Ossessione, both films about woman manipulating men to commit murder for them. Fun times. Fun times.   And in this episode we answer the following questions: What did the writers get wrong about driving in New Hampshire? Why was Ossessione banned in Italy and then prohibited in the US after the war? What happened in real life that was different in To Die For? Who ran screaming from the film festival premier of Ossessione screaming—This is not Italy? What is the appeal of femme fatales? What is a homme fatale? Who is G. Clifford Prout? Why didn't Anna Magani play the lead in Ossessione? Where does the author of the book To Die For appear in the movie? Is there a coded gay character in Ossessione? Why does Illeana Douglas have a cast on in the second half of the movie?   Meanwhile look up The Vern's podcast CinemaRecall at Cinemarecall.net.   The Vern has been a previous guest on my podcast. For episode 6, we discussed two films revolving around roboticized police forces, Robocop and THX1138.   Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/   My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss   Meanwhile, like, follow or comment on my podcast. I'd love to know what you think. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/howard-casner/support

You fall in love and you get married, but have you ever thought about how to stay married? Many of you have asked to hear from Autumn and Eddie Miles about biblical marriage, and we listened! Join us this week for a special Valentine's Day treat as we hear from the Miles' on marriage!  They answer questions from listeners, such as: What are some examples of ways you honor your husband? I want to do better at this. How do we divide tasks more equally? Unless I directly ask my spouse to do something, everything falls on me. I want my spouse to go to counseling because I know how badly they need it but they simply won't. What do I do? We need the spark back in our marriage! Help! We have multiple kids and it doesn't seem like my husband enjoys them. He treats them like they are a task and we just end up frustrated every night. How do you enjoy your kids together? What would you say is the number one thing you fight about in marriage and why do you think that is? What is something you both do well in marriage? We don't have anyone around to watch our kids and we don't get to go out on dates. What are some ways to reconnect that aren't necessarily going out? If you could give a newlywed couple just one piece of advice what would it be?    Interview: Eddie Miles joins Autumn as they answer YOUR greatest questions about how to stay married.   Links from the show BOOKS: www.autumnmiles.com/resources  SPEAKING: www.autumnmiles.com/speaking    If you have a question for Autumn, testimony to share, or other inquiry for the Autumn Miles Ministries, click here and fill out the form, or send us an email at hello@autumnmiles.com    Join us on social media! Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheAutumnMiles/  Instagram: www.instagram.com/autumnmiles/    Click here to join our weekly and monthly newsletters and get updates on our podcast and exclusive content!

Drift to sleep fast with this sleep story for grown-ups narrated by a soothing female voice. You are listening to “Love in Bruges,” a calm bedtime story set in the picture book city in Belgium, sometimes considered to be the Venice of the North. Romance may be found in every refection on the canal, in the warm glowing windows of gothic dwellings, down quaint cobblestone lanes, and in the delicate details of Belgian chocolates. You fall in love with the Flemish city, exploring on a snowy night with a companion of your choice. You visit The Old Chocolate House, procuring the finest hot chocolate as French jazz plays. You return to a cozy houseboat to enjoy a sauna. After the perfect night, you fall asleep. It's time to dream away. Tonight's story captures the romantic aspects of Bruges. If you're familiar with my stories, you may glean that I try to find the romance and beauty in the world whenever I can. So however you celebrate this Valentine's Day, I wanted to create a very fluid piece that celebrates love in all its forms. There are so many ways to experience deep connections and I hope this story brings the warm, safe feelings that come from them. Warning: There is mention of food in this sleep story if that is a trigger. Original Story, Voiceover, Sleep Music, and Production by Michelle Hotaling, Dreamaway Visions LLC 2023 All Rights Reserved Michelle's Sanctuary is a place where you may enjoy high quality SLEEP STORIES and GUIDED SLEEP MEDITATIONS completely FREE with a focus on mental vacations, sleep hypnosis, manifestations, and using your imagination to enjoy relaxing adventures before bedtime. Grown ups deserve bedtime stories too! This channel was started with the intention of helping others find balance, a good night's rest, and stay aligned with aspirations and goals in life. We are all part of this human existence together and the more than we become mindful individuals, the better we make this world and our personal experiences in this world. Having firsthand experience with anxiety, insomnia, and a strong desire to connect with my higher self and live my best life, I have tailored these recordings in ways that I have personally found helpful. This channel is not a replacement for consultations with a doctor or medical professional but can help you find more balance and a healing night's sleep. I always welcome comments, feedback & suggestions. Social media & Contact Information - Interact with Michelle here: TWITTER: http://twitter.com/michsanctuary INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/michellessanctuary FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/michellessanctuary/ TIKTOK: http://www.tiktok.com/@michellessanctuary Email: michellessanctuary@gmail.com If you would like to support this channel and help keep new content coming: https://www.paypal.me/michellessanctuary https://www.venmo.com/michellehotaling https://www.buymeacoffee.com/michsanctuary Digital Downloads and Streaming Options- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6KSw0pmfwv0mZwb0DLlNLA iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/michelles-sanctuary/1343585415 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B079JCXBDG/michelle's-sanctuary Insight Timer: https://insighttimer.com/michellessanctuary --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/michelles-sanctuary/support

Queen, We were made to be women who want MORE & when you learn to let go of what is no longer serving you, so you can harness this MORE, act on it, move with trust and impact rather than fear, shame & guilt... YOU lead your dream business, career AND life at the same time. YOU share & make decisions with trust and confidence, you earn grounded in building wealth - not just "making money." YOU hold your staying power through the challenges. YOU see clearly that this is where your purpose in your personal AND professional life comes alive. YOU fall in love with the process & experience increased success because you are connected to the framework for your dream life. This is YOU unleashed. This is the Well Integrated Woman. …and this is what we're talking about on today's power episode. Enjoy and message me on IG @tiffanygwallace to let me know how this one landed with you. Big hugs! Xo Tiffany   The YOU.Unleashed Program is NOW OPEN: Learn More HERE - https://tiffanygwallace.mykajabi.com/you-unleashed Much love, Tiffany   PASSION TO PROFIT, the Mastermind - Learn More HERE: https://tiffanygwallace.mykajabi.com/2023-passion-to-profit-mastermind Learn More/Additional Ways to Work Together: https://tiffanygwallace.mykajabi.com/ The VAULT- All my FREEBIES for you in ONE place: https://tiffanygwallace.mykajabi.com/offers/K7gJZkzc/checkout Ways to connect with Tiffany: > You can always reach out to me on IG: @tiffanygwallace or email hello@tiffanygwallace.com > Connect with us in our Well Integrated Woman FB Community - Business, Leadership & Personal Growth for Female Leaders → https://bit.ly/integrationsupportgroup   Connect with Tiffany: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanygwallace/ Facebook: https://bit.ly/supportwithtiffany LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffany-wallace-9123a2106/

Are you falling for someone's potential or reality? Dating potential generally means you fall in love with the person they could be, not who they are. You fall in love with the self-development and success you see in the horizon for them — thing that should come true as soon as they realize their full potential. Can you be in love with someone's potential?

Let's talk about love, and knowing if yours is being reciprocated. Love is a tricky thing. It's supposed to be easy, right? You fall in love with someone, they're the one. But if you've been around long enough, you know that's not always the case. Because here's the thing: sometimes we have to stop being naive and start accepting the signs for what they are before we can move forward with our lives and find someone who will actually love us back. Today I'm joined by friend of the pod, Ade and we want you to BFFR. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thegirlingucciglasses/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/thegirlingucciglasses/support

I am fangirling out with Chicago-based author Kelly Kay! She is like a contemporary Danielle Steel, but cooler and sexier! Kelly's books definitely hit the steamy romance spot like nobody else. Her writing sucks you right in. You fall in love with the characters, the settings, and, oh yeah, the sex! They are almost too much fun to read, but read them you should. Grab some wine, throw on your favorite shade of lipstick and snuggle up with one of her books! You will not be disappointed. Check out all her novels at www.kellykayromance.com and follow her on IG for her latest book launches @kelly_kay_books! Oh yeah, these are great holiday gifts, peeps!

There's something about Huma. Something happens a few seconds after you meet her. You fall in love with her.Now, this immediate attraction is not for the typical reasons—of which admittedly there are many. And it has nothing to do with things like innate goodness, inner light and such other syrup. Well, I'm putting it down to some “cannot tell what it is x-factor” and I'm moving on.My guest today is Huma Abedin. She works with Secretary Hillary Clinton. Huma is former Deputy Chief Of Staff of Hillary Clinton and at present, something even more central, I'm assuming.Huma has worked with Hillary Clinton in this job for over 25 years. It isn't an easy job. I imagine that it would take not only a tough internal spirit, and a strong work ethic of course, but requires something more deeply intellectual to be able to comprehend the meaning of such a job and do it well.It was not the simplest thing for Huma Abedin to have lived in the Venn diagram overlap of being BOTH an American AND a Muslim whilst living in the penumbra of the Clintons and the White House.This, more than anything, summarises the ethic, the plurality, the dualism if you like, of her book Both/And, that I will discuss today with her.Both/And is a 500-page memoir of Huma's life…till date. It has her life from childhood, her parents, her growing up years in Saudi Arabia and then in the United States of course, and all her years working for Hillary Clinton.Reading all the reviews of her book in the international press, I found the central theme that ran ran through much of the world's press—newspapers, TV—reviewing Both/And tending towards the trivial and reductive—rather than her as an author, a thinker, her faith and her pivotal role as an assistant to one of the most powerful women in the world. One who was this close to becoming the first woman president of the United States.But when I read Both/And, I discovered in it, a woman, a writer, a polyglot, a diplomat, and a sponge to knowledge and—I repeat—something more deeply intellectual that helps her comprehend the true meaning of her job.With Both/And Huma steps out from stage left, right into her own spotlight…and maybe a career in politics? I am privileged to be able to ask that and other questions of her today.ABOUT HUMA ABEDINHuma Abedin has spent her entire career in public service and national politics, beginning as an intern in First Lady Hillary Clinton's office in 1996. After four years in the White House, she worked in the U.S. Senate as Senior Advisor to Senator Clinton and was Traveling Chief of Staff for Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign. In 2009, she was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of State. Huma served as Vice Chair of Hillary for America in 2016, resulting in the first woman elected nominee of a major political party. She currently serves as Hillary Clinton's Chief of Staff. Born in the United States and raised in Saudi Arabia, Huma moved back to the U.S. in 1993. She lives in New York City with her son, Jordan.Buy Both/And: A Life in Many Worlds: https://amzn.to/3EpDlHYWHAT'S THAT WORD?!Co-host Pranati "Pea" Madhav joins Ramjee Chandran in "What's That Word?!",  where they discuss the interesting origins of the word, "PABLUM" WANT TO BE ON THE SHOW?Reach us by mail: theliterarycity@explocity.com or simply, tlc@explocity.com.Or here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/theliterarycityOr here:  https://www.instagram.com/explocityblr/Music credits: Daddy_s_Music and ArtSlop_Flodur - Pixabay

THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES: Join me and film enthusiast and blogger James Wilson, Blogging by Cinema Light, as we talk Vertigo/Mississippi Mermaid, two films about woman who are one thing in the first half, but something else in the second half. “You shouldn't keep souvenirs of a killing.” You meet someone. You fall in love. But something seems…off. In fact, you begin to wonder, is this the person they claim to be or are they somebody totally different…Sounds like it's time for Episode 85 of Pop Art, where we find the pop culture in art and the art in pop culture. It's the podcast where my guest chooses a movie from popular culture, and I'll select a film from the more art/classic/indie side of cinema with a connection to it. For this episode, I am happy to welcome as my guest, film enthusiast and blogger James Wilson, who has chosen as his film Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Vertigo, while I have chosen Francois Truffaut's tribute to Hitchcock, Mississippi Mermaid, both films about men who become involved with women who appear to be one thing in the beginning, but turn out to be something entirely different by the end. And in this episode, we answer the such questions as: Why were Vertigo and four other movies taken out of circulation and why wasn't Psycho? What is a Cornell Woolrich and would you want to be one? How and why did Hitchcock go from being a pop culture filmmaker to an artist? How do Truffaut and Hitchcock treat women differently? What is the Vertigo effect? What about the French? What is a before and after picture? Red, green, red, green, red, green…? What was the alternative ending to Vertigo? Be sure to check out James' blog Blogging by Cinema Light at https://bloggingbycinemalight.blogspot.com/2022/09/booksmart.html?fbclid=IwAR0A3PFc9_wxqTdiO5kjQMRdme4aoapvetsWBDXeZ-7CKvDVJGfXwDk_fyU Check out my blog at https://howardcasner.wordpress.com/ My books, More Rantings and Ravings of a Screenplay Reader, The Starving Artists and Other Stories and The Five Corporations and One True Religion can be found at https://www.amazon.com/s?k=howard+casner&ref=nb_sb_noss --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/howard-casner/support

The year is 1993, you walk into a random gift shop and see a a small plush toy. It looks like any other plush toy, but it is full of beads and has beady little eyes. The tag says Ty and inside is a poem. You fall in love and buy 1 of each character... Welcome to Beanie Babies! The craze of the 90's that was short lived, but one of the most lucrative toy companies of all time. This week Toys on Tap is joined by Dylan of Chicken Burger Disco where we get to walk through the history of Beanie Babies!

Sura 79 verses 27-34. These verses take us from question, to logic and nature. You fall in love with Allahs words

Say you build a tiny house on wheels but you want a legal place to park it. You fall in love with a piece of land and decide to buy it and create a legal tiny house community. Would you believe me if I told you that would take nearly two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars? My guests today, Callie Brauel and Nathan Huening did just that. They certainly didn't expect it to take so long or be so challenging, but they're here to tell the tale and share what they've learned along the way.Full show notes and images at thetinyhouse.net/215In This Episode:A creative way to finance your tiny house buildCustom designs that fit their lifestyleThe search for a perfect piece of landAdvice about working with a planning departmentImportant points about the due diligence periodHow Cranmore Meadows is runAre heated floors worth it?This Week's Sponsor: PrecisionTempPrecisionTemp is making one product to solve two issues that I know everyone deals with in a tiny house: running out of hot water and heating your tiny house. PrecisionTemp has made the amazing TwinTemp Junior propane tankless water heater, which provides unlimited hot water for your tiny house and hydronic heating. This means you get warm heated floors, so there are no cold spots. It's designed specifically for tiny houses and features whisper-quiet operation as well as high efficiency. If you want more information on how PrecisionTemp can help make living tiny easier and more comfortable visit precisiontemp.com. While you're there, use the coupon code THLP for $50 off of any PrecisionTemp unit plus free shipping.

You fall in love, you start dating, you move in together … and then it seems to start going in the wrong direction. Again. Before you label your significant other as “not the one”, remember that some changes are normal and just inevitable. Don't compare your life with all those romantic movies cause not everything you see on a large screen is true...  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Joseph speaks with Michelle Jewsbury, an international philanthropist and advocate. In July 2017 she founded a non-profit called Unsilenced Voices, an organization that inspires victims to break free of silence and assault.  Joseph met Michelle at the Ultimate Wealth Camp in Las Vegas, where Joseph was a speaker.  Michelle was a victim of domestic violence. In 2016, she performed a 65-minute solo play about her experience, and after that, she connected with so many others who the same things have happened to them.  Text UNITE to 26786 to receive a downloadable document to help you overcome and recover  In this episode:  Michelle grew up in a healthy and happy family She found herself in an abusive relationship for 4 years  How she founded unsilenced voices Key Takeaways: The stages of domestic abuse Try to leave at the first sign of abuse Before you're trapped in a toxic relationship, research that person  The ways to get out of an abusive relationship Tweetable moments:  "Hurt people hurt people." "You fall in love with someone for good times." "Just keep swimming. Nothing can make you give up."  Connect with Michelle Jewsbury: Unsilenced Voices: https://unsilencedvoices.org/ (https://unsilencedvoices.org/) Michelle's coaching and masterclass: https://www.unsilencemyvoice.com/ (https://www.unsilencemyvoice.com/) Michelle's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellejewsburyspeaks (https://www.facebook.com/michellejewsburyspeaks) Michelle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellejewsbury/ (https://www.instagram.com/michellejewsbury/) Text UNITE to 26786 to receive a downloadable document to help you overcome and recover

Heart Chakra Energy is Excessive: -You may be involved in a co-dependent relationship. -You tend to take on the problems of others. -The woes of the world affect you too deeply. -You have the tendency to "smother" your children with affection. -You give too much too frequently, often neglecting your own needs. -You fall in love too easily and are easily hurt. -You are an "air-head" -the excess of the quality of airiness makes you forgetful. -You have difficulty sticking to things. Heart Chakra Energy is Deficient: -You feel lonely and isolated- even when you are physically with other people. -You have trouble sustaining a healthy, loving relationship- or may find it impossible to commit to one. -You lack sympathy for others. -You are bitter and overly critical. -You are passive-aggressive. -You are selfish and unable to give. It is especially difficult for you to give of yourself. -You are miserly with your energy. -You feel "heavy-hearted." Journaling Questions: -How am I able to express my feelings "from the heart"? -What could I do to initiate deep healing in my life? -How might I include others in my healing process? -Do I look to others to fulfill my emotional needs? -What relationships are "hanging in the air" that I need to release? -Who must I forgive in order to be free? -What do I need to forgive myself for? -Do I tend to shy away from emotional intimacy?

Tamra Lucid is a force of nature: a veritable renaissance woman of the 21st Century. She has been a prolific artist for decades, sharing her light with the world through music, underground art, filmmaking and writing. It is obvious that Tamra was born to be a bright light in the dark. But she got her start on this path by having a great mentor in her youth: the legendary esoteric scholar, Manly P. Hall.What must it have been like to be mentored by Manly P. Hall? Lucky for us, Tamra has finally published her memoirs called: Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: My Seven Years in Occult Los Angeles with Manly Palmer Hall. Tamra's story is extraordinary. In the haze of her nihilistic youth back in the early 1980's, she serendipitously met the elderly Manly P. Hall. And with an age difference of over 60 years, he became like a surrogate grandfather offering her the love, guidance and sanctuary she needed.Making the Ordinary Extraordinary: My Seven Years in Occult Los Angeles with Manly Palmer Hall exquisitely captures the last moments in history before the internet swallowed reality. Sitting at this precipice between eras stands the great historical figure of Manly P. Hall, still studying and lecturing at his library as he had for many decades. Back in the 1920's and 30's, Manly P. Hall rose to become the rockstar celebrity of the esoteric world. His legend has lived on, meaning there's been nearly a century of praise and accolades for his accomplishments as a scholar. Conversely, there are many rumors and conspiracies that abound. Sadly, such extreme praise and suspicion tends to overshadow the human.I've been deeply enamored with the legend of Manly P. Hall for many years. Until I read Tamra's book, he always seemed far away, like the light of a distant star. However, Tamra's tender account of their deep friendship brought his spirit to life for me. The “Mr. Hall” described in this book is so personable, so funny and so tragic that you'll truly fall in love with him. Even if you've never heard of Manly P. Hall, I still recommend that you read this book because it will be a magnificent introduction to appreciating his historical significance. And it is a really pleasurable read: sensual prose guided by a romantic spirit to stir your soul with a montage of vivid memories. You fall in love with all the characters as you span time together. And by the end, you'll feel like you were there to witness all the bliss and the horror of the 1980's L.A. occult scene.Suffice it to say, the whole story is tragi-comic, just like real life. In this episode, I speak with Tamra about her life, her art, and the experience of writing this book during the pandemic. And we deepen the exploration of Manly P. Hall's amazing life and tragic death by looking at his natal chart together. By examining his placements, including his three planets in Pisces, we find more context for the traits he expressed publicly and those that he kept hidden.Not only that, but we dive into the transits that occurred during the last days of his life, speculating about whether the suspicious circumstances of his death were in fact murder.Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/aeolianheart)

Teri shares Wednesday in Glendive. Paul related marriage to our relationship with Christ. But because the marriage union has gotten so perverted and distorted, it can seem as if marriage is a horrible comparison to what our relationship with the Lord should look like – but the Word of God is the will of God and there is a correct way we are to look at marriage! Marriage takes effort, energy, and focus! - Our relationship with the Lord takes effort, energy, and focus. EVERYTHING screams for our attention – Now! Effort - conscious exertion of power - a serious attempt – hard work! The total work done to achieve a specific end! Energy – ability to be active, physical & mental strength that allows you to do something, natural enthusiasm, vigorous exertion of power. Focus - the center of interest or the center of activity, a point of concentration. You fall in love because you work at it and you fall out of love because you take each other for granted. Freedom comes with KNOWLEDGE & APPLYING the knowledge you have! You've got to KNOW, so you can GROW & you've got to DO, so you DON'T LOSE.

In this episode, Joseph speaks with Michelle Jewberry, an international philanthropist and advocate. In July 2017 she founded a non-profit called Unsilenced Voices, an organization that inspires victims to break free of silence and assault.  Joseph met Michelle at the Ultimate Wealth Camp in Las Vegas, where Joseph was a speaker.  Michelle was a victim of domestic violence. In 2016, she performed a 65-minute solo play about her experience, and after that, she connected with so many others who the same things have happened to them.  Text UNITE to 26786 to receive a downloadable document to help you overcome and recover  In this episode:  Michelle grew up in a healthy and happy family She found herself in an abusive relationship for 4 years  How she founded unsilenced voices Key Takeaways: The stages of domestic abuse Try to leave at the first sign of abuse Before you're trapped in a toxic relationship, research that person  The ways to get out of an abusive relationship Tweetable moments:  "Hurt people hurt people." "You fall in love with someone for good times." "Just keep swimming. Nothing can make you give up."  Connect with Michelle Jewberry: Unsilenced Voices: https://unsilencedvoices.org/ (https://unsilencedvoices.org/) Michelle's coaching and masterclass: https://www.unsilencemyvoice.com/ (https://www.unsilencemyvoice.com/) Michelle's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michellejewsburyspeaks (https://www.facebook.com/michellejewsburyspeaks) Michelle's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michellejewsbury/ (https://www.instagram.com/michellejewsbury/) Text UNITE to 26786 to receive a downloadable document to help you overcome and recover

Strength over the scale! This week we are talking with Kim Schlag, from Kim Schlag Fitness. Kim is a Personal trainer & nutrition coach for women 40+ and a lifter of heavy things. Her coaching specializes in helping perimenopausal women and helping YOU fall in love with strength training, no matter your age! Follow Beth on IG: @bethferacofitness Follow Matt on IG: @mattlaarfit Follow Kim on IG: @kimschlagfitness If you enjoyed this episode, why not share it with a friend or family member that needs to hear it? Send us a DM on Instagram to let us know what you think of episode fourteen, and with episode ideas! If we use your comment or suggestion, we'll give you a shoutout on the podcast! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/cut-the-crap-podcast/message

#WhyCook #CSM #LifestyleCookingI came across an article published by the Harvard Business Review in 2017 with a data point that astounded me: only 10% of Americans love to cook.  The article’s author, a consultant for consumer packaged goods companies who did the study for one of his clients, also pointed out that of the 90% who did not love to cook, half hated it and the other half were lukewarm. While I already suspected many Americans didn’t know their way around the kitchen, I didn’t expect how much in a minority avid cooks were and further, to find so disturbing the use of the strong sentiment hate to describe one of my passions. To add insult to injury, the author’s point was not that a valuable life skill was practically lost in this generation, but that groceries and food manufacturers risked market share decline and category obsolescence by not addressing the downward cooking trend.  He advocated for a ruthless portfolio strategy that calls for food manufacturers to identify “long-term losers, and exit by selling them while they can.” My gig as a culinary educator had already began, but these data points upset me and fueled a desire to not just teach cooking, but to promote it as a lifestyle choice.  Teaching how to cook dishes is not hard—you introduce new ingredients, demonstrate and explain the scientific principles behind basic techniques and share the recipes so they can be replicated. But that doesn’t teach you how to cook without a recipe; to cook when you have a busy week or to have fun.  You don’t learn to fall in love with cooking this way. You fall in love with cooking when you produce dishes you’re proud of.  You fall in love with cooking when you find it brings family and friends together. And you know you’re in love when cooking stops being the thing you have to do to eat; or  that instead of trying to fit cooking into a busy schedule, you make your schedule less busy because you’ve realized cooking is a worthier endeavor than other activities that fill your time: television, social media, video games.  You’re in love with cooking when you’re having fun.  That won’t happen to everyone and it certainly will not happen overnight.  Nothing worthwhile is instant, though we’ve been programmed to believe otherwise, since our culture worships convenience and speed. The barriers to entry are low: even dry, over-salted scrambled eggs, barely edible, will pass for cooking.  But good cooking—producing food you’re proud of that you prefer more often to restaurant fare or store-bought packaged foods, or that non-family or friends would willingly choose to eat, well that’s different.  It’s the same difference as when a drunk guest comes up to the band stand to say “hey, I also play in a band,” and I think, well okay, we’re professional musicians with decades of experience, so I’m not sure we’re talking about the same thing here. While there are plenty musicians better than I, I’m willing to bet it’s not this inebriated fellow. But hey, I’m glad he’s playing music. Good cooking, like playing an instrument well, has a higher learning curve.  It will take my piano students many years of practice and scales before they can master a relatively simple piece like Fur Elise. But when they do, they will take pride, and that will be its own reward and a powerful motivator.  Most of my students will have given up long before they get to this level of proficiency.  It takes patience and commitment to play well. Like cooking, there’s a lot of competition for a piano student’s time—school, friends, social media.  Fortunately for cooking, there’s an immediate and practical payback—dinner!  It’s not hard to cook a simple dish well, but another matter to do it consistently and regularly.  All of which takes time, practice and a certain mindset. To get to the point where cooking is its own reward, we’ll need incentives and a game plan to keep us on the path.  Lifestyle CookingLifestyle cooking is a term I’ve coined where we choose to make healthy home cooking part of our lifestyle.  Lifestyle cooking isn’t just about cooking  dishes, it’s reclaiming cooking as a valuable and enjoyable life skill and reframing what we know about the food and farming industries so we can make healthy choices; it’s learning how to shop, organize, share duties, be part of a community; it’s about eating and celebrating. It’s about helping the planet (and ourselves) because learning how to cook and shop means we can reduce the 68% of food we waste in our homes, which will reduce the carbon emissions from global food waste that account for 8% of the world’s carbon footprint.  If global food waste was a country, it would rank third, after the USA and China.    So yes, I’d like to convince the 90% of Americans that don’t love cooking to change their minds. Tough order, right?  But in a weird turn of events none of us could have foreseen, covid-19 happened, life as we knew it changed almost overnight and with many restaurants closed, people started cooking and gardening.  Life slowed down and the Big Quit happened—where a historic number of people quit their jobs to reassess their work-life balance. Nothing like a seismic lifestyle shift and a brush with death to straighten our priorities. And that gives me hope. When I launched Cooking Subversive last year, I mentioned that I saw cooking as a gateway to slowing down.  But it works both ways: with the pandemic, slowing down became a gateway to cooking.  But with many restaurants almost back on their feet, and those of us employed returning to work, cooking may fall to the wayside despite our best resolve.  So we need motivation.  And this is why I wrote the:Cooking Subversive ManifestoI Cook to Reclaim my HealthI Cook to Reclaim the Planet’s HealthI Cook to be with Family and FriendsI Cook to Create (which gives me Pride) I Cook to save MoneyI Cook because…well dang it, I like to Eat!The Cooking Subversive Manifesto (CSM) is a proclamation of why I cook.  It is a declaration of how cooking is not just a means to eating, (though that’s a pretty good incentive by itself), but fundamental to reclaiming rights to health and happiness for ourselves, the community and Mother Earth.So in the next few articles, we’ll explore the tenets of CSM in the Why Cook? series:  Six reasons to be a lifestyle cook.  You might think these are self-evident.  After all, who will debate that home cooking is good for our health?  Though I will argue that what and how you cook are important determinants, in general we agree that home cooking is healthier than commercial alternatives. Would anyone doubt that home cooking brings family and friends together or contest that cooking something delicious and beautiful is a point of pride?  The ubiquitous food photos on our social media feeds are proof enough.  Yet, most of us have not been swayed to take the time to cook until the pandemic forced some of us to. In a 2011 report by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) that measured time spent on home cooking and food preparation across 28 countries:The United States is the only country where both the participation rate and mean time for cooking are at the bottom of the ranking. In other words, the American population attaches on average little importance to cooking relative to the other surveyed countries. The United States is also one of the countries where relatively little time is spent eating as a primary activity and where obesity rates are amongst the highest in the OECD.So it begs the question, why haven’t these reasons been enough for us to take cooking seriously?  And that is what we will unpack.  Anyone can learn to cook. But becoming a lifestyle cook requires a change in mindset.  This is only possible when we can understand the confluence of forces, whether accidental or deliberate, that made us think time spent cooking wasn’t worthwhile; that if we could afford to hire someone else to do it for us, whether it’s dining out, buying pre-cooked meals, or a private chef, then we should do so. We’ve outsourced cooking and missed out on all the benefits. Let’s change that storyline.Coming up next: I Cook To Reclaim My Health Get full access to Cooking Subversive at cookingsubversive.substack.com/subscribe

If you are searching for something it is lost. There is a chance you won't be able to find it and it is most certainly outside of you. While if you become something, the magic was always inside of you. You fall in love with the process, the journey as you become and that is what life is all about the ride. Stop focusing on the lack and start using that energy to create the life of your dreams. Please message me on FB, Instagram or email me at cassiebouchard15@gmail.com to share with me your questions or feedback, I am new at this and this is OUR journey so please feel free to message me! Please be sure to not only follow our social accounts to stay updated on releases but be sure to check out our Etsy store and bring the inspiration into your everyday life. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brightenyoursoul222/ Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/BrightenYourSouls Shop Our Etsy Store! - http://www.BrightenYourSoul222.etsy.com

“M is for Murder me”  No, this week M is for marry me!  You fall in love when she tells you her favorite song is a rare selection as in the Shortest Straw.   You then enter your wedding reception to The Call of Ktulu and make your guests eat dinner while S&M1 spins. Lisa and Mike Bosley mean business in their combined 70+ shows and many years of a Metallica themed marriage.  Their story is a special one so what better place to share it than on Season 4, Episode 5.  They have a creative Master of Album for us, crush a trivia round, while sharing memorable concert experiences as well as their life in general.  Collections, travels, custom license plates, you name it.Jeff ponders singing Dyers Eve to his lady, while Shane meets a new friend at the car charger.  Flash before OUR eyes, now it’s time to.......Instagram - andpodcastforallTikTok - andpodcastforallFaceBook - ...And Podcast For AllLiquid Death - Official sponsor of APFA liquiddeath.com -Murder your Thirst, Death To Plasticandpodcastforall@gmail.com for all your wants, wishes, comments, Hate Train mail, needs, desires, or just to say what's up to the guys.  Email us and let us know if you want to be our next guest!  After all, it's a Podcast FOR ALL.

Happy Monday! In this episode of "Goin Nowhere Fast", the girls bring back the setup of a previous episode, but ohhh how the tables have turned. This time, Hanna is asking Erin a list of questions to make all of YOU fall in love with her... yep. still weird. Go check it out! Here is Erin's cosmetic/beauty ig account that we mentioned (@madebyerinnicole). Much love. Wanna contact us? Hanna's instagram- https://www.instagram.com/hannarhopper/ Erin's instagram- https://www.instagram.com/erin_nicole980/ For Business Inquiries- email erinnicole980@gmail.com

Happy Monday! Cheers to another bonus episode where Erin asks Hanna a list of questions to make all of YOU fall in love with her... yep. weird. Go check it out! Much love. Wanna contact us? Hanna's instagram- https://www.instagram.com/hannarhopper/ Erin's instagram- https://www.instagram.com/erin_nicole980/ For Business Inquiries- email erinnicole980@gmail.com

How would you describe the personality of your wife? My wife, I would describe her personality is happy, genuine, loyal, kind. But those words don't express how amazing this personality is. Mary, my wife, is someone that you want to be your best friend. She catches you or her personality catches your attention in the first moments that you meet her. You fall in love with her. I don't care who you are. When you really get to know Mary, you are just attracted to her personality. Who she really is and you just want You just want more to be around her more. And she's so funny. She's so happy and she makes you feel good and, she can sympathize with you when you're sad and she's very empathetic and carrying. She's determined, she's determined to make things better. She's determined to improve herself. Help those around her. She is very service minded. She I would do anything for anyone to help them. And she loves people. She genuinely loves people. And she eyes very fair. She has a gift of being able to see both sides off a situation both perspectives of someone of two different arguments or situations and she can validate all people. And I think that comes with her genuine love for people. She loves people. She loves socializing with people. She is a gift in my life, and I feel honored to know Mary and know her personality.

테리스의 실전영어 제84회 - (You fall in love too easily.)

A million pregnancy tests, ovulation kits, tracking tools, month after month- nothing but frustration and despair! With so much uncertainty and so many questions, she goes on a journey hoping to see a light at the end of the tunnel.  All she ever wanted was to have a baby. Never in a million years did she imagine this wouldn't happen to her naturally. That's what's supposed to happen. Right? You fall in love, you get married, you have a baby! Not in Dhara's case. What happens when she finds out it's not her partner it's her? How does she deal with the stigma associated to infertility in the south Asian culture? Tune in as Dhara walks us through her fertility journey. A tale not to be missed. Anyone who is on one side of the spectrum will find hope and healing through her story and anyone on the other side will find a whole new perceptive and gratitude towards life!  Connect with us on Instagram @mamashighonchai and @dharasworld --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/thecolourmom/message

You fall in love with a person, and they come as a package, with kids. Maybe you have your kids too. How does that work? An intriguing insight into the complexities and ordeals of this role from three women on the frontline.Beth interviews three articulate, passionate and wise women who speak together anonymously to share their stories of how becoming a stepparent impacted their lives. Some topics included in this discussion may be triggering or distressing. If you need support, please contact Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.Curveball Media is an independent company working in collaboration with Unison Sound, Sydney, Australia. We give voice to everyday people who have extraordinary stories, which are considered taboo. The best way to support Curveball Media is to click ‘Subscribe' on Apple Podcasts,' Follow' on your Spotify app, or subscribe for updates at curveballmedia.com.au, where you can also leave feedback, share your own story and suggest topics; we'd love to hear from you. Please leave a review in the app where you listen to the podcast, as it helps bring new listeners and share with your friends. Follow our social media to keep up to date: instagram.com/curveball_media/facebook.com/curveballpodcastBeth Armstrong hosted and co-produced this episode, produced by Luke Mynott at Unison Sound, edited by Tom Herdman, sound engineered by Cihan Siral and music by Biddy Connor.  

Neither of us will look at peaches the same way again after this story. We discuss the very dudely professions of love, who is our prefered hunk, and where we draw the line when it comes to intimacy. This love story is complicated and beautiful and well worth diving into.   Stay safe during this pandemic and don't forget to wash your hands!   Episode Drink: The Italian Sunset 2 ounces amaretto liqueur 3 ounces orange juice 3 ounces club soda 1 dash grenadine orange slice and cherries, for garnish   Instructions Fill a tall glass with crushed ice. Pour the amaretto over the ice then slowly add the orange juice and top with club soda to form layers. Add a dash of grenadine and garnish with a cherry and orange slice.   Recipe From: Food.com   Our Drinking Game for this Story  Take a drink every time: Oliver says “later” You really relate to the teenaged angst in Elio and you're grateful you're through that stage You fall in love the Italian countryside  Someone speaks in Italian Someone speaks in French   Fantastic Reads Jordan : The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison  Emily : The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss     A Novel Adaptation was created by Emily Eppley and Jordan Redwine. See more details at www.anoveladaptation.com and see what's coming up next to read along with us. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads to join the conversation. Our artwork is by Kit Bernal. Our music is “Harlequin” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0.    

You're at a party... where you never thought you would meet the woman of your dreams...but you see her from across the room in her flannel shirt. You fall in love and you literally move to another country for her and marry her. You decide to live the Canadian dream...buy a house, get your citizenship, get a cushy government job and decide to start a family. What if one part of that dream seemed impossible? Then you find the most extraordinary solution to your problem...from a very extraordinary person.Farmly Canine Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched! Start for FREESupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/starttalking)

Our goal is to make iCreateDaily a daily podcast. We've fallen short of that goal thus far, but the lesson is that all too often things take longer than anticipated. So... best to fall in love with the process as much or more than the destination, for that's where we'll spend most of our time after all. Not only did we fall short, but we even needed to take a break from publishing new episodes while evaluating our direction and foci before diving back in. Our new episodes should begin to air this spring. At that time, we'll expand our show types according to our goals of creating a podcast network all round the "iDaily" theme. Today's re-share is one of our earliest Coffee Break sessions which is an in-house conversation as opposed to an interview. We love coffee and discussing interesting and uplifting topics, something that occurs often around our home and work, so that seemed like an apt name for these “inbetweenisodes” as Tim Ferriss calls them. In this episode of iCreateDaily's Coffee Break, Devani and LeAura discuss a quote by Jim Rohn: “If you really want to do something, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse." ~Jim Rohn, Devani is on a roll in this conversation and came up with a few of her own great quotables: You fall in love with the process and that's what makes you become good. ~Devani Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®We all want the recognition we all want the significance of being important. But you've got the significance of being important by doing the things that are important to you. ~Devani Alderson, iCreateDaily.com®Concepts Discussed: How to identify if the thing we're doing is our soul work or just a romanticized notion of something. https://youtu.be/y4ZiymrSev4 Show Links:http://amzn.to/2yg8XLH (Jim Rohn Books & Audio programs) http://tandemstudios.co/ (Matt's Website: Tandem Studios) https://andersoncreative.works/ (AndersonCreative.works) https://www.amazon.com/War-Art-Through-Creative-Battles/dp/1936891026/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&qid=1513644664&sr=8-1&keywords=The+War+of+Art&linkCode=ll1&tag=mytfitness-20&linkId=2790146a39c78d1b625cecf11954d633 (The War of Art by Steve Pressfield) https://www.icreatedaily.com/90-day-goals-journal/ (90 Day Goals Journal) (or 30 Day free digital download) https://www.icreatedaily.com/gratitude-journal-free/ (90 Day Gratitude Journal) (or 30 Day free digital download) https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/19573339011/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&field-lbr_brands_browse-bin=I%20CREATE%20DAILY%20ICREATEDAILY.COM&ref_=bl_dp_s_web_19573339011&linkCode=ll2&tag=icd-p-20&linkId=d04b49f30e7ee552028c87e74e39c3ca&language=en_US (iArtDaily 30 Day Intuitive Art Journal) - Mixed Media    Full Episode Transcription:[00:00:01] Devani: Hello everybody! Welcome to the iCreateDaily podcast I'm Devani [00:00:06] LeAura: and I'm LeAura. And today we're doing one of the iCreateDaily quote segments where Devani and I share a quote that has meaning empower us and share it with you and discuss it a little bit hopefully to inspire you to create something today. So our quote today is by one of out favorite, well-known motivational icons of all time, Jim Rhone. And the quote is: “If you really want to do something you'll find a way. If you don't you'll find an excuse.” [00:00:39] Devani: So if you don't know us or haven't been tuning into podcasts I like fiction writing all of us in our family of entrepreneurs like to do some sort of writing of some kind. Some of it's nonfiction some of it's fiction and I enjoy fiction writing. [00:00:57] And the reason I got into enjoying story and sharing my own stories was when I was younger I loved reading and I think a lot of us who are writers get into it because we love reading. And if you're not a writer or if you are a different kind of creator you probably got into it because you are inspired by somebody else who did it or you trying to find something to fill...

We’ve all been there. You fall in love. It’s the...

We've all been there. You fall in love. It's the...

When did YOU fall in love with hip hop? Why did you fall in love with hip hop? What does it mean to you? Check out the latest episode of the 12kyle Podcast as I give you my perspective on hip hop...i still love h.e.r. LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE to the 12kyle Podcast. You can find it here... iTunes, Stitcher, Soundcloud, Overcast FM, Pocket Casts, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Blogger

You're twelve.Everyone treats you like a kid, but you and I know better, right? You've known the difference between boys and girls for a lot longer than anyone suspects. But girls aren't the mystery you suppose them to be. They're far more mysterious than that. You're going to spend the rest of your life trying to figure out just one of them. I remember twelve. You're about to start getting a lot of advice from people who love you and some of that advice will be pretty good. But you're also going to be told some things that are absolute crap. You'll be told the secrets of success are to be smart and to work hard. But that's not entirely true. The world is full of successful people who rose to the top simply because they overcame their fear and took chances other people weren't willing to take.Successful people usually fail multiple times before they succeed. If working hard were the way to wealth, men who dig ditches in the heat of summer would be the wealthiest of us all. We're paid according to the size of the responsibilities we've been entrusted to carry. You'll be given responsibility when you demonstrate that you're willing to do what other people aren't willing to do. You're not going to want to do those things, either. But do them and do a good job. That's how you gain authority. People will tell you that a single success can cause you to be “set for life” or that a single mistake can “ruin your life.” But success and failure are both temporary conditions. Grown-ups will tell you that you need to go to college to be successful. If you want to become an employee and climb the corporate ladder, college will definitely help you do that. But the downside of college is that it trains you to think like everyone else. If you want to leave your fingerprints on the world you're going to need to have your own way of thinking. Good decisions come from experience, and experience comes from bad decisions. So never be afraid to experiment. Just make sure you can afford to fail. People will tell you that you need to “find your purpose.” But this would lead you to believe that you have only ONE purpose and that it's a secret.Piffle and pooh. You don't need to find a purpose; you need to choose one. You fall in love with a purpose exactly like you fall in love with a girl: by reaching out and touching it each day. When you make daily contact with something, it becomes an important part of your life. You make your mark on it, and it makes its mark on you. You'll be told that you must plan your work and work your plan. But the winners are those who know how to improvise when things don't go according to plan. You can choose what you want to do, but you can't choose the consequences. There's a big difference between the way things ought to be and the way things really are. If you moan about how things ought to be, you're a whiner. And the only people who like whiners are other whiners.But if you work to make things better, you're an activist. If you fling yourself headlong into making things better, you're a revolutionary. Congratulations, you found a purpose. Grown-ups with good intentions will tell you that you should “enjoy these years of no responsibility, blah, blah, blah.” But grown-ups who have warm and fuzzy memories of the years between twelve and sixteen aren't remembering those years as well as they think. It's pretty cool when you can hop into a car and go anywhere you want to go. But after a few years you'll realize that no place is quite as special as the place you came from. But you can never really go home again because “home” changes just like you do. This is what Heraclitus meant when he said you can't step into the same river twice. The best advice I can give you is that you should marry your best friend and never let anyone or anything be more important to you than her. If you've always got your best friend with you, life is pretty amazing.Hang in there, kid. And

You fall in love, get married, and live happily ever after... NOT!  How about a reframe? You fall in love, get married, and live happier, and happier, and happier. Now you're talking! In this episode of Attention Talk Radio, your host, attention and ADHD coach, Jeff Copper interviews “We,” who are Rick and Ava Green. “We” represents not Rick, not Ava, but their relationship. Yes, there's a third-party in their marriage. The marriage itself. Now we add a twist: “We” plus ADHD. Oh yes, Rick has ADHD and, thus, the couple has ADHD. In our interview we talk about the impact of ADHD on relationships, the challenges, the importance of knowing ADHD is there, the impact of knowledge on expectations, the overriding vote “We” have in relationships and how this couple lives happier, and happier, and happier. If you are in an ADHD relationship, romantic or otherwise, tune in. If you're not in a relationship, but you want to be, tune in. If you've given up on the idea of a relationship because of your ADHD, you REALLY want to tune in. Attention Talk Radio is the leading site for self-help Internet radio shows focusing on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and attention deficit disorder (ADD), including managing symptoms of attention deficit disorder, adults with ADD, or adults who have children with ADHD. Attention Talk Radio, hosted by attention coach Jeff Copper, is designed to help adults and children (particularly those diagnosed with or impacted by attention deficit disorder or its symptoms) in life or business who are stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated. It will help adults and children get unstuck and moving forward by helping to open their minds and pay attention to what works. Attention Talk Radio host Jeff Copper is an ADHD coach. To learn more about Jeff, go to http://www.digcoaching.com.

Series: NOT A FAN Knowledge About Him or Intimacy With Him Knowledge and belief don't take the place for a true relationship John 21:15-17 09/08/2013 FCC Pastor Jeff Williams So, we're off and running in the series to find a relationship today. DTR. I had one of those moments. And my relationship with my wife. We were young. I met my wife when I was 18 and she had just turned 17. So I was a sophomore in college. She was a senior in high school. And we had friendship and we were dating. No talk of marriage at that point, or anything like that, just friends, just getting together, having fun. We had some mutual friends, Zack, no, Nate and Julie. We did some things with them. We respected them and liked them a lot. They decided that they were not gonna split up, but they were gonna start seeing other people, just to make sure that you know, you knew who you want and the person you want to be with. So I thought that was an interesting thought. I talked to my Mom. I said, “Mom, what do you think?” She said, “You know, you should date other girls. Make sure you find the kind of girl you want.” So I bounced the idea off Branda. I said, “You know, Nate and Julie, they're seeing other people. You know, they're not breaking up. But maybe we should do that, too, just to make sure that we know we're supposed to be together, whatever. We'll just see other people on our own. What do you think?” She was not really as gungho as by his highways. We went ahead and did this little experiment. And so I started building relationship, friendship with another young girl at our college as well. So she would have known about Branda and Branda knew about her. But they didn't know each other. Then one day, all came to the head. I came to this basketball game. Before you get mad at me. Some you gave me the evil eye. I want you to remember I was 18. OK? I didn't know I was gonna be a pastor. I didn't know that I was getting married to her. So don't put this, you know, “That's your wife.” I was just trying to build a friendship with this girl. So there was this basketball game. Branda'd come to this basketball game. So did the other woman. All the places you could seat, all the bleachers, she sat right behind Branda. So Branda could hear everything she said right behind. She started talking about “Put in the basket. Put in the basket.” She was saying stuff, she was interested in me to her friend. After the game, Branda came up to talk to me. She said, “We got to talk.” It was DTR time. And she said, “This isn't working. You got a choice to make. Either you're gonna be with her or you're gonna be with me. We got to decide. We're serious here? Is this gonna be a committed relationship? Because I'm not gonna do this anymore? So you have to decide.” So I said, “You're gonna give me ultimatum. Yea. Obviously. I'm choosing you.” She said, “OK, well then you need to let the other girl know.” So I went and let her know. That did not go well at all. But what we have done is we defined our relationship. We said, “From this point on, from this moment on, we are making a commitment to each other. I'm not gonna dating other girls. You're not gonna dating other guys. And we are committed to building our friendship.” The DTR. From then on, we knew what was expected. That was 60 years ago. It seems like. I'm glad you still laugh, because it would come a time when people won't laugh anymore. You know, I say, I make a joke like that. But what is the DTR? What does God expect from us? What is preeminent of God's expectation for you and for me? What is the standard? What is the measurement which he judges his relationship with us by? What does he want more than anything else? What do you think it is? How does he judges? Something is by knowing the right thing to say and believing the right stuff. Right? It's to know the right thing to say and believe the right stuff. You can repeat it back. That's kind of good enough. Right? Peter, for instance, had one of those talks with Jesus. In Matthew chapter 16, up to this point, Jesus has not disclosed directly who he was. He was more of a veiled thing. But now he is saying directly, “Who do you say that I am?” And Peter replies and answers, he says, “You are Christ, the son of the living God.” And Jesus replies, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.” He got it right. He believed the right things about Jesus. He said the right things about Jesus. Is that simply all God's wanting us to do? Is that all? You get to heaven someday. You stand. You heard of the pearly gate. And St. Peter says, “Why should I let you in heaven. You simply recite a doctrine.” I believe you start reciting the apostle's creed, whatever it is. He presses the button, and says “Ding! You got it right.” The gate's opened up and you walk in. Is that the DTR? The Bible, right before this, Jesus preached the gospel for the first time. He's led in this wilderness. Guess who else believed he is Christ, the son of the living God? The enemy. Right? When I was in high school, we had a. I'll tell you how old I am. There was McDonald's next to our school. So, you go in the McDonald's. And I can get a quarter pound of cheese, fries, and a medium drink for a dollar and get change back. That's how old I am. If you want to leave right now, you can. So I did that. And there was promotion. And the lady was there with a stop watch. And she would say “go.” You had like 10 seconds or something. And you had to say “2 orders beef patties, lettuce, sauce, cheese, pickles and onions on sesame buns. It's a Big Mac.” If you said that in time, you would get a free Big Mac. This promotion went on for a long long time. Right? And I got a lot of Big Macs out of that. Is that the criteria? You get to heaven. And Peter says “go.” I believe Jesus is the son of God. He is Christ, born of Virgin Mary. You just start saying all this stuff. Time's up. You got to run. You are in. That's not the standard. It's important to have the right belief. It's important to have the right confession. Say the right things and believe the right things. That's important. The Christianity is much more than that. You find that the relationship is much more than just knowing the right stuff, saying the right words. What's the standard? Listen to him talk. It's like God grades on a curve, kind of. It's like, you know, I am not as good as some Christians, like Mother Teresa, Billy Graham, really holly, and all that. You know, I'm better than this guy. I'm better than that guy. I know they do. I know what kind of person they are. I'm in the church. I'm better now. So we start playing this comparison game. God's gonna accept me because I try harder. Right? I'm better than some. Peter tried to use this, too. Peter tried to impress the Lord. He loved him more than other guys. Matthew chapter 16. Matthew chapter 26, excuse me, verse 31. The Lord's super has been completed. They gathered in the upper room. Jesus began to talk about his sacrifice. They prayed together and sang together. It's a wonderful moment, a bonding moment, a moment of deep friendship. After that, Jesus blows them away with what he's about to say. He said, “This very night you will all fall away on account of me.” Not one of you, not one of you who broke the bread with me in my moment of greatest need is gonna stand with me. But every one of you will turn and run. Then he quotes a prophecy that says, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.” Peter interrupts his speech right there. He says, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.” So right in front of everybody. All these apostles on the bus, he says, Jimmy, Fall, Johnny, they all desert you. I never will. I love you more than these guys. I am more committed to you than these guys are. I'm not perfect. I know sometimes I put my foot in my mouth. I know sometimes I make mistakes. And I get a little bit of short fuse. But I try harder. I love you more than these guys do. They might fall away. But you got it wrong about me, says Peter. Comparison game? When you grade in the curve, I'm gonna pass. Jesus says to him, I guess I was wrong about you, Peter. I take back what I said. Everybody but you. No. He says, “I tell you the truth. This very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” Very specific, tonight, before morning, 3 times. Still not convinced, Peter declared, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” All the other apostles said the same, us too, we love you, too. So they were in this a competition to say who loves him more. They were always doing it, always jostling, always comparing themselves, vying to be in a more prominent position than the other. You've played the comparison game before, haven't you? Maybe you played it in school with your other students. Maybe you played with your siblings. I'm a better kid than my brother, my sister. You know, Mommy loves me more. I love Mommy more. Maybe you do that at work with other employees. I'm not a perfect employee. But I'm better than that guy. He's sleeping on the job, you know, showing up late. I am better than her. Husbands do it. Husbands' wives do it with wives. I've been in conversation. We started talking about a particular husband. The wife would say, “He missed our anniversary again.” And I feel good. I say, I don't miss our anniversary. I'm always the one who remembers our anniversary. And Oh, my husband, this guy, he hasn't worked in a year. So I'm out there slaving, he's just lying on the couch. I eat that up. I work. I provide for my family. Oh, so and so, he just yells at his wife all the time. He's verbally abusive to her. He is just mean to her. I listen up and I'm thinking, I don't do that to my wife. I don't yell at my wife. I treat my wife with respect. I'm a pretty good husband. I mean I'm not perfect, but I'm better than those guys. That would get the goody tissue guy. I get into a conversation. We start talking about household chores. He'll go, I do all the laundry. I mean, we've got to get out of here. I tell you, Oh, man, I know. We just got here. It's time to go. He'll go, I cook all the meals in our house. I'm behind him, going, quiet, who asked you? You start to make me look bad. I start comparing myself to that guy. Mr. goody tissues. He walks around with a vacuum cleaner all day while he's cooking a meal. It's like I don't want to hear about you. Nobody asked you. Let's go. Let's get outa here. I don't want hear any more from this guy. Right? He's making me feel bad about myself. We play the comparison game. There's always somebody better. God doesn't use that standard. No one in the scripture says God grades in a curve. What is this criterion then? What is it that God's looking for more than anything else in his relationship with us? You know, when Jesus dies, Peter feels terrible. He feels terrible not only because he lost his friend and his Lord, but the way it ended. It ended with him denying Christ and vowing that he wouldn't and he did. And Jesus died and he's got no way to make it right. You know, when you lose a loved one, it's hard, when you lose a loved one under those circumstances. Maybe your last discussion was an argument. Or maybe you failed them in some way. And you don't have a chance to say, I'm sorry, to make it right. That makes the death even harder. So Peter is grieving the loss, but he's also grieving the fact that he messed up so bad. But he has an opportunity to make things right. In John chapter 21. Remember after Jesus' death, he's gone. What does Peter say he's going to do? What's his plan? He says, I'm going fishing. By going fishing, he doesn't mean I'm gonna get a can of worms and sit on a pier and recreate a little bit. Peter means he's going commercial fishing. Big boats, big nets, marketplace, livelihood. That's what he used to do. He was good at it. He misses it. He misses the sea, he misses the thrill of the catch, he misses making money. He wasn't making money when he travelled with Jesus. He's got to support himself. So he goes back to his trade, he goes back to what he knows. So in chapter 21, they've been fishing, not fishing recreationally, they're fishing to live. Jesus is there. He greets them. And they catch a large number of fish again. They bring in their boats, bring in their nets, they cook the fish. After that's done. They're done eating. Jesus has a private time with Peter. Verse 15, when they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” What are the “these”? He's talking about the other apostles? Did he say you love me more than these guys? That's a pretty awkward question if that's what he's saying. Right? Your boss doesn't come out in the work floor and say, OK, which one of the employees likes me the most. Right? Or your parent gathers around the meal and says, OK, kids, which one of you loves Daddy the most. That's not a fair question to ask. That's the question that might have appealed to Peter's ego at one point. Right? He said, I love you the most. But he's not talking about that. He's not trying to put Peter in a place where he has to try to show himself up, like he loves Jesus more than the others. No. The “these” has to do, he's probably pointing to boats and nets. Do you love me more than these? I originally called you to be a fisher of men. Do you still love me more than you love your boats, your fish, and your way of life? Do you still love me to sacrifice it all and follow me again? “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” We've talked about this passage. We've gone into the Greek word for love. There's philia. There's agape. And this word used here and that word used there. I just really want to deal with the heart of the passage, essence of the passage. When Jesus has another DTR talk with Peter, let's define our relationship again, Peter. What is this all about? What is the most important thing on Jesus' heart and mind? Peter can say it creed that easy. He is conformed so much to internal code. No. The number one thing, the number one passion that he's looking for, is “Peter, do you love me?” He wants a relationship defined by love. That's what Christianity's supposed to be about. It's supposed to be about love. Love the Lord with our heart, soul and mind and strength. It's not about memorizing a set of doctrine you can speak, going through these religious rituals and croups. It's about a love relationship. DTR time. Peter, are you fully committed to me? If you're fully committed to me, that's what is all about. If you're fully committed to God, everything else falls into place, doesn't it? If you love me, you feed my sheep. If you love me, you care what is important to me, you care for my creation. You'll be passionate about the things I'm passionate about. When I think of passion, one of the men I think about is a man by the name of John Muir. Have you ever heard of John Muir before? He is known as the father of the National Park System. Very important guy, born in Scotland, very strict religious upbringing, he had memorized the Bible. When he was a boy, he memorized the whole New Testament, and moved to. Guess where? Moved to Portage, Wisconsin. And then for education, he went to the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Eventually, that led him to the study of botany and nature. And eventually he travelled to west to places like Yosemite and to the Grand Canyon, to Yellow Stone. And when he visited those parks, there weren't national parks. They were just land, just raw. There were no roads. There were no trails. He was just there. He fought to preserve the land. The land brings me closer to the Creator, when I'm in it. It belongs to the people. He pushed the President, the Congress, to set aside that land that belongs to all of us. It didn't belong just to the rich, did not just to the state. It would belong to the whole country. Those parks are your park, my park. OK? Thank you for showing us. Very important man. I learned about him when we took a family vacation to Yosemite, a beautiful park that is. I learned the stories about John Muir. He just learned to love God and creation. He loved nature. When you love God, you care about the things that matter to God. And God cares about creation. So he wanted to identify with creation. You know when there was a thunderstorm, do you know what he would to? He literally climbed to the top of the highest tree he could climb. In the middle of the thunderstorm, he experienced what a tree experiences during the thunderstorm. When you and I are running for cover, he was climbing a tree. And he would get up and feel the wind and the rain. He would hear the thunder. He would see the lightning. I'm sure he was afraid. He would approach wild animals. Waterfalls they are there, they are beautiful. We might go around them, or near them, or up above them, looking down. Do you know what John did? He would climb under the waterfall. Like the water was raging over here, he climbed up the cliff, between the cliff and the waterfall, to experience a waterfall. Just some of the things he did. He had this passion that was so great. He had to be in nature. When he was in nature, he came alive. No matter where his life took him, he always was strung back to the parks, to Yellow Stone, to Yosemite, to Sierra Club he founded there, reservation. Jesus is saying, if you love me, you're gonna love what I love, you're gonna care about what I care about. You're gonna feed my sheep. See? He wants the lives to be defined by the word passion. Love and passion. That never becomes a rope, a routine, mundane. You know, I talked about meeting my wife at young age. You fall in love and you get married. When you're in love, falling in love, it feels like you think about that person all the time. You want to be with them all the time. There are plenty of excuses to be together. Time flies. Right? So you fall in love, you get married and you have children. And you buy a house, get a mortgage, get a job, sometimes two jobs, and a car and car payment. The kids have places to go. Next thing you know you're not careful. You become a little careless. A relationship becomes more like a business partnership than a marriage. You start losing your passion. Right? You allow it to. It just becomes a part of business partnership and the love begins to dissipate. You find out why do we even marry. Forget why you even get married. As people say, they fall out of love with each other, because they allow their love to wane. I'm very much in love with my wife. I'm not talking about my marriage. But we make sure that we keep romance in our marriage. It's easy to do. People can do that all the time. And the same thing that can happen in their marriage relationship can happen in their walk with God. If we're not careful, our walk with God can become just something that's ritual, something emotional we're going through. We lose the passion. We lose the love. I became a Christian at age 17. I've grown up in the church. I wasn't serious about God at all. God was a doctrine I knew about. I spit out answers to Bible questions. But the church was the most boring place in the world. I like the pastor. The pastor was around and he is a good guy. I couldn't wait to get out of there to go home and watch sports or start wrestling. That's what I was into at age 9 and 10. I want to get out of there. I didn't care about church kids. They seemed like nerds to me. I didn't care about reading the Bible. That just seemed boring to me. At the age 17, God just got hold of me. This book became alive and exciting. I just would read it all the time. I read it at home. I read it in between the classes. I scheduled time between after work, before school started, to go to park. I just read the Bible, just make appointments with God. You know. Training for the ministry, I just want to teach God's Word. Going into the ministry without 31 years from me, a full-time ministry. And you go back years before that, in training. So 35, 36 years either in preparation or in full-time ministry. You know what can happen after a while? It's that I start coming to the bible because I have got sermons to write. I've got a funeral to do. I've got a wedding to perform. I've got a devotional to lead. I've got a bible study to lead. I've got a sermon series to plan. And then I've got to plan the next sermon series. Pastor Jesee calls me, just doing his job. I'm not mad, but he calls me and says, “Tell me more about what you're gonna talk about in year 2015? Tell me a little more about.” I'm just teasing. He wants to know more about the message that's coming up in 2 months. And I find myself again studying, because it's my job. The Holy Spirit says, when was the last time you went to the woods to just read the Word, to spend time with me? When was the last time you built the fire in the family room, just to spend time with my Word and spend time with me? What about the love, Jeff? You're doing a good job. You're studying. You're preaching. I'm pleased with all that. What about spending time with me just to love me? Not because you got to preach a sermon or series. Ya, Lord, I hear what you're saying. I'll work on that. I'll try to fan that flame of passion in my spiritual life. Am I the only one out there who goes through this? Or do some of you sometimes find that can happen when you want to? That's what this is about. This series is about big fan. Fan the flame to get it burn again. It's not about filling your head with knowledge. It's about filling your heart with love for your Savior. To come to learn more and love more. Join me in prayer. Father, we thank you for this opportunity. We have these next 7 weeks together to study this book. This book is not really what we're studying. We're studying you Word. This book is simply a tool to give us understanding and some structure, as we study what you expect from us, what you desire from us. What you desire from Peter and what you desire from us, more than anything else, that we love you. When we love you, we want to please you. All those that matter begin to fall in place. What we ask today, fan the flame of our heart. As individuals, small groups, as churches, as a church, we love you more as a result of this series together. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen. Hebrews Chapter 12, it's talking about the sufferings of Jesus. The author says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of throne of God.” I want you to hone in on those words for a moment “for the joy set before him.” What does that mean? You know I thought about that. I thought, you know, the joy set before him probably means that he knows it's gonna be over with soon. When you're going through something difficult, here you're running a marathon, you're about to quit, and the joy set before you, cross that line, and you're going to be done with your suffering. Whatever that is, the joy set before you, soon it will be over with. And I'll be in heaven. That's the joy to know that you can say it's finished. I had an experience just yesterday. It gave me a new insight into this passage. I don't think the way I've been looking at it is the way I need to look at it. It's not how I see it anymore. I was getting ready to. I hadn't eaten all day. So I was gonna go to a restaurant, have something to drink and eat, tweak the sermon with the final touches on it, to have a chance to go to the club, get exercise, go home and shower, and get ready for church, the first Saturday night live service of the year. So as I was getting ready to do that, I got a text. It was my daughter. She said, I had an accident at the club. I tripped on some weights and I crushed my hand between these 2 weights. I sliced up my hand. Please come. So I went and got her. We went to the hospital. And I am there in the emergency room with her. She's trying to be brave and strong. He says, it's gonna need stitches. It's pretty deep. It's pretty irregular. So we're gonna put some shots in here. A couple of shots. It's gonna burn a little bit. It's gonna hurt. It'll be a little pinch, and a burn. Then we'll stitch you up. And so I held her hand. They began to chew. But it wouldn't take it, for whatever reason. They did like 2 or 3 shots. Can you still feel it? Ya. 4 or 5 shots. Can you still feel it? Does that still hurt? Ya. 6 shots. How about now? Ya, I can still feel that. Then the last shot just right in the wound. And just gonna really make sure it knocks it up. She's trying to be so brave and strong. She's holding back tears. And one big tear comes down on her cheek. She's so brave. I kissed her. At that moment, if the doctor would have said to me, hey, Dad, we got this new technology. When we can transfer that wound to your hand, it's gonna hurt. But she'll be whole and you'll have what she has. Now I'll have to stitch you up. You'll have to heal. She's gonna be OK. But she'll experience everything she's experienced. It's a new technology. What do you want to do, Dad? That's no brainer. Right? You're like, give it to me. Give me the wound. I know it's gonna hurt. I'm gonna feel joy because it's gonna make her whole. It's gonna make her better. So give it to me. Put it on me. What I could not do for my child, God did for his children. I think that's the joy set before Jesus. Jesus says, give me the sin, give me the pain, wound me, kill me, give me the death, put it on me. Because it's gonna make my child whole. It's gonna make my child well. Do it. It goes on him. And his joy is knowing it's not on us. We're not gonna die because of our sin. We're gonna be separated because of the sin. He's gonna take that on himself. So for the joy set before us. See? What you're holding in your hands the cup and bread, it's not just creeds and doctrines. It's love. It's the Creator's love for you. Love for your soul. Love you more than his own life. Let's pray. Father, we just want to come before you today, communion. We just don't want it to be a routine, a ritual. We want to have a meeting with significance just like we did the first time. You began to explain how and why you had to pour out your life and blood and suffer. And really this story, this good news, is a matter of heart. It's a matter of love. That's how you want us to define our relationship with you. Greatest command, the love of the Lord, God of all our hearts, our sole strength, that we will return the love that you've given to us in Jesus. So remembering his sacrifices becomes asking for forgiveness, blessings, restoration of our souls. Thank you for your love and sacrifice. In Jesus' name, amen.

[It is] nice to be here on this spectacular day. Youre all thinking, Spectacular? Hey, any time its not snowing at this time of year in Wisconsin, its spectacular in my opinion. Its great to have you here, and as Pastor Jeff said, I get to kick off the series on What Does Love Look Like? We may not often think about it, but love and thankfulness certainly go together like ice cream and pie, (I have to put in a plug for the pie sale), the Lone Ranger and Tonto, Batman and Robin, or-my new revelation this week-like Clint Eastwood and prayer. Youre like, Huh? My wife and I on our Friday night date night, which weve celebrated for over 31 years now-its probably one of the huge reasons were still married, were out going somewhere, and weve become accustomed to listening to books on CD while were riding different places. We were listening to the story of Josh Burstein, who is an archaeologist, how he came to do that and how he got involved in the wilderness. He was sharing that his father had passed away when he was 15 years old. Shortly after that, he discovered Clint Eastwood. He became enamored with Clint Eastwood, and Clint Eastwood kind of became the father figure that he lost. He looked up to him and learned everything he could about him. He was a man of action, a man of few words, the strong, silent type. He said he really needed that at that time in his life. Were listening to this story and we started talking, so I shut it off for a bit. We were talking about that, and then Vicki asked me to pray with her about something. All of the sudden this brilliant thought crossed my mind as she was talking about Clint Eastwood coupled with prayer. I turned and looked at her and gave her my best steely-eyed stare and said, Go ahead, make me pray. (Congregation laughing.) Now Clint and prayer are forever linked, which I hope is a good combination. Speaking of that, let us pray. Father, thank You so much for the chance to come together and share about love, gratitude and thankfulness. Thank You so much for giving Your life, Lord Jesus, for us. I pray that Youd warm our hearts and challenge us with Your Word today, Father. Thank You again so much that we can pray because of Jesus Christ, Amen. Well, love and thankfulness do go together like all of those things we mentioned. First of all, lets look at how those two things go together in Psalm 116. Were going to look at Verses 1, 2, and 17. The writer of the Psalm says in Verse 1 (page 605 of pew Bibles), I love the Lord. Notice he starts out talking about love. I love the Lord for He heard my voice. He heard my cry for mercy. In Verse 12, he says, How can I repay the Lord for all His goodness? Notice the response at the end of this Psalm. He says, I will sacrifice a thank offering to You and call on the name of the Lord. Love and giving thanks are linked together. The Psalmist says, I love the Lord, so what is my response? I will sacrifice a thanks offering in the name of the Lord. As we think about love and thankfulness, I want to leave four pictures with you this morning about what thankfulness is and how its connected to love. The first thing I would say is that telling someone thank you is like giving away valuable jewels. You might not think thats such a big deal, but, friends, how many of you appreciate it when somebody tells you thank you? Almost every hand in the room [is up]. Sometimes we dont think thats so amazing to give it away, but we like it when we get it. Friends, its interesting that Solomon said in Proverbs that wisdom is like riches. Theyre jewels; theyre emeralds; theyre diamonds; theyre rubies; theyre necklaces around your neck; theyre a gold crown on your head. One of the wisest things you can do is compliment, encourage, congratulate, and tell someone thank you. Thats like giving away diamonds, like giving away rubies. The amazing thing is it wont bankrupt you for doing that. In fact, we reap what we sow. When you give away thanks, its like sticking a diamond, an emerald, a jewel, a ruby, or a sapphire in peoples pockets, and you get something back in return. You get a blessing in return, and you never exhaust the supply. How many of you at the end of the day of telling people thank you said, Whew! Man, Im flat broke. I cant tell anybody thank you anymore? I dont think any of us have ever had that experience? On the other hand, if you really set out to be thankful and share thanks, its amazing that your energy and your own storehouse of riches seem to increase. How is that connected with love? Well, what do you find when you tell people thank you for what theyve done? They feel love; they feel cared for; they feel appreciated, right? When we have the opportunity to do that on a regular basis, friends, ask yourselves that: how good are you at enriching other people? Are you walking around every day passing out jewels of gratitude? Or, on the flip side, are you a world class jewel thief? Some people we meet are like that, right? Not only do they not have anything good to pass out, but they suck the life out of you. Instead of passing out diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, or rubies, they just rob the riches out of you. You can get up, have a great day and go on your way rejoicing, and then you meet these people and its like (Pastor Jerry is making a loud sucking sound to resemble one sucking the life out of you). You just feel like some wrinkled up, shriveled up prune after meeting them. They suck the gratitude and the joy of life out of you. They are like world-class jewel thieves. Friends, God calls us as His children to be different. He says, in fact, that we are His jewels. Our responsibility is to shine and sparkle for Him. One of the greatest ways that you can do that is by sharing thanks. We know that in our world if you genuinely love somebody-I know we have holidays coming up in less than a week, and my wife and I get to celebrate the anniversary of our engagement-whats one of the best ways to show that…ladies? Jewelry, right? There are a lot of situations [where we give gifts to one another]. I chuckled this last week because one of the Los Angeles Lakers Sasha Pavlovic got engaged to Maria Sharapova, and I just chuckled at our culture because they were trying to decide if the $400,000 engagement ring that he had given her was too cheap because, after all, youre supposed to spend two months of your salary on an engagement ring. Because he made so many millions, the $400,000 didnt quite add up to that; so maybe poor Sasha was being a little cheap. I was like wow. Thats a different world than Im used to. That's for sure, but, friends, we have the opportunity to enrich the lives of people we love every single day. God calls us to do that. As I sit here talking about it, I would challenge you, I would urge you, this week especially at Thanksgiving time to think about someone in your past-maybe a teacher; maybe a coach; maybe a boss who was really good to you, who helped you go forward, who changed your life and encouraged you in ways that nobody else did. Take the time to write them a letter. Give them a phone call; send them an email. Let them know what they mean to you. You can be a blessing to their life. Sometimes when you keep giving those things out, there are blessings and rewards that you get back without even meaning to when thats your regular habit. Just last month, Vicki and I got back from vacation. She had always wanted to go to Savannah, Georgia. We went and had a great time. It was really enjoyable and very romantic. We were coming back on the last night of our vacation. We stopped about 20 miles outside of Nashville and decided to stay over there before we ended up driving for home on the last day. There was this group of four motels. We were getting down to the end, and we thought we would kind of save our money. We were drawn toward two of the places that advertised their price for a night as $29.95; and we thought, Well, that would be pretty cool if you could get a decent motel for less than $30. We stopped in and looked at a room, and we decided, I…dont think…were going to…stay there. We went and looked at a different motel, a Country Inn and Suites. It was just really nice. You walked into the lobby, and there was this smell of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies wafting through the lobby. Behind the counter there was this nice young lady about 25 years old. She was very warm, very cheerful, and very friendly. She said, Hi, how are you doing? We said, Were doing well. Could we check out a room? She said, Oh, sure. So she gave us a key, and we went down to check out the room, and we said, Oh, this is pretty nice. We came back and asked how much it was. She said, It is $90. We thought well, after looking at $29.95 and $90, that was a little more… We were like, Well spend it if we have to, but wed rather not. We said to her, If you dont mind, were going to go check out prices at the one place that was left. She said, Oh, fine. No problem. I understand. Take care, and have a nice day. We left and went over to the last place. We found out that it was the same price. We looked at a room, and we actually liked the other one better. The lady was very professional and very sterile. When we told her we didnt really want the room, she was very cold and borderline discourteous. She was like, Well, you dont want to stay at our motel. I cant believe that. Its beyond my wildest comprehension. We left and we were like, Wow. That was kind of wild. On the way back, we said, Man, that other young lady was so nice. We went in there, and she said, Oh, youre back! Its nice to see you. I said, Sure, well take a room, and she said okay. Vicki said, Yeah, we actually liked this room better than the other one. I said, Not only that, but we were talking about how warm and charming you were. You were really friendly. Compared to the other lady over there, you were like wow! It was nice talking to you. She looked at us and said, Wow! Thats really nice of you to say! You just made my day! So you know what? (Pastor Jerry speaks in a very gruff voice here), Im going to make your day. She didnt really talk like that, but she did proceed to make our day. She said, So instead of $90, Im going to give it to you for $50. We were like, Wow! Just because we said thanked her and complimented her, she turned around and our lives were not only enriched spiritually and mentally, but actually our pocketbooks as well. Later on, we thought what a joy to get money back, but we talked about who knows what kind of a day she was having. Maybe shed had lots of people who were unkind to her or mistreated her that day. Maybe she got chewed out. For somebody to come and be kind or say something nice about her, it was like wow! You could watch her eyes sparkle and light up. Friends, God calls us to do that. Theres a world around you of hurting people. Your gratitude, your kindness, can make an impact and enrich people that you meet. So telling someone thank you, remember, is like giving them a valuable jewel. The second thing I would say is that telling not just people but telling God thank you is light, warmth, and love thats drawn into your own souls. We think about romantic movies, and we think about warm and cozy fireplaces on cold Wisconsin nights. We think about romantic strolls through gas-lit lamps, and we think about candlelight dinners. There is always this association of light with love and romance. In fact, when Vicki and I were first dating, I actually walked down Frontier Street with her in the middle of a lightly falling snowfall. The street lights were glowing, and I turned to her and sang, Ive often walked down this street, the street before, but the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before. All at once am I several stories high knowing Im on the street where you live. She proceeded to vomit-no, Im just kidding. It was one of those really spectacular moments, and I still remember that. Light and romance go hand and hand; well, so it is with God. Friends, as you go through life, when your heart is cold and dark because life has been rough or youve been hurt, how do you bring light, warmth, and love to your soul? Let me encourage you and challenge you that when you share light, love, and warmth with God, you get it back in return in spades. In fact, if you think about God looking down on a world thats dark and cold and Him seeing His children here and there in the middle of a dark world, and in the middle of that darkness, theyre singing, praising, and worshipping Him, what does God see? Hes like, Oh, theres a light there. Theyre sparkling over there. Theres a light there. I see them over there. Thats light to God; its love to God; its warmth to God. You have the opportunity to warm His heart, and what do you get back in return? Friends, when you make the decision to praise God and bless His name no matter what, its like lighting that cozy fire on a cold Wisconsin day or a cold Wisconsin evening. You snuggle up, and you sense His love, His presence, and His warmth. I get so passionate about this because, friends, if you dont sense His love, if you dont feel His love, if youre not feeling the sense of His presence, I would challenge you to begin to praise God. Begin to thank Him; begin to bless Him and worship Him no matter what your circumstances are. This is the stuff of Psalms; this is the stuff of triumph; this is the stuff of light, warmth, and change. In fact, the opposite of that, if we look at Romans 1:20 (page 1112), God says that thankfulness is the Heavenly light switch. When you refuse to be grateful and you refuse to be thankful, that is the very first step into darkness. Listen to Romans 1:20. It says, For since the creation of the world, Gods invisible qualities-His eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. For although they knew God… Listen to this, …they neither glorified Him as God… nor-gave-Him-thanks. What is the first step after not giving God thanks? …their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Its a hop, skip, and a jump on a short step to the rest of the Chapter of Romans 1 where you see every kind of evil and abomination and filthy action that exists in the world. Where did it start? It started with an ungrateful heart. It started with an attitude of ingratitude. Friends, I submit to you, that in gratitude, unthankfulness lies at the heart of every single sin that exists. Blaspheme God? Do you really shake your fist at God if youre incredibly grateful for all that Hes done for you? Honor your father and your mother. Do you tend to dishonor your parents if youre incredibly grateful for all that theyve done for you? Thou shall not murder. Do you murder people for whom you are amazingly thankful? I dont think so. Thou shall not commit adultery. Do you tend to have affairs, divorce, dishonor, and commit adultery against mates for whom you are spectacularly grateful? I dont think so. Do you tend to lie, cheat, steal, or covet? If you are unbelievably thankful for everything that you have, no. Gratitude is the foundational core of every single sin that exists. Likewise if you want to come back to God, you want to sense His warmth and light, thankfulness is the first step back. Its the first step toward the light; its the first step out of darkness; its the first step toward feeling again. You know in the real estate world if you want to raise property values, one of the cool things you can put in the home is…a fireplace, especially in colder weather or colder climates. People are drawn to that; it adds value. Friends, thanks, praise, and gratitude adds value to you. God says youre His home. You are where He wants to live. If you want to up your market value to those around you in life, develop a place where you go connect with God and get a hold of His light and His fire. Itll warm you; itll keep you; itll change you. Think of Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai having spent 40 days with God, and what is it about Moses thats different? His face is glowing. People can see that about you if youve been with God. It changes you. You have an impact on the world around you. Sometimes, dear friends, that prayer of praise, gratitude, and thankfulness can actually save your life. Its become my habit every morning to start the day by telling God ten things that Im thankful for. If my heart isnt warmed after that, then sometimes I run through the entire alphabet, A through Z, thinking of something for which I can thank God for. Then I tend to launch into songs of praise and gratitude. Sometimes as you begin to thank God, you dont feel like it. You dont feel like praising Him. Thats why sometimes praise is called a sacrifice of praise-because its not easy. Sometimes its like starting a car on a cold Wisconsin morning. You turn the key after scraping the ice off the windows, and it does not want to start. Finally after a bit, it kicks in and turns over. Then you defrost the windows, and eventually you get to go to school, your job, or wherever youre going. Its warm and youre glad that youre riding in a car-even if its a beater-instead of the one-horse open sleigh going to Grandmothers house. No matter how romantic that sounds, its still freezing cold. Youre glad for that warmth. Friends, praise is the same way. There are days that you get up, and you dont feel like praising God, but if you decide to make that sacrifice and begin to honor Him-even if you dont feel like it-I can tell you, its not long before your heart begins to warm. The ice begins to thaw, and the light comes into your soul. You become incredibly grateful for all He is and all that Hes done for you. Sometimes that moves me to tears because, friends, Im sorry but Im standing here today because praise and gratitude literally saved my life. Its taken me almost 50 years to share some of the details about this, but when I was 15 and 16 years old, I had some hormonal problems. My body was really messed up. It started producing way more testosterone than it was supposed to. It started really messing with me, so my mother took me to the doctor and low and behold, that wonderful yahoo, guess what he did? He prescribed me oral anabolic steroids. This kid has too much testosterone in his body. Its messing with him. Lets give him more. Nobody said anything about the side effects. Nobody knew what would happen. I went from being a pretty mellow, happy-go-lucky kid to somebody who wanted to kill everybody he saw. Here I was the president of my youth group, and everybody on the outside thought I was wonderful; and inside I was dying. There was darkness, and it was cold. Id walk around thinking about people I hated, people I wanted to hurt, and people I wanted to kill. Most of all, I wanted to kill myself. All that testosterone and discovering girls got me into things that for which Im not proud of and that are ungodly, that only added to the problems. As my guilt compounded, I wanted to kill myself even more. Somehow in the middle of all of that, in the darkness, the heartache, and the pain, nobody knew what was going on; I felt isolated and all alone, I would come home from school and thank God for a grandmother that taught me how to play the piano and sing. I would sit down for hours and sing songs to God of worship and praise, What a friend we have in Jesus. Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? When you feel all alone, take it to the Lord in prayer. In the middle of my incredible darkness and pain-and today they would say I was manic depressive, bipolar, or certifiably depressed-Jesus Christ, and thanks and praise to Him, was the light that saved my soul. If it werent for that hope and that ability to thank Him and praise Him, I would have blown my brains out and killed myself long ago. Thanksgiving literally saved my life. Friends, you have no idea the impact that you can make on a world around you if youre willing to share praise and thanks. You have no idea the impact that thanks and praise has in your own life. That kind of leads us to the third thing because being thankful can make you the powerful hero in any love story. I love romantic movies-dont let anybody know that. I love watching chick flicks with my wife, but I cant watch too many in a row. Then I have to watch an Arnold movie, a Clint movie, or Sylvester Stallone or somebody like that. Then I can watch another chick flick. Even the guy movies, the action movies, isnt there always some powerful hunk thats like falling in love with the gorgeous babe? We ask: what is it that draws us to that story? Friends, I think John Eldredge says it very well. Its the story of redemption. Why do we relate to that so much? Because its the story of what Jesus did for us. Hes the prince; Hes the captain; Hes the champion; Hes the hero who could have stayed home safe. Instead He left Heaven and came all the way down to planet earth to die and rescue us in pain and agony-to give us life, to save our souls, and to be our champion. We see that played out in stories and movies, and our hearts are drawn to that. Theyre drawn to the hero. Friends, when you lift up other people around you with gratitude and thanksgiving, you can be the hero in their lives. You can be the person who is lifting them up. You can be the person who is changing lives. You can be the person who is making a difference. Somebody can be burdened and carrying heavy loads, and a word of thanks, a word of gratitude, you have no idea the impact that that can make in their lives. I often think of Jesus in John 11. Lets look at John 11:35 (page 1064). It is the shortest Verse in the Bible. Jesus wept. The background of this: Jesus has lost one of His very best friends. He comes to the tomb, and this Verse, this Passage, says, Jesus wept. The people around Him looked at Jesus and seen Him crying and they said, See how He loved him! Sometimes we look at Jesus, and we think, Well, Hes God. He was here in the flesh. He knows Hes going to raise Lazarus in a few minutes, so it really doesnt impact Him. Hogwash! Jesus felt the pain. Jesus had just lost one of His very best friends. Its obvious. He is standing at the gravesite crying and weeping. Knowing that He can raise him from the dead doesnt lessen the pain. Everybody else sees it, and they were like, Wow! He really loved Lazarus! Then Jesus does something amazing. Some of them said, Couldnt He who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying? You go through losses; you go through pain; you have heartaches; sometimes you have regrets. Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. Take away the stone, He said. But, Lord, said Martha, the sister of the dead man, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days. Then Jesus said, Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God? So they took away the stone. And get this, Jesus looked up and said, Father, I thank You… Friends; when youre going through loss; when you lose a job; when you lose a loved one; when you lose your dreams; when you suffer heartache, loss, and pain, what is Satan always whispering in your ear? He says, See, God doesnt care. Gods not listening. All those prayers you prayed, where was God? The Heavens are brass. Hes not listening to you. He has His hearing aids turned down. He doesnt care. What does Jesus say in the face of death? Father, I thank You that You hear me. What an attitude! His own spirits are lifted with the recognition that God hears Him. Listen to what He says next, I knew that You always heard Me. Sometimes we need to repeat that in our minds. Father, yes, Im going through hard things. Yes, Im facing the losses. Yes, my dreams are crushed, but Father, I know that You always hear me. We need to rehearse that. Thank You, Father. But our attitudes of gratitude impact not only ourselves, but the people around us. Look what Jesus says, …I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that You sent Me. When He had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to Him, Take off the grave clothes and let him go. Friends, gratitude and thankfulness are powerful. Gratitude raises other people. Gratitude literally lifts people from the dead. You can breathe life into somebody who is dying a thousand deaths today just by telling them thank you. Maybe its a clerk at the store; maybe its somebody that youve never met before. There was a lady in the 8 oclock service that came today, and I was blown away because Vicki and I had stopped on Saturday night at a card shop and got talking to her, and she came to church this morning. You have no idea whose life you can impact with a word of kindness or gratitude. Be a light; share a smile; share a thank you. Lift somebody up. You might rescue them even from the dead. Be a hero to somebody today. The last thing that I would say about thankfulness is that thankfulness is the tattoo or the mark of love. Now, I know some people might say, Tattoos, are those things in the Bible? Well, you can debate that back, Should I get a tattoo? Should I not get a tattoo? We debate cultures and all those types of things. I think its interesting that God says-even though I dont have tattoos-our names are literally engraved on the palm of His hand. How about that? Isnt that amazing? Gods not afraid to own us. Tattoos, in our culture, are often the mark of love; even in past cultures, youd see sailors, marines, and construction workers-guys like that [have tattoos]. You fall in love and get somebodys name tattooed sometimes, if you really love them, on your arm. Although you have to be careful. I always chuckle-when I coached at U-Rock, there was a sign in the boys locker room warning against the epidemic of AIDS. It has a picture of a guys arm, and then it had about six different names tattooed on it. There was Emily, and then that was crossed out; and then Ashley, and then Linda, Betty, and on down the line. One after the other was crossed out, and the caption at the bottom was unlike love, AIDS is forever, so be careful or be smart. The point is that sometimes people are so desperately in love, they mark their bodies with the name of their beloved. Friends, how do people know that you belong to Jesus Christ? Whats the mark that you carry? The mark is this: youre thankful no matter what. One of the few things that God says expressly is His Will is give thanks in every situation. This is the Will of God. Im going to ask you what you think the mark of the beast is. Youre looking at me now going, Is he on drugs? What does that have to do with thankfulness? You can get a big crowd talking about the mark of the beast and end times and all that kind of stuff. Sometimes, dear people, people cant see the forest for the trees. Ive heard lots of different things, Computer chips in our foreheads or the backs of our hands-thats the mark of the beast or the barcode on the back of your cereal box, thats the mark of the beast. God forbid, be careful about social security numbers. At one time, those were the mark of the beast. My favorite, I was in a meeting in a rescue mission once, and they had a testimony time. This dear lady, God bless her heart, out of the blue when someone was asking for testimonies, she stood up and said, I know what the mark of the beast is. We were looking at her like… This was in the 80s. Its Ronald Wilson Reagan 666. We were all like wow! So lots of things are the mark of the beast, but sometimes we cant see the forest for the trees. Lets look at Revelation 16 (page 1226). Im going to ask you as we read this to pay careful attention to what the mark of the beast is. God judges the beast and his kingdom, and it says, The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. They were seared by the intense heat and they… [what?] …cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to… change or repent and glorify Him. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony and… [what?] …cursed God…because of their pains and sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. Friends, whats the mark of the beast? You go through adversity; you go through trials; you go through pain, and you shake your fists in the face of God and damn and curse His name. You damn and curse Jesus Christ. Gods so mean! Gods so cruel! Gods so vicious! How could He do this kind of stuff to me? I dont deserve this! The mark of the beast… On the other hand, whats the mark of the followers of the Lamb? Lets look elsewhere in the Book. Whatever else the Book of Revelation may be, this may surprise you that its one of the most incredible hymn books in the Bible. There are songs of praise and thanksgiving all over the Book of Revelation from beginning to end. What is the mark of the followers of the Lamb? Lets look at Revelation 7:9 (page 1220), After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb. All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before their throne and worshiped God, saying: Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom… Here I like [how it is worded in] the New King James …and Thanksgiving… …and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen! Then one of the elders asked me, These in white robes-who are they, and where did they come from? I answered, Sir, you know. And he said, These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Friends, you see this through the Book of Revelation. What do the followers of the Lamb do when they are tortured, when they are slain, when they are beheaded, when they face tragedy, heartache, and pain? They fall on their faces and bless, glorify and worship God and say, Blessing and honor and glory and power be to Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb for ever and ever and ever and ever. What is the mark of the followers of the Lamb that they leave behind them everywhere they go? Like Job of Old, God looks down and says, You see My servant Job? Isnt anybody like him? God allows Satan to take away everything he has, and how does Job respond? He can kill me, and Ill still trust Him. Isnt that unbelievable? Thats the mark of the Lambs followers. They are so grateful; they are so thankful; they are so in love with the Captain of their salvation who went through hell to rescue them that they can suffer stress, heartache, pain, torture, and loss; and nothing can stop them from praising God. Friends, in a few short days, were going to celebrate the 390th anniversary of Thanksgiving. Thats almost 400 years. We remember the Pilgrims, why? Because they were followers of the Lamb. In 1620, they arrived on the shores of Plymouth Rock and set up a colony-110 people. Over the first winter, they lost over half of their number, so there were fewer than 50 people. We live in absolute luxury compared to what they had; and they carved out a hole in the wilderness. Six months after losing half of their loved ones and half of their membership and seeing death on every hand, they have their first harvest; and they spend three days of thanks, gratitude, and praise to Almighty God. They cant stop worshipping Him, blessing Him, and thanking Him less than a year after half of them died. So powerful is that mark that 400 years later in our countrys history, what do we still remember? We still remember a group of people who in the middle of their heartache, in the middle of their pain, in the middle of their loss, in the middle of their adversity took time to thank, bless, and praise God. Thats the mark of the followers of the Lamb. Dear friends, God put that same Spirit in your heart today. If youre one of His followers, share His love, share His gratitude. Youll make the world a better place. Lets pray: Father, I thank You so much for Your Word. I thank You for the example of Jesus Christ. I thank You for each one of these dear friends. I pray that You would bless them and encourage them. Help us to walk every day as followers of the Lamb in incredible gratitude for all that Youve done for us. I thank You that we can pray in Jesus name, Amen.