Animated

A few minutes of inspiration, encouragement, and motivation to fan into flames the desire to crush the workout you’re about to do. Prepare to get some!  Attributions: “Twighlight” from the album “Self” by Om Unit. https://omunit.bandcamp.com https://soundcloud.com/omunit

What does it take for a nation as wonderfully diverse as ours to come together and walk shoulder-to-shoulder in cooperation to make things better for us all? What is the key to lasting change? Attributions : “Headspace” by Kazukii. https://www.instagram.com/ohthatkazuki/ https://twitter.com/Ohthatkazuki https://soundcloud.com/ohthatkazuki “Hold Me I’m Fragile” from the album “Redolent/Dissolve” by...

Rejoice in living your life in the spaces you can move in. Simple as that.

What does it mean to be an eminently qualified human? What does it take to be one? Attributions, Links & Resources : "New Dream" and "Saffron" by RRAREBEAR. http://www.instagram.com/rrarebearbeats http://www.twitter.com/rrarebearbeats https://soundcloud.com/rrarebearbeats

It’s never too late (or too early) to get started doing worthwhile things. After all, you might just bless the world with what it is you would like to do, so please get after it and make things better for yourself and the rest of us! Attributions : “Sleepy Quest for Coffee” by Plastik Joy. https://soundcloud.com/plastik-joy https://www.facebook.com/PlastikJ/ https://www.instagram.com/plastik_joy/

No matter how healthy, wealthy, and prepared we might consider ourselves to be the fact remains that there’s not a thing we can do to keep disruptions and even chaos from occurring, which is similar to how a tree cannot control the weather including times of drought. When this happens the determining factor pertaining to whether or not the tree maintains green leaves and continues to bear fruit ha...

Readings from the Gospel of John (chapters 18-20), Hebrews (chapter 2, verses 10-17), and Romans (chapter 5, verses 1-11). Attributions, Links & Resources : Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www. Zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New Int...

A few moments of levity in the midst of a season where a bit of merriment can be of real benefit. Attributions, Links & Resources: “Fate and Fortune” and “Borealis” by Scott Buckley – www.scottbuckley.com.au Covered by the Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license “Haim” from the album “Bazardüzü” by Dobranotch  http://www.dobranotch.ru/english.html “NoWay3” by PeriTune | http://p...

What is referred to as the Sermon on the Mount (contained in the Gospel of Matthew chapters 5-7) is possibly the most famous speech in all of religious literature. This is Jesus Christ's “kingdom manifesto” outlining the ideal ethic to which believers should continually strive despite humbly acknowledging that they will fall short of living up to it. Many consider the message to be a continuing so...

Readings from Psalms 23, 56, 91, 121, and 143 to facilitate a time of meditation and reflection to provide comfort, tranquility, and inner strength. Attributions, Links & Resources : “Mbr/Northbound” and “Mbr/Mbirambient” from the album “Mbira Lights 1 EP” by Ametsub https://ametsub.bandcamp.com

Bruce Lee was far more than a movie star who was at the forefront of bringing the martial arts genre into the mainstream. He was an accomplished martial artist and philosopher whose pursuit of self-expression through the fighting arts led him to embrace a mindset characterized by the humility that makes one more flexible and adaptive. In this episode we’ll glean some insights from his approach tha...

One of the wisdom sayings from the ancient Hebrew manuscript referred to as Ecclesiastes captures what it is to work smarter, not harder: “If the axe is dull and its edge unsharpened, more strength is needed, but skill will bring success.” (Ecclesiastes 10:10) It’s pretty obvious that the idea here is that the intensity of effort isn’t necessarily the most important factor in whether or not any un...

Socialism, which is at its core an economic theory, is somewhat of a hot topic of discussion these days among political candidates and pundits. And it seems to be the case that some potential voters are starting to view socialism as not only not so bad, but perhaps even attractive. How can that be when history shows quite clearly that in practice it has an abysmal record in terms of economic perfo...

According to Japanese legend, a young man sought to learn the elaborate set of customs known as the Way of Tea. He went to a tea-master who tested the younger man by requesting that he tend the garden. The fellow cleaned up debris and raked the ground until it was perfect, then examined the immaculate garden. But before presenting his work to the master, he shook a cherry tree, causing a few flowe...

Few outside the academy or lab are aware of or are interested in ongoing research in the realms of biology and bio-chemistry as it relates to origin-of-life studies. That’s likely due to the fact that most would ask: “Are any of the findings relevant to how I’m supposed to approach my day-to-day life or is it just a bunch of science mumbo-jumbo best left to the grant-funded brainiacs to discuss an...

Is there an existential threat to the human race in the form of an epidemic wreaking havoc on a mass scale this very moment? Indeed there is but you might be surprised to hear that it isn’t Ebola or the coronavirus working its way around the Pacific Rim and spreading, as potentially devastating as those can be or might one day become. In this episode we take a look at the main threat to humanity,...

On April 3, 1963 in the city of Birmingham, AL a nonviolent campaign consisting of coordinated marches and sit-ins against racism and racial segregation was launched by the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR) and Dr. King’s Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). On April 10, a Circuit Judge issued a blanket injunction against “parading, demonstrating, boycotting, trespass...

Doesn’t it seem as if the world is becoming angrier, louder, and more divided; that a strong current of negativity continues to pull us in that direction? This is both a symptom and manifestation of the negative energy that threatens to commandeer our consciousness and suck the joy and goodwill right out of us. Wouldn’t it be best if we all recognized and then acted as if life is too short and pre...

If you want to build up someone you care deeply about you encourage him, affirm him as a human being who is worth knowing and loving, and sometimes challenge him in positive, life-giving ways.  What are some things you would say to him that best make that possible?  What are some things you would never say to him? Adopting those same principles and applying them toward the person in the...

As a new year (and a whole new decade) dawns and we take the time to engage in an honest assessment of ourselves, our circumstances, and our life approach it’s at least as helpful to look around and take inventory of all the people, circumstances, opportunities, and material possessions that belong in the “Blessings” column on our life’s ledger. This episode is all about a laser-focused 2020 resol...

Join in the holiday fun as we take a look at some amusing traditions from around the world and examine the true meaning of Christmas with the help of a pretty smart fellow by the name of Einstein. ATTRIBUTIONS : Music and Sound Effects “Away in a Manger,” “We Three Kings,” and “So to Honor Him” from the album “A LiveWires Christmas” by Robert Ellis and the Livewires - www.relivewires.com (Used by...

Did you know that you are essentially a battery-powered organism? Mitochondria are specialized structures that are found in large numbers in most cells and are behind the biochemical processes of respiration and energy production. Its main function is to break down carbohydrates and fatty acids in order to generate energy as well as synthesize proteins for their particular use, which is why mitoch...

Since fear is an inevitable part of the human experience that holds real estate within the domain of our thought lives it is essential that we employ strategies to aid in managing it properly. How can we best develop thinking patterns to lessen the likelihood of being overwhelmed by it? Wisdom sayings (Scripture references) : Proverbs 22:3 “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple...

Researchers in the field of neuroscience have concluded that prayer and meditation can lead to the physical development in regions of the brain that enhance our ability to focus, experience heightened senses of compassion and empathy, and even make us less prone to anger and anxiety. And the byproduct of this can be reduced stress and even lower blood pressure that can foster emotional healing and...

Isn’t it true that one of the more prominent messages echoing throughout our culture is that contentment and fulfillment are tied to and maybe even based on “how much and how many” as in how much money we have enabling us to “ fill-in-the-blank”  and how many people know it and then acknowledge our awesomeness? In this episode we’ll look into the kind of fame and fortune that is most meaningf...