Stuff I Learned Yesterday

The Bible has a lot to say about God and his attributes, and it’s easy to understand how some of these passages can be interpreted to paint God into an image similar to that of Oz. But is that accurate? Just as Dorothy and her friends learned the truth about Oz when they pulled back the curtain and had a face to face conversation with him, I think if we dig in and pull back the curtain a bit today, a better understanding of God’s character will be revealed.   The post 648- The God Behind the Curtain appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Certainly the fact that we have the capacity to think signifies our existence. However, I’ve seen too many people who think they don’t exist because no one seems to notice them or acknowledge them. Honestly, I think deep down all of us need someone to affirm us in some way in order for us to feel like we exist. Thus, “I am thought of, therefore I am.” The post 647- I Think Therefore I Am appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with people about NMX 2015. Nearly every conversation I have about it includes someone declaring, “That was the best event ever!”  Why? Surround yourself with a group of friends that will encourage you, stick with you, help you see your blind spots, and give you that necessary encouragement on those hardest of days. Otherwise, you might give up when all your dreams are just outside your grasp accessible via a path you’ve just not yet seen. The post 646- The Year of Breakthrough appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Marriage is not easy. Adding kids into the mix makes it even more challenging. It’s not surprising that between two-thirds and one-half of all marriages in the US end in divorce. This week Kari and I will celebrate 26 years of marriage and we are as happy and as solidly connected as we’ve ever been. Here are what I believe are five key ingredients to a successful marriage, plus a bonus ingredient. The post 645- Ingredients of a Happy Marriage appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

The word gospel simply means good news. For many of us when we hear the word gospel we think of good news that Jesus came and died to pay the penalty for our sin and provide a way to reconcile us with God. That is indeed good news! That is gospel. We often hear gospel messages about Jesus, but we don’t often hear about the gospel message that Jesus himself preached. Is it possible that we’ve missed the real message of Jesus? The post 644- Kingdoms in Conflict appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Small moments can become unknown investments which make ripples decades for decades. Don’t underestimate the impact a small moment can have on someone’s life. Be engaged and authentic. Make the time count. Take time to let someone know when they’ve impacted your life in a positive way. Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body. The post 643- Ten Hours Maximum appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

There are two women who still inspire me today. They remind me that no matter where you are in life, no matter your financial situation, no matter what difficulty you’re going through or mountain you’re on top of, you are never too good to treat someone with respect and even offer them something extra to brighten their day, and you’re never too poor to be able to find someone who needs help more than you do. The post 642- It’s Better to Give appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

In 2019, my daughter and I attended San Diego Comic Con together. It was a week of highs and lows as she got to drive a boat for the first time, a memory she still talks about often. Cons are a great place to take your kids and create great memories. When I talk about the benefits of going to cons, I’m not just talking about comic-cons. The con in comic-con is short for convention, but there’s another word that is often used for these things too. It’s the word conference. I found taking my kids to those was great too. The post 641- The Pros of Cons appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

The resurrection is everything. Paul put it this way, “if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.” After all, if a man who claimed to be God, received worship as if he were God, forgave sins claiming he had the authority of God, claimed that he would die and three days later be raised from the dead, and claimed that he was the only way to God, actually supernaturally rose from the dead, wouldn’t that give credibility to everything he said and claimed? Indeed it would. The post 640- Is the Resurrection Reliable? appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Well, here we are again in a month with five Mondays, which means it’s Monday Mailbag day! For this installment of the Monday Mailbag I have one contribution I’d like to share with you. It’s from Andrew, and he's sharing lessons he's learning from running and starting a podcast. The post 639- Monday Mailbag appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Tiana is so inspiring. Rather than looking at the loss of her father and her fellow chef as a reason to quit, she let it propel her to be even greater to honor him and the dream that they shared. Her work ethic is uncompromised. When others try to derail her or get her to take time off, she refuses. She stays focused on her dream, works hard, puts in the extra time and effort that she knows it will take in order for her dream to come true. But she wasn’t done dreaming. She wasn’t settling, easing off the gas, becoming complacent,  or satisfied. Grateful? Yes. Happy? Totally. Enjoying the moment? All of it.  We’re always almost there, and that’s an inspiring place to be. The post 638- Seize the Adventure appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

I love this podcast. In so many ways, I am the most boring guy in the world. I work from home. I don’t go out of the house much. I wear the same 6 or 7 shirts in the winter and another 6 or 7 shirts in the summer. Most of them are blue and some form of plaid. I like routine, sometimes to a fault. I have a spreadsheet for everything, and my life is pretty much consistent day in, day out. The only thing special about me is that I’ve chosen to take action by doing this podcast. Every single one of us has within us the ability to be world changers. Thank you for letting me be a part of your world. Now let’s all get out there and do great stuff! The post 637- Do Great Stuff appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

How many of us go to work every day to jobs that crush us and eat away at us. How many of us have bosses that yell or toss out insults? Maybe they are driven only by results, never pausing to think or care about the well-being of those in their employ. It can beat us down emotionally, psychologically, and even physically. Success comes in the preparation, and the preparation comes by communicating. Communication brings understanding and understanding brings patience and support. When you’re understanding and supporting what each other needs, that’s where serenity is found. The post 636- Transitioning to Willoughby appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

It’s not fun to be exposed whether it’s related to your receding hairline or your personal sin. Trust me. I know about both of these all too well. We humans do a pretty good job of convincing ourselves that we have our moral act together. We have a sin problem, every single one of us. And God is holy, morally perfect. Jesus teaches that the only way a perfect God and a sinful person can be reconciled is if we choose to humble ourselves before God and throw ourselves upon His mercy. And the way that God offers mercy and forgiveness is through the death of his son Jesus on the cross. The post 635- The Truth Exposed appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

A wise person once said that fools buy things they don’t want with money they don’t have to impress people they don’t like. This is the adult version of bungee jumping to try and be like your step-brother. Stop basing your decisions on what you hope or perceive to be the opinions of people who don’t even care about you. Base your decisions on those closest to you and put your focus on those people. Sometimes the change in focus will end up leading you to the same spot, but at least you’ll have gotten there for the right reasons and with the right people by your side. The post 634- Jumping into Popularity appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

We’ve seen it depicted in countless ways for all of our lives. Families torn apart by a variety of things, most of which can be summed up by failing to be present. I will always be grateful to Sammy for teaching me this valuable lesson at such a young age: wherever you are, be there. It helped me establish boundaries that have protected my marriage, my family, and my career. Boundaries are incredibly important. When we fail to honor them, other things creep in, take over, steal us away, and leave a wake of destruction in their path. The post 633- Remembering Where You Are appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

That Greek phrase "Na einai kalytero anthropo apo ton patera toy" translates to “Be a better man than your father.” Being a better man than our fathers should be the goal of each one of us. Whether our dad set a low bar or a high bar, we owe it to our families to not only be the best we know how to be, but to learn from others so we can be even better than we could otherwise be. My dad heroically ended generations of alcoholism, abuse, and fear. I have tried very hard to be an even better man than my father, and I hope with all that is in me that my son is a better man than me. The post 632- Bishop Family Values appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

The Church IS full of hypocrites. That’s the point. The point of church is to help each other grow. To hold each other up, study together, pray together, worship together, and serve together. Warts, flaws, struggles, and everything. For you Christians, let’s be ever mindful of how our behavior affects others. We are called to a higher standard. Let’s do our best to uphold that, yet not act as if we’re perfect. We are called to extend mercy and grace. We are called to be known by love.  The post 631- Reflections of a Doorkeeper appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

Of course, each of us have seen the glow of the city before, but this time it was different. This time it seemed much, much brighter. But the truth is, it had been so long since either of us had ventured outside the lights of the city or the major highways coming into the city, that we’d forgotten just how big the glow is when you remove yourself from it. It’s not just the lights or hustle and bustle of the city that we can become blind to. In today’s world of cell phones, tablets, mobile computing, and internet-enabled automobiles, most of us are always connected to the grid whether we live in the city or not. The post 630- Shower Thoughts appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.

I’ve seen countless photos and videos of the Lincoln Memorial, but seeing with my own eyes was magnificent. Many consider Lincoln to be the greatest president of all time, and it’s hard to argue otherwise. The details carved into every part of the memorial left me in awe. I felt like I was standing at the feet of greatness. It’s easy to see why Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. would stand at this very spot and deliver his “I Have a Dream” speech 100 years after Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. Four score and 7 years is equal to 87 years, and it’s exactly that number of steps from the top of the Lincoln Memorial to the nearby reflecting pool. Today I’ll reflect on those moments I spent standing at the feet of Lincoln. The post 629- The Last Best Hope appeared first on Golden Spiral Media- Entertainment Podcasts, Technology Podcasts & More.