Transcript
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Welcome to the a World of Difference
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podcast. I'm Lori Adams Brown, and this is
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a podcast for those who are different and
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want to make a difference. I know that the
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holidays can be a happy time, and it can
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also be a difficult time. And if this time
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of year reminds you of any sort of loss of
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a loved one or friend or any sort of abuse
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or trauma that you have walked through and
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sort of difficulty, you are not alone.
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December 26 for my family is a very
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difficult day because that is the day we
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lost good friends in the tsunami and Banda
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ache, Indonesia. And so every year on
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December 26, we pause. And if you're one
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of those people listening that the
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holidays are complicated, just want you to
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know that you are in good company here.
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And I also want to let you know that it's
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okay to reach out to someone who can help
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you walk through that. I've had to have
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professionals help me walk through in
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therapy some difficult moments in my own
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life, and I want to extend an offer to you
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through betterhelp because I have a
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therapist through betterhelp that's been
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really impactful in my life. As we
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continue to work through some difficult
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things that I experienced on December 21,
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2020 and in the months leading up to that
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and some months after that, and that
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experience of walking through spiritual
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abuse and trauma in a religious
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environment is something I've needed a
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really strong professional to help me walk
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through. And it has made a huge impact on
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me. It's made a huge difference. So I'm
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happy to announce that the sponsor of this
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podcast is betterhelp and would extend
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this offer to you today. If you go to WW
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dot betterhelp.com difference, you can get
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10% off your first month of therapy.
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There's also classes, group therapy that
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you can sit in on and learn more and hear
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from other people and their perspective of
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what they're walking through, which is
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really valuable. So once again, if this is
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a very difficult time of year and you're
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feeling down, you're having some difficult
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thoughts, you're feeling stuck, and you're
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wanting somebody to help you walk through
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that, there is an opportunity for you to
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flourish. And I want you to be somebody
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who gives yourself the gift of flourishing
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because you matter and you are different
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in a very special way. And your life and
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your presence here makes a difference for
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all of us. So give yourself the gift of
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healing and walking through therapy today
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by going to www.betterhelp.com difference.
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To get 10% off your first month, you
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welcome to our special Christmas Advent
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episode where we have someone who lives
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very close to the North Pole. On the show
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Today we have Leslie Leyland Fields.
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Leslie is an international teacher,
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speaker, and award winning author of 14
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books, including your story matters, the
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Wonder Years, and crossing the Waters,
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which won a Christianity Today Book award
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in christian living. Since 2013, she's
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been leading the Harvester Island Writers
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workshop on her family's island in Alaska
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with guest writers that you may have heard
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of like Anne Voskamp, Philip Yancey, and
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many others that you would know. Leslie's
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other books include surviving the island
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of Grace, forgiving our fathers and
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mothers, and the Spirit of Food, which won
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three best book of 2010 awards. Her books
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have been translated into nine languages
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and her essays have appeared in
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publications including Christianity Today,
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books and culture, belief net,
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theatlantic, Orion, best essays, and many
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more, including earning her a number of
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evangelical press awards. Leslie has three
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graduate degrees in english journalism and
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an MFA in creative nonfiction, and has
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taught extensively, including being a
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founding faculty member of Seattle Pacific
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University's MFA program. She leads faith
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and writing retreats around the world and
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directs an online community in the craft
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and art of spiritual memoir. She's also
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professional audio narrator, contributing
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regularly to the popular our American
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Stories radio network and audio recording
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books of the Bible for herbible.org. And I
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also just really enjoyed interviewing her
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today about her advent book that if you
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have not seen it, has a beautiful cover.
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And I've really enjoyed reading the
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different selections in the book,
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different types of reading from poetry to
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other just writings that relate to advent
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and finding a new way of exploring the
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season through her latest book. And really
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happy to have her on the show today
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talking not only about life in Alaska and
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writing and world travels, but also just
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to hear her experience about what
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Christmas means to her. I know many of you
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around the world have different ways of
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celebrating Christmas, different
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traditions that mean different things to
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you and how you celebrate. But we have her
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on the show today talking about her latest
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advent book, radiant birth. Advent
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readings for a bright season. So a very
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warm welcome from a very cold place to our
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friend Leslie Leyland Fields. Hi Leslie,
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it's so great to have you on the world of
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difference podcast today, all the way from
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Alaska. Thank you for having me. And is
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the sun shining down there in California?
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We are having a sunshiny day. We have a
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lot of those here in the Bay area, I must
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say. How about you? Well, we have snow and
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snow is beautiful and we have clouds. The
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only thing if I could wish, I'd wish for a
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little more sun, but it's a good day. I'm
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sure it is. How many hours of sunshine do
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you get in December this time of year? It
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is of course our darkest month. And we get
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six or 7 hours of light. So not bad. I'm
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in southern Alaska. If you're in northern
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Alaska, you get like zero to one or two. I
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can't imagine it must really lead toward
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people feeling a lot of sadness or even
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some depression at times. Because I think
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you need sunshine to feel happy at some
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level, don't you? Oh, absolutely. It's
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really true. Yeah. There's just a lot of
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struggle through the dark season here up
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north. Yes. Yeah. That's hard. Well, I
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know that probably some of the stuff we're
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going to talk about today is about the
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difference between darkness and light. And
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the things that we can talk about around
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Christmas time, which are pretty
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beautiful. And speaking of beautiful, I
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have the COVID of your book right in front
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of me. And this book is such a beautiful
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cover. A radiant birth, advent readings
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for a bright season. It's such a great
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time of year to think through the advent
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time. We have listeners who practice
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advent all around the world. And some that
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maybe this word is new for them because
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they are different faith backgrounds. But
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I'd love to know what inspired you to
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write this book, this very unique advent
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book. Was there a specific experience or
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moment that sparked your idea for this?
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Know, I'd like to say there was, but no
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other than a friend saying to me, you
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know, Leslie, would you like to do an
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advent book together with me? And this is
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a good friend, Paul Willis, who's my co
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editor here. And we share similar
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sensibilities. And I thought this would be
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a wonderful project. So we joined together
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on this book. I joined him because I
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needed it. I needed the light. I need
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radiance in this dark time of the year.
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Living in Alaska, as we just said, there's
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a lot of darkness and cold and winter. And
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I needed to remind kind of my heart and my
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soul about a source of light that's more
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than the light in the sky that we only see
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for a few hours a day. Yeah, I love that.
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And it can be a challenge in the darkest
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of times, whether literally or
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figuratively, to remind ourselves about
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light and advent. It really carries a deep
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significance for many people. And so you
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selected readings and themes for this
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advent book, but how did you approach
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that? What was your process there? Yeah,
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and our process is there are a lot of
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books out there for advent and for
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Christmas and a lot of them fall into what
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we would call devotionals. And there are
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many beautiful ones. I have a whole shelf
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of them myself. But Paul and I really
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wanted this book to not be another
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devotional. We wanted it to be a
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collection of readings, literary readings,
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of poems and stories and meditations that
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would not tell you what to think or tell
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you how to feel about the season, but
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would instead sort of crack it open so
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that you can feel your own feelings and
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have your own profound moments and
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experiences and encounters with Jesus,
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with the birth of Jesus and all that that
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know into the world. That's beautiful.
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There are so many people that listen to
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this podcast, a particular segment of
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listeners that have experienced some maybe
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trauma in a religious environment or even
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spiritual abuse, where they've been in
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worship experiences, or even behind closed
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doors with maybe a religious leader or a
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pastor in an office where they felt
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coerced to feel something, or coerced to
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do something. And religion and
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spirituality in the wrong hands can be
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used to coerce. And it is a beautiful
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thing to allow people to discover the
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mystery and put some things out there that
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are even some writings from even church
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fathers and mothers that go way back and
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kind of ground us into a faith tradition
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that's long and beautiful. As you were
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writing this book, did anything in
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particular stand out to you in the writing
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of it, in the selections? That was one of
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your favorites, or just a special one for
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you? Oh, I was afraid you were going to
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ask me that, because I was afraid, because
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I said, how do I choose? I mean, we chose
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all of these readings because each one was
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striking in its own way. They're striking
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individually, and then you put them
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together into this collection, and I've
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just been rereading it myself. So, Lori,
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the process is really interesting. When
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Paul and I were compiling this book, the
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process is that we just go out and read
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and gather as many pieces of beautiful
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writing that we can all around this
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season, which means, of course, we're
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overwhelmed by all of the richness and the
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goodness. But then to start to put it
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together in some kind of pattern or some
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kind of. So what we chose was kind of a
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three part process. And the first section
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of the book is called Jesus Born in
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Bethlehem. And this goes to the historical
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facts of this man, God man, I believe, who
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was born in this little tiny town in the
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Middle east. And it's all around that
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event, Jesus born in Bethlehem. And
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there's some incredible poems that sort of
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open that up. The wonder of this whole
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idea of God, the God of the universe
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taking on human flesh and to come in the
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form of a baby, like the most powerful
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divine being, deciding to become a
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newborn, the most helpless of creatures
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possible. So there's all the wonder and
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mystery and beauty of that in Jesus born
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in Bethlehem. And then the next section is
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Jesus born in us. And that question of,
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okay, so know, baby born into the world,
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how does that change us? How does that
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make a difference in us personally? So
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it's stories and poems that kind of open
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up that. Again, I love your word, mystery,
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that open up that mystery and kind of
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invite us into that experience. What does
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that look like? What does that feel like?
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And then the last section is, and maybe
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this is my favorite section, Jesus in us
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for the world. Jesus in us for the world.
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And the idea is, know, God came and took
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on human flesh to be with us, not just for
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our good and our benefit and our peace and
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our joy, but for the sake of the world, so
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that we could be empowered to love others,
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to reach out to others and to bring that
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peace and that love and that radiance,
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that radiance out into the world around
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us. So that's what Paul and I were looking
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for, were pieces that really just cracked
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all of that open so we could experience
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kind of that threefold process, each one
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of us. Beautiful. And I can just hear the
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passion in your voice of what it must have
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been like to read through all those
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readings. I mean, there's no shortage of
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things written on Christmas and advent, is
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there? But you were digging through a lot
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of that and making choices and carefully
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choosing which ones go into your book. How
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do you hope readers will kind of engage
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with your book during this Advent season?
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And what do you sort of aim for? What are
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you hoping it will have as, like, an
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impact on them spiritually? Yeah. The book
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is set up to be a series of readings that
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walk you through day by day, through the
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whole season of Advent, which is about 40
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days. So it's set up so that each day
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there's a reading and it's only a few
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pages. It doesn't have to take a lot of
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time. Many of the poems are just short.
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But what a poem does, it sort of takes you
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from TikTok time, from Kronos time. It
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drops you into Cairo's time, right where
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there is no TikTok. It's sort of, you just
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feel like you're falling into
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timelessness. So people can use the book
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that way, and many people are using it
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that way. Just the daily readings, I am
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not regimented like that. So my favorite
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thing to do, and this is what I'm doing,
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is I just pick it up and I open it up
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until I come to something. Oh, I'm going
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to read this piece Monday, Thursday, or I
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want to read this poem by Jeannie Murray
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Walker. And so I just sort of pick it up
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and turn to the piece that I think that
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maybe I need that very day. So for
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readers, I'm hoping that they will do some
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of both. And I want this journey as we
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divided the book into these three
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sections. And I'm hoping that people will
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kind of follow that movement so that this
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radiance doesn't go away when the calendar
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we tear off December and we tear off
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January. And I want this radiance. I'm
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hoping that it will be birthed inside of
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us and it will go beyond the immediate
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season till it becomes part of us. Just
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the wonder and the mystery and the beauty
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of a God who loves us so much that he
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wanted to be with us in all things,
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everywhere and every time. Yeah. So
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beautiful. And there's also no shortage of
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things that have been written or spoken or
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even, I guess, sung about with Christmas,
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about how we can get so lost in the
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busyness of the season that we forget to
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be still and meditate on what this is all
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about. And it can get quite busy,
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especially for families listening with
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kids. You've got school, Christmas
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parties, and you've got church sometimes
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does so many events, you don't have time
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to breathe. And you're volunteering so
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much in some of the burnout cultures of
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certain churches. And for any people who
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are on a staff at a Church, it's really
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hard to celebrate and take time. But I was
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wondering for you, as you think about
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people reading this book, or maybe for
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yourself personally, are there any
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particular traditions or practices you
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have found helpful? Or may you would
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suggest to readers to enhance their
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experience of advent along with reading
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the book? I think you're so right. That.
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Stillness and that quiet is really hard to
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find. I have several pieces in here. One
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of them is no silent night. And I have six
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children. I raised six children. They're
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all grown. And I have grandchildren now.
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But I remember the Christmas, and I've
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written about that, such a frantic time.
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And I don't think there's joy in that
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busyness. There's joy in that giving to
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others, serving others. There's a lot of
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joy to be had in that, and that's part of
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the blessing of the season. But at the
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same time, if we ourselves are not
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allowing ourselves to just kind of sit in
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the radiance of God's love for us, which
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is not dependent on what we do and is not
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dependent on how much we give and how much
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we serve. God loves us simply for who we
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are. He loves us because he made us. He
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loves us and he came to be with us just
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because he wants to be with us. I think we
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need to just stop. And if we can, each day
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a few moments, that is wonderful and so
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good. I couldn't do that when all six of
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my children were at home. So it's whenever
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I could find that quiet time, it might be
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I was in the car waiting to pick up my
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kids from school, but I would bring a book
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with me and I would just take those five
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minutes, and again, five minutes of that
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quiet five minutes around a beautiful poem
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00:20:12,254 --> 00:20:15,620
can suddenly empty. It can suddenly open
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00:20:15,620 --> 00:20:21,042
up into what feels like timelessness. And
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just this moment again, of wonder, of
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worship, of gratitude. And that's what
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00:20:29,986 --> 00:20:33,462
feeds us and that's what keeps us going.
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00:20:33,462 --> 00:20:38,440
So everybody take some quiet moments for
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00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:41,558
yourself. Be sure and do that. And I hope
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00:20:41,558 --> 00:20:44,060
you'll do that even with this book,
405
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because it's not going to tell you again
406
00:20:46,826 --> 00:20:52,286
how to feel. It's just going to break
407
00:20:52,286 --> 00:20:55,678
through that busyness and that noise. It's
408
00:20:55,678 --> 00:20:58,814
going to give you a few quiet moments with
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the God who loves you. Yeah. It's so hard.
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00:21:03,838 --> 00:21:08,174
It takes a lot of intentionality. My
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00:21:08,174 --> 00:21:10,158
therapist told me the past couple of weeks
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we've been working on self care, and I
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00:21:13,026 --> 00:21:14,946
live in Silicon Valley, and I'm a mom of
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00:21:14,946 --> 00:21:18,142
three teenagers, and I'm a podcast. And
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00:21:18,142 --> 00:21:21,814
it's, know, we're busy people. And so she
416
00:21:21,814 --> 00:21:23,318
has this thing where she's like, I know if
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00:21:23,318 --> 00:21:24,946
I give you things that last too long,
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00:21:24,946 --> 00:21:26,086
you're probably not going to implement
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00:21:26,086 --> 00:21:27,878
them in your life. I'm like, yes, that was
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00:21:27,878 --> 00:21:29,766
a good call. But she's like, if you could
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00:21:29,766 --> 00:21:32,220
just do this thing and it's just called
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be. And even if you're sitting in your
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office chair, I just want you to sit
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00:21:35,354 --> 00:21:37,274
there, even just 10 seconds, and don't
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00:21:37,274 --> 00:21:39,914
look at anything, don't read anything.
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00:21:39,914 --> 00:21:41,866
Just be like, try to empty any thoughts in
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00:21:41,866 --> 00:21:43,790
your head just because your body needs to
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00:21:43,790 --> 00:21:46,910
just calm. And I think that I always feel
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00:21:46,910 --> 00:21:48,874
like as a mom, ever since. I mean, my
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00:21:48,874 --> 00:21:53,220
oldest is now 19, almost 20. I think about
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00:21:53,220 --> 00:21:58,174
his first Christmas up until now, and
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00:21:58,174 --> 00:21:59,426
Christmas just changed all of a sudden.
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When I had kids, it got busy, it was
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00:22:02,450 --> 00:22:05,874
different. And finding the time to be
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00:22:05,874 --> 00:22:08,786
still and know that God is God and I'm
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00:22:08,786 --> 00:22:11,554
God's child and I'm loved. Those are such
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00:22:11,554 --> 00:22:13,894
rare and special moments. And I do find
438
00:22:13,894 --> 00:22:16,598
that sometimes authors and writers can put
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00:22:16,598 --> 00:22:18,546
together words and books like advent
440
00:22:18,546 --> 00:22:20,166
devotionals or a book like yours or
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00:22:20,166 --> 00:22:23,414
radiant birth, and help give us a fresh
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00:22:23,414 --> 00:22:25,978
perspective in a new way. And so, yeah, I
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00:22:25,978 --> 00:22:27,866
agree. Sometimes even a sentence that you
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00:22:27,866 --> 00:22:31,178
could repeat. My therapist told me this
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great sort of sentence she often repeats
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00:22:32,986 --> 00:22:35,674
when she's meditating. And it's like,
447
00:22:35,674 --> 00:22:38,654
spirit, I'm one with you and loved, you
448
00:22:38,654 --> 00:22:40,318
know, just a little like breath prayer. I
449
00:22:40,318 --> 00:22:42,366
had a spiritual director when my kids were
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00:22:42,366 --> 00:22:43,898
little and I was living in Indonesia. And
451
00:22:43,898 --> 00:22:45,674
she's like, you don't have time for long
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00:22:45,674 --> 00:22:46,626
devotionals. She's like, I'm going to send
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00:22:46,626 --> 00:22:49,682
you some breast prayers to just pray. So,
454
00:22:49,682 --> 00:22:52,018
yeah, I'm glad that you address those busy
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00:22:52,018 --> 00:22:53,714
people because that's just the reality of
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our world. And as you are speaking of
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busy, you are not only an author, but you
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00:23:01,222 --> 00:23:04,614
also coach authors and you help people to
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00:23:04,614 --> 00:23:06,946
write their story, and you have people
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00:23:06,946 --> 00:23:08,806
joining you for that. And so I'd love to
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00:23:08,806 --> 00:23:10,954
know a little more about how you approach
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00:23:10,954 --> 00:23:13,706
the writing process, maybe specifically
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00:23:13,706 --> 00:23:15,306
with this book or any book. Like, what is
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00:23:15,306 --> 00:23:18,442
your philosophy of writing, and how do you
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00:23:18,442 --> 00:23:19,942
explain that to people who are thinking
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00:23:19,942 --> 00:23:24,400
about writing? That is a really big
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00:23:24,400 --> 00:23:30,062
question. Anywhere you want to take that.
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00:23:30,062 --> 00:23:36,910
But thank you for asking it. We're all
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wired a bit differently, right? So we all
470
00:23:39,634 --> 00:23:41,570
would probably approach writing
471
00:23:41,570 --> 00:23:45,798
differently. What I found is that many
472
00:23:45,798 --> 00:23:48,918
people want to write or know they have a
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00:23:48,918 --> 00:23:51,414
story to tell, and they want to tell it,
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00:23:51,414 --> 00:23:57,522
they need to tell it. But how? It's
475
00:23:57,522 --> 00:23:59,850
overwhelming. Just even the thought of a
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00:23:59,850 --> 00:24:02,554
book, it becomes this really heavy weight
477
00:24:02,554 --> 00:24:04,746
that people are often carrying around on
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00:24:04,746 --> 00:24:08,538
their shoulders. And I've heard so many
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00:24:08,538 --> 00:24:11,246
times, someone will say, oh. People say to
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00:24:11,246 --> 00:24:13,946
me, oh, you have to write a book. Because
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00:24:13,946 --> 00:24:17,582
I've lived an extraordinary life, and I
482
00:24:17,582 --> 00:24:20,400
believe that we've all lived extraordinary
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00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:23,954
lives, and I think everybody should write.
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00:24:23,954 --> 00:24:30,306
And so my starting point is first to say,
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you can do it. Everybody can do it.
486
00:24:33,858 --> 00:24:38,774
Anybody can do it. Because good writing is
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00:24:38,774 --> 00:24:42,534
not actually about writing. It's not about
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the words on the page. It's about opening
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our heart. It's about seeing the story
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00:24:52,026 --> 00:24:55,770
that we're living. And once our eyes get
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open to the remarkable stories that we
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00:24:59,274 --> 00:25:03,338
are, each of us, living, oh, my goodness,
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00:25:03,338 --> 00:25:06,826
it's like opening a dam and stories pour
494
00:25:06,826 --> 00:25:11,834
onto the page. And that's my goal as a
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00:25:11,834 --> 00:25:15,154
coach, is to empower people to see past
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00:25:15,154 --> 00:25:18,706
their fears, past the voices in their head
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and the voices in their heart and the
498
00:25:20,654 --> 00:25:24,382
voices in their past that tell them, you
499
00:25:24,382 --> 00:25:28,646
can't write or you're this kind of person,
500
00:25:28,646 --> 00:25:33,314
or you can't tell that story, or we will
501
00:25:33,314 --> 00:25:37,454
disown you. All of these voices, right? We
502
00:25:37,454 --> 00:25:41,482
carry them. So my first job is to silence
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00:25:41,482 --> 00:25:45,850
those voices and then help people
504
00:25:45,850 --> 00:25:48,822
discover, oh, my goodness. Look at this
505
00:25:48,822 --> 00:25:52,634
incredible story that you are living.
506
00:25:52,634 --> 00:25:56,474
Let's start getting it down on the page.
507
00:25:56,474 --> 00:25:58,874
That's incredible. I love that. So
508
00:25:58,874 --> 00:26:01,918
inspiring. And I'm sure that's the reason
509
00:26:01,918 --> 00:26:04,254
people love to be coached by you in terms
510
00:26:04,254 --> 00:26:07,294
of writing, because I think everybody. I
511
00:26:07,294 --> 00:26:09,390
wholeheartedly agree. I think people are
512
00:26:09,390 --> 00:26:10,834
fascinating. I've never met a single
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00:26:10,834 --> 00:26:12,562
person that I thought, oh, you have
514
00:26:12,562 --> 00:26:14,322
nothing for me to learn from. Everybody
515
00:26:14,322 --> 00:26:18,978
has so much unique perspective. I do
516
00:26:18,978 --> 00:26:20,406
training, and I just have been training
517
00:26:20,406 --> 00:26:22,118
this leadership summit at the headquarters
518
00:26:22,118 --> 00:26:25,126
of the tech company where I work. And as I
519
00:26:25,126 --> 00:26:27,346
was researching for some of it, I was
520
00:26:27,346 --> 00:26:29,526
listening to the Stanford graduate School
521
00:26:29,526 --> 00:26:32,986
of Business professor, and he was talking
522
00:26:32,986 --> 00:26:34,858
with someone, and they said, the way we
523
00:26:34,858 --> 00:26:36,902
listen is so unique to us because the
524
00:26:36,902 --> 00:26:39,254
filters of our brains are based on our own
525
00:26:39,254 --> 00:26:41,386
narratives and our experiences. And so
526
00:26:41,386 --> 00:26:43,106
when we listen, we listen through those
527
00:26:43,106 --> 00:26:45,306
filters of our own life, which is as
528
00:26:45,306 --> 00:26:48,046
unique for every human as our fingerprint.
529
00:26:48,046 --> 00:26:50,234
And it was fascinating. Like, we're so
530
00:26:50,234 --> 00:26:51,470
fascinating, our fingerprints are
531
00:26:51,470 --> 00:26:53,614
different. How we listen is so unique to
532
00:26:53,614 --> 00:26:55,834
us. And, of course, how we would write or
533
00:26:55,834 --> 00:26:57,874
express our story, our unique story would
534
00:26:57,874 --> 00:26:59,874
be really different. It's kind of why I
535
00:26:59,874 --> 00:27:01,474
started this podcast. I love talking with
536
00:27:01,474 --> 00:27:03,186
people and our differences, and I think we
537
00:27:03,186 --> 00:27:05,154
make a difference better together. Right.
538
00:27:05,154 --> 00:27:07,254
So, as you've been coaching and writing
539
00:27:07,254 --> 00:27:09,398
and helping people learn to write their
540
00:27:09,398 --> 00:27:11,782
story, do you see common pitfalls that
541
00:27:11,782 --> 00:27:14,598
people fall into, common obstacles, maybe,
542
00:27:14,598 --> 00:27:16,546
that you're helping people overcome on a
543
00:27:16,546 --> 00:27:20,460
regular basis as a writer coach? Yes,
544
00:27:20,460 --> 00:27:24,346
absolutely. One really common obstacle is
545
00:27:24,346 --> 00:27:28,314
the idea that I'm just living an ordinary
546
00:27:28,314 --> 00:27:30,286
life. I didn't run with the hell's angels
547
00:27:30,286 --> 00:27:34,138
and then get converted, and now I dig
548
00:27:34,138 --> 00:27:36,814
wells for orphanages in Africa. You think,
549
00:27:36,814 --> 00:27:39,390
okay, that's a story, okay, that your
550
00:27:39,390 --> 00:27:43,662
story matters. But me, I'm a soccer mom. I
551
00:27:43,662 --> 00:27:49,470
shop at Walmart. I live in Okie Fenoki,
552
00:27:49,470 --> 00:27:52,580
Florida. And I just have an ordinary life.
553
00:27:52,580 --> 00:27:57,800
But I really want to shift people's lens
554
00:27:57,800 --> 00:28:01,414
to not just the outer story that we're all
555
00:28:01,414 --> 00:28:03,654
living, an outer story where we live,
556
00:28:03,654 --> 00:28:08,314
where we work, the dinner that we fix at
557
00:28:08,314 --> 00:28:11,162
night, all of those things, but we're all
558
00:28:11,162 --> 00:28:15,866
living a very deep inner story and
559
00:28:15,866 --> 00:28:20,220
everyone has a profound inner story. And
560
00:28:20,220 --> 00:28:25,166
so one of my main goals as a writing coach
561
00:28:25,166 --> 00:28:30,240
is to help people find that inner story
562
00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:35,154
that twines through their life right back
563
00:28:35,154 --> 00:28:37,714
from their earliest memory. And when
564
00:28:37,714 --> 00:28:40,942
people start to tap into that, they
565
00:28:40,942 --> 00:28:45,700
realize, oh, wow, I am a rather remarkable
566
00:28:45,700 --> 00:28:51,798
person. I love that. That's incredible.
567
00:28:51,798 --> 00:28:53,266
Yeah. And I'm sure you get to hear all
568
00:28:53,266 --> 00:28:55,142
kinds of fascinating things from where you
569
00:28:55,142 --> 00:28:57,320
sit and being able to coach so many
570
00:28:57,320 --> 00:29:00,698
people. If someone's thinking, because I
571
00:29:00,698 --> 00:29:02,826
know we're listening to this podcast here
572
00:29:02,826 --> 00:29:04,442
at the end of the year, it's Christmas
573
00:29:04,442 --> 00:29:06,486
time, and then we're headed into New
574
00:29:06,486 --> 00:29:09,530
Year's resolutions. If somebody's thinking
575
00:29:09,530 --> 00:29:11,274
exactly what you mentioned, people keep
576
00:29:11,274 --> 00:29:12,366
saying, you should write a book, you
577
00:29:12,366 --> 00:29:14,254
should write a book. And they're feeling
578
00:29:14,254 --> 00:29:16,366
this kind of urging, but they don't really
579
00:29:16,366 --> 00:29:19,166
know where to start. What's your advice to
580
00:29:19,166 --> 00:29:24,034
them on how to start? Well, I want to say
581
00:29:24,034 --> 00:29:27,166
sign up for my course. Yes, it's okay to
582
00:29:27,166 --> 00:29:30,322
plug your course. The other thing is
583
00:29:30,322 --> 00:29:33,454
something that's maybe easier and
584
00:29:33,454 --> 00:29:37,798
immediate is a couple of books ago, I have
585
00:29:37,798 --> 00:29:41,142
a book. Your story matters, and that book
586
00:29:41,142 --> 00:29:44,310
will walk you through this writing process
587
00:29:44,310 --> 00:29:48,614
that anybody can do. And I don't mean yes,
588
00:29:48,614 --> 00:29:50,410
it's simple. It's simple enough that
589
00:29:50,410 --> 00:29:54,714
anybody can do it. And yet the profundity
590
00:29:54,714 --> 00:29:58,154
is in the simplicity of the process. And
591
00:29:58,154 --> 00:30:00,746
when something is simpler, people are a
592
00:30:00,746 --> 00:30:03,198
lot more likely to do it. I'm not going to
593
00:30:03,198 --> 00:30:06,958
lay 25 rules on you. I'm going to just
594
00:30:06,958 --> 00:30:10,938
open up this path that is so doable and
595
00:30:10,938 --> 00:30:12,802
it's going to enable you to reach into
596
00:30:12,802 --> 00:30:16,494
that inner story and you're going to be
597
00:30:16,494 --> 00:30:20,866
amazed at what you can do. That's awesome.
598
00:30:20,866 --> 00:30:23,234
I love that. Yeah. Just helping free
599
00:30:23,234 --> 00:30:26,146
people up and serve them as you're trying
600
00:30:26,146 --> 00:30:28,270
to help their stories be born. There's a
601
00:30:28,270 --> 00:30:30,166
lot of people online that when their book
602
00:30:30,166 --> 00:30:31,458
gets published, they'll treat it like a
603
00:30:31,458 --> 00:30:32,886
baby and have these cute little pictures
604
00:30:32,886 --> 00:30:38,726
on instagram. It's a girl. Yeah. There is
605
00:30:38,726 --> 00:30:40,866
an element of it that feels like birthing
606
00:30:40,866 --> 00:30:43,546
something new into the world. And we need
607
00:30:43,546 --> 00:30:46,166
our doulas and we need our nurses and
608
00:30:46,166 --> 00:30:47,706
doctors to help us give birth to baby. And
609
00:30:47,706 --> 00:30:50,522
we need sometimes coaches and people like
610
00:30:50,522 --> 00:30:52,938
you who walk people through the process
611
00:30:52,938 --> 00:30:54,718
and just to sit, cheer us on and be like,
612
00:30:54,718 --> 00:30:56,298
you can do this. So thank you for that
613
00:30:56,298 --> 00:30:57,806
role that you play because it helps us to
614
00:30:57,806 --> 00:30:59,914
get to read these exciting stories as
615
00:30:59,914 --> 00:31:03,742
readers as well. So I want to sort of
616
00:31:03,742 --> 00:31:06,046
finish out here with just some of your
617
00:31:06,046 --> 00:31:08,546
thoughts around the Christmas season. I
618
00:31:08,546 --> 00:31:10,814
know you raised six children. Now you have
619
00:31:10,814 --> 00:31:12,734
grandchildren. Do you have any favorite
620
00:31:12,734 --> 00:31:15,166
Christmas traditions? I mean, I think our
621
00:31:15,166 --> 00:31:17,134
stereotype is Alaska always gets a white
622
00:31:17,134 --> 00:31:18,718
Christmas. I'm not sure if that's true.
623
00:31:18,718 --> 00:31:20,258
But what do you do at Christmas time?
624
00:31:20,258 --> 00:31:23,046
What's your favorite things? Yeah, so one
625
00:31:23,046 --> 00:31:25,400
of my favorite things is something that I
626
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,054
started, boy, I'm going to say, at least
627
00:31:28,054 --> 00:31:31,258
25 years ago, and that is we have this
628
00:31:31,258 --> 00:31:35,946
special Christmas Eve dinner. We often go
629
00:31:35,946 --> 00:31:38,010
to church on Christmas Eve. We have this
630
00:31:38,010 --> 00:31:41,390
beautiful candlelight service, and that's
631
00:31:41,390 --> 00:31:44,590
very common in my faith tradition. I think
632
00:31:44,590 --> 00:31:45,982
everybody looks forward to that,
633
00:31:45,982 --> 00:31:49,450
especially the kids. Like what fire in
634
00:31:49,450 --> 00:31:53,258
church we can have in church, right? But
635
00:31:53,258 --> 00:31:55,730
it's so beautiful. And we sing silent
636
00:31:55,730 --> 00:31:58,366
night, and we hold our candles up in the
637
00:31:58,366 --> 00:32:00,706
dark in church. It's really beautiful. And
638
00:32:00,706 --> 00:32:03,554
then we come home after that and we have
639
00:32:03,554 --> 00:32:10,066
this meal. And I've sort of created it. So
640
00:32:10,066 --> 00:32:12,886
it's actually pigs in a blanket, but we
641
00:32:12,886 --> 00:32:16,214
call it babes and swaddling clothes. So
642
00:32:16,214 --> 00:32:18,762
you take little sausages and you wrap them
643
00:32:18,762 --> 00:32:21,930
in, like, biscuit dough. So we have a
644
00:32:21,930 --> 00:32:25,462
whole sheet of babes and swaddling
645
00:32:25,462 --> 00:32:27,834
clothes. And then we have hay and straw.
646
00:32:27,834 --> 00:32:32,022
So we have this meal of. It's green
647
00:32:32,022 --> 00:32:35,374
fettuccine and whole wheat. So it looks
648
00:32:35,374 --> 00:32:38,174
like hay and straw. Just very simple hay
649
00:32:38,174 --> 00:32:41,278
and straw. And then we have a coleslaw
650
00:32:41,278 --> 00:32:44,242
that I call Mary and Joseph's law. It's
651
00:32:44,242 --> 00:32:47,906
green and purple cabbage. And we eat with
652
00:32:47,906 --> 00:32:50,974
the lights off and with candles. So we
653
00:32:50,974 --> 00:32:54,654
imagine ourselves in the stable where
654
00:32:54,654 --> 00:32:56,854
Jesus was born. And it's a simple meal.
655
00:32:56,854 --> 00:32:59,990
And that's the idea, right? It's a simple
656
00:32:59,990 --> 00:33:02,626
meal. And I think of all our family
657
00:33:02,626 --> 00:33:05,720
traditions, that is probably my kids and
658
00:33:05,720 --> 00:33:10,806
my very favorite one. I love that. So
659
00:33:10,806 --> 00:33:12,314
unique to your family and something you
660
00:33:12,314 --> 00:33:15,690
came up just with all of you, that's
661
00:33:15,690 --> 00:33:17,386
obviously going to be special memories,
662
00:33:17,386 --> 00:33:20,218
even with the grandchildren. And some of
663
00:33:20,218 --> 00:33:22,026
the best family traditions are ones like
664
00:33:22,026 --> 00:33:23,626
that, that are just super special and
665
00:33:23,626 --> 00:33:25,614
unique to each family. And traditions
666
00:33:25,614 --> 00:33:27,662
really do draw family together and ground
667
00:33:27,662 --> 00:33:31,102
you. My family of origin, as well as the
668
00:33:31,102 --> 00:33:34,046
family where I'm the mom. We've lived in a
669
00:33:34,046 --> 00:33:35,614
lot of countries, and something that's
670
00:33:35,614 --> 00:33:37,686
always grounded us has been those
671
00:33:37,686 --> 00:33:39,330
traditions that we have carried with us
672
00:33:39,330 --> 00:33:41,298
and helps us know that if everything might
673
00:33:41,298 --> 00:33:43,378
be a little chaotic out there, but we're
674
00:33:43,378 --> 00:33:45,234
okay when we're still doing the thing we
675
00:33:45,234 --> 00:33:47,094
always do this time of year kind of thing.
676
00:33:47,094 --> 00:33:51,302
So it's really special. As we kind of
677
00:33:51,302 --> 00:33:53,062
finish up here, I wanted to give you a
678
00:33:53,062 --> 00:33:57,170
chance to sort of give us some of your
679
00:33:57,170 --> 00:33:58,406
imagination a little bit, because I know
680
00:33:58,406 --> 00:34:03,354
as a writer, you have this creativity, a
681
00:34:03,354 --> 00:34:05,542
part of yourself, and obviously your
682
00:34:05,542 --> 00:34:07,526
tradition of food is showing your creative
683
00:34:07,526 --> 00:34:11,194
style as well. But sometimes we get so
684
00:34:11,194 --> 00:34:15,246
stuck in our ruts of living life, living
685
00:34:15,246 --> 00:34:18,830
this grind. And Christmas time can
686
00:34:18,830 --> 00:34:21,054
sometimes be a time, at least here in the
687
00:34:21,054 --> 00:34:23,214
United States, where we take Christmas day
688
00:34:23,214 --> 00:34:24,766
off. Sometimes people get Christmas eve
689
00:34:24,766 --> 00:34:27,314
off or they're lucky a little bit more.
690
00:34:27,314 --> 00:34:29,154
And in other countries around the world
691
00:34:29,154 --> 00:34:31,602
where there is enough christians,
692
00:34:31,602 --> 00:34:33,106
sometimes people will get that holiday off
693
00:34:33,106 --> 00:34:35,474
as well. But as we're thinking about time
694
00:34:35,474 --> 00:34:37,202
off at the end of the year and spending
695
00:34:37,202 --> 00:34:41,426
time with family, as you've seen some
696
00:34:41,426 --> 00:34:43,926
shifts in our world as a grandma, and you
697
00:34:43,926 --> 00:34:45,622
look back to your childhood and look
698
00:34:45,622 --> 00:34:47,126
forward to the world your grandchildren
699
00:34:47,126 --> 00:34:49,766
are going to be living in, what is some of
700
00:34:49,766 --> 00:34:51,930
your imagination of what you hope for
701
00:34:51,930 --> 00:34:54,506
people as they continue to love one
702
00:34:54,506 --> 00:34:56,666
another and live out the love of God in
703
00:34:56,666 --> 00:34:58,314
their communities? What is something you
704
00:34:58,314 --> 00:35:03,422
hope to see in your grandkids generation?
705
00:35:03,422 --> 00:35:06,254
I haven't told any of my backstory. I grew
706
00:35:06,254 --> 00:35:09,818
up without Christmas. My family was very
707
00:35:09,818 --> 00:35:15,602
poor, and we had no money, nor did we know
708
00:35:15,602 --> 00:35:19,154
about Jesus, the coming of God to be with
709
00:35:19,154 --> 00:35:23,250
us. I didn't know about that until later.
710
00:35:23,250 --> 00:35:27,654
So I came from a place of no celebration
711
00:35:27,654 --> 00:35:34,726
and no joy and no traditions. And so that
712
00:35:34,726 --> 00:35:37,646
has made my own journey, especially as a
713
00:35:37,646 --> 00:35:40,170
mother and now as a grandmother, so much
714
00:35:40,170 --> 00:35:44,086
more thoughtful and so much more
715
00:35:44,086 --> 00:35:46,714
intentional. And that Christmas Eve dinner
716
00:35:46,714 --> 00:35:52,810
that I just described, that was from
717
00:35:52,810 --> 00:35:55,454
deciding, I want to start some traditions.
718
00:35:55,454 --> 00:35:58,142
I want to start some things that anchor
719
00:35:58,142 --> 00:36:01,406
our family. And there's no way that I want
720
00:36:01,406 --> 00:36:04,594
to prescribe to anybody what to do, what
721
00:36:04,594 --> 00:36:08,340
to say, what to think, how to celebrate.
722
00:36:08,340 --> 00:36:15,074
But my vision and my desire and my hope is
723
00:36:15,074 --> 00:36:17,350
that one four letter word that you already
724
00:36:17,350 --> 00:36:20,182
said, and that is love. And that is to
725
00:36:20,182 --> 00:36:24,022
have love for one another and that our
726
00:36:24,022 --> 00:36:27,602
love for one another, that it would be so
727
00:36:27,602 --> 00:36:32,634
full within our families, but that it
728
00:36:32,634 --> 00:36:35,126
would spread outward from our families. I
729
00:36:35,126 --> 00:36:38,474
don't think that our love is intended to
730
00:36:38,474 --> 00:36:42,346
be insular, that it's intended to bind us
731
00:36:42,346 --> 00:36:44,138
together just to our families. I think
732
00:36:44,138 --> 00:36:46,654
it's to bind us together so that then we
733
00:36:46,654 --> 00:36:49,374
are strengthened and filled, to go out
734
00:36:49,374 --> 00:36:51,886
into the world, to go out into the world
735
00:36:51,886 --> 00:36:54,686
and to take this radiant light that's been
736
00:36:54,686 --> 00:36:58,318
born within us and to go out into the
737
00:36:58,318 --> 00:37:01,698
places where it's dark and where it's cold
738
00:37:01,698 --> 00:37:05,358
and where it's lonely and for us to grow
739
00:37:05,358 --> 00:37:10,646
out in love and serve together. And that
740
00:37:10,646 --> 00:37:13,302
is my joy. That is my vision. That is my
741
00:37:13,302 --> 00:37:16,790
hope. And I see my children and my
742
00:37:16,790 --> 00:37:19,306
grandchildren beginning to do that within
743
00:37:19,306 --> 00:37:26,442
their own families. So I am so thankful.
744
00:37:26,442 --> 00:37:29,850
So beautiful, and I'm just so thrilled for
745
00:37:29,850 --> 00:37:34,234
you that you get to see that joy and hope
746
00:37:34,234 --> 00:37:38,106
fulfilled already. What a treasure and a
747
00:37:38,106 --> 00:37:40,074
gift. And I do hope that you and your
748
00:37:40,074 --> 00:37:41,854
families have a very special Christmas
749
00:37:41,854 --> 00:37:44,922
this year. I would love for you to let our
750
00:37:44,922 --> 00:37:46,706
audience know how they can find you in
751
00:37:46,706 --> 00:37:48,594
more of your writing. And if they want to
752
00:37:48,594 --> 00:37:51,506
sign up for coaching with you as well.
753
00:37:51,506 --> 00:37:53,554
Just let people know how they can find
754
00:37:53,554 --> 00:37:56,742
you. Yeah, so I have a website and it's
755
00:37:56,742 --> 00:37:59,634
just my name, so that's really easy.
756
00:37:59,634 --> 00:38:04,886
Leslie leylandfields.com and everything is
757
00:38:04,886 --> 00:38:08,834
on there, including photos of Alaska and
758
00:38:08,834 --> 00:38:10,566
fishing. We are commercial fishermen in
759
00:38:10,566 --> 00:38:12,710
the summer and we live out in the
760
00:38:12,710 --> 00:38:15,194
wilderness, so there's a lot going on in
761
00:38:15,194 --> 00:38:19,180
my life, but most of it is on the website.
762
00:38:19,180 --> 00:38:23,200
So please go there and visit and say
763
00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:27,182
hello. Yeah, definitely hope people do
764
00:38:27,182 --> 00:38:29,742
that from all around the world. Such a
765
00:38:29,742 --> 00:38:31,818
special thing to be coached by you. You've
766
00:38:31,818 --> 00:38:33,134
written a couple of really great books
767
00:38:33,134 --> 00:38:35,866
that people have read and then also
768
00:38:35,866 --> 00:38:38,290
helping people and give birth to their own
769
00:38:38,290 --> 00:38:40,066
story in written form. So thank you for
770
00:38:40,066 --> 00:38:42,274
the work that you do, and we're going to
771
00:38:42,274 --> 00:38:43,906
have you continue the conversation with
772
00:38:43,906 --> 00:38:46,258
our difference makers in our other
773
00:38:46,258 --> 00:38:47,662
community. And I'll ask you another
774
00:38:47,662 --> 00:38:49,894
question there for the paid community. But
775
00:38:49,894 --> 00:38:52,054
for now, thank you so much for being on
776
00:38:52,054 --> 00:38:54,726
today. I wish you, Leslie, and your whole
777
00:38:54,726 --> 00:38:57,906
family a very merry Christmas. Thank you,
778
00:38:57,906 --> 00:39:01,126
Lori, and you as well. And to everyone
779
00:39:01,126 --> 00:39:03,514
who's listening well, as. You are sitting
780
00:39:03,514 --> 00:39:06,330
either in a warm or a cold or somewhere in
781
00:39:06,330 --> 00:39:09,190
between plays listening to this Christmas
782
00:39:09,190 --> 00:39:13,054
Advent podcast, I hope that it has brought
783
00:39:13,054 --> 00:39:15,598
some warmth and some light into your heart
784
00:39:15,598 --> 00:39:17,326
and your mind and your spirit today. As
785
00:39:17,326 --> 00:39:20,830
you heard Leslie describe her experience
786
00:39:20,830 --> 00:39:23,370
of writing this book, radiant birth, and
787
00:39:23,370 --> 00:39:26,322
also collecting all the writings that she
788
00:39:26,322 --> 00:39:29,234
read through to prepare for bringing all
789
00:39:29,234 --> 00:39:31,474
these writings together in this book,
790
00:39:31,474 --> 00:39:34,322
which, as she said, was not intended to
791
00:39:34,322 --> 00:39:37,086
tell people what to think or to put
792
00:39:37,086 --> 00:39:40,278
thoughts in people's heads, to sway them
793
00:39:40,278 --> 00:39:41,942
in a particular direction, but just to
794
00:39:41,942 --> 00:39:43,890
offer you the thoughts and the
795
00:39:43,890 --> 00:39:45,446
perspectives of the different writers who
796
00:39:45,446 --> 00:39:48,306
are writing about this advent season
797
00:39:48,306 --> 00:39:50,966
throughout the years. And I hope that you
798
00:39:50,966 --> 00:39:52,474
will get your hands on this book. It's
799
00:39:52,474 --> 00:39:55,446
once again a beautiful cover and it has
800
00:39:55,446 --> 00:39:58,106
brought a lot of light into my life. A
801
00:39:58,106 --> 00:40:00,586
very special radiance this time of year,
802
00:40:00,586 --> 00:40:02,634
which for those of us who are in North
803
00:40:02,634 --> 00:40:04,894
America, I'm in northern California, which
804
00:40:04,894 --> 00:40:07,294
is about as north as I feel free to live.
805
00:40:07,294 --> 00:40:11,546
Being a tropical person myself and used to
806
00:40:11,546 --> 00:40:13,186
consistent amount of light all year round.
807
00:40:13,186 --> 00:40:16,286
As we get closer to the winter solstice,
808
00:40:16,286 --> 00:40:18,546
I'm always feeling the cold darkness and
809
00:40:18,546 --> 00:40:21,986
the longer, darker days in a very embodied
810
00:40:21,986 --> 00:40:25,758
way. And also just my own experience of
811
00:40:25,758 --> 00:40:29,286
the winter solstice was three years ago at
812
00:40:29,286 --> 00:40:32,370
this .1 of the darkest days of my life, of
813
00:40:32,370 --> 00:40:34,482
experiencing a very spiritually abusive
814
00:40:34,482 --> 00:40:37,618
environment in the office where two
815
00:40:37,618 --> 00:40:39,686
pastors kind of really mobbed me and
816
00:40:39,686 --> 00:40:42,154
ambushed me and berated me with questions.
817
00:40:42,154 --> 00:40:46,182
And it was an especially dark day of
818
00:40:46,182 --> 00:40:49,946
December 21 and 2020 for me. And so every
819
00:40:49,946 --> 00:40:52,278
year I celebrate my freedom day and look
820
00:40:52,278 --> 00:40:54,926
for the light, remember that moment and
821
00:40:54,926 --> 00:40:56,558
the light that God gave me in the middle
822
00:40:56,558 --> 00:40:59,086
of that darkness. And also knowing that
823
00:40:59,086 --> 00:41:01,870
some of us experiencing this Christmas
824
00:41:01,870 --> 00:41:04,606
season are experiencing darkness, whether
825
00:41:04,606 --> 00:41:08,494
you've walked through spiritual abuse or
826
00:41:08,494 --> 00:41:10,882
emotional abuse or abuse of any kind, or
827
00:41:10,882 --> 00:41:13,026
also whether you are sitting right now in
828
00:41:13,026 --> 00:41:16,450
a place where peace does not reign, I know
829
00:41:16,450 --> 00:41:19,110
that many of our friends, including I have
830
00:41:19,110 --> 00:41:20,966
friends who are palestinian Christians
831
00:41:20,966 --> 00:41:23,974
from Bethlehem. And Bethlehem is not what
832
00:41:23,974 --> 00:41:26,502
it has been in years past this year. And
833
00:41:26,502 --> 00:41:28,970
even the Christmas celebrations that are
834
00:41:28,970 --> 00:41:32,106
public have been canceled because of the
835
00:41:32,106 --> 00:41:33,786
situation there. And there is a darkness
836
00:41:33,786 --> 00:41:39,366
that is really heavy in the place where
837
00:41:39,366 --> 00:41:43,134
Jesus was born and where we worldwide
838
00:41:43,134 --> 00:41:44,686
think about this city every year. And
839
00:41:44,686 --> 00:41:47,934
there is a darkness and a heaviness where
840
00:41:47,934 --> 00:41:50,830
we sing about joy and peace. And this
841
00:41:50,830 --> 00:41:53,150
year, it's not as easily or readily
842
00:41:53,150 --> 00:41:55,594
available to many of us, especially those
843
00:41:55,594 --> 00:41:58,254
in this part of the world that we are so
844
00:41:58,254 --> 00:42:01,666
mindful about right now. And I also am
845
00:42:01,666 --> 00:42:03,666
just mindful of those of you who have lost
846
00:42:03,666 --> 00:42:07,506
a loved one very recently. We have friends
847
00:42:07,506 --> 00:42:10,306
of our family, a beloved mother that
848
00:42:10,306 --> 00:42:13,286
passed away, a friend of my husband's
849
00:42:13,286 --> 00:42:14,978
where he was growing up in Thailand that
850
00:42:14,978 --> 00:42:16,486
passed away recently. I know many of you
851
00:42:16,486 --> 00:42:19,050
have lost loved ones this time of year, in
852
00:42:19,050 --> 00:42:21,690
past years, and this is a reminder of that
853
00:42:21,690 --> 00:42:24,058
loss. Or many of you are walking through
854
00:42:24,058 --> 00:42:27,082
difficult situations, such as a surprising
855
00:42:27,082 --> 00:42:29,654
health diagnosis in this season. And
856
00:42:29,654 --> 00:42:32,700
Christmas is not what it was in years
857
00:42:32,700 --> 00:42:35,698
past. And maybe you also are celebrating
858
00:42:35,698 --> 00:42:37,262
Hanukkah this time of year. And this has
859
00:42:37,262 --> 00:42:40,650
also been a time of loss and mourning and
860
00:42:40,650 --> 00:42:42,494
grief because of what your family has gone
861
00:42:42,494 --> 00:42:45,042
through, or maybe what through relatives
862
00:42:45,042 --> 00:42:48,100
have been going through in Israel at the
863
00:42:48,100 --> 00:42:50,158
moment. I know there are many
864
00:42:50,158 --> 00:42:52,946
perspectives, many tragedies, many losses
865
00:42:52,946 --> 00:42:54,766
that can come at a time of year where
866
00:42:54,766 --> 00:42:56,774
you're expecting joy and hope and peace
867
00:42:56,774 --> 00:42:59,206
and light, and if you're needing just to
868
00:42:59,206 --> 00:43:03,446
be reminded of that, I do really encourage
869
00:43:03,446 --> 00:43:05,894
you to pick up this book, radiant birth,
870
00:43:05,894 --> 00:43:07,906
because it's not one person's perspective.
871
00:43:07,906 --> 00:43:09,990
It's many people's writings throughout
872
00:43:09,990 --> 00:43:12,426
time that have shown us where the light is
873
00:43:12,426 --> 00:43:14,934
and where the radiance iS. And even in the
874
00:43:14,934 --> 00:43:17,354
darkest of days, my experience is that if
875
00:43:17,354 --> 00:43:19,626
we look for the light, we will find it,
876
00:43:19,626 --> 00:43:22,354
and it will somehow bring us comfort and
877
00:43:22,354 --> 00:43:25,214
peace in a very embodied way. And so
878
00:43:25,214 --> 00:43:27,182
whether you're needing to take a walk
879
00:43:27,182 --> 00:43:30,174
outside in know one or 2 hours, where you
880
00:43:30,174 --> 00:43:32,574
experience light in northern Alaska right
881
00:43:32,574 --> 00:43:34,206
now, or whether you're blessed to be in
882
00:43:34,206 --> 00:43:36,522
the tropical warm zones of the world,
883
00:43:36,522 --> 00:43:38,334
experiencing a lot of sunshine, or
884
00:43:38,334 --> 00:43:39,538
particularly in the southern hemisphere
885
00:43:39,538 --> 00:43:40,994
where you're getting a lot of sunshine
886
00:43:40,994 --> 00:43:43,538
these days, I hope that wherever you are,
887
00:43:43,538 --> 00:43:45,374
that you will look for that light and the
888
00:43:45,374 --> 00:43:47,586
radiance, and that you will just allow it
889
00:43:47,586 --> 00:43:50,486
to soak into your eyes and into your body
890
00:43:50,486 --> 00:43:52,694
and into your soul in ways that give you
891
00:43:52,694 --> 00:43:56,326
just a moment of comfort and peace when
892
00:43:56,326 --> 00:43:58,520
the world seems to be a little bit out of
893
00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:01,402
control. And I know that many of you are
894
00:44:01,402 --> 00:44:03,194
in the zones of the world where you're
895
00:44:03,194 --> 00:44:05,814
making a difference and trying to bring
896
00:44:05,814 --> 00:44:07,626
healing and peace, especially those of you
897
00:44:07,626 --> 00:44:10,694
who are working in the area of Israel and
898
00:44:10,694 --> 00:44:13,374
Gaza right now. And I just thank you for
899
00:44:13,374 --> 00:44:16,014
the great work that you do and hope that
900
00:44:16,014 --> 00:44:18,622
you are also finding ways to experience
901
00:44:18,622 --> 00:44:20,478
light in that particular part of the
902
00:44:20,478 --> 00:44:23,338
world, especially when the whole world's
903
00:44:23,338 --> 00:44:26,558
eyes are on this location right now. And I
904
00:44:26,558 --> 00:44:31,826
pray that you find peace very soon for
905
00:44:31,826 --> 00:44:33,506
your loved ones and your friends that you
906
00:44:33,506 --> 00:44:35,634
are working with and trying to bring hope
907
00:44:35,634 --> 00:44:38,226
to there. We know that many decision
908
00:44:38,226 --> 00:44:40,710
makers around the world are having to make
909
00:44:40,710 --> 00:44:43,590
hard calls, both politically and in the
910
00:44:43,590 --> 00:44:45,634
business world, the education world, the
911
00:44:45,634 --> 00:44:47,926
nonprofit world. And for those of you who
912
00:44:47,926 --> 00:44:50,502
are doing that, we also hope that you are
913
00:44:50,502 --> 00:44:52,442
looking for the light and making decisions
914
00:44:52,442 --> 00:44:54,474
based on the light, because the darkness
915
00:44:54,474 --> 00:44:56,394
can sometimes feel like it's overcoming
916
00:44:56,394 --> 00:44:58,906
us, or we don't feel we have good choices
917
00:44:58,906 --> 00:45:01,994
that we can make. So, once again, all the
918
00:45:01,994 --> 00:45:05,134
more reason to pick up this book and to
919
00:45:05,134 --> 00:45:08,554
just dig into the words of others
920
00:45:08,554 --> 00:45:10,426
throughout time. I'm so appreciative of
921
00:45:10,426 --> 00:45:11,646
Leslie and the work that she's done in
922
00:45:11,646 --> 00:45:13,166
this book, the way she's compiled these,
923
00:45:13,166 --> 00:45:14,746
the way she did so much research and
924
00:45:14,746 --> 00:45:17,278
reading to bring it together in this form,
925
00:45:17,278 --> 00:45:19,298
and it's such a gift to us. And to the
926
00:45:19,298 --> 00:45:21,118
world, and along with many of her other
927
00:45:21,118 --> 00:45:22,386
writings and other books. Check out her
928
00:45:22,386 --> 00:45:24,706
other books I mentioned in the intro. She
929
00:45:24,706 --> 00:45:27,506
is an award winning author and her books
930
00:45:27,506 --> 00:45:29,186
have really meant a lot to many people.
931
00:45:29,186 --> 00:45:31,094
She's written 14 books, not just this one.
932
00:45:31,094 --> 00:45:34,166
So check out her other books as well and
933
00:45:34,166 --> 00:45:36,902
stay tuned. Those of you who are in our
934
00:45:36,902 --> 00:45:38,746
difference maker community because we are
935
00:45:38,746 --> 00:45:40,774
going to be dropping a special exclusive
936
00:45:40,774 --> 00:45:43,594
episode for you where she goes into a
937
00:45:43,594 --> 00:45:45,914
little more deeper about her experiences
938
00:45:45,914 --> 00:45:49,254
around the world. She has some kind of
939
00:45:49,254 --> 00:45:52,266
wild tales in there of things that she's
940
00:45:52,266 --> 00:45:54,286
experienced, both just her and her husband
941
00:45:54,286 --> 00:45:56,906
and as a family raising her six kids and
942
00:45:56,906 --> 00:46:00,442
choices they have made to make travel a
943
00:46:00,442 --> 00:46:02,910
priority and the educational nature of
944
00:46:02,910 --> 00:46:04,414
travel itself. So we dig a little deeper
945
00:46:04,414 --> 00:46:06,062
with her in our difference maker
946
00:46:06,062 --> 00:46:08,406
community. So we're releasing an exclusive
947
00:46:08,406 --> 00:46:10,274
episode for you there. And if you are not
948
00:46:10,274 --> 00:46:11,874
yet a part of our difference maker
949
00:46:11,874 --> 00:46:13,618
community, this is a very warm welcome for
950
00:46:13,618 --> 00:46:15,214
you to join. Maybe give yourself a
951
00:46:15,214 --> 00:46:17,794
Christmas gift this year. It's only $5 a
952
00:46:17,794 --> 00:46:20,518
month to join at our most basic level and
953
00:46:20,518 --> 00:46:22,886
you can cancel anytime. But just yeah, try
954
00:46:22,886 --> 00:46:24,754
us out for a month. There's tons of
955
00:46:24,754 --> 00:46:26,310
exclusive episodes in there and other
956
00:46:26,310 --> 00:46:28,882
content. You get to vote on some upcoming
957
00:46:28,882 --> 00:46:30,854
episodes. If you are interested in helping
958
00:46:30,854 --> 00:46:33,914
us plan for 2024 and want to see some
959
00:46:33,914 --> 00:46:35,626
particular topics covered, you can go in
960
00:46:35,626 --> 00:46:38,170
there and vote in our upcoming poll. And
961
00:46:38,170 --> 00:46:39,546
yeah, we'd love to have you in there to
962
00:46:39,546 --> 00:46:40,938
dig a little deeper with some of our
963
00:46:40,938 --> 00:46:43,146
guests where we go into these exclusive
964
00:46:43,146 --> 00:46:47,742
episodes with them. So that's
965
00:46:47,742 --> 00:46:50,222
www.patreon.com a worldofdifference once
966
00:46:50,222 --> 00:46:55,526
again, that is www. Dot Patreon
967
00:46:55,526 --> 00:46:56,386
comaworldofdifference where you can join
968
00:46:56,386 --> 00:46:59,646
for as little as a cup of your favorite
969
00:46:59,646 --> 00:47:02,754
latte at your local coffee shop. $5 for a
970
00:47:02,754 --> 00:47:05,778
whole month of exclusive content and we'd
971
00:47:05,778 --> 00:47:07,298
love for you to join us today to go a
972
00:47:07,298 --> 00:47:09,350
little bit deeper with us there. Once
973
00:47:09,350 --> 00:47:11,126
again, thank you for all of you who are
974
00:47:11,126 --> 00:47:12,710
making a difference around the world,
975
00:47:12,710 --> 00:47:15,474
happy holidays to those of you that
976
00:47:15,474 --> 00:47:18,034
celebrate, whether it's Hanukah or
977
00:47:18,034 --> 00:47:20,594
Christmas, and of course upcoming New
978
00:47:20,594 --> 00:47:23,030
Year's Eve celebrations all around the
979
00:47:23,030 --> 00:47:25,014
world. So we are so grateful for each of
980
00:47:25,014 --> 00:47:27,126
you that listen, this means so much to me
981
00:47:27,126 --> 00:47:28,646
that you would listen and dig in deeper
982
00:47:28,646 --> 00:47:30,686
with us to make a difference. And I just
983
00:47:30,686 --> 00:47:33,582
want to say, may you have peace, hope and
984
00:47:33,582 --> 00:47:35,146
light in your life wherever you're
985
00:47:35,146 --> 00:47:37,358
listening to this podcast and keep making
