New Podcast: Mission of Hope - New Executive Director David Heatherly - Christmas Collection

Today Executive Director Emmette Thompson catches us up on the latest with Mission of Hope, and introduces us to David Heatherly the incoming Executive Director. David tells us about his background and talks about Mission of Hope's efforts to collect items for the Appalachian region of Kentucky, Virginia and Tennessee. 

Since 1996, the Mission of Hope has ministered to the people of various counties in Kentucky and Tennessee from which 80% of the region’s residents no longer have jobs in the coal mining industry.

Many of the people we assist are caught in the pockets of poverty and as a result have lost all hope for their future. With your help and with God’s love we can help bring new hope to many.

Mission of Hope strives to provide Christian ministries during appropriate seasons of the year, including Christmas and Easter, through a system of delivering clothes, food, toys, and school supplies to impoverished families; to assist in repair of existing homes or relocating to other homes when appropriate; to provide scholarships for qualifying children of the area; to assist in developing skills or other expertise for the creation of new or expanded jobs in the area; and to assist in locating jobs for persons who are willing to relocate outside the area.

The Mission of Hope is a year round ministry blessed to assist many of our less fortunate Appalachian neighbors with much needed goods and resources; college scholarships; and help with basic educational, health care and home repair needs.

If you would like to make a financial donation to Mission of Hope for our year round ministry expenses it would be greatly appreciated. The 2010 independent financial audit confirmed that 90 percent of every dollar donated went directly back into programs assisting individuals.

Thank you for caring enough to help those who still have hope.

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Podcast: Cultivating gratitude - and how it can improve your health with Dr Joannie DeBrito

Photo by Ann on Unsplash

It can be hard to be grateful when it seems like everything in life is going wrong. It can feel worse during the holidays when there's such a focus on family and thankfulness. On this episode of my podcast I sit down with Dr Joannie DeBrito, licensed mental health professional and frequent Focus on the Family contributor, talks about how to be grateful when we aren't feeling grateful, the process of grieving and how gratefulness can be part of the journey.

Did you know researchers have found that expressing gratitude has many health benefits as well?
Practicing gratitude has been scientifically proven to positively impact your brain. It can make us feel happier and better about ourselves, improve energy levels, help us cope with our problems, and even decrease mental health struggles like stress, anxiety, and depression.

Please share this episode as it might help someone who is having difficulty especially during this time of year.

Dr Joannie DeBrito articles and resources at Focus on the Family

 

Podcast: Election Alert! Proposed Amendments to the Constitution on Abortion and Legislative Power

Tuesday November 8, 2022 in Kentucky we will be voting on 2 proposed amendments to the Kentucky Constitution. One of the proposed amendments is very long, maybe a little confusing and is full of lawyer/politician speak. The other is short and direct. The first deals with the Kentucky General Assembly's emergency powers and the ability to call themselves into special session instead of that power residing exclusively with the Kentucky Governor. The second proposed amendment clarifies the Kentucky Constitution's position on abortion and the use of state money to perform abortion. Richard Nelson, Executive Director and Founder of the Commonwealth Policy Center, joins me to break down what each of these amendments means and what your "yes" or "no" vote means. Knowledge is power!

For more information you can visit.

https://commonwealthpolicycenter.org/

To see a sample of your ballot:

http://web.sos.ky.gov/electionballots/

Greg Horn - Leading with Kindness

Congratulations to my friend and colleague Greg Horn for receiving the
Wayne B. Smith "Leading with Kindness" Award from Sayre Christian
Village. I am very proud of Greg. He is a wonderful example of true
kindness and generosity. Greg has been a blessing to me and my family
and countless others in Central Kentucky and around the world. I know
this award means a lot to him, but it's nothing in comparison to the
treasures I know he has waiting for him.

Congratulations, Greg!

Rob Harlamert and the first anniversary of his plant Elevate Christian Church in Lexington, KY

Listen in as I chat with Rob Harlamert about the first anniversary of his plant Elevate Christian Church in Lexington, KY. It's been one year since Rob Harlamert, Andrew Dawson and their team officially launched Elevate Christian Church. What challenges did they face? How are things going now? What lessons have they learned? What is Elevate like? What does the future hold for Elevate Christian Church in Lexington, KY? And we even talk about the deconstruction movement, and how that impacts Rob and Elevate. 

Rooted Podcast

Elevate Christian Church, Lexington, KY

Are you depressed?

Are you depressed? Is someone you love dealing with depression?

Image by 1388843 from Pixabay

My guest this week, Paul Asay, author of Beauty in the Browns: Walking with Christ in the Darkness of Depression(Focus on the Family, 2021), has first-hand experience with the depths of depression. Not only has he cared for his son who struggles with mental illness, but he’s felt the effects of depression himself throughout his life.

“It’s a dark room that locks the sufferer inside, whispering through the bars that they will never escape — that no one cares, that you deserve to be there, and it’s all there ever will be,” he describes.

With September being the National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, it’s important to not only acknowledge the reality and hardship of depression — but also to discuss how families and friends can support their loved ones that feel trapped.

“As a loved one, you don’t necessarily have the key to the prison,” Paul says. “It’s not a condition that you can hug or reason away, and it can feel incredibly helpless to not know how to help someone.”

So what can you do?

Paul is available to give practical and compassionate advice on how to care for your loved one suffering from depression, and he can speak on what it is like to step into a seemingly hopeless space and find strength through Christ.

• What works and what doesn’t when speaking to and encouraging someone with depression
• What environmental factors can feed into depression — and how can you watch for warning signs that your loved one might be struggling
• How to lean on Christ and seek hope when loving someone with depression

From Pastor David Kibler's sermon:

Lies Satan tells all of us:

• You’re not good enough.
• Everyone is against you.
• There’s no way out. Things will never get better.

Lies are immediate and truths are eventual.

For help https://www.focusonthefamily.com/get-help/

Suicide Hotlines in The United States

Crisis Text Line	Text HOME to 741741
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline	1-800-273-8255

Is church still relevant?

 Is church still relevant?

Photo by Karl Fredrickson on Unsplash

Does church even matter anymore? I’m not talking about believing in God, “religion” or “being spiritual” but does getting together on Sunday morning in a building matter? Is that still relevant in the 21st century?

In this episode I’m talking with Zachary Mettler. Zach is a staff writer for Focus on the Family’s Daily Citizen. He recently wrote a piece for the Washington Examiner titled 'Digital religion' offers new opportunities — and threats — for believers.

We discuss the relevancy of church in modern life, and some of the impact the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 had on children, their development and mental health. Mettler is working another article which speaks to the harmful impacts the lockdowns had where he discovered the lockdowns resulted in:

91% increase in self harm in children

300% increase in children seeking medical help for self harm

63% increase in overdoses and a large spike in emergency room visits because of that.

We also talked loneliness in adults.

One recent surveyfound that the number of Americans who say they have no close friends rose to 12% in 2021 from 3% in 1990. Among young men, especially, that number is higher. Fifteen percent of men report having no close friends, according to the poll.

So IF church matters, is on-line church a suitable replacement?

A large number of young adults are turning to “digital religion,” according to a studyfrom the University of Waterloo.

“We’ve found that while digital religion isn’t necessarily attracting a lot of new millennials to participate, it is making the experience of those already involved richer,” Wilkins-Laflamme said.

Another recent surveyconducted by the American Enterprise Institute found that younger people are experiencing a “loneliness epidemic.” They are “lonelier in general than older people because most of them are not as rooted in particular relationships and communities,” the research found.

One of the activities associated with a reduced feeling of loneliness was frequent church attendance. “Americans who are members of religious congregations are less likely to feel lonely,” the survey found.

Links:

https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/community-family/digital-religion-offers-new-opportunities-and-threats-for-believers

https://www.bensongregory.com

Selfie Culture - Is social media damaging your (and your child's) mental health?

 

Photo by ROBIN WORRALL on Unsplash

It's been a while, way too long, but this is the return of the podcast! We're starting off strong with a very timely topic and a great guest. Paul Asay is Sr Associate Editor of PluggedIn.com an author and dad. We're talking about selfie culture and how comparison can harm your (and your child's) mental health. We discuss some steps to take to help mitigate the harmful effects of social media, ways to make sure you are staying in the moment and not trapped behind a screen, and we even discuss some photography tips and tricks. (Save some money by shooting your engagement photos at Olive Garden instead of Italy!) 

According to a 2018 survey, 82 percent of U.S. adults under 34 had taken and posted a selfie on social media. It’s safe to say that number has since increased. Instagram has over 53 million photos tagged with the hashtag #selfie. There’s even an entire industry dedicated to selfie events. But have today’s youth and young adults become so preoccupied with being seen on social media that they no longer enjoy real-life experiences? And is the obsession with posting that allusive “perfect photo” leading to an increase in low self-esteem and depression? Sadly, self-image on social media has had a devastating impact on many young adults’ confidence — even leading to an increase in demand for plastic surgery the past two years. 

Feel free to follow Paul Asay on Twitter @AsayPaul.

For the more tech-minded among us, it's worth noting this is my first podcast in my home studio using the Rode Rodecaster Pro II with an Electrovoice RE320 microphone and connected to my guest via my iPhone 13 and routed into the Rodecaster via bluetooth. 

Back to School at Lone Jack Elementary with Mission of Hope

 It's back to school time in Kentucky. This year has been difficult for me personally, so it was nice to join forces with some friends to share some hope with the children at Lone Jack Elementary School in Bell County. Thanks to the supporters of Mission of Hope a truck-load of school supplies and hygiene items are now in the hands of deserving children in this rural Kentucky town. 

If you'd like to learn more about the work of Mission of Hope you can visit their website here.