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CTP (S3ESepSpecial7) Fatherhood Under Fire: One Man's Fight for Parental Rights
Joseph Lenard welcomes John Griveas to discuss the systematic erosion of traditional family values and constitutional principles in America today. They explore how government overreach and progressive policies have deliberately separated children from parents while redefining foundational concepts of community and family.
• John shares his 26-year struggle as a father denied parental rights after conceiving a child while serving as a Navy Seabee
• The distinction between biblical community (based on free will) versus worldly communism (based on force and redistribution)
• How school feeding programs expand government influence while diminishing parental roles
• The historical lessons from the Mayflower Compact's failed communal experiment
• Language manipulation tactics used to rebrand harmful policies with positive terminology
• Signs of cultural revival as younger generations question progressive narratives
• John's personal journey with ADHD and autism diagnosis as an adult
• The balance between technology benefits and drawbacks in modern society

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CTP (S3ESepSpecial6) Misfit in Hell: One Woman's Near-Death Experience Revealed
Mary Kathy McDaniel shares her distressing near-death experience and the profound transformation it brought to her understanding of life, death, and what lies beyond. Through her journey from hellish visions to heavenly joy, she discovered a message of unconditional love and purpose that completely changed her perspective.
• MK experienced what's called a "distressing" NDE - something that happens to about 20% of near-death experiencers
• During her drug-induced coma after lung failure, she first found herself in hellish scenarios that mirrored traumatic events from her actual life
• Her experience suddenly shifted to heaven where she felt overwhelming joy and love, meeting a deceased friend
• She was told she had "too much left to do" on Earth and was sent back to her physical body
• MK believes there is no judgment in the afterlife, only a life review where we experience how our actions affected others
• She now co-hosts a support group for people who've had distressing NDEs through IANDS (International Association of Near-Death Studies)
• Her advice for living: be loving, kind, merciful, forgiving, encouraging, grateful, nonjudgmental and useful
• Small acts of kindness can create powerful ripple effects that positively impact others

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CTP (S3E118) Christianity's Dual Testament Truth
The Old Testament wasn't erased by Jesus's teachings but provides essential context for understanding how Christians should navigate complex moral situations today. Matthew 5:17 confirms Jesus came to fulfill, not abolish, the law and prophets.
• The anti-Semitic notion that "the Jews killed Jesus" misunderstands God's plan for salvation
• Jesus was born Jewish, lived as a rabbi, and fulfilled Jewish prophecy as the Messiah
• "Turn the other cheek" doesn't mean always being a victim or allowing continued abuse
• Jesus demonstrated righteous anger when overturning tables in the temple
• Exodus 22:2 establishes biblical self-defense principles that still apply today
• The death penalty remains legitimate for heinous crimes according to Genesis/Leviticus/Numbers
• Christians should embrace both the "peace and love" and "tough love" aspects of Jesus's teachings
• Many churches practice "CHURCHianity" (coined by Dennis Quaid) watered-down humanist version of Christianity

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CTP (S3ESepSpecial5) Trauma, Healing, and Human Connection
Linda Williams joins us to discuss her debut collection "The Beauty and the Hell of It and Other Stories," a powerful series exploring trauma, healing, and human connection through 14 short stories.
• Collection of 14 stories ranging from 10-15 pages each
• Title comes from a line about marriage—choosing your partner every day is "the beauty and the hell of it"
• Stories follow women through periods of trauma, mental illness, grief, and loss
• One story explores a sexual assault survivor's unexpected reaction to seeing her abuser again
• "Blind Date" offers lighter fare about a woman who pretends to be someone's date after he's stood up
• Final story uniquely written from male perspective, linked to another story from female perspective
• Book dedicated to a friend lost to suicide
• Writing provided catharsis for Williams while potentially helping readers process similar experiences
• Currently working on a literary novella and another collection centered on themes of betrayal
Find Linda Williams at www.lindawilliams.ca

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CTP (S3ESepSpecial4) Gratitude Over Entitlement: A Spiritual Journey
Author Bracha Goetz shares her journey from cultural Judaism to spiritual discovery, revealing how gratitude transformed her worldview from gray to vibrant. Through her 45 children's picture books, she addresses modern challenges like entitlement culture and teaches life-changing values to readers of all ages.
• Children's books uniquely reach every age group, making them powerful vehicles for transmitting values
• Bracha's book "The Mother Who Always Said Yes" cleverly illustrates the consequences of unbridled indulgence
• The modern "entitlement epidemic" creates an insatiable spiritual emptiness many try to fill with external gratifications
• Gratitude practices can fundamentally change our brain patterns at any age through neuroplasticity
• Spiritual awakening led Bracha from liberal to conservative political perspectives
• True dialogue across different perspectives is essential for fostering understanding and unity
• Children need protection from inappropriate content while still receiving age-appropriate information to guard against predators
• Happiness comes from within - "Where is the happiness box? Below your hair, above your eyes"
Find Bracha's books and resources at GrowingImpactPublications.com

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CTP (S3E117) Divine Fingerprints: Where Science Reveals Biblical Truth
Exploring more of the fascinating intersection of Activism, Community Engagement, Faith / Religion, Human Nature, Politics, Social Issues, and beyond
Douglas William Ell, a former atheist with degrees in mathematics and physics from MIT, shares his journey to faith through scientific evidence that supports biblical accounts.
• Scientific evidence points to intelligent design rather than random chance
• DNA contains 3.2 billion letters of complex digital code that couldn't arise accidentally
• The ENCODE project involving 400 top scientists revealed DNA has multiple layers of information and 4 million regulatory switches
• Carbon dating makes assumptions about initial conditions that can lead to incorrect conclusions
• Diamonds and dinosaur fossils contain carbon-14, which should be impossible if they're millions of years old
• Archaeological discoveries like curse tablets containing "Yahweh" confirm biblical accounts of Joshua
• Evidence of extreme heat fusing glass has been found at the likely location of Sodom
• Many founding scientists pursued science to understand how God designed the universe
• Complex biological structures like eyes couldn't evolve gradually through natural selection
• Maps showing Antarctica's coastline before it was covered in ice support biblical flood accounts
Visit countingtogod.com to learn more

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CTP (S3ESepSpecial3) Blind on 9/11: A Survivor's Tale
Exploring more of the fascinating intersection of Activism, Community Engagement, Faith / Religion, Human Nature, Politics, Social Issues, and beyond
Michael Hingson shares his remarkable journey as a blind 9/11 survivor who escaped from the 78th floor of the World Trade Center's Tower One and how this experience shaped his understanding of fear, preparation, and resilience.
• Born blind and told by doctors he would never contribute to society
• Earned a master's degree in physics despite 70% unemployment rate among blind people
• Opened an office in World Trade Center Tower One in August 2000
• Survived 9/11 by using his detailed knowledge of the building's layout and emergency procedures
• Published three books including NY Times bestseller "Thunderdog" with foreword by Larry King
• Advocates for true inclusion of people with disabilities in diversity conversations
• Teaches that fear can be controlled and used as a motivational tool rather than something that overwhelms us
• Suggests everyone has disabilities, but some are more visible or accommodated than others
• Hosts "Unstoppable Mindset" podcast about inclusion, diversity and the unexpected
Find Michael's books and speaking information at michaelhingson.com or email speaker@michaelhingson.com.

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CTP (S3ESepSpecial2) AI vs. Human Creativity
Writer Allison McBain shares her personal challenge of writing 34 books in one year to prove human creativity still outshines AI-generated content. She explores the fundamental differences between machine and human writing, highlighting the "human spark" that AI cannot replicate.
• AI's infiltration across creative industries and its impact on writers and publishers
• Legal and ethical problems with AI mining authors' works without permission or attribution
• McBain's writing challenge: creating a book per week across multiple genres
• How AI fails at mimicking authentic human emotions and reactions in storytelling
• The changing publishing landscape from traditional gatekeepers to self-publishing
• AI's tendency to fabricate information, as demonstrated by the Chicago Sun-Times publishing fictional book recommendations
• Growing concerns about AI's use in education by both students and teachers
• The broader economic impact as AI displaces white-collar workers alongside blue-collar jobs
• The importance of maintaining human creativity despite technological advancement
Find Allison McBain's work at http://AlisonMcBain.com.

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