As the Pastor heads into retirement in June,
we will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. 

Questions of the week:
-What are 3 ways you face fear in a positive way?
-What fears did you have at the start of the pandemic, what fears do you have now?
-How do you look at the year ahead?
-How does your brain work in terms of planning?
-Do you feel more like you're the one directing the actions of your life or are you being directed?

Gems of the week:
-"Be super careful but not fearful." 
-"It's not a healthcare system, it's an illness system;
it's not based on preventative care, it's based on crisis care."
-"God woke up. God achieved consciousness and the Universe came into being
to accommodate God."
-"There's no question that abortion is a tragedy but also at times a necessity."
 -"If you are anti-abortion, and you are anti-social services, then you're a big hypocrite."
-"We live on the edge of a cliff that is forming in front of us as were walking.
-"I feel at times I'm the director of this movie of life; and there are times it feels as if I'm being directed; and at times it feels like its both simultaneously which is like magic."
-"On some profound level,  God is a feeling as well as a burning light."
-"The goal of spirituality is aligning our free will with God's divine will. I think we owe it to ourselves to try to achieve that. That's a lifetime's work."
-"I have a poster in big letters that say GRATEFUL. Each day my intention is to write 3 things I'm grateful for. When facing fear and tough moments, revisiting that is super helpful."
-"I have good intentions and to do as much good as I can in the world and I know for that to happen, I cant' feel like I NEED to do this to happen. No, I have all the needs here. It's just being super focused, calm, and trusting the path."
"Everything is spiritual; and all that means is believing that life has meaning and purpose."

As the Pastor heads into retirement in June,
we will examine his journey that brought him to the present and his gems of optimism for the road ahead. 

In this episode, the Pastor speaks on his vast experience consoling families dealing with death and we speak about his own brush with death.

Questions of the week:
-What are those 3-5 things/experiences that stand out in your life?
-What words would you give someone who recently lost a parent?
-What are the positive affirmations you'd want people to say about you?
-What is your gem of the week?

Gems of the week:
-"I have no weight anymore to judge my own performance.
I hope that people have benefited and if they have, then thats enough."
-"One thing is to try, another thing is to do.
-"You are one of the most fortunate people I have ever known."
-"There  is a magic of doing everything [you] want to do in life, whether it works out or not, [you] have to go for it."
-"What words would you give someone who recently lost a parent? 
Say as little as possible. 
People some times just need to talk and want you to listen. 
Don't talk someone out of their grief, you just want to acknowledge it.
Let people know the challenge is to keep on living, there is positive dignity in that -  to make the person [that passed away] proud.
-"During [the grief of dealing with] death, the positive calm presence [you can provide] when people are feeling the most disconnected is special"

The day finally was here - the Inauguration.

We spoke about:
- the protests in Portland that happened right after.
It was a call to double up on many of the demands such as abolishment of ICE and defunding the police.
-Biden's first executive orders. 
-how "progressives are not a homogeneous group"
- will "uncivil unrest" continue or not


@25:50 - the question of "what would Pastor Neil of the 60s and 70s, the young activist, think of these times?"
leads into a deep conversation about leadership,
including the legend of Saul Alinksy and Fred Hampton.

We end with the questions - 
What are the three leadership lessons you'd want to leave to people?
What are the three leadership miscalculations leaders can steer clear of?

Inauguration Day is finally upon us.
Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off with their thoughts on Trump essentially being banned from social media and the effects of that.

At the 18 minute mark, Pastor Neil breaks down his first 100 days into retirement. 
He will retire on the day of his birthday. 
What a way to go out!

What a start to the first week of 2021.
The police officer that shot and paralyzed Jacob Blake's wasn't indicted.
Georgia made history in the Senate.
White supremacists broke into the Capitol.
Five people died.
And with all that said, Congress officially and finally confirmed Biden's electoral win.

The Inauguration Day is next up.
Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off with their thoughts on the chaotic week. 
Cheers to a new year. 

What was the gem(s) you got from your friendships/relationships this past year?

What were the three main gems you got this past year?

Simple questions to ask yourself as we enter the new year of 2021.
We at the Divine Spark send you the most positive vibes for the year ahead.
May you continue to be blessed with abundance.

We'd also like to ask if you can consider supporting our good friend, Roque Rodriguez.
He is recovering from the serious injuries he suffered being the community leader and activist that he is. Any donation goes a long way. Thank you and have a great happy new year!
https://www.gofundme.com/f/roque-rodriguez-emergency-funds

The electoral process didn't end on Election Day.
Each week we will take stock where we are at in the electoral process leading up to Inauguration Day.

As we wait for the current president to concede the election, Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off the week with conversations about:

-Michigan certifying their electoral votes despite one cornball going off course
-the electoral college (what exactly is it?)
-redistricting
-is trumpism a philosophy based on principles or just an embrace of a cultish personality?
-spiritual losses and wins during these times
-the book that sparked Pastor Neil's road into environmental activism
-what is the real lesson of Wampanoag Tribe and "thanksgiving"
-and more

The electoral process didn't end on Election Day. 
Each week we will take stock where we are at in the electoral process leading up to Inauguration Day. 

As we wait for the current president to concede the election, Pastor Neil and Kenny kick off the week with conversations about:

-expectations of a president elect
-acknowledgment of what voters/non-voters want from their elected officials
-3 climate change issues Pastor Neil wants the president elect to address 
-what does criminal justice look like in a new presidency
-and more

We close out with the famous annual community dinner that Pastor Neil implemented at Sunnyside Reformed Church. 
Kenny talks about how he transformed what was once a negative holiday into something special. 

Pastor Neil voted for Joseph Biden over Donald Trump.
Kenny didn't vote for either.

This conversation explores: 
-the jubilation people felt once Joseph Biden was announced the winner days later after the election
-people voting out of fear of another Donald Trump presidency rather than excitement for Joseph Biden
-a parliamentary system in the U.S.
-the narrative revolved around being a "centrist"
-the Latine vote
and more.

The electoral process didn't end on Election Day. 
The second phase was just getting started. 
Each week we will take stock where we are at in the electoral process leading up to Inauguration Day. 

“To live in the present, hoping for a better future, while making peace with the past so it can enable you to make moves in the present.”

“We have been chosen to be here now during this moment of human history. It’s quite a moment. It’s impossible to overstate the importance of where we are.”

“This is the time for heroes.”