Lots of people are stressed out by being with family for the holidays. Some are even planning not to spend holidays with their family. But is that a good idea? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes give their tips on having a positive trip home for the holidays. Links to outside references:

15 million long-distance travelers oer Christmas in 2023: https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/millions-americans-expected-to-travel-christmas-new-years-day-aaa/

How to survive going home for the holidays: https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-to-survive-going-home-for-the-holidays/

https://medium.com/youalberta/how-to-survive-home-for-the-holidays-99daba2e6e9f

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/empowerment-solutions/202212/home-for-the-holidays-how-not-to-get-triggered

Blesses: Elf The Best Christmas Pageant Ever Curses: The Family Stone Four Christmases National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation A Christmas Story

Everyone has deep desires. But what is our deepest desire? And how do we deal with the problem of satisfying that desire. Writer, award-winning folk musician, and spiritual director Strahan Coleman joins Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson to dive into what we want and how we can have it today. Links to resources discussed in the episode:

Basics of Budhism: https://www.pbs.org/edens/thailand/buddhism.htm

The Stoics: https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/stoicism/

Augustine and Desire: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/an-analysis-of-one-of-the-greatest-sentences-ever-written/

Charlotte Fox's 12 Universal Desires:

https://healthforlifegr.com/examining-the-deepest-human-desires-charlotte-fox-weber/#:~:text=In%20her%20book%2C%20Charlotte%20Fox,have%20what%20we%20shouldn't.

8 Things People Desire But Can't Attain:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathycaprino/2016/05/24/the-top-8-things-people-desperately-desire-but-cant-seem-to-attain/

Blesses Book - Georgia Douglas Johnson Poetry Book - The Religious Sense Movie - Deadpool and Wolverine Book - Surprised By Joseph Holmes Movie - The Book of Clarence TV Shows - Agatha All Along Thinker - Teresa of Avila Thinker - St. John of the Cross Book - The Cloud of Unknowing TV Show - Bridgerton Curses Movie - Saturday Night Movie - Joker: Folie à Deux Good Cafes that serve terrible coffee

Overthinkers Team Contact and Websites: The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world

Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me

Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

Strahan Coleman Links and Websites: Thirsting: Quenching Our Soul's Deepest Desire: https://www.amazon.com/Thirsting-Quenching-Souls-Deepest-Desire/dp/0830785205 Beholding Prayer Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/beholding-prayer/id1669562572 Commoners Communion: https://www.commonerscommunion.com/about

Are spiritual rhythms important in everyday life? Not just on Sundays? Joseph Holmes discusses with author and artist Douglas McKelvy his series "Every Moment Holy" about how to bring the sacred into ordinary life. Referenced Links:

Barna Study - How liturgical are today’s American Christians? https://www.barna.com/research/liturgical-todays-christians/

Liturgy as an idol: https://au.thegospelcoalition.org/article/liturgy-word-god-enough/

Liturgy detached from theology: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/07/church-liturgy-trends-history-tradition-theology-popular/

Church makes you give more to charity: https://religionunplugged.com/news/2023/12/12/are-religious-areas-more-charitable

Frequent church attendance means better mental health: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/frequent-churchgoers-better-mental-health/ Blesses Book - Desiring the Kingdom Movie - Wildcat Anime - Barakamon Book - The Book of Common Prayer/The Daily Office Book - Everything Sad is Untrue Curses Book - Living in Wonder Book - The Daily Stoic

Overthinkers Team Contact and Websites: The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world

Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me

Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com Douglas McKelvey and Every Moment Holy links Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quothdouglas/?hl=en Every Moment Holy Website: https://www.everymomentholy.com/about-the-series

Americans' number one fear is corrupt politicians. Why is that? And is that valid? We discuss fear of the government and propose solutions.

Links to Further Resources

Chapman University study of Americans’ greatest fears: https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/research-centers/babbie-center/survey-american-fears.aspx

Summary of implications for new US rankings in global corruption: https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/01/28/report-transparency-international-corruption-worst-decade-united-states/

Christopher Bader interview on Chapman University study: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/19/science/sociology-fear-uncertainty.html

Liberty of the Ancients vs the Moderns speech: https://fee.org/resources/the-liberty-of-ancients-compared-with-that-of-moderns/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsoe5BhDiARIsAOXVoUvAN9dp6i3daV7OFgzeY5hfEwHv9JPJETxoenffgIjunKHUPd1SGBUaAj3NEALw_wcB

Federalist 51 - James Madison’s justification for our system of government in men’s natures: https://guides.loc.gov/federalist-papers/text-51-60

Blesses:

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Death of Stalin

Hamilton

Trial of the Chicago 7

Curses

The West Wing

Civil War

Don’t Look Up

Megalopolis

Overthinkers Team Contact and Websites: The Overthinkers: theoverthinkersjournal.world

Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me

Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

Many Christians are worried about the phenomenon of "deconstruction". But what is "deconstruction" and is it something we should fear or embrace? Author and scholar Scot McKnight and musician and pastor Tommy Preson Phillips join to discuss their new book on deconstruction "The Invisible Jesus: A Book About Leaving the Church and Looking for Christ" References and Resources:

Deconstruction Definition: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deconstruction

What Does Deconstruction Mean? https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-does-deconstruction-even-mean

How many people deconstruct? https://www.barna.com/trends/ex-christians-deconstructing/

Why We Should Not Redeem Deconstruction https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/redeem-reconstruction/

Five Reasons Young People are Deconstructing Their Faith: https://careynieuwhof.com/five-real-reasons-young-people-are-deconstructing-their-faith/

Deconstruction encounters from Pastors: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2022/07/deconstruction-faith-pastors-church-lifeway-survey/

Rise in family estrangement: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2021/01/why-parents-and-kids-get-estranged/617612/

Rise of “everyone’s toxic”: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2022/09/toxic-person-tiktok-internet-slang-meaning/670599/

Millennials true religion: customizable beliefs, observation by Dr. Jean Twenge, author of Generations: https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/columns/ad-fontes/generations-by-jean-m-twenge-review-and-reflections/

Blesses

WIldcat

The Great Dechurching

Mrs. Davis

Curses

First Reformed

Silence

Bonhoeffer (film)

Contact and Websites:

Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me

Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

Scot McKnight: https://scotmcknight.substack.com/

Tommy Preson Phillips: http://presonphillips.com/

Do we have a moral obligation to vote for the lesser of two evils? Do we have a moral obligation not to? Joseph Holmes and Nathan Clarkson discuss in the lead up to the American presidential Election.

St. Francis advises voting for lesser of two evils, and why: https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/pope-francis-kamala-harris-donald-trump-rcna171092

History of American “Lesser of Two Evils” debates: https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/lesser-of-two-evils-history-voting/

Reasons to not vote lesser of two evils:

https://www.cato.org/commentary/why-voting-lesser-two-evils-waste-vote

https://www.thedartmouth.com/article/2023/08/karty-the-lesser-of-two-evils-argument-needs-to-die

Americans disatisfied with choices: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/americans-dismayed-by-biden-trump-2024-rematch-reutersipsos-poll-finds-2024-01-25/

Federalist 51 - Why lesser of two evils thinking is built into American government:

https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-04-02-0199#:~:text=If%20men%20were%20angels%2C%20no,on%20government%20would%20be%20necessary.

Blesses:

The Righteous Mind

Eye in the Sky

Lincoln

13 Days

Curses: X/Twitter/Threads

God’s Not Dead: In God We Trust

Conclave

Contact and Websites:

Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me

Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

What are Americans most afraid of? And what does that say about us? Nathan Clarkson and Joseph Holmes discuss. Top ten list for 2024:

https://www.chapman.edu/wilkinson/research-centers/babbie-center/survey-american-fears.aspx

Conversation around Americans fears: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/19/science/sociology-fear-uncertainty.html

Top ten list for 2014: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/10/30/clowns-are-twice-as-scary-to-democrats-as-they-are-to-republicans/ Blesses The Village Nope Where's God When I'm Scared

It: Part One

Curses Beau is Afraid It: Part Two

There's a rise in interest and practice of witchcraft among young people. Is that worth being concerned about? We discuss with journalist Mary Jackson. Notes from the show:

Witchcraft definition:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/witchcraft

Witchcraft history:

https://www.britannica.com/topic/witchcraft

Mary Jackson's article on rise of witchcraft and its harms: https://wng.org/articles/out-of-darkness-1713232697

More modern witchcraft trends

https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/a42798881/magic-touch-witchcraft/

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/paganism-witchcraft-are-making-comeback-rcna54444

https://www.brandeis.edu/now/2021/september/wicca-berger-conversation.html#:~:text=It%20is%20estimated%20that%20there,approximately%20800%2C000%20Americans%20are%20Wiccans

Blesses The Crucible The Village Talk to Me The Screwtape Letters Curses The Witch The Front Room The Wicked Witch character Contact and Websites:

Nathan Clarkson: nathanclarkson.me

Joseph Holmes: josephholmesstudios.com

Mary Jackson at World Magazine: https://wng.org/authors/mary-jackson

Mary Jackson on X: https://x.com/mbjackson77