Advertise on podcast: Changing

No matter what stage of life you’re at, we all feel the temptation to give up. After all, why should we bother trying to do good each day? In today’s episode of Changing, Donald discusses how we can persevere through obstacles and continue living by God’s word, even when it seems difficult. Israelites were the Egyptian’s slaves for hundreds of years. The Lord sent Moses to be the instrument to lead the Israelites out of slavery to their promised land. When Moses told everyone they were leaving, the people were skeptical. After all, Moses wasn’t the first one who tried to escape. The Israelites crossed out of Egypt to travel to a home of happiness. However, many Israelites grew anxious about their Egyptian captors apprehending them. God guided them thus far, and he didn’t bring them to die. What would you do? You could run, fight, or give up. Or you could do what Moses did - have faith.  Moses likely thought about how much faith and trust the people had put in God during their journey. They didn’t come this far to only come this far. We know what ended up happening - Moses parted the sea, and after the Israelites passed, the water drowned the Egyptians who gave chase. The moral of the story? If God told you that he’s going to do something, and you remain faithful, trust him! This is the person who created everything. If he can create everything, he can probably help you pay that utility bill, raise a family, or find a job. You need his guidance and strength to do what he knows you should do. Above all, first, lead with love. If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected], or contact him on Twitter or Instagram.

Father’s Day is an important holiday for many reasons. While our relationship with our heavenly father is imperative, loving and serving our earthly father is just as important. In today’s episode of Changing, Donald discusses how we can serve our father and build a better relationship for long-term growth with five different strategies. Learn about your past. Research your family tree and do genealogy to learn about your family’s past. Cook a meal with your father. What’s the cuisine or recipe your dad loves making or eating?  Create those things with him, and create a family recipe to pass down to your own kids. Talk to him. Learn about how he met your mother, what he used to do when he was younger, or memorable moments from his own life. Conversations about his interests will help you learn more about him and give him a chance to speak about his aspirations.  Plan a vacation or stay-cation: Plan a short trip together depending on your resources and relationship with your father! Consider traveling back to his hometown or a memorable time of his life so he can share another part of his life with you. Play a game. Whether in-person or remote, playing a game together will be an easy and enjoyable way to spend time together and enjoy one another’s company. A final bonus tip: pray for him. Especially if you don’t have the best relationship with your father, you’d be amazed at what can happen when you approach the situation with humility to the Lord. Above all, first, lead with love. If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected], or contact him on Twitter or Instagram.

The most powerful things we can do as Christians are to love, share, and invite others to change and love God. In today’s episode of Changing, Donald discusses these three topics and explains how we can use them to help everyone feel the inspiration to draw closer to Christ. Love Everything the Savior did comes back to love. We need to love our brothers and sisters if we want to help them. It’s not about you; it’s about helping and caring for other individuals. The best way you can help someone change and grow closer to God is by loving them. Share Many people refrain from talking about church when friends and coworkers ask us what we did over the weekend. But why not?  Share about the beautiful choir performance, a fish-fry fundraiser, or any other important event that could benefit them. You’re sharing something that could genuinely help them! You can also share your church’s events and information, or God’s messages, on social media. Invite Give your local community a natural way to be a part of your church community.  As they spend time around your church community, they’ll feel God’s presence, and, over time, they’ll see the trajectory to change. Above all, first, lead with love. If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected], or contact him on Twitter or Instagram.

On today’s episode of Changing, we’re joined by fellow podcaster Stephen A. Hart as he describes his relationship with Christ and how he gained faith amid multiple obstacles in his life.  Stephen was incredibly successful as a business owner. After graduating from college in ‘99, Stephen found himself in the mortgage industry before starting his first business in the financial sector in 2005. In 2007, his business was thriving. Because of that, he purchased things like a million-dollar brownstone and a Jamaican wedding. His success was cut short, however, when he discovered a massive investment had tanked. How did Stephen recover from the tanked investment? Having everything ripped from under him three weeks into marriage had a massive blow to his pride.  Shortly after the business collapse, so did the real estate and financial market. Everything fell apart. Left with personal debt, Stephen had to dissolve his business and start over with a new structure. Amid this turmoil, he found God. After this ordeal, Stephen wanted to understand what life was really about.  He realized he needed to look to God for what's next. He changed his entire mindset and began to focus on new goals. And so, over the next ten years, he reframed everything. The way he looks at money, his life, and his legacy.  How does Stephen maintain his relationship with God? Throughout the pandemic, Stephen anchored himself in Matthew 6:25-34 and Phillippians 4:6-8. His focus this last year was to go not one day at a time, but one hour at a time. Stephen’s lasting advice: change happens. We’re always working on ourselves, but over time, those changes will lead to positivity in your future if God is at the center. Connect with Stephen on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, as well as his website. Reach out to him if you have any questions or want to know more about his journey to Christ.

We’re not always at our strongest, but through our faith, it’s something we can fortify and improve. In today’s episode of Changing, Donald discusses the importance of faith and how we, as followers of God, should be willing to overcome obstacles through our faith. Abraham was told to sacrifice his only son.  In Genesis 22, Abraham leads his son, Isaac, up the mountain to sacrifice him. This experience is profoundly sad, but Abraham knew God would not lead him wrong. Not only did Abraham have to trust God, but Isaac had to trust Abraham. Everyone knew the other was doing the right thing.  While we aren’t asked to sacrifice children, we make sacrifices every day, from our money and time to our food and willpower. Frequently, we don’t act like Abraham. We all have times when we feel our sacrifice is too great.  Donald remembers questioning how he’d be able to afford his new rent payment when he moved to a new office building.  However, he realized if he stepped foot in the dark, the Lord would provide the opportunity he needed. Think about how many people the Lord has helped throughout the bible. If he did that for them, he would do those for you. If you don’t have sufficient faith to do something, pray. Pray to the Lord for strength to go up the mountain and do what you need. Whatever situation you’re in, the Lord will provide. He’ll provide what you need if you have faith in him. If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected], or contact him on Twitter or Instagram.

Temples are not new - they’re holy places to separate our faith from the cares and concerns of the everyday world. In today’s episode of Changing, Donald is joined by the owner of Flood Me Social (a Tik Tok influencer marketing firm), Michael Manzur, to discuss his trips, travels, and perspective behind the importance of temples. The beauty and nature of why we go to temples are essential. Temples are a representation of a holy place. Regardless of religion, there are places you can go to grow in your spiritual journey.  They’re a place for solitude and reflection, and they’re tremendously crucial to every religion. What happens inside temples? Because they are holy places, many obtain a temple recommend before entering. It’s a series of questions by a faith leader, where they ask questions pertaining to your faith.  As you enter the temple, you leave the world behind. You enter to learn and to serve.  Depending on your faith, there are baptisms and areas for reflection.  Temples aren’t always secret; they’re sacred. Many temples have open houses, inviting people outside the faith to enjoy the decor, atmosphere, and history that makes the temple special. CNN did a special feature showing the inside of an LDS Church; click here to watch it. At temples, you can take your burdens to God. You don’t have to be a faith member to get value and peace from these special places. For more content from Michael, find him on YouTube, Tik Tok, and Instagram. Temples are a symbol of our faith, and it’s important we recognize their importance for any religious community. If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected], or contact him on Twitter or Instagram.

Delegation is vital to help other people grow and improve (as well as help ourselves when we’re overloaded.) In today’s episode of Changing, Donald explains how to delegate church responsibilities better. For more context, check out our prior episode discussing the importance of humility. Here’s what many people skip when it comes to delegating: Exodus 18:20 - And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and thou shalt show them the way they must walk and the work they must do. If you’re delegating a task, you need to provide the vision, idea, and direction of what you want out of the task. You can’t give a task without providing clear instruction, just like you can’t pull a stranger off the street and expect them to know how to handle your job. You have people willing to help you out like Moses had people helping him. If someone is able and willing to help you, do not be afraid to teach them and show them what’s right to get the job done. There is nothing wrong with asking for help, including church activities.  Everyone deserves a chance to learn and grow alongside God. Be the catalyst that helps people take that next step. If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected], or contact him on Twitter or Instagram.

There are things about Moses we often overlook. And in today’s episode of Changing, our host Donald Kelly goes through his life. In this first part of a two-part discussion, Donald looks at what we can learn from Moses and how living a humble life kept him a devoted servant of the Lord. The Lord can use us despite our shortcomings. God already knows all our weaknesses and flaws. So if he calls on us to do something, it’s because he knows we can overcome the obstacles and fulfill his calling. Moses wasn’t as good a speaker as his brother, yet the Lord chose him to lead his people out of Egypt. That wasn’t by accident. Despite becoming the leader of millions, Moses remained humble. In Exodus 18:12, Jethro taught Moses the importance of delegation of responsibility. Moses had just brought millions of people across the Red Sea and now was being advised by an ordinary man. Rather than dismissing his ideas, Moses was humble enough to listen to Jethro. In doing so, he became a better student of the Lord. Jethro wasn’t sharing his ideas for his own ego; he did it to better help Moses to lead. In our lives, many people will give us guidance. While we don’t always have to obey the ideas they share, listening to their opinions and leaving our egos behind can help us improve. Take council as you would take something from a grocery store. You look at everything, consider everything, but only take what you want.   If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected], or contact him on Twitter or Instagram.

Happy Easter from Changing! Easter is a day to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and Christians around the world come together to celebrate. (For the history of the holiday, check out our previous episode!) Easter is a powerful holiday with a powerful message, and the meaning behind it shouldn’t be limited to one day. In today’s podcast, Donald discusses five ways to celebrate Easter all year long! Dedicate your life to Christ. A church leader told Donald, “the only thing we can give to Christ is our will.” Christ gave up everything for us to have eternal life.  When Donald prepared for his two-year mission, he changed the books, the music, and the people he surrounded himself with to better reflect Jesus.  Look at your day-to-day life. Are these things conducive to you being a better Christian? Take part in family history. Family history is an opportunity to learn both about yourself and your ancestors. When you can connect with the people before you, you get the chance to see the qualities of the people that ultimately shaped you. Christ’s resurrection gave us the chance to have a physical body again, meaning you’ll get the opportunity to see these folks again. Teach someone else about Jesus Christ. The idea of Easter is that the apostles spread the message of Christ’s resurrection. How many times do we share that message today? God encourages us to spread the gospel and his message, yet many of us fail to do this as frequently as we should. Watch a movie or listen to music that carries Easter’s message. Media focused on the story of God, Christ’s resurrection, or just God’s message are great sources to allow God to have a part in every aspect of your life. Attend church each week. We go to church so we can learn and become better.  If once each week sounds like too heavy of a commitment, start with once a month. Simply begin making an effort to improve your relationship with God, and the personal change will come with time.  If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected].

Easter is one of the most important holidays of Christianity. But what happened that made it the holiday today, with the eggs and bunnies? In today’s episode of Changing, Donald dives into the holiday history, helping us realize why Easter is so important and why we celebrate it the way we do.  Easter is the Christian holiday celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Following his resurrection, Jesus presented himself in front of Mary Magdalene and other disciples. In Luke 24:39, Christ showed them that Jesus was real and that he took upon our sins so we could be cleansed from our mistakes. While Easter was celebrated after that point, it didn’t have the moniker we know today. Why doesn’t Easter have a set day each year? Easter Sunday (and related celebrations like Ash Wednesday) are not on a specific date. Typically, Easter is celebrated on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. One theory states that this ties back to light, because the full moon's light symbolizes Jesus’s light of the world. Another theory considers the Council of Nicaea. At this point in history, different parts of the world used various calendars, with some using the Gregorian and some using the Julian calendar. This could have affected the dates of the celebration. Common Easter traditions: A series of Easter events begins with Lent, a 40-day fast. A holy week, including Palm Sunday, Holy Wednesday, Holy Thursday, (the celebration of the last supper), Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, occurs throughout the holiday. For Donald, Jamaica’s heavy British influence meant he celebrated eating Easter Bun, which is essentially a fruitcake. The earliest reported observance was in the 2nd century. We assume people did before that, but there’s little documentation. The name Easter ties to the Spring goddess Eostre. While Christians recognized Easter as a Christian celebration, they continued to use the name to designate the holiday as a Springtime celebration. Historians don’t know why the tradition of eggs and bunnies started, but it began with German immigrants in the 1700s.  Rabbits are enthusiastic procreators. So, baby bunnies became associated with birth and renewal. Eggs, in certain cultures, are associated with fertility and rebirth. There’s not anything explicitly stating why these associations made their way into Easter celebrations.  Episode Sources: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/easter?lang=eng https://www.rd.com/article/easter-on-different-sunday-every-year/https://www.rd.com/article/easter-on-different-sunday-every-year/ https://www.google.com/search?q=Easter+banners&oq=Easter+banners&aqs=chrome..69i57j0i131i433i512l4j69i60l3.2728j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/history-of-easter https://theconversation.com/why-easter-is-called-easter-and-other-little-known-facts-about-the-holiday-75025 If this podcast speaks to you or helps you on your journey to change, let us know by leaving a rating or review. Share your testimony or contact Donald at [email protected].