— “In surrender, imagine how you might feel as you effortlessly slip deeper into the enveloping embrace of compassion. Perhaps we will open to the nature of life itself as the incomparable, dynamic, and bewildering ongoing play of compassion. Imagine every disappointment, every celebration, every completion or incompletion, every obstacle, every triumph or failure, every emotion, every beautiful and painful moment of this life is and has only ever been the play compassion, of love making itself known in the form of joy and sadness. We could include every loss as well. Every life is the play of compassion in the world.

At the end of seeking, there are no more topics to put under a microscope of reason, no more controversies to debate, no more conclusions to be carefully wrapped and tied up in a bow. There are no further antidotes to layer upon ego or that even make sense. To continue indulging in such things is an avoidance of the truth. To surrender is to approach this quality of knowing. We were born in compassion. We live by compassion alone. And one day we will be swept away into compassion.”

Valeria interviews Gary Horvitz — He is a retired medical professional. He has been a climate activist, a nomad, a travel blogger, a poet and author.

He has contributed to online publications on the issues of spirituality, activism, the global energy transition and climate and has just completed facilitating a year-long course, One Year to Live. He is a grandfather, a Masters swimmer for four decades and one of Bayo Akomolafe's Mountain Dancers, which means we are zig-zagging our way into the future in a four-dimensional dance because that's the only way everything and everyone can become One.

To learn more about Gary Horvitz and his work, please visit: https://substack.com/@garyhorvitz, https://spontaneouspresence.net/ and Just Passing Through

— “Growing in faith requires us to take our eyes off ourselves and place them fully on the character of God. So often when we say we want to grow in our faith, we make an effort to do something that displays a godly character. But living in a godly way should be a by-product of our knowledge of the true nature of God and the result of our being connected to Jesus by the Holy Spirit. When we believe God’s Word over what other people say is right or true, then we will be set free to walk in holiness and victory. “Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32).” — Writes Sue Corl in Broken, But Undefeated: Journeying Through the Hall of Faith.

Valeria interviews Sue Corl — She is the author of “Crown of Beauty, A Twelve Week Women's Bible Study: Renewed in His Intimate Love and Delight, Broken, But Undefeated: Journeying Through the Hall of Faith, For Such a Time as This: Walking Through Crisis and many other titles.

Sue Corl is an international women’s conference speaker, author, mentor, Bible teacher, missionary, founder and Executive Director of Crown of Beauty International, and His Heartbeat Podcast host. Her greatest joy is being a wife and mother of two adult children. She has a passion to see women set free to live in the powerful truths of who they are in Christ and the love of God. She served as a missionary for twenty-five years in Asia. Currently, she travels to minister to women throughout Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the U.S. She has a Master’s of Education from the University of Hawaii and a Master’s of Christian Counseling from Philadelphia Biblical University. She is the author of several books including Crown of Beauty Twelve Week Bible Study, For Such a Time as This, and Broken but Undefeated.

To learn more about Sue Corl and her work, please visit: https://www.crownofbeautyinternational.com/ and https://www.sue-corl.com/

— Intergenerational family trauma (aka intergenerational trauma) refers to a broad spectrum of symptoms, dynamics, and genetics resulting from the traumatic experiences of an individual or family, which are later passed down to the next generation of the family. The research on intergenerational trauma has predominantly focused on specific ethnic or cultural groups, like Jewish descendants of Holocaust survivors and African-American descendants of American chattel slaves. Researchers found that many descendants show unique characteristics that resembled the PTSD of the trauma survivors (their ancestors) themselves (Van Steenwyk et al. 2018). While this field of study is relatively new and rather sparse, the findings have been consistent and undeniable: intergenerational trauma is a real thing. If you have experienced significant family stress and trauma, if your parents, grandparents, or even great-grandparents experienced traumas at various points, Dr. Ernest’s work should be helpful for you as valuable guidance toward a thriving life!

Valeria interviews Dr. Ernest Ellender — He is the author of “This Is How We Heal from Painful Childhoods: A Practical Guide for Healing Past Intergenerational Stress and Trauma.”

Ernest Ellender worked in the fields of psychology, life coaching, and martial arts for over 25 years, culminating in his book entitled “This Is How We Heal From Painful Childhoods: A Practical Guide for Healing Past Intergenerational Stress and Trauma”. After earning his doctorate in clinical psychology (2007), Ernest focused heavily on application of research and theory to provide therapy and life coaching to community-based clients. He also taught at Nicholls State University before retiring from clinical psychology in 2022. He is a 3rd degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and runs his martial arts school in his hometown of Houma, Louisiana while additionally offering Life Coaching services to ambitious clients. His advanced martial arts training lent unique insights into the process of developing precise, complex skills. Ernest combined the best of both psychology and martial arts training into an empowering curriculum for healing from childhood and family struggles. The rich Cajun heritage of south Louisiana where Ernest grew up includes amazing, close-knit communities that celebrate family life and a close connection to the land (hunting, fishing, farming, food), as well as a long history of cultural traumas that persist today. This offered fertile grounds for refining his curriculum before offering it to the world in his new book. Known affectionately in his hometown as “Waffle”, Ernest keeps busy spending time with family and friends and significant other, working out at his brother’s CrossFit gym, learning new skills (freediving, dancing), or planning his next vacation to experience new cultures and adventures.

To learn more about Dr. Ernest Ellender and his work, please visit: healfromchildhood.com