Heart & Soul

About Heart & Soul

Real conversations about love and relationships, guided by God.

Publisher

incmedia.org

Category

religion & spirituality · society & culture · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

7 Jun 2019

Latest episode

10 Oct 2024

Latest episodes

17 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   10 Oct 2024

   A Good Relationship Between Adult Children And Parents

   Keziah Gutierrez: And I also knew in the back of my mind that my dad is getting older, my mom is getting older. McGill Onate: Once that kind of clicked to me, I was like they know so much more why am I trying to do everything myself? Hannah Limon: I’m strong now because of you two. Katrina Nicole Espiritu: Wait, I'm not crying. I'm just— Taylor Joy Lagpacan: Why am I getting so emotional right now?! [Show intro] Kez: Welcome to the Heart and Soul podcast, where we have honest conversations that nurture our souls. Today we're talking about relationships with our parents as adults. As we enter adulthood, entering college or getting a first job, first apartment, our first bills, we begin to build a life for our own one that becomes a blueprint of how our lives should be. We decide who we spend our time with and what we spend our time on. But the question is, as an adult, what about our relationship with our parents? So let's talk about it. I'm Kez G, your host for today's episode. Let's have a Heart and Soul conversation. [Music] Kez: I am also joined by my co-hosts today from all over the world. McGill, from Canada, Katrina from the Philippines, Hannah from California, and Taylor from San Diego. Co-Hosts: Hello. Hi. Kez: And of course, we'd like to welcome Brother Donald Pinnock, a Minister of the Gospel in the Church Of Christ. Hello, Brother Donald! Brother Donald Pinnock: Hi. This is going to be a very, very interesting and insightful conversation for sure. Kez: So today we're talking about our parents, our relationship with our parents. Especially now as we're all living in our 20s. We're all 20 years old and above, and all of us, all your co-hosts are in different stages. And, you know, in movies, once you graduate high school, we hear about, or the movies show people our age packing our things, moving out to colleges or leaving the nest and then going out there in the world and doing our own thing. So here's a question I'd like to ask us to start us off: Thinking about your own relationship with your parents (https://incmedia.org/lessons-my-parents-taught-me/), how involved are your parents in the decisions that you make as a young adult? I'm actually going to start off with Taylor, how [is] your relationship with your parents? And when you started, you know, start making your own decisions? you know, buying your first car and everything. How involved were they? Taylor: Very involved is the quick answer. I would…I feel like it's safe to say that my parents have been very involved with my decisions (https://incmedia.org/growing-together-parents-and-adult-children/), you know, forever, my entire life. And, you know, I feel like I've just continued as I grew into adulthood. But right now, at this point in my life, you know, I'm working, I'm trying to become more financially stable on my own. And at this point, I feel like my parents are definitely not as involved as they were, let's say 2 or 3 years ago, but they are still involved in the sense that they ask me, every now and then, like how I'm doing with work, how I'm doing in terms of reaching my financial goals, other goals in my life. So, they're still very involved in the sense that they show me that they're still interested in what's going on in my life, but they're not going to pry for answers from me. Kez: I'm similar as well. They just ask me how I'm going with my adult life. When I was younger, I would ask, you know, can I, can we eat out at a restaurant and my mom would say, you have food at home and now as an adult. I mean, the other day I was pretty much driving back home from work, and I saw, like, a fast food joint, and I'm like, I'm kind of hungry right now. Like, you know,

2. 

   26 Sept 2024

   The Value Of Having Patience

   Kiara Rabara: Okay, maybe this is not what God wants for me yet. Maybe He has another plan for me McGill Onate: So knowing all of that, it's like I have a safety net and I could freely fall. God will catch me Marco Mangada: That's extra time for you to become worthy, or at least be prepared to receive such a blessing. Bernadette Fernandez: And God will show you your way out to a better and happier life. You just got to trust him. [Show intro] Marco: Hello, everyone. Welcome to the new season of Heart And Soul podcast, where we have honest conversations that nurture our souls. Today we're asking about how to have patience. Patience in knowing what major to study. Then fast forward in life so we can finally finish school. Then patience in landing the right job. The list goes on and on. So how can we be patient? While waiting for answers to our prayers. Let's talk about it. I'm Marco, your host for today's episode. Let's have a Heart And Soul conversation. [Music] Marco: And with me today, are co-hosts coming from different parts of the world. Beautiful people coming from Canada, California and Florida. We have McGill, Bernadette and Kiara. Hello, guys! McGill: What's up everyone? Kiara: Hey. Bernadette: Hi. What's up? Marco: Pleasure having you guys right here. Let's go! Let's keep this energy going. So, yeah, before we start, I would like for you guys to take a quick moment to breathe in and breathe it out. Can we do it all together, guys? Yeah, let's do it. Cool. So. Breathe in. Hold it in and breathe out. So, take it slow. Everything's going to be okay. We're here for you. And the reason why we're saying that is because we know how fast everything is at the moment. And what better way to remind us of the value of patience is having more patience other than to have a conversation with good people. And for spiritual guidance, since this is Heart And Soul, where we always aspire to stay grounded with the teachings from the Bible. We have a Minister of the Gospel, Brother Donald Pinnock. Hi, Brother Donald. Brother Donald Pinnock: Hey, Brother Marco and everybody else. It's a great pleasure to be with you in our discussion. Marco: I am so starstruck at the moment, so let's keep this going. So there have been a lot of talks about how to achieve certain things in life, be it finding the perfect person to be in a relationship with (https://incmedia.org/is-god-leading-you-into-a-relationship/), getting the perfect job that actually pays well, and maybe graduating in a course that leads you to your ideal career. But the thing that ties all of those together is how you can be patient for all those things to eventually happen (https://incmedia.org/how-to-receive-answers-from-god/). So kind of like an icebreaker to keep the conversation going. What specific event or thing made you be in a situation to be patient or be tested in patience? Let’s start with Kiara. Kiara: Hello, everyone. So actually very recently, this past year, I found out I was supposed to graduate in December. And, just because of a couple of things, I came up some some issues with school, ended up being pushed to an extra semester, which is like an extra couple, 6, 4 to 6 months and it's really difficult to try and kind of keep up with that because when you know, you're super, super close to the goal, like, we're already in April and I was counting down the months to December. And then another four months got added and it just felt like another year. So like my reaction to having to wait a little bit longer. It was just very, very difficult for me to process. Marco: A follow up question, though, you think people are more impatient when they know what they want,

3. 

   12 Sept 2024

   Spiritual Care is Self Care

   Katrina Nicole Espiritu: Spiritual care is the best self care that they can make in their every day lives. Hannah P. Limon: You know, not being stuck so much with what I feel I can try to do, but more so on what God can do for me. Nikki Custodio: You know, I think God takes great care of us in a way that we are still able to manage our day to day lives. Keziah Gutierrez: I think put God first and everything will follow. [Show intro] Hannah: Welcome to the Heart and Soul podcast, where we have honest conversations that nurture our souls. And this is the start of our brand new season. So excited to have Heart and Soul back. And today we're talking about something a lot of us think about doing, but maybe can't find time to do that. We're talking about self-care, how it can help us, calm us, soothe us. But is there such a thing as too much self-care? And how can spiritual care be self-care? So let's talk about it. I'm Hannah, your host for today's episode, let's have a Heart and Soul conversation. [Music] Hannah: I'm so excited to kick off this new season. I'm not going to lie, it's crazy because for most of us, we've been listeners of Heart and Soul, and here we are. It's quite a journey, and with me are also my fellow co-hosts Kat from the Philippines, Kez from Australia and Nikki here in the States, actually in California. Hi, ladies. Nikki: Hello, hi! Kez: Hello, good morning! Kat: Hello. Hannah: So self-care, what do you all do for your form of self-care in your everyday lives? Just to let you all think about it real quick. Here's a source according to Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/skinny-revisited/201805/self-care-101): [Source: psychologytoday.com (https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/skinny-revisited/201805/self-care-101)] “Self care in essence is the mindful taking of time to pay attention to you, not in a narcissistic way, but in a way that ensures that you are being cared for by you.” Hannah: So now we got a fair sense of what self-care is defined as by various sources around the world. So for us four here, how strongly would you all say that self-care has been integrated into our feeds? So let me start off with Kez from Australia, hi! Kez: Okay, so for me, my self-care is actually quite different I think from everybody, my self-care is silence. That's because of my line of work. I'm a teacher, and Hannah I know you're a teacher too. Hannah: Oh yes. In elementary, though. You're in high school, right? Kez: Yes, I'm a high school teacher. But it's still the same. It's a lot of noise. You do get over-stimulated noise. So my form of self-care is just to sit down somewhere and just be quiet. Hannah:  Relax. Be in the presence. Kez: Yeah, but, you know, doing that as well kind of helps me kind of just, like, calm down everything. Because I've got a lot of things to think about at work. And just gives me time to just kind of just take a break. So just take a brain break, as we say in the classroom. And so sometimes I just let my mind wander on just things: What am I going to cook for dinner tonight? Or what show should I watch at the end of the day? Hannah: Yes, I know it. And same here. It's also, it's my dream job to just be in the classroom and teach. For younger students, they're still understanding the world, and there's just so much that they need to develop in their, you know, in their minds. But I get what you mean. There's so many decisions we make in our jobs and for people in our age, there's also many decisions we make as well, even in our studies. So of course, there's just times when we just need to relax, take a breather. So,

4. 

   15 Jun 2023

   What is a Wellness Journal

   What Is A Wellness Journal [Cold Open] Bernadette: I always try to end one of my entries with love. Why do I care about them so much and what has made me so angry? And then why do I still love this person so much? McGill: With every writing session let me write something that actually matters to me. Let me write something that I will actually benefit from. Brother Donald: Keeping a record of what we go through in our daily life and trying to, not only assess, but work to improve. Well, all the more when it comes to our service to God (https://incmedia.org/our-beliefs/worship-of-god/) and utilizing his teachings wisely. [Heart and Soul Introduction] Gretchen: You're listening to Heart and Soul, a podcast from the Iglesia Ni Cristo (Church Of Christ). I'm one of your hosts, Gretchen Asuncion. And it's here where we have real conversations with friends who are helping each other reach the best Christian version of themselves. This is Heart and Soul (https://incmedia.org/heart-and-soul/). Gretchen: Hey, everyone! It's Gretchen. With me today are our hosts, Bernadette. Hey, Bernadette. Bernadette: Hi Gretchen! How are you? Gretchen: I am good. Staying warm or trying to at least. How are you? Bernadette: I’m alright. Gretchen: Also we have McGill. Hi, McGill. How are you today? McGill: I am pretty good. I feel good. I hope you feel good as well Gretchen. Gretchen: I do. Thank you. Thank you. McGill: Awesome. Awesome. Gretchen: And of course, we have a minister of the Gospel. Brother Donald Pinnock. Hello, Brother Donald, thank you so much for joining us. Brother Donald: Hi, Gretchen, Bernadette and McGill. I'm very very happy to be with you right now. Gretchen: Awesome. Now, before I start here, I know many of us take notes during worship service (https://incmedia.org/finding-reassurance-in-the-worship-service/). So why do we take notes during worship service? Is it something that inspires us, especially with the verses? You know, how is it that we give importance as we take notes during the worship service? McGill: Personally, what I think the the nice benefits of taking notes during worship service is that it's a nice reminder, right? With notes, it's a nice reminder about everything that really happened during the worship (https://incmedia.org/learning-theres-a-right-way-to-worship-god/) service. And then you could reflect on your day-to-day if it if there's anything that you can learn from or to improve yourself as a person. Bernadette: For myself, when I take notes for the worship service, I take the overall idea and the verses that I could remember, and I put it on paper, and then I compare it to my week. And then I try to look for what is God trying to tell me in the lesson. Gretchen: Awesome. Well, I do take notes as well. So kind of helps me,  kind of conclude exactly what the worship service (https://incmedia.org/finding-peace-in-a-church-of-christ-place-of-worship/) is. And they really do inspire me. So today we're going to talk about wellness journals and their value in keeping track of and giving importance to the words of God we regularly receive. What is a wellness journal? And how do we start? And is it in line with what God wants for us? So with that, do you guys know what a wellness journal is? I guess, like how could you when you hear the term wellness journal? What is your definition of it? McGill: Oh, well, this is the first time I've really heard that a wellness journal is actually a thing. But based on what it sounds like, it sounds like a diary or a journal (https://incmedia.org/productivity-hacks-for-the-creative-christian/) that you probably just write down your feelings or stuff to keep track of how your day is going or just to keep track of like how are you doing in your life?

5. 

   3 Nov 2022

   Friendships [REWIND]

   Martin Zerrudo: Hey everyone, we’re back with a REWIND episode. And this conversation is a real treat because I’m joined by our Former Co-Host, Lois Paula, and Brother Jojo Bayani, a minister of the gospel in the Church Of Christ. We asked Brother Jojo all sorts of questions about navigating our friendships (https://incmedia.org/choosing-friendships-being-accepted/). You know, this episode was recorded a few years back, but there’s a lot of useful advice here—I definitely learned a lot from this conversation—and of course, got some spiritual guidance on how to be a good friend, and the kind of friendships that we should have in our life. Here’s that conversation.[Music] Martin Zerrudo: Question number one: when it comes to courting (https://incmedia.org/how-to-approach-dating-as-a-christian/), do we put guys before our potential one that we're going to go for? Or do we put our girls before the one that we're going to go for? Krystal, what are your thoughts? If you were going to go for somebody and you knew that a friend of yours had feelings for them, is that ok? How do you navigate that situation?Krystal Quarles: I would personally talk to my friend and ask ‘Hey, is this ok?’ But I've been on the other side and I've seen some of my friends really, really happy and that's ok too. That's totally fine.Lois: I mean, Martin and Lenner, we asked about like, you know I'm talking about you're in a relationship and your friends need you. Your boys need you, or you want to have a guys’ night…Martin: Oh, man. I've had this conversation with Erica many times, where it's just like, for me, the time that I've devoted to my friends, that's time for them. And then the time that I've devoted to you, as my girlfriend, that's time for you. And I don't want to mix and match and make the other person or make you feel like that time is… is negotiable, you know? If there has to be adjustments, then that's fine, you have to adapt. But if I've given this time to Erica, then that's my time with her. Like, I'm going to give you 110% of my attention. But then if it's a guy's night and we needed to chill, then it's like, that's my time with them. Like, they also deserve my 110% affection as my friends and attention as well. I don't know Lenner, am I crazy?Lenner Sese: No, no. Not crazy at all. At the same time, on my part, I'm understanding as well. Out of our group of friends (https://incmedia.org/a-true-friend-will-be-there-when-you-need-it/) I'm the only single guy. So I know you guys have obligations to your girlfriends.Lois: Is there anything, any guidance in the Bible about who or what we should choose over what? If we are wrong in choosing one or the other? Is there anything — any guidance that you can give unto us, so that we can make the right decisions if we are presented with that challenge in the future?Brother Jojo Bayani: Sure, Sister LP. As we mentioned in part one, I'll use the same verse. It's 1 Corinthians 15:33 of the Expanded version of the Bible, it's:Do not be ·fooled [deceived; misled]: “Bad·friends [company] will ruin good ·habits [or character; morals; [1 Corinthians 15:33 Expanded Bible]Brother Jojo: I think the one of the best and one of the main guidelines that we should have in choosing our friends is to make sure that kind of friendship (https://incmedia.org/christian-brotherhood/) is based on how we should be living our lives, in accordance to the teachings of God. And how do you know when one is either a bad friend or a good friend? Well, the Bible says bad friends will indeed ruin good character, morals, [and] good habits. And we can translate – simply translate – habits or character or morals to what we've learned. Let that be our measurement stick in basing the kind of friendships that we have with members of the Church Of Christ and even those who are not members of the Church Of Christ. I remember when I was younger I had wonderful friends who didn't share the same be...

6. 

   18 Aug 2021

   Is God Leading You Into a Relationship?

   [Lead In] Martin Zerrudo: So let's set the stage. You like them. They like you. You're both members of the Church Of Christ (https://incmedia.org/our-beliefs/) and are of age to start the courting process. What do you do? Are things moving too fast? Too slow? Do things feel easy? And is the relationship progressing naturally? Or does it feel a little forced? What do your friends think? What does your family think? Is God leading you into a relationship? Or is He trying to show you some red flags? Let's have a Heart & Soul conversation. [Show open] Martin: Hello, everyone, hope we're finding you well, and that you and your family continue to be safe and healthy at this time. Today, we'll be talking about whether God is leading you into a relationship or if you're seeing something that maybe isn't there. A lot of our listeners in the past have reached out and asked us to talk about the one. And we definitely have, but today we'll be focusing more on being aware of whether or not they aren't the one. Joining us today is Brother Donald Pinnock, a minister of the gospel in the Church Of Christ. Hi, Brother Donald, how are you today? Brother Donald Pinnock: Not too bad, Brother Martin. And thank you for having me on the program. Martin: We always love having you. So we went online and found a couple things people point to as red flags for when you may be forcing a relationship with someone. And here they are. The first one is you talk about them like they're already your boyfriend or girlfriend, even though you aren't. Number two, you bend over backwards for them and they never reciprocate. Number three, you defend your relationship to your friends who express concerns. Number four, you make up excuses for why they never call you or text you back right away. And lastly, you tell yourself that they're going to want a relationship eventually, and that they will change even though they show no signs of it. So Brother Donald, why are so many youth today finding themselves in this predicament where they may be forcing a relationship that isn't there? Brother Donald: Well, Brother Martin, there's so many reasons. For example, there are those who, due to peer pressure, they feel compelled to have a relationship, whether it be an actual one, or, as you mentioned an imagined one, since most of their friends already have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Others may really want to have a meaningful relationship (https://incmedia.org/love-in-the-time-of-coronavirus/) with someone. However, they're just too fearful of approaching that individual. Of course, they're afraid of rejection. Thus, they imagine or just assume that the other person has the same feelings for them. And they leave it at that. On the part of the females or as we call sisters in the Church, they may feel attracted to a brother, but in fear of being labeled as too forthcoming or just too aggressive, they resort to telling themselves that the individual they have a crush on has the same feelings or sentiment for them. In order to avoid creating such a scenario, however, it is very important that members of the Church keep in mind the following tenet or teaching of the Bible. And we can read the following in Proverbs 19:14: Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. [Proverbs 19:14 New International Version] Church Of Christ members then are taught to ask God for everything (https://incmedia.org/how-do-i-know-god-is-listening-to-my-prayers/) that they need, including when it comes to a suitable or prudent wife, and in fact, husband for that matter.

7. 

   18 Aug 2021

   Always Trust God (Especially After A Breakup)

   Always Trust God (Especially After a Breakup) [Lead In] Martin Zerrudo: Getting over a breakup isn't easy. It can be a painful, sad and prolonged period of self-reflection (https://incmedia.org/shared-stories-can-help-us-feel-less-alone/). Many turn to friends, family and social media to find solace in their grief. Now when someone we care about, someone we love leaves, we're left with so many questions. What if the answer to these questions—and about how to heal after a breakup, how to overcome a broken heart—what if they could be found in Bible verses? Let's have a Heart & Soul conversation. [Show open] Martin Zerrudo: Last year, I was able to talk to a listener, let's call her Jaya. Jaya is in her late 20s and lives in Anaheim, California. And at the time of our conversation, Jaya and her boyfriend, we’ll call him Blake, were very much in love. [Heart & Soul Listener] He was always someone that I was able to talk to really well, because we had a lot of common interests at the same time. We didn't really have any problems like butting heads about things. We were always able to talk about anything. Martin: While some might find this rare, it's because they've known each other for years and shared a common interest. [Heart & Soul Listener] We've actually known each other for a really long time. We've known each other for maybe like over a decade. We've always been really, really good friends. Yeah, we were really good friends. We fed off of each other really well. Simple things like you know, playing video games together. That was something we always did. That was something we always enjoyed. Martin: Jaya actually had feelings for Blake, but he didn't feel the same at the time. Fast forward to now, when Blake confessed his feelings for Jaya, she had a funny way of responding. [Heart & Soul Listener] Yeah, 10 years ago, he rejected me. I remember exactly what he said to me 10 years ago. I kinda remember word for word, what he said to me. He said, like, “Oh, well, this is awkward.” I was like I said, and so, you know, when it happened again, like when he came around, and he was saying [he had feelings for me] Yeah, I jokingly, like [replied] well, this is awkward. Martin: Like the rest of the world, when the pandemic happened (https://incmedia.org/how-to-overcome-the-impact-of-lockdown/), their relationship would hit a brick wall, as their ability to spend time with each other was severely impacted. [Heart & Soul Listener] We had ended up not seeing each other, but we were definitely a lot more sensitive. When we weren't communicating, it was hurting us more. Things got really messy. Martin: They would have a big fight, their first in their relationship. And then Blake would send a text message that changed everything. [Heart & Soul Listener] Just had like our first I don't know if I call it a fight, but it was really the moment things really fell apart. Martin: They wouldn't talk for three months. [Heart & Soul Listener] Yeah, I think we're done. That's all that was said. Martin: Joining us now is Brother Donald Pinnock, a minister of the gospel of the Church Of Christ. Brother Donald, thank you so much for joining us today. How are you?

8. 

   18 Aug 2021

   How To Prepare For A Successful Marriage

   How To Prepare For a Successful Marriage [Lead In] Martin Zerrudo: Is the next step for you and your significant other marriage? Is it something you've already talked about planning for? Is that a topic you're currently avoiding? What should you know before popping the question and how can you make sure that you end up having a successful marriage? Let's have a Heart & Soul conversation. [Show open] Martin: Hello, everyone, hope you're doing well and are safe at home. Today, our topic is focused on helping our listeners gain a better understanding on what to expect when getting married and what to do to make sure their marriage can be happy and successful. At the end of the day, we want to give you as much information and guidance before you commit to one of the most important decisions of your lives. And joining me today to help us with that is Brother Felmar Serreno, a minister of the gospel in the Church Of Christ. Brother Felmar is a husband and father of two and is also the minister on the brand new Happy Life podcast (https://incmedia.org/happy-life/), a podcast where newlyweds can get some tips on having a successful marriage. Hi, Brother Felmar, how are you today? Brother Felmar: Hello, Martin, and to the Heart & Soul team and to everyone who's tuning in. I'm doing well, Martin, thank you for asking. And I just like to say it's a great pleasure for me to be here on Heart & Soul. Martin: Thank you so much, Brother Felmar. And thank you for taking the time to help us with such an important topic that is pivotal and is an important topic for many of our young adult listeners. So, when it comes to deciding when a couple in the Church Of Christ should marry, what are some of the questions that they should be asking themselves? Brother Felmar: To answer that, let's first be reminded that a true spouse is from God. This is proven to us by the Bible in Proverbs 19: 14 we’ll quote from the New Revised Standard Version: Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the LORD. [Proverbs 19:14 New Revised Standard Version] So based on this, one of the very important questions to ask oneself prior to getting married is, is this person that I am courting, or is courting me the answer to my prayers? Is this person the blessing to me from God? Another important question to ask oneself prior to getting married is, am I ready for the blessing like what we heard from the Holy Scriptures, house and wealth are inherited from parents, but house and wealth or other possessions are not just things you just receive? Right? You need to take care of them. There are responsibilities that need to be fulfilled. So, so much more when it comes to marriage. According to the Bible, in God's design of marriage, which is the true and right design, there are responsibilities for the husband, and there are responsibilities for the wife, and there are also shared responsibilities (https://incmedia.org/communication-in-marriage-decision-making/). That's why on the Happy Life podcast, we discuss things like making adjustments, expectations, communication as a married couple for members in the Church Of Christ who are at the courtship stage. Be sure to ask yourselves even before getting engaged. Are you ready for the blessing and the responsibilities that come with marriage? It's important to consider that you have feelings for each other. But it's also important to consider how compatible you are with one another, especially when it comes to working together and shoulderi...

9. 

   17 Aug 2021

   What Does Self-Reflection Mean?

   What Does Self-Reflection Mean? [Lead In] Martin Zerrudo: When you reflect on the meaning of your own life, the struggles you've gone through, how does it make you feel? Strong for having gone through it? Sad for having to still deal with it? What does self-reflection really mean in the grand scheme of things? And more importantly, what do you think God is trying to tell you? Let's have a Heart & Soul conversation. [Show open] Martin: Hello, everyone, hope we're finding you well, and that you and your family continue to be safe and healthy at this time. When talking about the importance of self-reflection. It's an area that a lot of people can use some help with. According to some studies (https://brandminds.live/the-self-improvement-industry-is-estimated-to-grow-to-13-2-billion-by-2022/), the self help industry will be worth over $13 billion in 2022. This translates to millions of different methods out there meant to help us with how to reflect or how to get through the hardest times in our life. We recently asked on our Instagram @incmedianews (https://www.instagram.com/incmedianews/) using #heartandsoulconversations (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/heartandsoulconversations/), what kind of struggles in life have you gone through, and here's what you had to say. [Heart & Soul Listeners] Crippling levels of undiagnosed clinical depression, anxiety and migraines. I thought that was simply how people lived, and assumed that it was normal. I wasn't happy most of the time, all the way up through high school. Being in a family that moves from one place to another, we're trained that our lives change every two years. And so we must learn to adapt. As the new kid in town all the time I had to adjust. I did my best to excel my classes that I got bullied for being included in the honor roll. Even teachers and faculty staff bullied me, even parents who lived near us spread rumors about me. Growing up being the unreasonably disliked kid was tough. I would say loneliness, though there are those times when I felt the heaviness of being lonely, or feeling like I don't have anybody there for me when I'm going through a hard time. And just feeling like I don't have any friends. Martin: According to betterhelp.com (https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/giving-up-on-life-it-could-be-a-sign-you-need-help/) three of the most common reasons why people give up on life are mental health issues, the feeling of not fitting in, and loneliness. And if you listen back to those clips that we just played, those listeners were going through exactly those things. So why didn't they give up? Well, we asked them, Why didn't those struggles break your will? [Heart & Soul Listeners] What kept me going through day to day and dark nights were singing hymns and praying to God. It was traumatic. But it was also the time that I learned how faith works. When I feel like I'm on the brink of giving up, God provides a light of hope. And to know good things and good people are out there. I just have to keep praying and always have that sense of hope. Martin: For some of our listeners, when it came to struggles (https://incmedia.org/how-to-find-true-happiness/), it surprised them how hard it would hurt, especially when it came from a place that they least expected. [Heart & Soul Listeners] Being hit hard with my anxiety due to finding out the people I thoug...

10. 

    17 Aug 2021

    Say Something Nice

    Say Something Nice [Lead In] Martin Zerrudo: When was the last time someone said something nice to you? When was the last time you said something nice to someone else? What did they say? How did it make you feel? Is it something that happens often? Or maybe not often enough? Can a few simple words of kindness (https://incmedia.org/the-healing-power-of-kindness/) actually change people's lives? Let's have a Heart & Soul conversation. [Show open] [Heart & Soul Listeners] Not to be cheesy, but thanks for being the best brother that I could ask for. Love you mom and dad! My boy best friend. I love you, dude. I'm grateful for you. Even though I don't show it. Thank you for introducing me to my wife, and being my oldest friend. [Music Transition] Martin: Hey, everyone, hope you're all doing well and are safe and healthy at home. We're going to start off with a recent study that shows that if you say something nice to someone, you can instantaneously improve their way of life. Here's what the National Institute of Physiological Sciences in Japan (http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0048174) has to say: “Research shows receiving a compliment can enhance performance, social interaction, positivity in relationships, and increase general happiness. Not bad for something that's completely free and takes literally seconds to do. Now with all those benefits and with such little effort involved, you would think complimenting someone or having a good thing to say about someone should happen a little bit more often” But does it? Well. Here's an article from the Huffington Post (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-power-of-a-kind-word_b_5713127) with their take on it: “With all the angst and frustration, a kind word could be the difference between holding on and giving up. Yet, society glamorizes ‘Mean Girls’ and bullying culture. From celebrities to athletes to our school children, we blame the victims of bullying for not standing up. And we incentivize bullies for showing strength. We shamed those that have less or cannot keep up with the Joneses.” And if you couple that with a pandemic, where studies show 1 in 3 people right now are suffering (https://www.futurity.org/anxiety-depression-covid-19-2508972/) from depression or anxiety as a direct result of COVID-19, it's a pretty bleak world out there, which is why we wanted to highlight a social media post we created back in January of 2020, right before this all started. We asked you, our audience, to show a little bit of love. To surprise someone by saying something nice about them and tagging them in the comments. We thought the power of a kind word (https://incmedia.org/how-to-teach-kindness-to-kids/) was something they could really use because according to becomingminimalist.com (https://www.becomingminimalist.com/power-of-a-kind-word/): “a kind word can speak power to someone's life. It can inspire, it can motivate, and it can provide strength to someone who can't find it within themselves.” And that's exactly what you all did. From random nice things to meaningful words from the heart. Here's what you had to say. [Heart & Soul Listeners]

11. 

    17 Aug 2021

    Dear Future Husband, Future Wife

    Dear Future Husband, Dear Future Wife [Lead In] Martin Zerrudo: Have you ever wished you owned a time machine? To be able to fast forward into the future to see what God has in store? And when it comes to love (https://incmedia.org/what-is-the-definition-of-love/), have you ever wondered when you would meet the one you’re going to get married to? Wouldn’t you want to know right now? Well, since we don’t have a time machine, Heart & Soul has the next best thing. What if you could write a love letter, to your future husband or wife? Let’s have a Heart & Soul conversation. [Show open] [Heart & Soul Listeners] Dear future wife, I’ll do the dishes AND the laundry. Dear future husband, our future home will stay between 68 and 72 degrees at all times. Dear future wife, whoever you are, wherever you are, we will meet someday. [Music Transition] Martin: Back in August 2019, on Instagram at @incmedianews (https://www.instagram.com/incmedianews/) using #heartandsoulconversations we asked our audience to write a short letter, message, or comment to their future wife or husband. Something for their future partner to look back at and read to see just how long they’ve been praying and thinking about them. We had thousands of replies, ranging from those wondering “God, will I ever get married?” to “I trust God's perfect timing.” We even had a couple of apologies too. [Heart & Soul Listener] Dear future wife. First of all I would like to apologize. I'm sorry it took so long for me to find you. Sorry I took a detour in my life. But the one thing I'm not sorry about is meeting you and falling in love with you every single day of my life. I may or may not know who you are, but I do know that you will always have a place in my heart and that I will love and cherish you regardless of any trials and hardships that come our way. May we both go on many adventures, and experience new things together. But more importantly, may we always continue to perform our duties and serve the Lord together as one...... [Music Transition] Waiting for the right Christian man to come along is something many of our female listeners are doing right now. But even though they’re waiting, they’re not all in any rush. [Heart & Soul Listener] Dear future husband, hi! I hope you won't appear soon, I haven't graduated yet, I want to make Ma & Pa proud, my dream is to study for my masters and if possible for my doctorate, so take your time, there's no rush, I know you'll arrive in God's perfect time. Martin: And even if some are eager to find the right Christian man soon, their thoughts remain hopeful, and focused on an even greater purpose. [Heart & Soul Listener] To my future husband, I might be so lost right now, but I know I'll find my way to you, through our God. Wherever you are, I hope you are staying safe and healthy! I can't wait for the day when I'll be able to finally meet you. I look forward to come home to you, everyday. For now, let us keep ourselves busy and occupied doing works for our Almighty Father. Martin: Some of our male listeners even asked for a little patience, while they continued trusting in God (https://incmedia.org/trust-in-god-at-all-times/) for a wife.

12. 

    2 Oct 2020

    How To Overcome the Impact of Lockdown

    Learn how to overcome cabin fever and anxiety while in lockdown, shelter in place, or quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

13. 

    6 Feb 2020

    How to Deal When Friends Have Different Faith

    Martin Zerrudo: Tell me if this has happened to you before. You’re at work, at school, or maybe even at home, and the topic of religion comes up. How does it make you feel? Do you freeze and nod along to everything that they're saying? Or do you let them know just how different your religious views (https://incmedia.org/the-real-image-of-christ/) are? It can lead to some awkward situations, especially when it's with a loved one or friend, which is why sometimes people find it easier to avoid the conversation altogether. But should we avoid it? Is it possible to agree to disagree over something as important as salvation? Let's have a Heart and Soul conversation. [Show open] Martin: You're listening to Heart and Soul, a podcast from The Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ (https://incmedia.org/study-with-us/). I'm your host Martin Zerrudo and I'll be interviewing young adults from across the world who are living Christian lives but are also dealing with real world problems. This is Heart and Soul. Today we'll be talking about how to handle conversations with our friends or loved ones who have different religious views than ours. Our first guest today is Alejandro from Montclair, California. Alejandro is 22 years old, single, and is a college student studying law enforcement. He's a former Catholic and recently joined the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ (https://incmedia.org/study-with-us/)in 2017. He’s here today to talk to us about the conversations he's had with a friend that actually led him to find the true Church and the difficult conversations he now has and tries to have with his own brother, now that he's found the truth and is trying to share his faith. Hello, Alejandro, how are you today? Alejandro Pena: Hello, Brother Martin. I'm pretty good right now. Weather is great. Enjoying life. Martin: Thank you very much. So, you said weather's great over there. Alejandro: Yeah, pretty good. Martin: Not too cold, I'm sure. And our second guest today is Mark. Mark is from Toronto, Canada right here. He's actually sitting right in front of me. Mark is 30 years old, single, and works full time at INC Media Services. He actually sits right behind me in our office and he's also an established wedding photographer and loves to work out with friends and eat out with friends, too, that is very much true. He’s here to talk about his experiences in sharing his faith and what happened when one of his good friends actually decided to sign up for Bible studies (https://incmedia.org/what-will-i-learn-from-free-bible-courses/), but unexpectedly changed their mind. Hello, Mark, how are you today? Mark Diaz: Hey, Martin, how's it going? Martin: Doing well doing well. Alright, so our topic for today is about the difficulty and differences (https://incmedia.org/reasons-why-i-left-the-jehovahs-witnesses/) we encounter when talking to our friends or loved ones about religion. Now when talking about our religious differences, does every conversation have to end up with someone being right or wrong? Is it okay to respectfully agree to disagree without feeling like you've given up? Well, we've actually asked our listeners on Instagram using our hashtag,  #heartandsoulconversations (https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/heartandsoulconversations/).

14. 

    27 Nov 2019

    How To Love Your Body

    Martin Zerrudo: When you wake up in the morning, and stand in front of the mirror, how do you feel about the image that you see? What do you say to your own reflection? Is it a positive, confident conversation with yourself? Or is it something else? Your mind, body, and soul, what are they saying about who you are? And how is it different from what the world is telling you? Are they all working together to create an image and lifestyle that you’re happy with? Let’s have a Heart and Soul conversation. [Show open] Martin: You're listening to Heart & Soul (https://incmedia.org/heart-and-soul/), a podcast from the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church Of Christ. I'm your host, Martin Zerrudo, and I'll be interviewing young adults from across the world who are living Christian lives, but are also dealing with real world problems. This is Heart & Soul. Welcome to Heart & Soul, my name is Martin Zerrudo. And today we’ll be talking about loving your body, and being healthy in mind, body, and soul. Our first guest today is Alison Pablo, an 18-year-old from San Francisco, California. Alison has struggled with acne and her weight since an early age, and has joined us today to talk about what she did to overcome some forms of bullying in her past, her self-esteem issues when it comes to her skin, and how a new diet and mindset has helped her, not only cope, but respect the body that God gave her. Hello Alison! How are you? Alison: Hi, doing great, how about you? Martin: Very good! Now our second guest today is Dr. Darwin Buyson. Dr. Buyson is a psychologist from the United Kingdom, and is here today to provide insight on body image, the effects it has on the mental health (https://incmedia.org/executive-minister-helps-three-young-adults-deal-with-depression/) of youth today, and how society has affected their perception of what it means to be healthy and beautiful. Hello Doctor Buyson! Or Darwin, how are you today? Dr. Buyson: I’m good thanks, how are you? Martin: Very good Thank you again for joining us. I know the time delay, we’re in three different time zones right now and you’re kind of coping with the latest hour so thank you so much for joining us. And our third guest today is Lauren Famatigan. Lauren is a graduate of Dietetics and Food Administration with an option in Nutrition and Dietetics, from Irvine, California. She is here today to shed some light on diet, the food we eat, and how it can affect our bodies both in the short term, and in the long term. Hello Lauren! How are you? Lauren: Hi, I’m good, thank you for having me! Martin: We also have Jun Gopez, from California. He is 26 years old, an Assistant Lab Manager in a pharmaceutical research lab. As a young child, he struggled with his weight all his life, and has joined us today to talk about how he took control of his diet, his weight, and his life. Hello Jun, how are you? Jun: Hi Martin, I’m good. Thank you for having me on here. Martin: Last but not least, now that we have our body, and mind experts, onto the soul. We have joining us today, minister of the gospel Bro. Richie Juatco. A show favorite of ours. And it's a perfect topic to explore a side of you Brother Richie that maybe not a lot of our audience know about unless they’ve met you first hand! Brother Richie actually lives a very healthy and active lifestyle (https://incmedia.org/towards-a-healthy-life/) and we can’t wait to hear how our faith and the teachings in the Bible contribute to a positive body image and a healthy way of li...

15. 

    26 Jul 2019

    Working College Students: Finding Balance in Life

    Finding Balance In Life [Music] Martin Zerrudo: You’re just trying to get through the day. You’re barely able to keep up, keep everything together — work, school, friends, life, love, sleep. How do you get everything done? Where do you find the time? What about your friends? What about you? How are you supposed to balance life? It’s a question every young person faces day in, day out, as they struggle to find success. And what does success (https://incmedia.org/success/) even mean anymore if in the pursuit you’ve given up so much? The world wants to take all of your time and all of your energy, and you have only so much to give, that at the end of the day, you feel like there’s nothing left for you. So, now, what? When the light at the end of the tunnel of finding of some form of stability and balance seems to get further and further away, dimmer and dimmer, what do you do? Where do you go? Well, there may be hope yet. And we’re here to talk about it. So, let’s have a Heart and Soul conversation. [Show open] Martin: You’re listening to Heart and Soul, a podcast from the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church of Christ. I’m your host, Martin Zerrudo, and I’ll be interviewing young adults from across the world, who are living Christian lives, but are also dealing with real-world problems. This is Heart and Soul. Welcome to Heart and Soul. Our guest for today is Phillip Secondez. Phillip is from New York. He’s 26 years old, and is in school, studying full-time to become a Physical Therapist. He’s also very active in his personal fitness, often going to the gym, and very active in his faith, holding multiple responsibilities at Church. He also happens to be in a very happy relationship, if he didn’t have enough on his plate already. How’s it going, Phillip? Phillip: How’s it going, bro? I’m trying. Martin: Thanks so much for being here. Are you excited? Phillip: Very! Martin: Have you ever recorded a podcast before? Phillip: This is going to be my first. Martin: Awesome. Me too [laughs]. And our second guest is Shannon Santamaria, calling in from Hawaii. She’s 22, and was in school full-time, until she recently graduated with an AA (Associate of Arts) Degree. She’s working full-time at our very own INC Media Services (https://incmedia.org/) as an editor and host. She is currently single, and is committed to multiple responsibilities at Church. Aloha, Shannon! Shannon: Aloha, Martin! Martin: How are you? Shannon: I’m doing good. It’s always nice to be here. Martin: Awesome. And we also have, joining us today, minister of the gospel, Brother Richie Juatco, husband and advocate of eating healthy, and staying fit both in mind, body, and spirit. Hello, Brother Richie, how are you? Brother Richie Juatco: How are you, Martin? Thank you so much for inviting me on this episode. Martin: All right, the topic of our episode is finding the balance, the success in the struggle. Now, we’re going to jump right in to our first article, and I’d like to get your thoughts, Phillip and Shannon, on this article. From the Boston Globe (https://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2016/12/19/millennials-aren-lazy-they-workaholics/3ZD86pLBYg954qUEYa3SUJ/story.html)—“The millennial generation, the first to grow up with smartphones in their hands,

16. 

    8 Jun 2019

    Choosing Friendships: Are Social Media Friends Real?

    Martin: Let's do a quick experiment. Think about the number of Instagram followers that you have. Now, add that number to Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter followers that you have as well. It might seem like a lot of connections with a lot of different people, right? But how many of those connections are actual friendships? And does that even matter? What is a friend these days? And where do you find them? Let's have a Heart and Soul (https://incmedia.org/heart-and-soul/)conversation. [Show open] Martin: You're listening to Heart & Soul, a podcast with the Iglesia Ni Cristo, Church of Christ (https://incmedia.org/). I'm your host, Martin Zerrudo, and I'll be interviewing young adults from across the world who are living Christian lives, who are also dealing with real world problems. This is Heart and Soul (https://incmedia.org/heart-and-soul/). Martin: Welcome to Heart & Soul. Our guests today are Amanda Santiago and Vince Cadigal. Amanda is a nurse here in Toronto, Canada, and Vince is an analyst for the Navy, based in Washington, DC. How's it going, guys? Amanda: Hey, Martin. Vince: Good. How's it going? Martin: Going well. Excited for this topic. Now, we also have joining us today Brother Bob, ordained Minister of the Gospel and host of That's in the Bible. He is a husband and granddad to five, former Air Force and forever Buffalo Bills fan. Hello, Brother Bob, How are you? Brother Bob: Hello to Brother Martin, Amanda, Vince. Greetings to all. Martin: We're so very happy that everyone can join us today. And to our listeners, thank you so much for listening to Episode Two of our podcast. The topic of our lesson today is A Friend In Need, why we need less connections and more friendships. Our first question goes out to Amanda and Vince. When we reached out to you, we let you know that the topic of our conversation is being able to find the right kind of friends that you need in your life. What prompted you? What gave you that courage to say, “you know what, I'm going to be on the show and talk about what I’m going through.” Amanda: For me, I think that it's from my past experiences. I thought it would be a great idea to share and talk about it in hopes that other brethren out there can learn from my experiences. Martin: And Vince? Vince: I was reached out to by one of my friends out in California, and he thought that my story would be able to do the same thing that Amanda has mentioned before. Martin: Right on, right on. Was there any hesitation? Vince: Not really, I'm more of a public speaker. If someone wanted to hear my story, then I'll gladly tell it. Martin: Awesome. For you, Amanda? Amanda: There is a bit of hesitation just because I'm not much of a public speaker as Vince, but my experience, I thought it would be a great idea. So I just went for it. Martin: Definitely. And I've known Amanda for a long time. This is a part of her story that I did not know about. So myself, I'm also super eager to hear about it. So, we'll get right to our first source. It was from Forbes and it was an article about how connections are easy, but friendships are hard. And we'll start off our discussion by reading an excerpt from that article. And it says, “What about real friends? What about people to watch a movie or go for a walk or talk about what's new, what's upsetting us make us laugh? Where are the people we can tangibly embrace?

17. 

    7 Jun 2019

    Choosing Friendships: Being Accepted

    Martin: You're listening to Heart And Soul, a podcast from the Iglesia Ni Cristo Church of Christ. I'm your host, Martin Zerrudo, and I'll be interviewing young adults from across the world who are living Christian lives, but are also dealing with real world problems. This is Heart And Soul. [Show open] Martin: Hey guys, you're about to listen to part two of "A Friend In Need." In part one, Vince and Amanda talked about how it's gotten harder to find the right kind of friends the older they get. We went over some articles that tackled the difference between online connections, their social media, versus the physical friendships that we can make in person. Now in part two, Vince tells us about the loneliest moment of his life, and how Amanda found the one place where she feels she can be her true, authentic self. Hope you enjoy. Amanda: I said, “No, I can't. I can't do those things. I feel like it's wrong. And who knows what could happen to us, right?” And they’re just like, “No, nothing will happen. You'll just have fun.” And then I just kept saying no. And then, after a while, I could feel like they were being distant with me. And I was thinking in my head, “Did I say anything wrong, did I do anything wrong?” But I didn't approach them about it. I didn't bring it up. I just focused on what my priorities were, which was school and Church. And friends, people come and go in your life. And if they stay, that's great. If they don't, just move on, keep going forward. Martin: What was in your prayers (https://incmedia.org/prayer/) during those times when they were really on you? Amanda: During my prayers, I would always ask God for guidance and help in finding those friends who are true, who are genuine, and who won't tarnish my faith and won't tarnish my duties. Martin: Vince,was there ever a time that you prayed for the right kind of friends? Or to find friends? Vince: Yes. Definitely, when I joined the Navy, and I had to essentially leave a lot of the things I had built behind. Granted, there's social media, right? So you can still maintain that. But that face, what we talked about before, that face-to-face interaction really plays a huge role in that. And so I had to leave all that behind. And once I moved to my duty station in Virginia Beach, it was just me. I had to try to find rides to go to Church, and didn't really have a ride because I just came out from boot camp. I was alone for the most part. I did have a friend out in Virginia Beach, who I grew up with when I was in Japan, and I thought I could count on her since I was there. And we were there, we had this connection back in childhood. But due to her own circumstances though, that didn't end up working out. Martin: What were you hoping she was going to be for you? Vince: I was hoping she was gonna be there for me, be my friend be able to be that medium to integrate me into the social life at Church, but it didn't happen. And so I felt really alone for the first year I was there, just because I didn’t have a ride. Sometimes the KADIWA (https://incmedia.org/?s=kadiwa) (youth group in the Church Of Christ) would ask me to hang out. But I didn't have a ride, and I was still in school for my job. That's what I had to focus on. So I would just go home right after Church, and go home right after the meeting, because my ride was waiting for me. And so I didn't really have that much of an opportunity to hang out with anyone. It just continued on like that. Martin: How long? Vince: About a year, until I was finally able to bring myself to these <a href="https://incmedia.org/?

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Apple Podcasts (US)

4.9 / 5

72 ratings

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Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.