Welcome everybody back here to seagull talks at the Martinese seagull theater center the greater center CUNY in midtown Manhattan we have a beautiful June days here extraordinary days after a little scare of the forest fires coming here from Canada which was an apocalyptic setting and reminded all of us how connected really everything is and how close. These current problems which we are experiencing was the climate catastrophe really are and it will will be made many more of those days I think ahead of us and the role of the art to make us aware of where we live how we live. What we're doing and what should be done better is becoming, in my opinion, more and more important. Part of a cultural and artistic like in every city is our festivals whether they're music festivals with the exhibitions but also theater festivals in New York always can use more festivals we just experienced the closure of the under the radar festival a very sad thing there's no really big big theater festival in the United days on the scale of Avignon and Edinburgh we are working on it and hope something might be possible. One day, but there's one festival, which over the years has done I think an important contribution being a bridge between America and the world, especially Europe and especially a central Europe it's the festival for the truth and rehearsal for the truth. And we have with us, Pavla and Edward, who are running or will be running and this festival is I think is over 10 years old we will hear a bit more from Pavla who is running it. And with us is Lucia Mann from Berlin with strong ties also to the Czech Republic, who just was a guest here at the festivals the play called the astronaut I think it would went very very well I saw it. And so we're going to talk a little bit about that play which is the experience of a Czech refugee Jewish family and having to leave the country, the Bohemian National Hall is the host. It's kind of the Czech cultural center. And with us is a Pavla Niclova, who is the director of the center Pavla tell us a little bit about you where you are but where are you at the moment. Hello everyone. Hi Frank, thank you for inviting me to this wonderful discussions I'm happy to see all of you I worked with all of you recently so it's a pleasure to see you again. I, yes, as Frank said I'm in New York at the Bohemian National Hall, which is an old cultural house built at the end of the 19th century. And it's always belong to the Czech community of the Upper East Side. And there are different organizations that prepare their cultural programs and diplomatic events. And on behalf of two of them I was happy to start an annual showcase of Central European Theater the first year was in 2017. And we've been able to continue since it's, it's, it's an exciting project. The main organization that's excuse me stands behind it is the Václav Havel Library Foundation. And so the great playwright and also president of Czech Republic at a time here. And so the festival is called rehearsal for truth. It's a festival honoring Václav Havel. What's the idea rehearsal for the truth. So there's one saying that Václav Havel is famous for and that says that a truth and love must prevail over hatred and and lies. And so that's where the true comes from. The festival is because of course Václav Havel was not only a famous president and dissident but first and foremost, he was playwright. So that's why we decided that with our programming in New York, it would be very appropriate to honor him with theatrical programming and performances and but with Central Europe with the countries that are called the Shagrad countries, which may not. It's a term that we haven't used that much. It's not that known in the United States. So we prefer to call it Central Europe, but these are the four countries Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland that are close neighbors and that in many respects shared common history, particularly last the second half of the 20th century, when all of our countries were under where like satellites countries of the former Soviet Union. Václav Havel was convinced that we these four countries should work together that they should approach the Western world the Western Europe European Union and other associations basically together. And that in that way, our voice would be stronger, which I think he was absolutely right. What these countries represent these days. It's another question, but I still believe that we have something together and also there are theater institutes in all of these countries as Frank, you probably know that have a long history who've been working together so although and on political level, these countries are not always united and they present different nations depending on who what the government is. I think in the area of theater and performing arts, they've shown remarkable ability to collaborate over over many years. Can you tell us a bit of festival how long is it how many companies or plays or is a music film or what's what's the idea. So we started in 2017 and we started with four productions from those four center European countries, and they were really European productions that that came to present in New York. It's very difficult for European companies to present in New York to get a working visa to pay all the expenses. The travel is expensive so we we call it festival but it's in real terms it's really a showcase so that means that each company plays once or twice. There are a lot of tickets and in that way, the companies don't need to have working visa so it's really more of a, they come to show what they've been doing. And so we started 2017 then in 2019 we added a spring kind of new series where we present stage readings of European plays that have been translated into English. So again, we love to present works that have been translated to to New York and sometimes international audience and work with local artists, directors and actors to try these works on stage with the hope that maybe the New York audience will see the full version of these plays. So every year we present from around let's say 10 events, usually more. And it was within two weeks. Something like that is running. Yeah, amazing. What are you looking for when when you select. I always try to keep in mind one of how well wrote about theater he wrote about many things and one of the things he wrote is that it doesn't matter in the play in the performance of the theater is a comedy tragedy, or different form, but it should be addressing some of current political or social issues. So that what we've been trying to look at when we before we decide that we would like to present a particular production. And so for example this year it happened that we had three dance shows in a row and it was a very exciting run. We worked with Czech, Slovak American and Russian artists, and it was a very, very special series that we are very happy to present we also had music. Last year we had a big concerts of by that as a music foundation. So we try to combine different art forms to create kind of a taste of sense to Europe. But more and more we also work with local artists that basically came in, particularly with the pandemic. In 2020 we could not do anything and in 2021 in June, still and no European artists would travel to the United States so we decided to work with European American artists who live here in the city. And we created a very beautiful collaborations and we thought that that would be the best way to continue in further in future years. If I understand right also your term at the Bohemian National Hall in the Jack Halschel Center, I think that over 22 organizations in that one building also a fantastic restaurant and a bar with Czech beer and draft. Beautiful space, but your term is coming to an end for how long have you been here and how was your experience in New York presenting art from Europe. You're right, I've been here at the Bohemian National Hall for 13 years. I, I, but I worked for different organizations here at the building so I started as an official check represents as if running the Czech Center New York which is the equivalent of a small very small equivalent of get the Institute or French Institute. And that's how I started and then I was lucky enough to to get a green card and to start working for the Hubble Foundation that is located here at the same building and to work with other Czech expatriate organizations that are here so that was one of the really nice things that I've been always trying collaborate I really like to work with partners, I believe that it's, it's, it's one of the strength in arts to connect people and to bring more organizers more artists just to to be open to new ideas. So that's been one of the wonderful things that we've been trying to do here at the Bohemia National Hall to really and not to be only. So, Bohemia National Hall is mainly Czech cultural house, but I've always tried to to invite, well, first the slow works because because they, they are the closest and we really have a lot of income and but then also through other European cultural institutes I we try to work with with Austrians. We have very good relations with the Polish Cultural Institute. So that's been a really one of the best experiences working with other European partners here in the city. Yeah, it's truly amazing and you made a great contribution to the city of New York where Tony Kushner once said it's the melting pot that never really melted. But I think the Bohemia National helped to melt and to invite people local and European European artists. We have great audiences, you know which is not easy to get over time you get that reputation of the festival and grew and it's really one of the beautiful events and I like as you said it's free it's donation based. It's a gift in a way, and if as a small organization as you pointed out is absolutely remarkable. What you did how you created and that everybody knows you might not know who is the writer who's the musician what's theater play, you might see but you will always know something went through your mind your organization's mind is always an interesting work. I also would like to say that it's also it's everyone who comes to perform here at their work and funding as well European companies apply for travel grants to be able to come here, and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and New York State Council on the arts, thanks to their grants, we can afford to do this relatively already big event. It's really great with such limited means that you were able at least to host an interest and it's a lot of work. I know I've seen you working and I also know how much is so all my respect and great job done and we will miss you and the city was better because of you who left the legacy with us we have, of course, see how we will come to you and did the great astronaut play. But Edward Einhorn is now with us and he will take over as the director for the festival which of course is our main interest here at the Segal Center. Edward, tell us a little bit about you and your special relation to let's love how. Back in the 2000s I was doing a number of festivals. With my theater company, I run a theater company on top theater company number 61. And in 2006. We did a festival of all the work of lots of help and it was on the 70th birthday and fortunately it turned out to have we had a very fortuitous arrangement with Columbia University because they also wanted to do something of all the time and so they brought him over and he was here for the full period of the festival. So, got to work with him, he was able to come to see the shows. And he during the time of the festival which was basically from late October to early December. He came to the theater multiple times and then that created a relationship that continued until he passed away. And so we presented a piece the pig which I worked on the translation for and we presented a piece called the velvet Artoria which was about the revolution that was presented at the Bohemian National Hall and so we have this ongoing relationship with Havel but also with Czech work with Czech history. And I've been working with Pavla since she's come to New York so first with the Czech Center then with the rehearsal for Truth Festival and done a lot of artistic work together on that end. And also on my own probably because of these relationships I've done work about pterazine, I've done work about where to play about where off the second. So there's been a lot of work that's related to this. And, you know, the original festival remains this very important part of my artistic life and that and, you know, because I had been an admirer of Havel from the time I went to college. I was around the time of the revolution. And I had also discovered his plays around the time right before the revolution happened. And then he was suddenly in the news and it was amazing and and the first show that my theater company did was his play Audience, which was is one of its Vania plays. And, and then after the, the festival we also published all the new translations that were done in relation to the festival so we have five volumes set of these of these havel plays. You wrote the introduction a beautiful edition and we have to talk maybe with this single center, we can reissue them. So what kind of person, what kind of person was Havel but tell us a little bit, that combination of a political thinker but also then who became president of a country but also he was a player. How was how was he as an artist what did you learn from him. He was very approachable very, you know, he just, I mean, I didn't have the honor of knowing before the presidency but it was not. It felt like he was probably the same person before as he was after. And I think one of the things that I found really touching during the festival is that we did. We had a revolution party. And it was, you know, on November 17 at the brick in in Brooklyn which is a small theater, a small independent theater and we didn't expect Havel to actually arrive at that we were showing a play of his temptation. But we figured, you know, he had diplomatic events. We invited him of course but we didn't expect him to go anyway. He arrived with with everybody in tow. And there was Madeleine Albright and some ambassadors and the council general and what and they all came to see the show. And then they, then they stayed for the party afterwards and he made a speech saying that you know there was no place that he would rather be on the anniversary of the revolution and you know and to us in the independent theater world, it just felt like he was one of us in like he was a person of the theater, essentially. This was where his joy was this is where his love was, and that had never changed. And so, you know, his reaction at the party, you know, was in this sort of camaraderie with the same as as anyone who was working in independent theater. Amazing. It's an artist.  It meant something freedom of speech meant something free artistic expression was something you had to fight for and and he really cared about art but also was politically to make life better better to have less suffering and to find solutions for problems. You will take over from public I understood right for the festival. What are your ideas what are your dreams where will you change what will you continue. I don't know the answers to all those things yet. Okay, you know the, the public talked about his truth and love, let's overcome lies and hatred was a very important quote of his the the one that I associated with rehearsal for truth has always been his idea about living in truth. He talks about how it's important to speak truth even when it's difficult to speak truth. And I think that is also a very important artistic, as well as political principle. And so that's one of the organizing ideas of it for me. And I think that, you know what what Pablo has done so well is finding work that follows in his tradition, both artistically and morally. I think that's, you know, that's what I would be looking for. I think that is very, there's so many important issues and they're different issues but they're also similar issues that to those that he addressed and finding ways that theater and dance and the arts can can address those issues is really, you know, compelling to me. And I think one of the things that it, you know, the, one of the reasons the devil revolution is particularly inspiring to artists is it was, you know, it was a theater artist in charge it was organized in the theater. You know, there were like, there was some, you know, there were these dissidents who were speaking out and so many of them worked in theater, and, and it shows the potential of what the arts can do in difficult political times.  But I do think that there is a leadership that the arts can provide in looking at moral issues, and, and that's the sort of work that I would, I would be looking for. I would be looking back at your five years or 60s of the festival what was and what is important what do you feel as a curator also what what did you learn. There are many things but I'd like to react to what Edward just said about what kind of works he would like to present and yesterday we close the festival with a performance by a Romanian artist Alina. And it's her autobiographical piece about her difficult life how she was growing up and she never gave up, she made it she now performs, not only at the National Theater in Bucharest, but she also performs here in New York she studied at school and why you she did different scholarships and she did her master's program in London. And so there won't be like artists president every year, but there are those different other levels or or or or or things happening to people that that show how our arts are important. And also, she said and I know that but she was she was she mentioned it yesterday during the talk by Alina that every art is political. Basically, and it's a means every good art or basically every every art that has something to say is in one way or other political because comes from the current situation and speaks about about issues that are that are painful questions that are painful. So that was also one of the lessons that I learned that that really these things can be impressed and expressed in in different artistic forms and and also and then one interesting point from the production point of view was that you would think that that to bring the full productions or to prepare stage readings that the full productions were would be more complicated and it turned out the other way around the stage readings were much more organizing because we had to find, you know, we had to identify the play that was more that was really the festivals that was our job to do that to find suitable planes plays to find a American director who would like to do it and then the director and to get all sometimes together with us would be looking for the cast. So that actually was more more work than if you just present a full production and also I would like to say it's the artists are really grateful for all these opportunities for learning about European plays and and I know it's not very common but I know about and not everybody reports back to me, but I know that some people who met European playwrights because of our stage reading series, they've been in state they stayed in touch and they are thinking about creating a project perhaps in Europe. So that that has been really good that it has some follow ups I know about two productions that we presented that then had a full run at La Mama so who never want to credit us by the way, but otherwise, it's, it's, it's been really nice, it's been really nice. Before we come to Lucia, what else overlooking back what was some of the production that you keep in mind but what you think that really represented what we were looking for. That question for Lucia. Lucia, yeah. No, no, no for for Pavla some of your festival what what what companies what productions stayed in your mind. Well, we have very strong collaboration with the Polish Cultural Institute and to Max Molarski who's been producing just just wonderful things and a couple of plays. And that was like all the text by the catch that that we had two years ago, directed by Daniel, it is a day and that was a kind of a huge show and after the pandemic, it was so refreshing and relieving that we can still do a live theater so that is definitely one of the very important ones. Then I remember very well our first performance and that was by theater group that is now at the bottom of the theater of the ballast trade which was what's love how was kind of home theater where he produced his play. And it was about two famous Czech theater people, George Voskovets and Jan Werich, who were a very important couple between the wars and then George Voskovets immigrated to the United States after the war so we had a full house and everybody loved that performance. And then of course I have in mind the show that just finished so that's that dance trial that we had over the weekend was really strong. And of course, and I hope she will perform more Elena Demianenko who's American Russian choreographer dancer. She lives in the United States. So she met she met with another Russian dancer in Berlin, and they started working on a piece and basically asking question what should Russian artists do with the invasion on Ukraine how they should react. What's going to happen with with Russian artists so that that was a very special performance that we presented I think they will still develop it but they they performed in Berlin they've come here. Yeah, will be interesting. Yeah, how much I saw that it cuts the production I think one actor took the took the advice break a leg a little bit too literal. In the show, I think he broke his leg I saw the great trap door theater the project play I saw this will show absolutely brilliant and so so much more but we also have with us an artist because of course it is important to listen to the voices of the artists. And also, and was the water must love sky came back as you said was the Polish cultural Institute, and we should play bowie in bars so also beautiful I thought reflection on on a moment in time in the early 70s were bowie like a messianic angel for 40 minutes trust the ground coming out of a bus after concert in Moscow or something and about the people of that time and then we have would see a man with us just a couple of days ago with her play. The astronaut would see a first of all, thank you for listening and in and for joining us and for the patient where are you now and what time is it. And what time is it I'm in Berlin, and it's 730 here, PM, 730 PM. And yeah, thank you for, you know, having me like giving me the chance to perform the play in New York to the marketing theater center and also to the rehearsal for shoes festival which was really a pleasure and was really great to see it on stage. So what did it mean for you to show a work which is kind of deals, maybe say a few words about this, the content. The content of the play. Yeah, it's a, it's a father son relationship. And it also shows how immigration shapes your life and the advice that you give to your children the relationship between children and parents and how it takes you from. Yeah, you're not necessarily your roots but what other people have if they always stay in the same place. Yeah, it's an immigrant I see from Czech, Czechoslovakia at the time, in the early 70s as an emigrated and talk to a son who happens to be in an astronaut uniform can't really move can really say anything, and the father has a long monologue to tell us a little bit about the idea what does it has to do with migration or the immigrants. I think it's your taste so basically when you are most of the immigrants or immigrants, they lose all their contacts I mean they have to make new friends, they only have a few family members of their lucky with them. And they just, it's not the same as for people who are all their life in the same place they don't have their school friends they don't have. You know that where they were educated is not in the same place. So you feel probably a little bit alone, you know, like, for example my father didn't have also my mother like they didn't have passports for some time. So then you can travel and you feel probably isolated in a way so the son that the father is not able to communicate with the sun is also a sign of isolation in some way. But it's also, if you don't look at the politics at all. It's also just a parent child relationship where sometimes you see a person as a different you know someone can be an astronaut suit in front of you maybe they work for NASA.  So this is, I think also simple. What did it mean for you to come over and tell a story is a check German story about if I remember right. I think it meant a lot to me it was very nice to have to be able to show the performance to an American audience, or like an international audience in English, which is also very special it's. I think very, because I'm, of course I'm from Germany I was born in Berlin, but I don't feel 100% like German, because of my Jewish background as probably other Germans would feel. So this is kind of a special perspective. And I'm happy to have the chance to show this perspective in the US. Yeah, and I understand also the actor was from the Jewish family that fled Germany grew up in the United States went back to Germany quite successful career and came back for the first time in his life to perform in the US. Exactly the actors August Turner, and his parents were Austrian Jewish refugees who came to Illinois, he grew up there until he was 17 and then decided to go to Germany. And he's American so he speaks American English, he learned German. And yeah this was his debut basically in English which was very special for him also for us. He was the director and on Greenberg was a Dutch writer. Very successful. And it was a nice, you know, European Jewish group was very nice to do this. And I want to point that out to show what that Bohemian National Hall the rehearsal photos festival is a space that opens that invites that makes such unique things that would never happen. This would not have happened without the festival that you also took a risk, you know, Pablo, so you know we don't really know how it will be. So we will give a space we will give you room you will have to find you know some funding to come here but we can support you when you're there and there are few places, as we all know not enough places and I think this is why the work of the rehearsal for the festival and so many others cultural vendors in New York City but I think especially the the the check center as the Japan society or the Romanian cultural center actually also and the good Institute and French Alliance do it is such an important place to give a home and to also create a dialogue between continents that often are like very different, different planets. You also come from a literary family and some famous and not so famous you're the great granddaughter of the man family Heinrich man was the brother of Thomas man your grandfather was Ashkenazi a famous check writer. How do you deal with this as a writer to have such a legacy and then what are coming to New York and expectations to yourself and how do you. Is that something that encourages you is it something that stays in your way how do you deal with it. I think, if at all then it encourages me it doesn't stand in my way I don't compare myself to Heinrich man, for example, obviously. No foundation for that. So, it just shows you I think as an artist like whatever your parents do you know like not as an artist but in every field of your parents are. You know, like mechanics or lawyers or something it's always something you get in touch with and you, you probably learn a little bit as an early age, you know from it. So I think it gave me the chance to see that you can be a writer as a profession. Although I didn't do this right away I studied business first of all and went a different route. But, yeah, I think my grandfather Ludwig Ashkenazi had definitely a big influence on me because I read all his, you know, like books for children when I was a child. So I think he, you know, I think about him often when I write. So how is your relations since you live with the Czech Republic and, you know, that's through a detour you know the Czech Center of the Bohemian Hall. Well, how is your relation to a country, you know with that difficult history of immigration of your family. How do you feel that at the moment. At the moment I feel, okay, I mean, there are lots of things to discuss about politics and stuff which we're not doing right now but I don't have. I love the Czech Republic now I like Prague a lot I spent a lot of time there my father lives there. We work there together often so I have a very good and strong relationship to Prague. My father left Poland in 68. So there was also very antisemitic time in 68 so I think, because I have spent less time in Poland. And I have mixed feelings of course towards like towards these you know events but about the countries and going there and I'm happy there and and a lot of people who live there and it's all fine now. How did the audience, how did the American audience react to your to your work. It was very interesting that a lot of people came to me and because it's a father child relationship and the son is an astronaut so I feel like a lot of people had their own, you know, their own reflections on their own life so I got a lot. And basically almost every person who talked to me said, or I'm thinking about, you know, my parents or it was horrible to be here with my son, because it showed us you know that these relationships are difficult and we saw some things that happened to us also, or. Yeah, I think people really have their own. They see their own life when they see the show. Yeah, I think the great the Harold Pinter the great writer you know, who said he also writes because it wants to show that human relations between men woman father son mother daughter or whatever that they are so often so in impossible to really live to. They're not compatible and that language itself also is limited. Communicate what you really want to say but on a stage, when you see people pretending to do something you listen to it in a group of others all the sudden for a moment at least, you know it gives some meaning it gives pieces a secure space in it. So we are a question to both of you these these stories of immigration refugees, a political persecution. Is this also something that went through all the five years are you going to continue that is that the kind of the main center of the festival, maybe Pavla first. It wasn't at the beginning but there are some years when it's more present. I think it was last year. When we basically, we had one project it was a small exhibition and book presentation and talk. The book is called to get to the new world and it's it's about check and immigrants artists who actually managed to escape before the war and found their home in the United States in New York, and then we also had that concept by the Terezin Music Foundation who celebrated check musicians who who were who were imprisoned in Terezin stuff and I keep hearing that basically Terezin became the cultural capital of Europe during the war and so it was it was an amazing night so so it somehow happened that we had that we went back to to the second world war and presented both artists who who perished and artists who who managed to escape. And it's also I think in a way it's a more common in central Europe because we had to go through those 40 years of communism and that wasn't every time to reflect back. And so I think many stories actually it took longer to to make to make some some piece or to speak about certain things. So it's actually it has never been planned in advance. It's not a particular theme for any year of the festival, but somehow things usually I feel also some some natural process in it, and so sometimes it's more about immigration and we presented we presented other place Slovak place also dealing with the second world war or or with people who immigrated from Slovakia to Canada that was one state reading. So it is, I think because of the history of the of the war and then after of the communism, when many people emigrated, there were several ways. So I think it's natural that this theme comes back. Yeah. So, you know, I mean, I'm also Jewish and I have that connection to to a lot of people who had to immigrate. And, and I've done a lot of work with kerosene so I, there's, I have a natural interest in that sort of question and I feel like modern immigration and the question, you know, is a one of the important political moral issues of the day. So of course, since this is, you know, there's what we want to do are addressing these sorts of moral issues. That's going to be one of the themes I think that crops up. But as Pablo says I'm not. I think I'm going to see what the work is out there and, and there will be a shaping of the mathematics, partly from seeing what artists are talking about right now. And I think that you learn a lot just by looking at the work that's being created and and seeing what various artists feel like it is important to address. So, I think there is, I mean, as always, you know that one be guided by the, you know, these sort of underlying principles, but I also think that is that it's equally important to like listen to be to what people are talking about and be reactive to that rather than to impose the thematics beforehand. Yeah, it's, it's so I'm very, very true and as Pablo pointed out from her talk last night, every theatrical every artistic action is action actually against violence against war, something for the truth. And, and theater at the moment is in Ukraine and we might not able to stop the war, but we are witness, and we can then we tell the stories the stories of the World War one of World War two of a holocaust. And what you did the Teresian start to cover a. And so I think it's a significant important function also here in North America were perhaps the memory of history is very short and, and as someone said, and often say you know you should really study history to understand that people forget it also. So this is a great contribution that this festival does also in a bit out of commercial restraints so really present work that is often also complex, complicated but in a way very welcome but individual but very, very universal. Lucia for you to come here experiencing this center. And how will this influence you do you think this will change something is just one stop out of many I know you work on film and television also but how was that experience for you as an artist to come here spend time, and we do, or do the show. It was a very good experience, I think it's, it's great that the tickets don't cost anything. So it's, it's very nice to invite people and not have them, you know, spend tons of money I think especially New York where tickets are usually quite expensive. It's nice to have art for free basically in that sense at least for the, you know, the guests. And it's, it's great that you can, you know, you can see your own work on stage, and you can, you know, try out new things, and you can see if something works you can observe the audience, you can have conversations afterwards so it's very nice to be able to. And there's good communication it's nice that everyone is exchanging their thoughts and you know, maybe what you know to change next time or for me it was a very good experience I feel like I want to perform the astronaut a million times now. Yeah, it was a world premiere also the festival gave it a chance. What are you working on now as what are your upcoming theater projects at least upcoming theater projects. One that is so I wouldn't go on record yet saying what it is. vaguely maybe just the idea. vaguely it's about a historical figure. And people discussing how to present that historical figure, because everyone has a different opinion about the person. But that was very well done. Yeah. Other ones in projects where, for example, I focus at the moment.  But from a comedic point of view, so not on a series like to make the jewel more normal in Germany basically. Yeah, and tell us a little bit I know you also have a play running at the moment you're also a novelist to the children's box you, you know, put the Harvard edition together but tell us a little bit about also your work as a writer. So the play that's performing right now it's at the new Ohio theater. And it is called the Shylock and the Shakespeareans. So as you might guess from the title it's a take on the merchant of Venice from a Jewish point of view. So the Shylock is a man named Jacob who's a jeweler. And it sort of centers the Jewish characters and deals with the connections between the sort of anti Semitism of Shakespeare's day to modern surgeon anti Semitism so there's both like modern social issues but how they connect to the to the sort of ancient lies like the blood libel that were sort of embodied in the Shakespeare play. And it also addresses immigration, as well as other sort of moral issues in the context of dealing with the place and it's a comedy that that turns tragic. Amazing. Yeah, also at a place you know the new Ohio there's also shutting down. So we experienced at the moment, you know the dying of a lot of institutions new ones are sure will come. But it is complicated I just heard that Alex wrote the Metropolitan Playhouse will close will not reopen. So it makes this festival also the one you will guide, even more important and who knows it might also expand, you know, in a way on the mission, Pavla. Tell us about your work what's lying ahead of you. Where will you be going and what will you be doing. There's a big change ahead of me that's going to happen already next week and I will be returning to prop, and I've been honored to lead the Jewish Museum in Prague from July 1. And it's an institution that I'm familiar with, I worked there for six years before I came to New York so I'm kind of in a way I'm returning home. And it's a it's a wonderful place it we will celebrate 120 years in 2026. So, there's a lot of things to do. I think the pandemic hit the museum quite badly. Now it's things I'll have reopened and what I'd like to do is to kind of elevate the museum to more international level and to, for example, start some collaborations with the Jewish Museum in Berlin or in Warsaw. And we will see how that goes. But I'm very excited. I, I still know some people who worked there. So it's, and we already started planning some things for Franz Kafka's anniversary, who the museum actually doesn't have any of his archives, but we still I think it's not possible to, to miss his anniversary in Prague. So we hope, we hope to open the museum for so that it's not for tourists who come and go really quickly, but we would like to offer something for them to come back to stay longer. And again, like what we've done with the festival to show something contemporary to ask some questions. And, and we will see. I'm excited. Yeah, fantastic. What will you bring from New York what will be different as if you would have stayed in Prague what will you take from you for your experience with the festival here and the city and the life. So one thing is that you have to dream big. So, I'm really planning to, I will try to persuade people about the biggest project we can think of, and then we will maybe scaling down so. So that's one thing that I learned that people are really hard working in New York that was one thing that that somebody told me, you have to slow down when you come to Prague. You can't expect people to work in the same pace as as as you are used to from New York. So that's one thing I will try to keep in mind. And then what I learned here. Also, New York is a multicultural city, truly. And I have two adult young adult children, and they went to public schools here, many of their friends come from different parts of the world. So, I learned that about other cultures that you really don't need in Prague is still a little bit it's in middle of Europe, but it's it's still a little bit like a in closed place so I'd like to open that as well to be more open about other cultures. And, and, and I actually hope I had an opportunity to meet with some people from the Jewish Museum on the Upper East side and from the Museum of Jewish Heritage Battery Park so I just hope. I hope to create an international advisory board and really to stay in touch with with people who try to focus on arts and history and to present stories in a meaningful way to to contemporary viewers and audiences. It's really wonderful what an exchange you brought here you know, global art global artists into this city and this city can also change you from its context was mixed up and you will go back and bring something of that New York spirit you know in a way this is a city of the future. I don't know any other like this one where people really try to live together with all the complications and to form something. And so, how can people send all their plays and choreographies and ideas. How will that work are you going to travel around, can they send it to you by email, call you up or wait for you at the entrance of the Bohemian Hall how does that work as anybody has any ideas. I'm, I'm open to people. Contact to me, however, I, I mean, I haven't really set up shop. So it's harder to say but but I've been actively asking people about ideas and shows they've seen and probably end up asking Pablo when she goes back to Prague if she sees anything that she would suggest. And then I have my own website at redinehorn.com and it's always is very easy to contact me directly. So, there's like a contact thing on that website. And so, you know, I'm always open to people contact me that way with something exciting that they want to talk to talk about. The Rehearsal for Druze festival has an email on the website a contact information. And so it's an open breathing art center. I think it's quite quite beautiful close to us actually also is the Hungarian American library was a performing space or something is happening there on the Upper East side where people should go and can go. And I think it's a fantastic addition to the artistic and cultural life in the city and we'll see where will you stay staying in the summer in Berlin. Will you travel around what do you do your writing. Do I will spend the summer in Berlin and then I will start a writers and residents at the major medical center for Jewish studies at the Ohio State University in August. So that's why I will be in August, if you're looking for me. Very good. So, thank you all, you know for participating and and we had perfect timing as it should be in our conversations thanks to how round again vj and see a fall for hosting us for being such great partners to bring kind of a bit of a global view to to to the Americas and to the great nonprofit platform digital platform of American theater howl round. Thanks to our listeners who are listening and we had some technical complications so we had to postpone the talk. I'm so glad and we got it all done we got popular just before she's leaving the last week and we got Edward just before he started moments of transitions are of interest, and a great that we had the astronaut play. But that was very impressive to see that that almost like this uber popper that puppet of an astronaut, the image of the actor reflected on his golden screen but so he was talking to himself maybe he was a ghost of the past or not. And it showed us what theater anyway is all about and also what's at the core and the center of the festival which is an encounter and things of movement and everything in life is an encounter and I think public rated next to many other things she did a great great forum a great platform for such encounters and giving space to others working tirelessly a bit of course behind it but we really appreciate it all our respect and we would like to thank you. In the name of all the artists who at your festival everybody in New York City who came to your work and we are going to miss you and hope you will be back and hope we will come and visit you so thank you all. And, and goodbye. Thank you. Thank you.


Hi everyone, I'm Alicia Anderson and welcome to the Fort Report. It's that time of year where migratory birds are coming through Texas and they cause a lot of problems. They're not going to be an issue for me this year though. Because I went online and bought a can of bird repellent spray. That should keep away the, well, wait, I think they sent me the wrong product. The small print says bird attractor pheromone, oh no, I should probably go back into my house. They will literally take over a tree if you don't scare them away. They can build dozens of nests in one single tree and you can imagine when they start having their babies and they stay for all summer long, the amount of poop on your yard, it covers your mailbox, it covers your driveway, it covers everything. Now is a great time for you to prevent e-grids from nesting in your neighborhood. So the thing to do now is to check your trees, see if you have any old nests because they will come back to an old nest. Clear out those sticks, get ready, trim your trees and try to prevent the birds from finding your neighborhood and your yard an attractive habitat. Once the birds build the nests and lay an egg, you cannot touch the birds because they're protected by an international treaty. The number one thing that you can do to help prevent e-grit nesting is to trim your trees. The birds like a dense canopy with very little light showing through, so if you can lighten up your trees, you don't have to butcher them, trim your trees, don't let the trees touch, they like it when they're like this and they can walk across them. It's a job you have to do with your neighbors. Everyone has to work at the same time to do it. If you don't have an active neighborhood association, please give the city a call. For more information about e-grits, visit the city's website or contact the Community Engagement Office. Here's a look at other events happening in and around Fort Worth in the next few weeks. For a listing of more events and city meetings, you can always check the calendar at the city's website.


TESAL JOBS IN FRANCE General information Whether it is the truly great center of culture and fashion to be found in Paris or the verdant countryside in the Dordogne, France is a huge draw for tourists, people spending a year or two abroad, and expatriates who have decided to make France their home. As well as the world-renowned food and wine, it is good to remember that France is a country of seasons. Paris is particularly pleasant in the springtime, but in the hot summer Parisians make for the south or the Côte d'Azur, looking for a good tan and a little of the beach lifestyle. In the winter, skiing in the Pyrenees or the French Alps is very popular. Timing is also important since the large cities tend to empty a little between mid-July and the end of August, when many take their annual five-week vacation. Not precisely the best time to arrive looking for a job. Teaching Anyone wishing to teach in a state or private school must expect to have a degree, a post-graduate certificate in education and a TESAL qualification. Two years as language teaching experience is usually a requisite for these sort of posts. With language institutes you can, in the main, expect to find yourself teaching business people, with one being regarded as a trainer rather than a teacher. Enthusiasm for English is somewhat higher than it has been historically, though not as high. For example, as it is in Germany or Holland, meaning both the market is not as broad, and the motivation of those being taught is not quite as great. Most English tuition in high schools is performed by French people, and increasingly institutes are calling for relevant qualifications, such as VED, PGCE, CELTA, TESAL or DELTA. But anybody with an undergraduate degree who looks at home in a business environment may well find work. It should also be noted that it is fashionable in certain circles to learn American English, so some unusual openings are here for those from the U.S. of A. In the main you will find yourself teaching students who have many years experience of English. Hence, expect intermediate, upper-intermediate and advanced students. Whilst it is exhilarating and rewarding to teach such students, it is important to prepare your class as well, and make sure you are clear about the areas you are teaching, particularly with grammar. You don't want to find yourself being corrected about tenses by your students. Visas and regulations Most state schools are not prepared to go through the difficult process of hiring native English-speaking teachers from outside of Europe. However, in some cases it is easier to place teachers from the U.S. than from other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand. Non-EU citizens should check with the Belgian consulate in their native country to look for language exchange programs, etc. Americans may wish to contact InterExchange www.interexchange.org of New York, who run an exchange program. One of the complications is the reciprocal social security system that exists within the EU. High schools are required to register their staff for a social security card and also pay part of their contributions, they are generally not willing to take on anybody who is ineligible. Most individuals working for institutes are self-employed or freelance. Therefore, they are responsible for paying their own tax and social security. The arrivals are required to register with the police, organize a bank account into which their wages will be paid, and get a tax number from their local tax office. Almost as legendary as French wine, is French bureaucracy and the prospective traveler must remember to pack not only their passport, but also an original copy of their birth certificate, a French translation, and original copy certificates and qualifications. With the arrival in France, it is necessary to register as an AOE in resident within three months of arrival or as soon as you get a job. This application needs to be made at the local police station where you live. A social security number will be issued to you so that your employer can start making contributions on your behalf. For non-EU nationals it is extremely difficult to get a work permit and in no way. This is automatically on getting a job offer. But this is not the final word. Many Americans, for example, do indeed teach in France. Often they are part of an exchange program or they have student status. Some choose to teach under the table. These are angles to think about. Popular destinations. Paris is obviously a big draw, but comes with a great big price tag for accommodation. For instance, it is hard not to simply stick a pin in a map and end up somewhere nice. It is important to remember that once outside of Paris and its metro, France is rather big, spread out country. Hence, if you find yourself teaching freelance in the door don't you will most certainly need some form of transportation. But there's plenty on offer in terms of countryside, seaside, big cities and big landscapes. It's really about what you like most and you're sure to find it on offer somewhere. Getting a job. When trying to get work in advance it is useful to contact the British Council in Paris. They keep a list of language schools, both private and state. In addition to that the online yellow pages is a useful resource. Published by Generation Formation, 27 Rue du Queminvert, 75,011 Paris, is a directory of training organizations in France. However, it retails at E 381 and is obviously best consulted in a library. The Franco-British Chamber of Commerce supports an association of TESOL teachers called the Language Network, 22 Av. TESOL, 93,330 newly Sir Marne, 1,044,648,223. The Center International Détudes Pedagogiques, 10,450,760,98, offers about 1,500 aceton ships a year. Undergraduates and graduates under the age of 30 can spend an academic year working as an assistant, which pays around 900 a month. On the spot, things become a little more tricky. In Paris there is a host of language schools around Guerre Saint-Lazare, in addition to which there are a great number of expatriate grapevines in and around Paris. On the metro in Paris there are often language schools advertised and at the British Institute there is a notice board that has the occasional ad for a teacher. Further to this there is a network of contacts to be made centered around church communities and this may be useful for some. Lee-Fletting and Carding Institutes is always a good standby and a professional CV and a covering letter in impeccable French may well bring its own reward. It is common to find people swapping room and board for English tuition, so that is something to keep an eye out for. TESOL Jobs in France If you are looking to obtain one of the most powerful TESOL certifications with real life teaching practice, come to one of our two training centers in France. Upon successful completion of the course, you will be able to find a job teaching English as a foreign language in France, Europe or across the world. Our in-depth recruitment support will find you your dream job. France has long been a popular destination for many who want to become a TESOL teacher. What lures thousands of people is the good food and wine, excellent historic attractions, fashion, exquisite architecture and simply the French way of life. Once you're there, you will not want to leave. Not only Paris, but virtually anywhere throughout France you can find beautiful towns and cities with their own unique charm. Wouldn't enjoy lying on the beach in the Côte d'Azur, walk through a field of lavender in the Provence or enjoy the finest wines in the city of Bordeaux. TESOL France Due to the high demand for TESOL teachers in France, you will be able to find a position after successfully completing your course. Even though a lot of TESOL graduates try to find employment in the bigger cities, smaller cities and towns are also looking for qualified teachers. There are 20 courses available year-round in our two training center in Paris and Brittany, making it easy for anyone to enroll. Should you still not be able to join the course, the combined course option could be your right choice. Here, after completing an online portion of the course, you get one week of intensive teaching practice at one of our centers. TESOL course in Brittany, France If the bustling city life in Paris isn't your cup of tea, come to our campus in Brittany. The training center here is located in a smaller town surrounded by lush nature and the Atlantic to the north. It's the ideal location to find peace amid intensive weeks of training and you can fully immerse into local culture. This region is most famous for its stunning natural beauty and fine cuisine. Convenient public transit will get you anywhere quick and you can even take weekend trips to the capital and other major cities should you miss city life every once in a while. TESOL course in Paris, France Being nicknamed one of the most beautiful cities on earth, Paris is truly a rare gem in Europe. The city offers marvelous historic sites, renowned art and fashion attractions and iconic architecture, from the Louvre and Arc de Triomphe to the Eiffel Tower and Notre Dame. Besides, you get to experience the French way of life with an endless selection of bars, restaurants and cafes. On top of that, you will hold one of the most valuable TESOL certifications in France in hand, which will enable you to start an international career in teaching English across the globe.


Xemoblue is a collection of short stories by Alistair Reynolds. It was an accidental discovery for me and a happy accident. The title story is the opposite of the traditional Asimov robot story, literally a deconstruction. The other eye catcher for me was a story called Beyond the Aquila Rift. You'll just have to read it. Several of the other stories take place in a common universe that are kind of an introduction to Reynolds' novels. I recommend this collection and I'll be covering more short story collections in the future.


If you have your Bible, just, we're gonna go and read the first few verses from the first book, the first chapter and first few verses. And this is easy because you don't have to really go anywhere, just go from the beginning. And so chapter one, verse one, and most likely most of you have read these verses because if you ever start to read the Bible, that's where you start. That's not probably where you finish. Maybe a few more chapters and that's where people stop. And so we're just gonna go ahead and read this, in the beginning, God. So those of you who are wondering how did everything start, God. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, let there be light and there was light. I want you to notice a lot of theologians. They agree that the first verse says that God made the earth and the heavens and everything was good. But between the first verse and the verse two, that Satan came and destroyed everything. And that's why we have the earth without form and void and darkness was on the face of the deep. Because we know that God didn't create darkness and mess and all of this stuff. We don't know exactly how all of that happened. But what we do know is this, God made the heavens and the earth and when everything was chaotic, God's Spirit was hovering over the face of the waters. And then God started the whole process declaring this word. Let there be light. Amen. And so tonight we want to take a moment and continue of what we talked about last week. Those of you who were last week and those of you who were not, you can check on podcasts, we were talking about the Holy Spirit and how Holy Spirit is a person. Holy Spirit is God and Holy Spirit is amazing and he can be our friend. And most importantly, he can be our guide in life. Most people, when they talk about Jesus, they feel like he's so distant and far, but the Holy Spirit is actually near and he came to live inside of us and he's on this earth. From this scripture, I want us to learn a secret about God and secret about how the Holy Spirit works in every person's life. We see that from the beginning when everything was chaotic and everything was messy and everything was dark and everything was empty and everything was without form, God's Spirit was there, but nothing was happening. Maybe your life today is just like the life of verse two. No form means no convictions, no dreams, no goals in life. Your life is just like the life of an animal.  Nothing else, no form. Maybe it's void, it's empty. Nothing on the inside is fulfilling you. You have a nice car, you have a good looking body, you have a good job, you have everything and at the same time, you have nothing. Now your religious beliefs is maybe God doesn't exist and everything, but all of that doesn't make you fulfilled, empty. And maybe like the third part of the verse two is its darkness there. Maybe you cry yourself to sleep and maybe your life is overwhelmed with just this deep sadness and deep depression. I have a news for you today. You're not crossed off of the list of God. The Holy Spirit does not keep a restraining order from you. The Holy Spirit actually is closer to you than you can imagine.  He wants to turn your mess into a message, turn you from a zero to a hero, turn your scars into stars and turn your hurt into his healing, turn your pain into his purpose. He wants to change your life. And I want to share with you tonight how he can do that. It's actually very simple. On the first day, God, the Father, did not make anything tangible. No trees, no animals, no humans, no sun or the moon. On the first day, God made light. Now when you hear that, you immediately think God made the sun, the moon, the stars. But you will be surprised to read the first chapter and find out that the moon, the sun and the stars were made on the day four. The light was made on the first day. The sun, moon and the stars were made on fourth.   Before God will bring something amazing that you're expecting of him, you have to let him start on day one. And day one is this. You must understand as a person who is a believer in God or maybe not even a believer in God, you have to know this about God. God is light. He lives in the light and he only works in the light. Somebody say, God is light. Say, he lives in the light and he works only in the light. God does not work in the dark. So when God made light on the first day, he was teaching us something how he works.  He starts with preparing a station, a work station, which will allow him to do something in your life. What is that work station? Light. God does not like dark. He doesn't like dark so bad that in heaven, he does not allow one dark corner, one shadow, and he did not even allow a night in heaven.  I am full of light.  He is light. He lives in the light and only works in the light. I am currently building a house and the guys who were putting sheet rock in my house, they came in and they said from the beginning after they put the sheet rock and they were supposed to tape it. And I remember they came in and they said, we can't tape anything in this house for one simple reason. It's not hot enough. You have to create a warm house for us to do taping. And I could have said to them, well guys, I can bring you some McDonald's. I can bring you some Starbucks. Come on guys, I can bring you so many things but these guys could not operate in the house without one condition. It had to have a certain atmosphere. And so is with God. When God made light on the first day, what he was telling us is this, is that for me to begin to do something on this earth, I have to bring my work station on this earth and set it here, which was light. The same way Jesus worked every miracle. He would come to one house and there was a girl who was dead and I asked him, could you heal this, resurrect this girl from the dead?  It was dark. It was depression, sadness, crying, not tears of joy but tears of unbelief. And the Bible says Jesus couldn't do any miracle there until first he took everybody out of the house, churned on the light, an atmosphere of faith, an atmosphere of positivity, an atmosphere of victory. And then the Bible says he spoke to the girl and the girl came back to life and he did a miracle. In one place he came where people were educated and religious. It was his own hometown. And the Bible says he stood up to do miracles but did not do many miracles for one reason. It's because the light, the atmosphere of faith and positivity, the atmosphere that God is able. Jesus is God. Jesus is for us. He's not against it. That atmosphere was gone. It was pitch dark and Jesus, God who can do anything, couldn't do anything. If you think that God Almighty is going to do a miracle in your life because he is Almighty, you are wrong. God is going to do a miracle in your life not because he is Almighty but because you make room for his station in your life. If there is no room for the day one, there will be no day two, no day three, no day four, no day five, no day six and there sure be no day seven. We all want to see God create a sun and a moon but God starts first bringing the light. See for us there could be no light without the sun. For God there could be no sun without the light. God works completely opposite. We say if you don't find a boyfriend you can be happy. God says if I can make you happy you won't find a boyfriend. See you say if I get that nice car only then I will be truly at peace and God says if you find that peace then I'll give you a nice car. God works completely opposite. You say that if God, if you give me a moon and a sun only then I will have light and God says I will give you light and then I will give you the moon, the sun and the stars. God wants light not to come from the sun. He wants light come from him. He wants your joy, your peace and your contentment not to come from things and not to come from people and not to come from a job but to come from himself. For you to have light because you have God and you have his word and you have his Holy Spirit because somebody say amen. Light comes from the word not from the sun. God works completely opposite and for us to see his work in our life on a personal level we must embrace his way of working. God works just like this. He brings light and then he brings the sun. We want God to work the opposite. We pray for the sun. We hope for the sun. We ask for the sun. We make plans for the sun so that we can have light and God says I will give you light first and then I will give you the sun. For example maybe you're single today and you are in that stage where you're single ready to mingle. There's nobody to mingle with and maybe you're discouraged a bit. Maybe you're coming even to church and you're saying man I'm in that state right now where I would really love somebody to love me for who I am and you're walking around maybe there's darkness in your soul.  What you're asking God is to give you a sun, to give you a moon and the stars. Let me tell you how the Lord wants to bring that star and the moon and the sun in your life. He wants to make you feel so loved and accepted on day one and bring that which you desire on day four. You want God to bring that on day one so that you will have the light on day four. God works the opposite. That's how Holy Spirit works. He first brings you peace inside, peace you can't explain.  Your paycheck is the same. The bills are the same. Everything in the family is the same. They're still fighting, they're still this this array and disagreements but and inside of you something is there that was not there before. You shouldn't feel so peaceful when nothing is peaceful around you but you do that is a day one. That means day two is coming, day three is coming, day four is coming, day five is coming, day six and day seven is when you're gonna be at rest. Don't think day one starts with God doing something around you. Day one starts with God doing something within you and if you have the light it's a guarantee the sun is coming. If you have the peace it's a guarantee the change is coming. If you have the contentment and satisfaction it's a guarantee. God's blessing, God's success, God's promotion is coming but if you are on inside are empty, if you're on inside are still insecure, if you're on inside is still shattered and broken. Day one is today your day. The day where God will bring his light, his love, his peace so that when the sun comes you will look at the sun and say thank you for the sunshine but I've already been enjoying it from the day one from my Creator, from my God and then the sun doesn't become your God, God becomes your God. Can somebody say amen? We're gonna write, we're just gonna remember four simple thoughts if you can bring up the first thought and come to prayer. I cannot have miracles in my life if I have chaos in my mind. I can't have miracles in my life if I have chaos in my mind. Romans chapter 12 verse 2 says the following that we are transformed by the renewing of our mind. Most people believe this myth.   God said it's the other way around. See we are convinced it's because of what I've been through that's exactly why I am the way I am and we use our past as an excuse to justify the mess and the chaos in our head and in our heart and by no respect do I mean no sympathy to the things that we went through in our life. Every ship goes through boisterous waters every single day but the reason why they survive is because the waters do not go inside of them. It is a choice to have a negative mind. It does not happen by chance. It is a choice and the first myth you have to break is this. I cannot be positive. I cannot be at peace. I cannot be filled with God's light. Why?  Means he needs to bring a son in my life and God says if you want a son allow me to change you on the inside first. The way God works he doesn't change your life first. He changes your mind first. If he changes your life without changing your mind it's a matter of time where life will line up to the level of our mind. Can somebody say amen? The Bible says in Proverbs 23.7 for as a man thinks in his heart so is he. It's interesting that it doesn't say as a man is so he thinks in his heart. The Bible doesn't say as man's finances, as man's relationships, as man's life is so he thinks in his heart. The Bible says actually it's the opposite. As he thinks in himself so is his life. My friends it's the other way around. Where your mind goes your life will follow. Say where my mind goes. So where my mind goes my life will follow. Say my mind is the workshop for the Holy Spirit. Can somebody say amen? So do not excuse yourself and simply say well it's just been my life has been hard God can understand that's one of the reasons why I allow all of these things to come inside. That is not how it works. Number two I can't change my mind if I don't control my thoughts. I can't change my mind if I don't control my thoughts. The first misconception is what we mentioned. Most people excuse the negativity and defeat in their heart because their life has been tough and rough. That is the first excuse. The second excuse is when you begin to believe the truth that you know what yes I am negative.  I am full of pessimism. Yes I am full of insecurity. Yes I am full of that sin inside of me but usually this is the answer they will follow with but I can't change it and that is actually somewhat true. You can't change your mind if you don't control your thoughts. To some degree it is true. This is what the truth is. You can't change your mind because a mind is a mindset that is a result of millions of thoughts thought for decades and that's why it's called mindset. Different thoughts you allowed in they form your mindset and it took 20, 25, 27 years to do that and here you heard a message that you need to change your mind so you're going into a building you've built in 25 years and trying to demolish it in five minutes. What's gonna happen? Nothing. And so you're gonna walk out with the same result. I can't change it.  I cannot change my mind. You're right but you can't control one thought and the reason why your mind is at where it's at is because you didn't control your thoughts. You thought God's supposed to do that. I do not like airport security for a few reasons because they always make me remove my belt, my shoes and many other things and after a while I learned there's a pre-check the TSA pre which is something you pay 90 bucks for for five years and you don't have to remove none of that and you go through a completely different lane but no matter whether you have TSA pre or you don't have TSA pre when you come into the land of United States from another country you are going to be met with the border patrol. You are going to simply be met with people who will ask you for your passport. They will check your passport with their data and they will only let you in if you have a passport or you have a visa. Now our country is very precious.  What would happen if the United States of America would have treated the visitors to come here the way you treat the thoughts that come into your head? We would have no America. Can you imagine every terrorist that has a bazooka can walk in easily without you asking for a passport? Can you imagine every al-Qaeda agent walking in with a bomb without you asking for an ID? Well he's coming he loves the country he must have some good intentions.  He put you in charge of the thoughts that go into your head.  My challenge today is fire the gatekeeper put a new guy in charge and teach him the rules to check the papers check the passport check his visa and check make sure every thought that comes into your head lines up with the director's data list the bible. And if it doesn't line up you say homie G cracker you gotta go back where you came from but you cannot come into this country can somebody say amen somebody say amen give your mind the same respect our government gives to this country guard your thoughts when something comes into your head especially when something negative happens at work especially when something negative happens and the thoughts oh they come in like little terrorists but they look so good that they bring brownies they bring your favorite coffee and they want to manipulate you so you won't check their documents with the documents in the data you have to be careful you cannot change your mind you're right if you don't change your thoughts you have to be convinced of one thing you can control your thoughts otherwise the bible wouldn't ask us to meditate on God's word day and night otherwise the bible wouldn't ask us in Philippians to say think and these things otherwise the bible wouldn't say in Joshua 1 aid it wouldn't say to us to meditate on the word of God day and night if thoughts is something that control you you are a mess can you imagine if America would say we cannot control who comes to America they control us ridiculous that's not how this works you are the captain of your ship you are responsible for your thoughts and if you choose whatever thoughts come inside here they will choose whatever mind you will have and whatever mind you will have will determine the kind of life you will enjoy because somebody say man let's go to number three positive thoughts are not going to stay without assistance negative thoughts are not going to leave without resistance can somebody say amen say positive thoughts will not stay without my assistance negative thoughts will not leave without my resistance so the first method the first myth we overthrew is the fact that the reason why i'm negative is because my life sucks that's not true the second myth that we overcome is the fact i can't control my mind it is true to some degree but you can change your thoughts if you ever start to work on your thoughts and begin to understand the holy spirit works by bringing light into my mind means bringing positivity bringing faith bringing love bringing goodness first and you begin to pay attention you will find out this true this will be so true you will find out the positive thoughts are not sticking around they don't like you it seems like they constantly undergo they come in it's like you came in and you left that and the moment you look aside that thought is gone and the negative thought it's like the person that you have in your life who comes without invitation and will not leave until you show him the door it won't leave without your resistance jesus made it very clear in matthew chapter 13 he said i am a sower and i sow the seed the seed is his word you must understand the word is a thought clothed in vocabulary a word is a thought clothed in vocabulary when jesus is saying i sow my word what he's saying is i am sowing my thoughts what i think about you into into your soil he said and this seed this thoughts some will immediately be taken by the birds some will die on the path some will be will be destroyed by the weeds and all of these things and some will grow from the beginning he made it very clear good thoughts don't stay in the ground automatically they need to be assisted they need to be watered and they need to be nurtured bad thoughts will stay inside of you without any assistance if you think that god is going to take away all the negativity all the insecurity if you think that god is going to remove all of those things that are not good inside of you by coming to a prayer or by praying a simple prayer and you have to do nothing you will be surprised to find god never answering your prayer in that particular matter because thoughts is something you have to also work with with the holy spirit you have to work with him can somebody say man so good thoughts they don't stay without our resistance and bad thoughts they will not leave without our resistance let's share one more thing and we are going to come to prayer if you love the dark you will reject the light john 319 says the following and i will read and this is the condemnation that the light has come into the world and men loved darkness more than light because their deeds were evil what this means is this is as a person who knows that god is light somebody say god is light say god lives in the light and god works in the light god works in those people first bringing light and victory inside of them first and as they receive that inside of them something begins to happen they as a result see their life change jesus is saying in john chapter 3 he says this is the whole problem the light comes but people love the dark so much that they were willing to part with the light now an average person who will read this will say why would anybody not like positivity why would anybody reject jesus with his good offer until you had an experience in your life where you were asleep you were running on your sixth hour of sleep at 6 30 in the morning and one of your siblings runs into your room with an excitement in their voice turns on the light what was your first reaction did you respond shouting good morning or did your first words were turn off those lights and disappear you are not happy to see the light when you slept for six hours not because you don't like the light it's just your eyes have been so used to the dark that light hurts them i know people who have been so negative that to think a positive thought hurts them people who have been so abused that when somebody truly loves them they feel like they are gonna hurt them when you've been in the dark for so long light hurts your eyes and at that moment you have to choose to adjust slowly but surely but not to scream turn off the lights don't fall in love with the dark even if you've been in it for 20 years don't fall in love with negativity defeat hurt abuse pain depression crying weeping complaining and mourning even if that's what's been your lifestyle for the past 30 years why because when jesus comes with the light it's only his workstation to bring miracles in your life and when you say god get away with your light you're saying god get away with your miracles get away with your healing get away with your freedom get away with your victory get away with your breakthrough out of one none of that when you turn off the lights you turn off day two you turn off day three you turn off day four five and six and seven of god's miracles in your life you may use to the dark but hate it hate the dark you might have grown up to be a victim inside because of the things you've been through you may be like the jewish people who've been beaten all their life and the only thing they knew is a master screaming and a top of their lungs work faster work better and here is god comes gets them out and their life is so much better but on inside nothing changes and then inside there is still the victim on inside there is still negativity because the first bad thing that happened they said god left us god doesn't care about us god is not for us where is he why is he not giving us this and that because a victim mentality is not dying fast and all of that 40 years they held on to that victim inside and every time something bad happened and god came in and says listen let go of that inside i got you out of egypt help me to get egypt inside out of you so i can bring you into a day two day three day four day five and day six but israel love the dark they love the complaining they love the negativity they love the pessimism they love that victim part of them because it helped them to be familiar with their past and they turn off the light when something happened you know what happened nothing happened they died was it god's will no couldn't god just override their negativity no even if you are in the dark and you're wrestling with it wrestle with it but don't embrace it don't say this bed is too comfortable and this dark is too familiar say no it hurts my eyes but i want what the light is going to bring somebody say man i want to declare over some of your life today day one has started in your life god is bringing positivity god is bringing victory and god is bringing change in your life in jesus name god is going to wipe away every tear from your eyes and god is going to fill your heart with joy god is going to fill your heart with peace and god is going to fill your life inside with such a victory inside but nothing on the outside will be changing yet but then there will be day two then there will be day three and then there will be day four and they five and they six for the glory of god because somebody say amen i remember hearing this person who was a man of god but he he had a vision on inside of him god gave him this picture that he is going to be a millionaire but he was broke he didn't have even five dollars to his name his business was not going he had no business but he was convinced inside god is going to make me a millionaire it became so real inside of him that he took five dollars and after five he added five more zeros on the five dollars so it would look like five hundred thousand dollars he walked around everywhere convinced he was a millionaire his wife would ask him say hey honey can you give us fifty bucks so we can go buy shoes he said he said hey i cannot i cannot break the fifty thousand dollars and he would pull fifty thousand dollars five dollars with five more zeros and he said i just can't break it that's all i have it's just half a million dollars he lived with that for years and he wasn't crazy he wasn't just mental problem it's just on inside he had light before the sun came one day he was driving and it hit him so strong and it came from the inside i am a millionaire three months later he made his first million it's as simple as that maybe you're addicted to something maybe you're struggling with something right now and you want god to give you the miracle i'm showing you today how god works he first gives you the miracle inside you may say well i don't want that that's the only way it works he wants to change things on the inside the first step that it takes is receiving jesus into your heart the second step is when you receive jesus is to receive the holy spirit who gives you that on inside i know i've talked even to people from our church and other leaders who presented testimonies from our church of people who would cry at night every day would come to the service and the holy spirit will touch them they will go back to their apartment to their house and cry no more something would come a light would come people who wouldn't sleep at night and the light will come and they would be able to sleep people who would constantly be filled with intrusive thoughts that you are worthless but those thoughts would subside those who would have a family where there is abuse or maybe there is constant negative words or there is a drunken husband or misbehaving kids or even misbehaving parents but they would receive this peace that cannot be explained and they walk into that environment and he says it's crazy that i feel this light but everything is chaotic it's because you are on a day one day two is coming day three is coming day four is coming god will give you the sun he will give you the moon and he will give you the stars can somebody say man same thing is happening even with our church the growth of our church it's happening inside of me when the first time we mentioned to our leaders we're not going to be seated on this side just two months ago the most people we had on our Wednesday was on this side and i've said that mentally we have to switch it the Wednesday night both sides are going to be filled and at first service there was just just few of us here three months later everything that we see here becomes here you have to allow the Holy Spirit to place in your mind a light everything will be okay he will provide for your needs he will help you he will bring the right person bring that first inside of your heart and then you will see that as a reality don't look for a man look for light don't look first for prosperity look for a light out of the light god makes miracles devil does damages out of the dark god does miracles out of the light get somebody say a man get somebody say a man i was talking about you today god is beginning to work in your life and he will do great things in your life can somebody say a man and when the day one is done and there is no stars there is no moon there is no trees but you have light you know what how you can end that day it is good how can you say it is good when there is no stars if there was light that means there is god and if i have god i'll have everything else they do cut they too comes there is still no sun but the water divides from the soil and god at the end of the day everything is not done but god looks at it and god says it is good i want to teach some of you when god does something small like brings peace in your heart though there's chaos in your life learn to end your day before you go to sleep saying it is god and when something else shifts don't see oh it sucks say it is good why because the light of the world is here and he who started a work in me is faithful to fish