A Season of Refocus

Spiritual growth rarely happens by accident. In scripture, forty often marks a season of testing, preparation, and transformation. From Christ fasting in the wilderness to moments of trial that lead to new beginnings. In this episode, Cydni and Sher explore how a season of sacrifice and reflection can help us prepare our hearts for Easter, resist temptation, and remember that God invites—He never compels.  This episode is "A Season of Refocus" and we are so glad you are here!

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Start a new Easter tradition this year that intentionally helps you refocus your heart on Christ and prepare for the joy of His Resurrection.

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Show Notes

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Transcript

Episode 156 - A Season of Refocus

Cydni: [00:00:00] So there's this guy, his name's John Smith. He's the only Protestant in this whole neighborhood of Catholics. And every Friday John fires up his grill for a juicy steak and the people just cannot handle it 'cause it's Lent time and he's tempting them.

So they said, there's only one thing we can do with John. We must convert him. So they did. They got together as a community and they converted him. And the priest says you were born a Baptist and raised a Baptist and now you're a Catholic. Come next Friday, and the neighborhood is all enjoying tuna. And then that Friday, the smell of steak fills the neighborhood again and they're like, don't you know how this works? No meet on Friday.

And he said, sorry guys. I am converted. But my grill's not. Welcome to the Cydni and Sher 

Sher: All right, Cydni, we are sticking with learning the basics of the gospel and 

Cydni: well, we're learning the basics of Lin, so we're learning the basics [00:01:00] of other people's gospel. 

Sher: Yes, 

Cydni: look at us. 

Sher: But there was a plan. We wanted to learn more about Easter and one of the things that we really didn't know about because we are not Catholic, is Lent, but we were intrigued by it. And so we decided we wanted to study it and get a better understanding of Lent.

Cydni: And I'm glad we are because I have a lot of Catholic members in my family.

Sher: Well, so far I have to admit that I have really enjoyed our extra preparation for Easter.

I really loved learning about Mary Magdalene. And one of the questions you asked last week about Mary Magdalene is, why didn't she recognize Christ? And my brother, after listening to that podcast. The seminary teacher, brother. Mm-hmm. He called me and he wanted me to give you an answer. 

Cydni: Oh, I'm so excited. So He didn't like my conclusion. I feel so offended. 

Sher: Good as you should. Because that was his whole purpose. Cydni. Was that actually, no. He agreed with everything you said. He just wanted to give you another option. 

Cydni: I'm really excited. [00:02:00] Sincerely, I'm excited to hear this, 

Sher: , My brother talked about how many times in scripture when people hear the voice of the Savior. How it always takes 'em. Just a second, like they hardly ever do. They say they heard the voice of the Lord and they got it the first time. It took a second and third time because the Holy Spirit. Needs to work its magic in you and you have to be open to hearing it.

Cydni: Yeah. Like the Nephites 

Sher: Yes. 

Cydni: That's what came to my mind right when he said that. 

Sher: Right. So it's multiple things going on here where she knew the Savior, but he wanted to point out that she caught on pretty quick. As soon as He said her name, she knew instantly who He was.

But another thing he said that I just wanna throw in because I love it so much, my brother was saying what a great example Mary Magdalene is because, based on the fact that she was there at the tomb that it kind of shows that she. Might have been ahead in a lot of ways of understanding what the [00:03:00] Savior was teaching them about the resurrection and she was just waiting for it. I like to think that's true because I just find it so beautiful and I loved learning about Mary so much that I hope that is the reason why she was at the tomb as she understood exactly what Christ was teaching.

Cydni: I love that and the fact that she was there at the time that she was there, I think just illustrates that's true. That she did not wanna miss something she understood would be happening. Thank you brother. 

Sher: Thank you brother. Sorry if I messed it up a tad. All right. Moving back to Lent, today we're gonna focus on Lent and many Christian faith practice. This and this is a 40 day solemn Christian season of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. And it's in preparation for Easter.

So Cydni, because I know hardly anything about it, I wanna tell you , one story that I do know . one of the teachers I worked with for. Well over 20 years she is Catholic. But she's also a vegetarian. She's been a [00:04:00] vegetarian since she was a kid. So every year when it's time for Lent, I proceed to tell everyone in the building that for Lent, she has given up being a vegetarian and that she eats meat every single day.

And Cydni, this is a joke that never got old for me, and she would always tell me to shut up. Mainly because every single year people believed me. Every year. It never got old because I always found a sucker that was like, oh, really? You give up being a vegetarian? 

Cydni: that is good. 

Sher: Thank you. I enjoyed it every year, so that's what I think of when I think of Lent.

I think of telling everyone that my vegetarian friend will be eating meat for 40 days. 

Cydni: That is a double whammy because they don't eat meat on Fridays. one guy said Wednesday and Fridays, and someone said just Fridays. Maybe people do it different. 

Sher: probably. 

Cydni: Like that really is, I believe, blasphemous in a lot of ways.

Good job. Be 

Sher: good friends. Thank you. I know. That's how I roll and still, even though, you know, we don't work at the same school now, I still text her and I still make sure my [00:05:00] friends at work there. Tell everybody that she is no longer a vegetarian for 40 days. 

Cydni: You are committed. 

Sher: I am. 

Cydni: I, brought it up to my children and I feel like they're in the same energy as you with lint I asked them what they wanted to give up. And Titus, he said he wanted to give up any downtime on his screen that he has since it's automated and it's like downtime is on so you can't get on your screens. So he is like, , I'll give up my downtime. And Ana listed so many things, like she's gonna give up vegetables, which I was like, you've given up vegetables for 10 years, let's be real. And she said, she was gonna give up chores 

Sher: Your children are committed. 

Cydni: I know. Their hearts are just so pure. They're just so willing to sacrifice immediately, no questions asked. They had a list ready to go, like, here's what I'll sacrifice mother. 

Sher: Well, I can't judge. I'm not any better, so Cydni, because again, I don't know much about Lent. I looked up some fun facts. I learned that pretzels originated in medieval [00:06:00] Europe, likely around the year 600. It was created by monks and it was food they made for lent, and they designed them to resemble, arms crossed in a prayer. Representing the Holy Trinity. ' And they gave him out as little rewards to children. 

Cydni: Aw. 

Sher: That's where pretzels came from. I, I did. 

Cydni: I 

Sher: love that. Know that. 

Cydni: I love that so much. 

Sher: Me too. And I also learned that the day before Lent became famous for eating pancakes because families wanted to use up really rich ingredients like butter, eggs, and sugar. And these were traditionally given up during lt, so they would just cook 'em all up and eat 'em all at once. So, there's our pancake day. Do you like pancakes? Absolutely. I love breakfast food. I love breakfast food, but I could always do without a pancake.

Cydni: It's something I could sneak vegetables and protein in. So I do. 

Sher: Good for you. 

Cydni: Thank you. Good job, mom. And then we smother it with syrup. That reminds me though of something I did learn about is [00:07:00] that before Lent, there's a season called Carnival. And people let loose. They were crazy. They lived pretty recklessly for a season of Carnival. And then they would start Lent and they would repent of what they did. And I was like, that's kind of like 

Sher: Mardi Gras. 

Cydni: No. I mean, yes, but I,

but I was thinking like. Monday through Friday, I'm really committed to a meal plan and then Saturday and Sunday just destroy it. But I'm like, I'm gonna start again on Monday though. To me it's like that. It's like reckless living on the weekend and then I'm gonna try harder, and that is why I've made zero improvement. Her all. 

Sher: It happens to all of us. Cydni. We're all in the same boat. Okay? Last fun fact for you. The word lent means spring, and it came from the English word, meaning lengthening. then I also read that in other languages, lent actually means 40 days. So pick your favorite and use that one. 

Cydni: I feel like someone's gonna be sad that we even attempted this. They're like, you know what, guys? Stay in your lane. 

Sher: I know, [00:08:00] right? But Cydni, I have a question for you. 

Cydni: Okay. 

Sher: Why don't you tell us why you wanted to learn about Lent? 

Cydni: Well, actually I felt personally inspired to make Easter more serious this year. And I have noticed on Instagram when I'm scrolling for uh, science. Not because I'm mindlessly scrolling or anything. Not like I'm sitting there like eating, , like pretzels. 

But when I've been doing this, I have had a few people pop up and they just say exactly how I'm feeling, which is just this personal feeling. To take Easter more serious this year. And so it started off with that. But when I prayed about which topics of Easter I would really like to study, lent came up several times in my head and I thought that was kind of bizarre. But then just in passing, listening to something, I heard someone talk about Christ fasting for 40 days and Lent and I did not [00:09:00] know. That was connected and it was like a light bulb and I thought, that's so beautiful. And the speaker said that just like Christ fasted for 40 days, we, in preparation. Give up something and we offer a sacrifice for the same time period. And I wanted to know more about it. That's the truth. 

Sher: I'm glad you did 'cause I have really enjoyed learning more about Lent and something that I did not know. So I knew it lasted for 40 days, but I didn't know that it excluded Sundays beginning on Ash Wednesday and ending before the evening of Holy Thursday.

Actually, this brings the total to 46 days because the six Sundays are excluded because they are considered little easters or feast days celebrating the resurrection rather than fasting days. I had no idea about that. I really am liking the little Easter idea or the little feast days. This is something I can really get [00:10:00] behind. I should probably get behind more fixing myself, but I really like the little Easter idea. 

Cydni: I like so much of the idea and I did listen to several different perspectives on Lent, and they were so fascinating because people, they see it so differently and they'll present it in such a different way, but I feel like the core. Was the same across the board. And I love listening to Father Mike because he is kinda like hip and cool and he just breaks it down real simple. So if, let's say a latter day Saint's like, Hey, I'd like to learn about something that's not in my religion at all. He breaks it down so well and he talked about lent and he said that he didn't know other people didn't celebrate it.

So when he was listening to Christian music every morning, he was excited because it was Ash Wednesday and he. Hopped on the radio to hear, the excitement of Ash Wednesday and getting ready for lint, and it wasn't brought up at all. And he had no idea that everyone across the world was not celebrating it.

And then he would find out that some [00:11:00] people are even against it because it's not technically in the Bible. And people take issue with that. They're like, where's the word lent in the Bible? It's not there. So he did a really beautiful job breaking it down and I guess first let me say, he said this about Ash, that it's throughout the scriptures and ash is to represent outwardly. Your desire to change inwardly.

And then he used different examples found in the scriptures from Job and Jonah and Daniel who all had these moments where they used Ash to show repentance and a change of heart or faith or something like that. And, again, just like an outward representation of the inward change and the focus.

And he just acknowledged that is lent in the Bible. Not in the way of the word lent and you have to do this, and he said Lint is a season of training and testing and preparing, just like Christ. When he went to go fast, he was training [00:12:00] And he would be tested by Satan and he was preparing and I thought preparing for what?

Well, right after the 40 day fast and after he's tempted by Satan, that's when he starts his public ministry. And so he is being trained and tested and prepared during that period of time. And he also brought up the children of Israel And Noah in the Ark and the Reign. we'll talk about 40 a little bit later, but he just talks about this time.

For us personally is a time to train and to test and to prepare for the resurrection for the Easter season. he said, we don't do it because it will save us. It is not an eternal principle that says you have to do this to be saved in the kingdom of God. He says, does it make us better? Yes, it does. And he said, it's just like do you have to wear a cross? Do you have to wear a t-shirt with Christ on it? No. But does it help you remember your focus? And does it help you draw closer to God? [00:13:00] Yes, it helps. And he said, we don't do it because we're trying to be better than everybody else and wear on our foreheads that we have Ash.

We do it because we feel like it's a response to a loving Father and we are trying to respond with love to the God that is love, and I thought that was really beautiful.

Sher: I really love everything you just said and what it reminded me of is this is exactly what we wanted to do as we were talking about preparing for Easter. We did wanna have. A better study of Easter and be more prepared so we can celebrate the holiday and truly remembering that this is the day that Christ was resurrected. It represents so much to me that I can live again, and I want to get ready and prepare for that. So that literally sums up why our focus for the next few episodes that we're doing. 

Cydni: Right. And Elder Gary E. Stevenson, he said to make Easter a season, not a single day. he said that we have been [00:14:00] encouraged to move to a higher and holier celebration of Easter I was listening to such a cool tradition that some cultures do around Easter time, and it's the Red Egg tradition. They dye an egg red, and this is rooted in Orthodox Christianity. And, it symbolizes the blood of Christ and that the hard shell represents the S Seal tomb the eggs are typically died on holy Thursday and cracked on Easter Sunday to represent the resurrection, which I thought was interesting.

And another culture, they give their neighbors a Red egg and they swap them. I would knock on your door and I would say to you, he has risen and you would give an egg to me and you would say, indeed he has. I thought that was so beautiful.

Sher: I'm having a total flashback, Cydni. I remember learning exactly what you just said and my family. Started saying that to each other, and then we have forgotten. 

Cydni: I just loved it. It's lived in my [00:15:00] head for about 48 hours. He has risen. Indeed. He has.

Sher: Okay, we're starting that again. 

Cydni: Alright. Something else I learned is that, it kind of began because of a baptism time. People would prepare to be baptized on Easter Sunday, and so in preparation for their commitment and the seriousness of their. Baptism, they would fast to help bring the spirit into their life, which is throughout the scriptures that fasting will get you right with God and you'll receive inspiration so people would. Get baptized on Easter and prepare. So it kind of got it going.

And I did love these stats. I asked AI how many people were baptized last year, and it does say there's not a great record because there's a lot of churches that don't really keep track of the actual numbers. But in France they do. And in 2025. 17,800 people were reportedly baptized on Easter Sunday, [00:16:00] which is awesome.

And then in 2024, it was only 12,000. In 2023 it was 8,000. In 2000 it was under 3000. So I feel from this information, so many people say that people are becoming less and less religious. What if that's not true? Because the numbers don't lie. 

Sher: I think that there's a lot of people that are waking up they're realizing that these are serious times and to get through it, we need Christ in our lives. And I think that because of that, we're seeing the opposite. You know, that they talk about in the scriptures you're seeing a rise of faith, but as that rise of faith. Becomes stronger. That also means that Satan's gonna work harder. And so I think that's why it feels heavy and dark sometimes, but on the other side, that light is getting so much stronger and that is clearly what I hope that I can clinging onto. 'cause I don't wanna be on the other side. I just hope I can, [00:17:00] stay where I need to be so I can always stay in the light of Christ. 

So we did wanna talk more about why the 40 days. And it is because in scripture, 40 days symbolizes a complete period of probation or testing a trial or preparation. And it often precedes spiritual milestones or a new beginning. And as you've mentioned, like the children of Israel, wandering in the desert for 40 years or Noah.

So, in Matthew chapter four. When we read the Joseph Smith translation, it says, then Jesus was led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be with God. And when he had fasted 40 days and 40 nights and had communed with God, he was afterwards, hungered. And was left to be tempted of the devil. So he had this amazing experience with Heavenly Father, and then Satan shows up to ruin everything.

And this just really is kind of how life works. You [00:18:00] have these wonderful spiritual experiences and then Satan shows up and kicks you in the face. I don't know why this happened, Cydni, but. It seems to, 

Cydni: from my experience, I think so as well. I really related to what you just said. He really does kick you when you're down. Like he's gonna come with some bread after 40 days of fasting. That's a dirty move

but I'll tell you, if he brought me warm bread right now, I'd eat it. I'm hungry. I've been fasting for 35 minutes home, minus the mountain do I been drinking this whole time. I feel like with Eve, if it really was Apple, I don't love apples. I don't think I'd be so tempted. But if Satan was like, Hey Cyd, you haven't eaten for a 14 minute, here's some warm bread. I'd be like, thank you. Do you have butter 40 days of fasting. I understand it represents a long time. But what have I done consistently for 40 days? Sleep, been grumpy, eat, so I don't know. I was just thinking like, [00:19:00] man, the discipline that is represented here and that Satan comes when you're weak. What a jerk. 

Sher: Very much so, a big jerk. And , I Wanted to go over how Satan was a jerk. 'Cause it wasn't just a one time shot here. in Matthew four, he basically said to our Savior, if you're the son of God, prove it and try to get him to turn stones into bread. And so he is going after Christ physical comfort because again, he hadn't had any food for 40 days.

So clearly he was hungry. And our Savior has another spiritual experience with the Father. At the temple and then Satan shows up again and this time he said to him, if thou be the son of God, go ahead and jump off the temple. And he's going after like, prove it to me that you really can do it. Because if you're the son of God, you can do anything. So he is going after the power that Christ has and the pride that Christ. Could have had. And also he's saying, if you're the son of God, then the angels are [00:20:00] gonna catch you, so let's see it '

and then Satan said, I will give you all the kingdoms of the world. So this time he's going after greed and. Again, this was like a training period preparing the Savior before he announced to everyone that he truly was our Savior. I know that I just went over these really quickly, but in my brain, Cydni, I can't help but think that we only have a tiny fraction of how bad this temptation was, , going back to the opposite idea.

and again, this is just my brain. I don't think we have all the information because I don't think we would even know how to process how awful that temptation was. I don't think that you and I would be able to deal with it. Again, that's just my opinion, but just knowing that Christ was perfect.

What Satan. Was saying and doing, and hitting all the right buttons with our Lord and Savior. It had to have been a terribly hard [00:21:00] experience but thankfully our Savior handled it all perfectly so that he could save two wretches like us.

Cydni: I agree with you because even with Moses, the situation is a little bit more detailed. the earth quaking and it's scarier 

Sher: Yeah. 

Cydni: Than what we have with this. And I think, satan really did tempt Moses in a way that was more personal, like his identity and worship me, and then to tempt Christ in a more personal way too. So it just shows that, yes, God loves us and he knows us, but satan also knows us and he knows where we are weak and he knows where he can attack and some of us are probably easier to attack than others. Right. 

Sher: I agree. 

Cydni: But this is why lint is so beautiful though, because it represents that Christ went through a period to prepare, to announce who he was and to preach publicly as Christ and we also know from the story though, that when Satan is gone, [00:22:00] that Christ is comforted by angels and ministered to, and then it says he went forth with the power of the spirit. And so that shows that if you resist temptation.

That you are granted the spiritual renewal, and that's what Lent is about, is resisting something, a temptation, something difficult for you to give up, resisting your natural human craving for it in hopes to receive that spiritual renewal, I have seen this in my own life with fasting.

When you give up something, it's so hard those first few hours and then there really is just a steadiness and a peace that comes and then for me, anger after that. But there is this moment where it's just a really beautiful experience. 

Sher: Very, very short window of opportunity.

Cydni: Yes. And then my kids are like, doesn't it say , you're not supposed to look like you're fasting in your face. And I'm like, shut up. And they're like, why don't you go take a nap? [00:23:00] So I'm really graceful, is what I'm trying to say. 

Sher: The one thing that I keep reading and seeing over and over again though, Cydni is how Satan is the one who forces, who compels, who says, do what I want you to do, he's the one taking away our agency. On the other hand, our Savior and our Heavenly Father, they don't do any of that.

They invite and they say, please do this. If you do this, you'll be happier. It reminds me of the talk the good, better, and best. They're saying, well, this is good, but if you do this over here. Your life could be the very best, right?

They're always giving us these options and saying, do this. You'll be happier. But they don't ever make us do it. They give us opportunities. To follow their example. And that is the thing about Lent is Lent is voluntary. It's voluntarily choosing to show self-discipline, to give up something that is difficult for you and to [00:24:00] practice and improve.

that's the thing that I really loved about all of this is how no one's making you do it. It's like Father Mike is not saying. You have to do this to get to heaven. He said the opposite of that. He said that this is just preparing you and helping you get ready to celebrate the risen Christ. And it's our choice to do this.

I love this because choice leads to ownership. It also leads to happiness. And our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy, and Satan is the opposite. It's all about enslavement to him. Or to bad habits, to a ruin life and to misery. That's what Satan wants, and our Heavenly Father is so full of joy and he just wants to share it with us, but he's never going to force it upon us.

Cydni: I love that, and it reminds me of words I listen to from. Father Timothy, and he was a lot more serious, I must say. I, did giggle a few times because he was being interviewed and someone said, [00:25:00] if you are not an Orthodox Catholic, can you celebrate Lent? And he was like. No, and I thought it was so funny because a lot of people I've seen out there saying that they're doing their own version of Lent or the Latter Day Saint Lent, and I was like, he's probably so mad at us right now for getting out there.

But he said you could go to the special sessions, during the Easter season, which just so you know that there are throughout the whole season of Easter and lint they have additional and special. Church meetings throughout the week, and I thought that was really awesome to help people.

But I will say about Father Timothy, he did the most beautiful job talking about Lent being for those who are not perfect and trying to become more perfect. But it is for people who are spiritually tired, people who are spiritually fatigued, and just like your brother said that sometimes it takes more than once to hear.

God, I felt his message was the same. [00:26:00] He said that sometimes we're just so spiritually tired and we're just not hearing what we wanna hear, , and he said that Lent is God gently calling back our attention and that it's opening the door to say, I am struggling.

I'm not doing so great, but I would like to return. it's opening the door to hear God's voice again in your life. He called it a season of return, a season to refocus.

Sher: And that ties in beautifully with fasting or repenting. Those are both ways that God is gently calling our attention back. Neither one of them is meant to punish us. it's giving us an opportunity to hear God better.

Cydni: Right. I love that you said that because he said it's never about punishment it's an opportunity to transform. Lent is a gift to change, to transform, to repent. It's a time to pause and step away from what's familiar . And to be okay with being uncomfortable because if you're going to [00:27:00] change, you're going to be uncomfortable.

But it's a whole season meant to help you transform , that you are committing in a higher way to prepare to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord. And that's the same thing with the ashes on the forehead. It's a strong symbol of repentance. And so he beautifully states that Lent is about repentance and transformation and a change of heart letting God. Take your heart and mold it and change it into something better, which is so beautiful. I think I've said so beautiful plenty of times today. But it is how I feel. It's beautiful. 

Sher: It's okay. You can say it as many times as you want. 

Cydni: Thanks. I also thought it really is such a great time to consider what your temptations are, what is distracting you from hearing God's voice and what's getting in the way of your progression. And Titus and I had a good conversation because he's not supposed to have any screen time, which it's such a struggle with that kid. But it was funny because [00:28:00] I told him, it's beautiful outside. You guys can go on a bike ride. You could rollerblade do something, but no screen time. So they went around the neighborhood on a bike ride, came back and Titus sat down at his computer and started screen time and I said, Titus, you are not supposed to get on the freaking computer.

Get off of it. And he was like, I'm sorry. It was on and it was ready to go. And it was when I walked past his space, his computer was completely set up on his favorite video game.

I saw it, I walked past it, and it was set up ready to go, and I thought. Of course he was gonna get on it, it was ready to go. And we had this conversation about that. If it's ready right there, how are you not gonna do it? It's like me, if there was a bean and cheese chimichanga, I would take a bite of it if it was just sitting right there.

And that's what he did. He turned it on, had it ready to go at a time he wasn't supposed to. And I feel like Lend is such an awesome time to consider. What am I just putting in my face that's bad for me and that's not getting me to where I want to be? 'cause we do that. And what could we do to [00:29:00] change out? How could we remove the temptation instead of put it right in our face? 

Sher: We all have something that is right in our face that we could remove that would make our life better. And I think that is a good way to look at Lent. . But It doesn't matter what time of year it is, it's probably a good time to start getting rid of whatever that distraction is, 

Cydni: right. Especially if we truly are going to try to hear Him. This leads us to our challenge, we challenge you. To continue preparing for Easter in a way that you never have before. We challenge you to start a tradition, whether it's on your own and you read the Easter story, or you do something as a family or a community. We challenge you to start a brand new tradition because he has risen. , 

Sher: Indeed. He has. This brings us to our final thoughts as we've been studying the basics of the gospel and preparing our hearts for Easter. Lent feels like something we should know about for 40 days, not counting those little Easter Sundays. [00:30:00] Christians step intentionally into discipline and reflection. Lent is about what Jesus showed us in those 40 days in the wilderness.. Spiritual strength before temptation. Communion with the father before facing the adversary, no one forces lent. It's voluntary. God invites he never compels. Lent reminds us that growth, ownership, and real happiness come when we choose Him. This is our prayer 

Cydni: from Cydni and Sher. is it on? We're going. It is when? I just had Mountain Dew. I need to clear outta my mouth. What are you giving up for? Lent 

Sher: me.

Cydni: Yeah. 

Sher: Nothing. No. What are you giving up for lit? [00:31:00] 

Cydni: I think I'm giving up, effort trying sleep apparently. 

Sher: He did answer, but now I, I want to 

Cydni: know though, 

Sher: now I don't remember. Don't say that fast five times 

Cydni: now. This is explicit Cydni and Share podcast, the 

Sher: explicit that will definitely be edited out. 

Cydni: Should I let Rudy finish what he's doing? He's trying to dig. It's not gonna work. You're not gonna find a bone in there. What if he did? I'd be so scared. There's the human bone down here. Wow, this touched my heart. Suddenly I didn't know I could feel today. That's nice. 

Sher: bird. 

Cydni: Was that a bird? 

Sher: Yeah, it was. I don't know if it was over there or over there. 

Cydni: It was both. 

Sher: It was the shadow. 

Cydni: Oh, the lights were flickering as if we were going to be abducted by aliens. Satan's like, you wanna talk about 

Sher: me? I know, right. 

Cydni: like I said, I would have a really hard time saying no to warm bread. That's weak, man. Get it together now. Insert a slap noise. 

Sher: take 57? 

Cydni: do you have anything? 

Sher: I don't. I'm done. Thanks for joining us. 

Cydni: We're so glad you're here. 

Works Cited

The Holy Bible. Daniel 9:3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/dan/9.

The Holy Bible. Job 42:6. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/job/42.

The Holy Bible. Jonah 3:5–6. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/ot/jonah/3.

The Holy Bible. Matthew 4:1–11. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/nt/matt/4.

Schmitz, Michael. Teachings on Ash Wednesday and the meaning of the Lenten season. 

Ascension Presents.

Stevenson, Gary E. “The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told.” General Conference, Apr. 2023. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/04.

Orthodox Christian Tradition. Explanations of the Red Egg Easter custom and preparation 

traditions within Orthodox Christianity.