Comfort Bytes: Recent Episodes
Laura McLeod
Welcome! I am Laura McLeod . Like you, I am just a person who’s gone through a lot in life. I hope to bring you encouragement , sharing a bit of comfort or a word that might help with your struggle. I will touch on topics such as marriage, divorce, abuse, personal growth and our faith walk. I will share some of my own personal stories. I strive to keep my joy and press on! Whatever the struggle, you are not alone! Thank you for joining me. God bless you! PS: My apologies as you will hear the pages of my bible turning , birds chirping, dogs barking … God bless you.
Many of us have been duped in one way or another . We hear it on the news , see it on social media, we may live with it in our homes… let’s talk about it with out judgment with prayer and forgiveness. Our worship song today is by Elevation Worship, “ Same God” https://youtu.be/LawxIZE9ePE?si=lq-LuC612RZ06ieA
Juneteenth , so much history and what our sisters & brothers have endured . Although we are free ….we may still be a slave to something or someone ….Let’s talk about it ! Our worship song today is by Tasha Cobbs “Break Every Chain”. https://youtu.be/ucY6NwQTI3M?si=ftUynbvfM-qplGsx
A time to remember those who have fallen , how grateful we are to live in freedom ! -Article on the poppy’s https://www.courierpostonline.com/story/news/local/south-jersey/2018/10/27/paper-and-silk-poppies-help-raise-money-vets-100-year-tradition-world-war/1595252002/ -Our song today by Billy Ray Cyrus, Some Gave All https://youtu.be/ydWhRObVxrM?si=wkLc9vmmduO4-7LT
Giving is Living! Generosity comes in many forms ….let’s talk about it ! Our worship song is “The Stand” by Michael W Smith. https://youtu.be/ZYd8ADY8o5E?si=eDZCODOTEGxlJFYh The Link to Dave Ramsey Article https://www.ramseysolutions.com/budgeting/daves-advice-on-tithing-and-giving
We will look at Jesus time during the 40 days after his resurrection before ascension . What a blessing to know our Jesus and all HE has done for us ! ( I use the NIV version if you would like follow along while reading passages . ) Our worship song today is by Sidewalk Prophets “You Loved Me Anyway” https://youtu.be/y8BBCYFAYRI?si=x__oiama1jS7TICa
1 Peter 1:15-16 But just as he who called you is holy, ….so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” Let’s talk about it ! God bless you all . Our worship song today is by Chris Tomlin , Holy Forever https://youtu.be/IkHgxKemCRk?si=zi78aHdJeHKZ6pO8
Jesus …his birth death & resurrection , what an incredible gift and how important this is to us ! Let’s share the good news by simply inviting someone to church this Easter … because He has risen indeed , Amen! God bless you all! Our worship song today is by Casting Crowns East to West https://youtu.be/TnkkZLdjf9Y?si=B-8e4FWkRP7UMuxj
Let’s look at the life of John the Baptist. What a great mission he had preparing the way for Jesus. I will be reading mostly from Luke 1 & 3 ( NIV) Thank you for joining me today ! Our worship song today is by Brandon Lake …”Too Good To Not Believe” https://youtu.be/lKVX_XdaP04?si=gPMLKASQCobJ54jP
We don’t need to strive , we don’t need to do life a lone …..we are living in Gods confidence. Let’s talk about it! Thank you for joining me today . God bless you ! Our worship song today is by Riley Clemmons “Loved by You”. https://youtu.be/WnNKIMyQkrs?si=C5J7h_qOUwhH3KgQ
We are fully equipped! We are sent out to love others , to project kindness , uplift with our words and attitudes. Let’s talk about it! Thank you for joining me today , God bless you ! Our worship song will be Great Are You Lord… by All Sons & Daughters https://youtu.be/2qUOHjnDIFs?si=pONgwmMh4vAKCu7T
Our thoughts ….fear -panic -suffering with anxiety … let’s talk about it and how we work on gaining control of our thoughts , focusing on the positive! Thank you for joining me today ! Our worship song today is by Jeremy Camp Anxious Heart https://youtu.be/mH6Gk-IjX54?si=gE-FyDYlo128nvSw
Thank you for joining us today …my father Bill McLeod will share his testimony including a lesson of living an abundant life . What a privilege it is to have him with us! (and I thank Dad for taking on a podcast with me). The link to our worship song: WHO AM I , written by Bill McLeod , you will find on my website home page : lauramcleod.com .Thank you for being with us today -God bless you !
What is our why ? What do you need to tell somebody before it’s too late? Let’s talk about it ! 1st Peter 3:15. Thank you for joining me today , God bless you! Greg Laurie website harvest.org Worship Song Fallen by Dennis Quaid. https://youtu.be/rm6ETB0zXiw?si=6z7CfBXyCfjg_1Ez
Let’s talk what we can learn new this year ….how about our Spiritual Gifts ! The link for Jeff Carver‘s test https://spiritualgiftstest.com/spiritual-gifts-test-welcome/jeff_smiling/ Song Famous One by Passion. https://youtu.be/wWaOP8gW1hQ?si=ri4mUnYBcptiMLb9
Living more in 2024 ! Hebrews 12:1 throw off everything that hinders us, let’s talk about the ultimate goal for this New Year ! Our worship song Gracefully Broken link: https://youtu.be/IJNR0lxbIP4?si=VEujgBTpHkrqO9SD
The birth of baby Jesus was such an extraordinary miracle. God chose Mary and Joseph to receive this awesome gift . We will be reading their story . Matthew 1 & 2 Luke 1 & 2 . God bless you , I pray for peace for you this Christmas Season. Our Worship song : “Mary did you know” by Kenny Rogers and Wynonna Judd https://youtu.be/NGw8holYZr0?si=Ybo4hPIe4tcdF0CL
We can live in our head , which causes fear, anxiety and so much more! OR we can live boldly with God’s strength! Mark Batterson , author of the book : Draw the Circle & Pastor of NationalCommunity Church in Washington DC, Pastor Rob’s message link https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/national-community-church-audio-podcast/id80219293?i=1000630850297 Worship Song “ Too Good to Not Believe” by Brandon Lake. https://youtu.be/lKVX_XdaP04?si=GW2hCAOMxIlmc6lb Thank you for joining me , God bless you !
We all stumble ….we may even sin intentionally ! How awesome that we can carry each other’s burden and hone one another as iron sharpens iron . The best news is God is rich in mercy , loves us unconditionally and will carry us through it all ! Thank you for joining me today -God bless you ! Our worship song is “Redeemed” by Big Daddy Weave Link https://youtu.be/VzGAYNKDyIU?si=ixy5YGuXSk5zu8mH
Let’s talk about beauty our outer beauty may fade but our inner beauty is the core of who we are , it will not fade but can grow stronger through the Lord. Psalm 139! Our worship song today is: YOU SAY by Lauren Daigle . https://youtu.be/sIaT8Jl2zpI?si=qFv6sImnNikE6OmQ Thank you for joining me God bless you !
Veterans Day ! WE thank those who have served our county , our freedom , how we appreciate all you have done for us …..freedom is never free! Link to Amazing Grace ( my chains are gone) by Chris Tomlin https://youtu.be/KKo3T0j9qqo?si=eBfVcyfGU79DBMxL
Joy - what a great place to live ! Let’s talk about it ! Thank you for joining me today God bless you ! *Link to the song Indescribable by Chris Tomlin https://youtu.be/5IlVfkY5q54?si=8c3UsNMnwLHyF0Dk * Link to a sermon/podcast by Steven Furtick https://youtu.be/gqD2C8C2_Ts?si=nAcnMcQcm9Hh7kYI
Encouragement is a necessary part of community ….we all need to be encouraged therefore we should encourage each other. Hebrews 3:13. *The Blessing by Elevation Worship link below . https://youtu.be/Zp6aygmvzM4?si=18rRSGfcXbN1lSwZ
Let’s talk about the importance of living in community ….to lean into , to uplift , to be with and do life together! Champion by Bethel music https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BOK8F9caDic ( this link should take you to YouTube)
Let’s talk about the gift of remembrance during communion. Thank you for being with me today. There is a link below to worship song "Come To The Table " by Sidewalk Prophets https://youtu.be/DXXxLwxfo0U?si=Q1QoTKef82YzCDo8
To actively live out our faith we must be doers of the word of God, let’s talk about it! Thank you for joining me, God bless you!
We need to give God ALL our burdens and truly learn to receive what he yearns to give us. Putting on the yoke of the Lord, find rest for our souls through Him ! Embrace the passage Matthew 11:28-30 . Let’s talk about it ! Thank you for joining me today !
The TRUTH can be scary but so important . Knowing the truth is life-changing …let’s talk about it! Thank you for joining me today …God bless you!
We will talk about honoring our parents and what does it look like . God is also our father! God bless you for being with me today!
We will talk about sowing and reaping and the seeds we plant. Thank you for joining me …God bless you!
Part 2 of last weeks podcast, turning our “Wounds into Wisdom” . This week let’s talk about turning our “Wounds into Worship”… trusting the Lord , giving it to him ! Thank you for joining me !
Our discussion continues as we dig out the root issue of our wounds for healing. A positive podcast to move forward in our life and grow to be all we were meant to be. Thank you for joining me!
We all are tempted and tested every day, we need Gods strength to help us not fall into the trap of sin. This is a follow up to last weeks episode: The Cycle of Temptation, Character Flaws & Sin ….(which was not the most popular lol ). Let’s talk about it!
We all struggle with temptation, characters flaws, strong holds , sin, bad judgement & poor decisions. When we ask God for forgiveness ….there is no condemnation in Him! We are forgiven! Amen ! Let’s talk about it.
We are like sheep and God is our shepherd ….what a beautiful image as he leads us through our life. Thank you Charles Stanley for mentoring to us through your many years of Shepherding ! Check out the video of Dr Stanley’s life https://www.charlesstanley.com/his-way-mine You will be missed!
Getting dressed on the outside but also getting dressed on the inside heart , mind and body. Tony Evans YouTube clip https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MNKl_NJo21o putting on the armor of God, offers a great explanation!
We are all aware of the term Grace & Mercy but I’d still like to talk with you about it and the importance of extending grace and mercy to others .
Sharing our faith can be kind of hard to explain . Charles Stanley goes into five steps that brings clarity while sharing with others. God bless you & thank you for joining me!
A descriptive story of our hands and all of us that make a difference in each other’s life. God bless you and thank you for listening!
We all make good and bad choices but what motivates these choices… what is the sin in us and let’s change it ! Article 7/deadly sins https://www.bibleinfo.com/en/questions/what-are-seven-deadly-sins Father Cedric https://youtu.be/Al91x-Dorzk
Guard your heart allows us to be protected and strengthened by our Lord. I encourage you to Watch Andy Stanley “Your Move Integrity , a 4 part series. This link should help get you there. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/your-move-with-andy-stanley-podcast/id211872550?i=1000600264234
What’s your SELF… ish, centered, focused , righteous? Let’s talk about how we can get through some of these traits . We all have them !
Many of us struggle with fear , the opposite of fear is courage. Let’s talk about it! Thank you so much for joining me ….God bless you!
Ending our mini series as we spoke of TIME, rest is valuable and we need it ! Let’s talk about it ….thank you for joining me , God bless you !
Waiting on the Lord is the most valuable way to spend your time during a season of difficulty or decisions. We are wrapping up our mini series Time, thank you for being with me !
Time is valuable and we must learn to prioritize the time we have , stop our excuses to live the life we were given . Thank you for checking in ! God bless you! Andy Stanley sermon https://youtu.be/Fo0SqZTbnSk
We only have so much of it …how do we spend this precious commodity. Let’s talk about it! God bless you and thank you for your time !
Let’s talk about the importance of obedience and of course how disobedience can really derail our life. Thank you so much for joining me today …God bless you.
Let’s talk about a humble heart , what a great topic this is! Growing our heart living in awareness to who is around us. Let us be the example to others while living in humility! God bless you!
Hope what a powerful place to live in. We will talk about rebuilding our hope ….thank you for checking in! Link to article https://livingbydesign.org/build-enduring-hope/
Peace for this New Year . It is so easy to lose our peace …..let’s keep our peace …let’s grow our peace. Thank you for being with me today! God bless you! Happy New Year!
We will talk about the roles Trinity God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit! What a blessing ! Great article that I shared. https://www.thegospeltruth.org/2017/10/01/the-triune-godhead/
We are wrapping up the discussion on our identity. A reminder that you are a masterpiece! God bless you, thank you for joining me today !
We are diving into our identity! In order to strengthen our trust in the Lord we need to hold onto the promises of God. ( see the two links below) Thank you for joining me today and having me with you for a few minutes! God bless you! https://jamesriver.church/blog/blogare-gods-promises-for-me https://www.pinterest.com/pin/843369467701315914/
We will talk about being vulnerable sometimes this is hard but the more we trust our friends and family the more they get to know us and love us and care for us it’s a wonderful process and worth diving into. The books Safe People & Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud please read it. God bless you !
Do you ever wish for what someone has or even their lifestyle? We will talk about this. Envy, the grass can look greener but it’s not ! Article by Pam Morrison Ministries https://www.pammorrisonministries.com/blog/guide-to-overcoming-envy/. Thank you for joining me today, God bless you !
We will be talking about self condemnation, we must learn to fully forgive ourself. If we have ask the Lord for vines she holds nothing against us. Amen! Thank you for joining me today . Thank you also to Dr Stanley ,Dr Jeremiah and Sarah Young for their teachings on condemnation. Please visit LauraMcLeod.com
We are finishing up are We Bleed Red series.Forgiveness is a huge life changer! Let’s talk about living a life free from past hurts and begin healing …it starts with forgiveness! God bless you!Article https://thriveboston.com/counseling/learning-to-forgive-the-5-steps-of-forgiveness/
Do you know a difficult person? Are you a difficult person? These difficult people could be in your family, your workplace or your marriage. Let’s talk about this as we all want to keep our peace by implementing boundaries. The best book : Boundaries by Dr Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend , also see video clip difficult people https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yGLE44n-_xQ&feature=youtu.be another great clip on defensive people https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ua3JYNHc4q8 . Thank you for your time and thank you for joining me. God bless you!
We are all different yet so powerful together! We come from all walks of life , that is awesome! We need to connect , encourage each other and appreciated the gifts we have which makes it all work!. I love that and thank you for joining me , God bless you! Jack Lemmon talks about 6 degrees of separation, great article https://christiantoday.com.au/amp/six-degrees-of-separation-to-god.html
We are the same and different ! How can we contribute to others while struggling or with a disability? If we breath …we are able! Thank you Tammy & Paula for your stories. Nick Vujicic video & website Life without Limb www.lifewithoutlimbs.org Thank you all for joining us today …God bless you !
We bleed red….. let’s discuss DISCRIMINATION how we can help our “village” accept all walks of life! Let’s be the example of love ! Thank you for joining me , God bless you !
Just a quick comfort byte to touch on our faith walk and keep going on our journey with the Lord. Thank you for joining me …God bless your day!
Let’s talk about walking in faith and growing our trust in the Lord. This is a gift given to us and the more we practice our faith the stronger our trust becomes. An article that we discussed: https://busyblessedwomen.com/5-ways-to-grow-your-faith/. Thank you for joining me today, God bless you !
Thank you for checking in and joining me for a Motivational Minute . I will post each Monday a recap our latest podcast offering a quick bit of encouragement to begin your week. Thank you for joining me …God bless you !
Think about being thankful ….being aware and present, living in gratitude. Not only is this a wonderful habit to create , but WILL change your outlook everyday. Let’s talk!
Anger ….what a difficult emotion that is! Let’s talk about it ! If you have a prayer request please email me at comfortbytes@gmail.com. Thank you for allowing me to be apart of your day. God bless you!
We will be talking about prayer and the importance of doing so in our quiet space. We will talk about a terrific tool A.C.T.S. Making efforts in growing our prayer life . Please join me for a few minutes and I thank you, God bless you!
Perseverance allows us to continue our efforts despite difficulties. If we want to change something in our life and we have goals, motivation as well as self discipline…. perseverance will keep us going. Let’s take a few minutes to talk! Thank you for joining me today.
Let’s talk about self discipline, which will drive the change we want to be , our goals and motivation. Please join me today for a quick discussion ! God bless you!
We will talk about motivating ourselves to achieve the goals and the change that we would like to implement. Let’s talk about some of our goals and what motivates us to do them. I’ll mention the books “Safe People” by Dr.Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend & Joyce Meyer’s “ Battlefield of the Mind”. Thank you for joining us today… God bless you!
After our marriage series I thought we would touch on being “the change we want to see”. Owning our stuff and having healthier relationships. We are always a work in progress. A few books I would suggest: Safe People by Dr. Cloud and Dr. Townsend, as well as Captivating and Wild at Heart, both by John & Stasi Eldredge. Thank you for joining me today ! Please remember if you need to share a prayer request, email me: comfortbytes@gmail.com
We are going to hear some words of wisdom from three couples that have been married quite a while. I always say we are regular people helping regular people! Living life does bring wisdom, I thank our guests for their insight and sharing their wisdom with us today. Thank you for joining us , God bless you!
We are going to discuss difficult marriages and separation in the hopes of restoring the marriage ….before the last straw. I will share some of my own story, offering some tools . I pray for you, your families and your marriages and whatever your struggle is …thank you for joining me today! God bless you!
Wisdom is a life necessity that’s important in every aspect of daily living ….especially in relationships. I recommend ( again) Dr. Charles Stanley’s free monthly devotional, go to intouch.org . A wonderful tool for growth. Thank you for joining me , I pray for you , God bless your day!
My husband Keith and I will be talking about perspective in marriage. We hope to encourage you, sharing how we are working through our own decisions learning clarification and working on better communication. Thank you for having us as part of your day. God bless you!
Love and value, how to express this to your spouse, building your marriage or other close relationships . We will dive into a couple of articles and suggestions from Dr. Harley- marriagebuilders.com, Pastor Andy Stanley and my dear friend Caz Russell cazrussell.com , look for his book Nuggets! Thank you as always for checking in . *Feel free to reach me with a prayer request or something you’d like to share personally by email : comfortbytes@gmail.com
We will touch on divorce with our guest speaker Abby who will explain as a preteen what her experience was like when her parents divorced and how she dealt with anger in their marriage. *Please stay on for a “PS “ at the end of this episode . Thank you and God bless your families!
We are individuals coming together to create a marriage. We will talk about how to support each other’s individual needs. Please check out Marriage Builders website . So helpful . Thank you for checking in , God bless you!
Marriage is hard ! Marriage takes work, needs to be a priority and selfless. I will share some of what we have been through in our marriage. Thank you for joining me today! PS: Check out marriagebuilders.com ! Such great tools , information, questionnaire, articles etc
This is part two of the prior episode “No Comparison”. Why do we worry about what other people think of us? Are they even thinking of us? Let’s talk about this and I’d like to share a story that recently happened regarding this topic. A great book: Crazy Love by Francis Chan. Thank you for joining me today!
We really should not compare ourselves to other people ….we are uniquely created! Let’s talk about this …..Thank you for joining me!
I want to thank those who have served our country, those who have fallen , those who still serve ….“freedom is not free”! Your sacrifice has built this country. I’d also like to thank our “Front-line” workers who are serving and sacrifice each day , especially during this Covid crisis. God bless you all!
The mouth / our tongue can be a dangerous weapon. Let’s talk about how to gain some control ….whether intentionally or carelessly , being aware when speaking to others .Thank you for joining me today. God bless you!
You are a masterpiece made in God’s image . This is not meant to be sweet ….this is meant to be amazing! You are special and made as a treasure. Thank you for joining me … God bless you!
How important it is to learn the righteousness of God and how to pursue him and be more like him. Thank you for joining me , God bless you!
The name of Jesus is so powerful our Lord God is Almighty let’s talk about what His name means.thank you for listening , God bless you!
We will talk about contentment and the value contentment brings to your life. Thank you for joining me …God bless you. Phil 4:12
Do you have hope ? Let’s talk about hope and hanging onto this heart changing gift , helping us through all circumstances! A great song to listen to: In the Name of Jesus by Katie Nicole https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R84PqRdZ7_Y
Sometimes life is just too much and we can start complaining. But should we complain? Let’s talk about it. Thank you for joining me today, God bless you!
As a follow-up to our last episode “salvation” we will discuss faith and how to keep building our trust in the Lord. Faith strengthens us… it is life changing!
Have you given your life over to the Lord? Or have you walked away and need to re-commit to the Lord? We will talk about this very important decision today.
God loves you unconditionally, a promise that can be hard to accept! It was the hardest lesson for me to learn , I’d like share this with you and how life changing Gods love is!
In life we need a few good friends that we trust and do life with. We also need to be a good friend to the ones in our lives …appreciation and /or developing those relationships is a blessing!
Welcome ! A quick clip of comfort and encouragement for your day. You are not alone. We walk together through struggles , uplifting each other.
I know some of us are waiting on certain things in our life to change. I hope to bring you a bit of comfort during this time of waiting making the waiting a little better.
When we are recovering from wounds , or still dealing with feelings of worthlessness , rejection and struggles ….there is freedom from internal suffering! Thank you for listening , be blessed!
Developing a daily time to meet and pray with God. How life changing this is!! I offer some helpful tools and suggestions to encourage your faith walk. Check out the HolyBible app !
A reminder of how important the gift of peace is in our daily life. We’ll chat about how to develop peace and hold onto it!
People will disappoint us and may have trouble supporting us during our time of struggle. We will talk a more on forgiveness . You are not alone , God has mercy and loves us unconditionally!
Emotional deep wounds that break us , how to get through it with the power of forgiveness!
Rest your body and your brain …especially during the difficult days . A bit of comfort through verses and a short time of togetherness!
Worry can steel our day. Sharing a quick word of encouragement to keep worry out and positive thinking in!
Welcome! I am Laura McLeod . Like you , I am a regular person who’s gone through a lot in life. I hope to bring you encouragement, sharing a bit of comfort or a word that might help with your struggle. I will touch on topics such as marriage, divorce, abuse, personal growth and our faith walk. I will share some of my own personal stories. I strive to keep my joy and press on! Whatever the struggle, you are not alone! Thank you for joining me. God bless you! PS: My apologies as you will hear the pages of my bible turning , birds chirping, dogs barking … God bless you.