Journey Through Life Podcast

Welcome to or welcome back to the Journey Through Life Podcast. I am Justin Barton and this is my show. Some of you may or may not have already listened to this podcast before, but it’s all about ordinary people with extraordinary stories and allowing a space where people can reflect on our own lives and look inward to learn wisdom from the life lessons and experiences of the guests of this show. I also invite my awesome guests to share some of the things that are most important to them so that future generations can receive words of wisdom directly from those who lived their lives and experienced the world today. Today we will be journeying with Jonathan and Christina Hales, a very cool couple with quite the story. I was introduced to this amazing couple through a mutual friend, and I am sure glad that she recommended that I talk to Jon and Christina. In this conversation we talk about an idyllic life and early marriage and family life that took a sudden and drastic turn. They share where they get their hope and strength for the present and the future. There is a recurring theme throughout this conversation and it is that of positivity, in spite of trials. I have named this episode of the podcast, Hales Happiness – Despite What is Going On – A Journey Through Life with Jonathon and Christina Hales. I can promise you an hour of emotions and insights like you may not have experienced in quite awhile. Please go check out our sponsors, www.alifeuntold.com and use promo code JUSTIN at checkout to save 10% on a personalized and hard-bound book of your personal history to be left as a legacy for those who come after you. Also, check out www.sheppardbrackets.com for awesome brackets to create your own open shelving concept in your kitchen, bathroom, or anywhere else you would like some stylish and high-quality floating shelves in your home. Use promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5% on all orders there. And then, check out www.radfordpineshomedecor.com for the high-quality, high-end solid wood floating shelves that come fully prepared for and with a Sheppard Bracket. Use JTLPOD5 there for 5% off your purchase.

Welcome to or welcome back to the Journey Through Life Podcast. I am Justin Barton and this is my show. Some of you may or may not have already listened to this podcast before, but it’s all about ordinary people with extraordinary stories and allowing a space where people can reflect on our own lives and look inward to learn wisdom from the life lessons and experiences of the guests of this show. I also invite my awesome guests to share some of the things that are most important to them so that future generations can receive words of wisdom directly from those who lived their lives and experienced the world today. Today we will be journeying with Matthew Dicks, a story-teller, an elementary school teacher, an author of several novels and a recent, non-fiction book called Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling. He is also a podcast host and along with his wife, Elysha, they publish one episode of their podcast, Speak Up! Each week (it is one of the several podcasts that I make sure I catch each week), they also produce several Speak Up! Story-telling live events and workshops per year in their community. To learn more about him, the podcast, his books and other events that he holds, please go visit him at www.matthewdicks.com. He is a busy guy, and the title of this episode is Every Minute is Important: A Journey Through Life with Matthew Dicks. And with that title, I am even more grateful that Matt agreed to take a little over an hour of important minutes to share some really helpful and meaningful things with me and with you, the listening audience. I think you will find this hour or so of minutes important to you too, as you listen and strive to apply something from this conversation into your own life. There you have it. Every Minute Is Important with Matthew Dicks. Thank you, again, Matt. It truly was a pleasure to get to know you a little better and learn from your experiences and insights and talents. If you, like I, were inspired to do something new or different from this conversation, I plead with you to act on it… now… Don’t say, “I will get to it tomorrow” because you and I both know that we won’t. Do something about it, or it will be lost forever. Thanks again for listening in. Rate and review us and come ready next week to learn and apply something else from another very meaningful conversation with ordinary people with extraordinary stories. Now, Go to. Make every minute important. Items of Import: www.alifeuntold.com - Code JUSTIN to save 10% www.sheppardbrackets.com - Code JTLPOD5 to save 5% www.radfordpineshomedecor.com - Code JTLPOD5 to save 5% www.matthewdicks.com www.speakupstorytelling.com Book discussed by Matt: - Storyworthy (link to purchase on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2VklkEr) Podcast: Speak Up! (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/speak-up-storytelling/id1386552794?mt=2)

"When things go wrong - there is always a right". Hear these words of wisdom and of hope from a very well-spoken and hopeful woman, Lindsey Marlin. In this conversation we learn of tragic and great experiences that have guided this ordinary woman with an extraordinary life and story. Today we will be journeying with Lindsey Marlin, a woman that I had spoken to once, for maybe 20 minutes before we had this call. And from that discussion, I felt the draw to ask her if she would be a guest on my podcast. And, as you will hear, I don’t think I was led astray in that thought. Her story is deep and meaningful and heart-breaking and hopeful. From the content of this conversation, I have chosen to name it “Acceptance – Know Your Worth – A Journey Through Life with Lindsey Marlin”. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%. Radford Pines: www.radfordpineshomedecor.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%.

This is the wrap-up episode of the Journey In Recovery series. In this, I share some of my biggest take-aways from this experience. There are others that will likely come to my mind after recording this, but, that is where I am now. If, after listening, you had other insights, I would love to hear about them. You can email me at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. If you also would like to share your own experience, strength, and hope in a slightly different format than this one where we discussed primarily a specific step of recovery, I am happy to do that in a future episode of this podcast. Now, here are some places and references that were mentioned in some of the episodes. This is not exhaustive, but includes many of them that I think will be helpful to many of you. You can do a web search on any or all of these and get great information on these services and products to help you in your own Journey. • Al-Anon • Alcoholics Anonymous • Sexaholics Anonymous • S-Anon • Sex Addicts Anonymous • Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous • Cocaine Anonymous • Bigbooksponsorship.org • ARPSupport.org • Marijuana Anonymous • Narcotics Anonymous • Twowayprayer.org • Father Bill W Podcast • SAL12step.org • Workaholics Anonymous • All Addicts Anonymous • Some books o Step Into Action o How To Listen To God o 12 and 12 o Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous o White Book of Sexaholics Anonymous • I am sure there are many others that I missed. If you heard something referenced in any of the episodes that invited you to learn more, act on that prompting and look it up and get it and apply it. I think that my next project, after a few more traditional episodes of the Journey Through Life Podcast that I have already recorded will be a deeper dive into The Oxford Group and the 4 Absolutes and the 5 C’s and Quiet Time and 2 Way Prayer. Sure, there will be more slants of recovery in these, but I think we will be talking more history and application of these principles for anyone and everyone; addict or loved one of an addict or not. If you have extensive experience with any of these or relating principles, please contact me and we will start working on this project next. Once again… If you have felt something in this or any of the episodes of the Journey Through Life podcast that is calling to you and beckoning you to improve on any aspect of your life…. ACT ON IT TODAY. It can and will make all the difference in your life, and possibly in your family tree for generations to come. May the God of your understanding bless you and keep you and yours. May we press forward with steadfastness in our determination to do a little better and be a little better ourselves. Then, as we do that, we can expand to doing and being little better as a family, as a community, as a nation and as a world. It all starts right here, in the heart of the individual. Have a good week, and be well, my friends.

In this close-out episode, we speak with Bert B, an alcoholic and drug addict with more than 48 years sobriety about Step 12. Bert has ties to some of the founders and original members of Alcoholics Anonymous and has some great stories about recovery, healing, and his experiences from his life have made him into quite the thinker. There are many places in this episode where he shares something that just blows my mind and goes beyond my current wisdom and comprehension. This wisdom is something that is driving me to learn more and more about life, about myself, and about the world and what is real. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with the last few episodes over the next two weeks. Step 12 reads, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. Now, kick back, or hit the road, work out, do house or yard work, or whatever you do while listening to podcasts and be ready to learn and feel and gain insights like you may have never considered before. Here we go with Bert B. So there you have it. Step 12. “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” Look at Bert’s life and the amazing things he has done since getting sober. Imagine your life 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, 25 years from now. If you are then sober from whatever weakness or addiction that holds you down now, I can promise you will be a happier and more connected person. That you will have a light in your eyes that others will notice and you will be able to lift and serve others who walk this same path we do. Please visit our sponsors who I purposely did not put at the beginning of this episode or any other for this 12 week series. But they are helping this podcast continue forward. They are alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold to save 10% on your order, and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save 5% on your orders there. Have a good week, and press forward, one day at a time. Resources: Alcoholics Anonymous: aa.org Narcotics Anonymous: na.org Sexaholics Anonymous: sa.org Sitting in a Rowboat Throwing Marbles at a Battleship: http://rowboatandmarbles.org/wordpress/

Just a quick heads up. This, is one of the most powerful conversations I have had thus far. I feel that this is a vital episode to share with young men and young women as parents feel it an appropriate age to do so. But this story starts at the age of 12 and is really relatable to many issues of today. This week we will be talking with Phil about Step 12. Phil’s story starts at 12 years old with exposure to internet pornography and quickly spins out of control to suicidal thoughts and plans. We follow his journey and desperate search for healing and a return to the feelings he had before he was exposed to pornography. In this conversation, he refers to a structured program that helped him finally find the way to the solution. He doesn’t name the program, but afterwards, he let me know that I could let all know what that program is. It is ARPsupport.org. It is a 12-Step sponsorship program, targeted primarily to men and women who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who are also sex addicts. Anyone is welcome to participate, but some of the documentation draws from scripture and leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Step 12 reads, “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. Now, kick back, or hit the road, work out, do house or yard work, or whatever you do while listening to podcasts and be ready to learn and feel and gain insights like you may have never considered before. Here we go with Phil. So there you have it. Step 12. “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.” If you felt or were motivated to take some steps in your own life to make some changes, I invite you, no I plead with you, as Phil did, to Enter a room, get a sponsor, and start on the path. In this time of pandemic and social distancing, getting to a physical meeting likely won’t happen, but there are countless call-in meetings, web-cam meetings, etc. Go to these. I will put many of them in the show notes for your reference. Just get out and take that next step, NOW. Now for the housekeeping part of the program. Please go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast, like and follow us. Check out our website, https://www.jtlpod.com. You can also drop us a note about your own experiences, strength, and hope at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Please visit our sponsors who I purposely did not put at the beginning of this episode or any other for this 12 week series. But they are helping this podcast continue forward. They are alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold to save 10% on your order, and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save 5% on your orders there. Have a good week, and press forward, one day at a time. Resources: ARPSupport: https://www.arpsupport.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous: https://www.sa.org/ S-Anon (for the loved ones of sex addicts): https://www.sanon.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous Lifeline: https://sal12step.org/ Sitting in a Rowboat Throwing Marbles at a Battleship: http://rowboatandmarbles.org/wordpress/

This week we will be talking with Yitzy about Step 11. Yitzy, while having a shorter sobriety date than most of those I have spoken with, has some good insights into prayer and meditation and Step 11. I am grateful to him for taking the time out to record this episode in this series. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with the last few episodes over the next two weeks. Step 11 reads, “Sought trough prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. Now, kick back, or hit the road, work out, do house or yard work, or whatever you do while listening to podcasts and be ready to learn and feel and gain insights like you may have never considered before. In this episode, there were, once again, some audio difficulties, but the message is strong and well worth the audio glitches here and there. Now for the housekeeping part of the program. Please go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast, like and follow us. I have recently started reposting old and original episodes of the Know and Do Podcast on Facebook and in our blog at www.jtlpod.com. To learn of the origins of this project and podcast, I would be honored if you went and checked those out too. You can also drop us a note about your own experiences, strength, and hope at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Please visit our sponsors who I purposely did not put at the beginning of this episode or any other for this 12 week series. But they are helping this podcast continue forward. They are alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold to save 10% on your order, and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save 5% on your orders there. These conversations that I have recorded in this Journey In Recovery series have been life changing for me as I have been applying many new concepts into my own daily life from the lessons I am learning. And I am definitely becoming a different and better person for it. Have a good week, and press forward, one day at a time. Resources: Sexaholics Anonymous: https://www.sa.org/ S-Anon (for the loved ones of sex addicts): https://www.sanon.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous Lifeline: https://sal12step.org/ Sex Addicts Anonymous: https://saa-recovery.org/ Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous: https://slaafws.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

This week we will be talking with Matt D about Step 11. It is pretty interesting to me that many of the new ideas and practices that I have learned about and that I am putting into place in my own life have to do primarily with Step 11. This is another powerful conversation with some really good insights into Conscious Contact with God. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with the last few episodes over the next two weeks. Step 11 reads, “Sought trough prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. So there you have it. Step 11. “Sought trough prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.” If you felt or were motivated to take some steps in your own life to make some changes, I invite you, as Matt did, to Enter a room, and start on the path. Life is so much better in recovery and with more conscious contact with God. Now for the housekeeping part of the program. Please go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast, like and follow us. I have recently started reposting old and original episodes of the Know and Do Podcast on Facebook and in our blog at www.jtlpod.com. To learn of the origins of this project and podcast, I would be honored if you went and checked those out too. You can also drop us a note about your own experiences, strength, and hope at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Please visit our sponsors who I purposely did not put at the beginning of this episode or any other for this 12 week series. But they are helping this podcast continue forward. They are alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold to save 10% on your order, and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save 5% on your orders there. These conversations that I have recorded in this Journey In Recovery series have been life changing for me as I have been applying many new concepts into my own daily life from the lessons I am learning. And I am definitely becoming a different and better person for it. Have a good week, and press forward, one day at a time. Resources: https://alladdictsanonymous.org/ https://aa.org/ https://www.sa.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

This week we will be talking with Nick, an alcoholic and addict with over 3 years sobriety, about his experience, strength and hope with Step 10. In this conversation we really focus on the importance of being constantly aware and taking minute-by-minute inventory of self and being accountable to self and others in recovery. He shares his “God shot” as he calls it, where God came into his heart and made him a changed man. This conversation is a very meaningful one and definitely heart-felt. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with steps 8 through 12 over the next several weeks. Step 10 reads, “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it” In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. Now, kick back, or hit the road, work out, do house or yard work, or whatever you do while listening to podcasts and be ready to learn and feel and gain insights like you may have never considered before. Here we go with Nick If you felt or were motivated to take some steps in your own life to make some changes, I invite you, just as Nick did, to take those steps. Enter a room, give it a chance, find a sponsor, and start on the path. Life is so much better in recovery. Now for the housekeeping part of the program. Please go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast, like and follow us. I have recently started reposting old and original episodes of the Know and Do Podcast on Facebook and in our blog at www.jtlpod.com. To learn of the origins of this project and podcast, I would be honored if you went and checked those out too. You can also drop us a note about your own experiences, strength, and hope at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Please visit our sponsors who I purposely did not put at the beginning of this episode or any other for this 12 week series. But they are helping this podcast continue forward. They are alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold to save 10% on your order, and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save 5% on your orders there. These conversations that I have recorded in this Journey In Recovery series have been life changing for me as I have been applying many new concepts into my own daily life from the lessons I am learning. And I am definitely becoming a different and better person for it. Have a good week, and press forward, one day at a time. Resources: https://aa.org/ https://al-anon.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

This week we will be talking with Wendi F, another lustaholic/sexaholic. In this conversation we explore her life experience that led her to an eventual awakening. We discuss what it means to find the core of an addiction and how it differs from many of the ancillary or appendages to an addiction. We discuss a new life with a Higher Power and the absolute power of having a sponsor to help you walk through the steps of recovery. This is another powerful conversation that will help break the stigma of addiction if you allow it to. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with steps 8 through 12 over the next several weeks. Step 9 reads, “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. So there you have it. Step 9 . “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.” At the end of this conversation, Wendi F discussed the 20 questions to consider asking ourselves. There are also questions that you can find and ask yourself about virtually any addiction out there. In fact, just substituting your own suspected issue with the words sex or lust comes up here will give you a good idea. I will link to several questions to ask oneself if one is an addict or not below. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: 20 questions from SA (Sexaholics Anonymous): https://www.sa.org/test/ 12 questions from AA (Alcoholics Anonymous): https://www.aa.org/pages/en_US/is-aa-for-you-twelve-questions-only-you-can-answer Questions for NA (Narcotics Anonymous): https://www.na.org/admin/include/spaw2/uploads/pdf/litfiles/us_english/IP/EN3107.pdf Sexaholics Anonymous: https://www.sa.org/ S-Anon (for the loved ones of sex addicts): https://www.sanon.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous Lifeline: https://sal12step.org/ Sex Addicts Anonymous: https://saa-recovery.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

This week we once again have 2 episodes covering the same step. This second episode will include Angie, a lustaholic, sharing her experience, strength, and hope in her path of addiction and recovery. In this conversation, Angie talks tactfully but completely honestly about the path of destruction that she had unknowingly left in her wake after some traumatic experiences in her childhood. She shares of her awakening to her own situation and he journey to make things right with herself, with God, and with her fellow humans, not the least of which, her family. This is a powerful conversation that may open the eyes of some of our listeners. Lust, sex, and other related addictions are not a men-only issue. And I am grateful that this stigma is being broken down, as it is a positive thing for all people to start to remove the stigma of all addictions, including sexual addiction. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all 9 of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with steps 8 through 12 over the next several weeks. Step 8 reads, “Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all” In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. If you may be in a similar place as Angie and her family was before this, no matter what the cause of that place is, and If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it! It can and will make all the difference in your life. If Angie’s witness isn’t enough to motivate and provide hope to the seemingly hopeless, I hate to think what will be enough. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Sexaholics Anonymous: https://www.sa.org/ S-Anon (for the loved ones of sex addicts): https://www.sanon.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous Lifeline: https://sal12step.org/ Sex Addicts Anonymous: https://saa-recovery.org/ Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous: https://slaafws.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

This week we will be hearing the experience, strength, and hope of a couple of people in 2 different episodes in their experience in Step 8. We start with John, a recovering alcoholic and drug addict. And you can just hear the value he puts on being honest with himself and others in this conversation. Honesty with self and others is really one of the cores of real recovery from anything, including addiction. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all 9 of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with steps 8 through 12 over the next several weeks. Step 8 reads, “Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all” In this conversation, John talks about his walk through decades of addiction and choices that brought him to the place of becoming willing to make amends and then making amends. You can just hear the efforts at being completely honest with himself and others and his desire to help all and share the message of recovery with everyone. This is an honest and open conversation with a man who has seen the light and strives to walk in it. In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org/ Narcotics Anonymous: https://na.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Today we will be hearing the experience, strength, and hope of Joe C in his living in Step 7 in his life. Now, a heads up on this one. The sound quality is a little rough in spots on this episode. The online recording did not come through great. BUT, the content is amazing. So, please listen past the flaws in the sound and to the beauty of what is being said. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all 8 of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I heartily invite you to listen to the others and then continuing with steps 8 through 12 over the next several weeks. Step 7 reads, “Humbly ask Him to remove your shortcomings.” Talking about God, or our Higher Power. In this conversation, Joe C talks about a beautiful, long relationship with his wife and his awakening, late in life to his own issues. Her support and help, her death, and how the Steps of Recovery and the program have and do help him to see that “it keeps getting better”. He also talks about one of my new favorite 4 letter words, “Stay”. You will gain a ton from this episode as you Listen and learn and then apply what you learn. In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous: https://sa.org/ Sitting In A Rowboat Throwing Marbles At A Battleship: http://rowboatandmarbles.org/wordpress/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Today we will be hearing the experience, strength, and hope of Father Bill W, who was celebrating his 47th anniversary of sobriety being a guest on this show. He shares his own experience, faith and hope and focusing mostly on Step 6. If this is your first episode of this series (or of this podcast as a whole), I highly recommend that you go back and listen to all 7 of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery series at some point. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, you need to listen to the others and then continuing with steps 6 through 12 over the next several weeks. Step 6 reads, “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character”. In this conversation, Father Bill W introduces me to a few new concepts and ideas that have made a massive impression on me in my own daily living. The biggest thing is the concept of 2 way prayer. Man! What a potential game changer. Listen and learn. In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org/ Overeaters Anonymous: https://oa.org/ Two Way Prayer: https://www.twowayprayer.org/ Father Bill W Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/father-bill-w/id1446284219 Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Today, we will walk with Jennifer as she shares her experience in addiction starting at about age 14 with alcohol and then moving into marijuana and other drugs and psychedelics in her search for God in her life and also in her quest to numb things from her childhood. She will share about her experience with Step 5 in this episode. Step 5 reads, “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. So many people get hung up here also, as we really don’t want to admit even to ourselves some of the things we have done wrong, let alone another human being. But it is vital and when our secrets are brought into words, they lose nearly all power over us. In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. Now, kick back, or hit the road, work out, do house or yard work, or whatever you do while listening to podcasts and be ready to learn and feel and gain insights like you may have never considered before. Here we go with Jennifer. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org/ Marijuana Anonymous: https://marijuana-anonymous.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Today we will be hearing the experience, strength, and hope of Cameron in relation to the 4th Step of Recovery. Now, Cameron and I were connected through the person that was our Step 2 guest, Harvey. If you haven’t listened to those episodes, I highly recommend it… Actually, I highly recommend that you listen to all 5 of the previous episodes of this Journey In Recovery. There are 12 Steps and they are in a prescribed order for a reason. So, whether you do that now, or after you listen to this episode, I would highly recommend checking out the others and then continuing with steps 5 through 12 over the next several weeks. Step 4 reads, “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves”. This is the Step that so many people get hung up on and lose steam. But in this conversation, we learn that this does not need to be the case. In this and other conversations, you may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Big Book Sponsorship: https://bigbooksponsorship.org/ Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org/ Cocaine Anonymous: https://www.ca.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Today we will be hearing the experience, strength, and hope of Kastle. I really love the vulnerability that Kastle shares in his story and his experience with trusting in God through the 3rd step of recovery. Step 3 is the step that every single person I have interviewed so far has come back to as a hinge pin in their recovery, so Kastle is my second conversation about Step 3. Now, as a reminder, Step 3 reads, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him”. Step 3 truly is THE decision step. You may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true to these people sharing them. While you listen, take mental or physical notes of ideas of self-improvement that pop into your head. Then, at the end of this podcast, review those notes and make a plan about how you can implement them. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: ARP Support - https://www.arpsupport.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous: https://www.sa.org/ S-Anon (for the loved ones of sex addicts): https://www.sanon.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous Lifeline: https://sal12step.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Today we will be hearing the experience, strength, and hope of a alcoholic who is 32 years sober, Bill M. You will quickly come to love his hard Boston accent and the honest manner in which he shares his story. Step 3 is the step that every single person I have interviewed so far has come back to as a hinge pin in their recovery, and as such, I have decided to interview 2 people about Step 3 so, there will be 2 episodes again this week. The next one, with Kastle, will be released on Thursday, January 23rd. Step 3 reads, “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood him”. Step 3 truly is THE decision step. Step 3 Prayer: God, I offer myself to Thee- To build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self, that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties, that victory over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy Power, Thy Love, and Thy Way of life. May I do Thy will always! If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened - please, I ask you, act on it! It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are: www.alifeuntold.com Use promo code JUSTIN to save 10% www.sheppardbrackets.com Use promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5% www.radfordpineshomedecor.com Use promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%. Resources: Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org/ All Addicts Anonymous: https://alladdictsanonymous.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Step 2 moves to the next … well… step of recovery. It reads, “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity”. Today we will hear the second part of a long and very meaningful conversation I had with Harvey E in Toronto about Step 2. Harvey and I became fast friends in this conversation as I had only had 1 previous 1 or 2 minute conversation with him. I loved the manner in which he discussed Step 2. I love the way that his sponsor walked him through Step 2. And I love Harvey. And I think you may also grow to love him and his experiences, strength and hope as he walks through the depths of hopelessness and powerlessness towards a dim light that was shown to him about 6 years ago. And now, that light is bright and full of warmth. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Sitting in a Rowboat Throwing Marbles at a Battleship: http://rowboatandmarbles.org/wordpress/ Sexaholics Anonymous: https://www.sa.org/ S-Anon (for the loved ones of sex addicts): https://www.sanon.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous Lifeline: https://sal12step.org/ Sex Addicts Anonymous: https://saa-recovery.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

Step 2 moves to the next … well… step of recovery. It reads, “Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity”. Today we will hear the first part of a long and very meaningful conversation I had with Harvey E in Toronto about Step 2. Harvey and I became fast friends in this conversation as I had only had 1 previous 1 or 2 minute conversation with him. I loved the manner in which he discussed Step 2. I love the way that his sponsor walked him through Step 2. And I love Harvey. And I think you may also grow to love him and his experiences, strength and hope as he walks through the depths of hopelessness and powerlessness towards a dim light that was shown to him about 6 years ago. And now, that light is bright and full of warmth. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at https://www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Sexaholics Anonymous: https://www.sa.org/ S-Anon (for the loved ones of sex addicts): https://www.sanon.org/ Sexaholics Anonymous Lifeline: https://sal12step.org/ Sex Addicts Anonymous: https://saa-recovery.org/ Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

I am a firm believer that there is a reason for “random thoughts” that just pop into our minds. And if we act on them, we or someone else can be greatly strengthened and blessed by those actions. I am very excited to kick off the year 2020 with a very special 12 week series of the Journey Through Life Podcast. This series is called Journey In Recovery. I have interviewed many different people from many different locations and many different backgrounds on one of each of the 12 steps of recovery as laid out originally in the Book Alcoholics Anonymous. Now, before you shut this off and say, “this doesn’t apply to me”, I am asking you to please give it a shot. Whether you or I are an actual addict or not, I KNOW that we all have weaknesses in our lives that we may be the only one that knows about it, but we really wish we could move past them. But try as we will, we have not been able to leave them behind. I have come to learn that learning of and applying the 12 Steps of recovery can and is beneficial to any human being who goes into it with real intent and applies the principles of these steps into their lives will be able to move through any addiction, any habit, any self-destructive or unwanted behavior. This can include full-blown drug and alcohol addiction, or something as seemingly dumb, but just as gripping as putting lip balm on compulsively or popping ones knuckles. This week, being week 1, we will be talking about Step 1 of the 12 Steps. I will be interviewing a woman who is the spouse of an alcoholic. Her story, even though she is not seemingly the one with the problem, is POWERFUL. So, you, may not be an addict yourself, but chances are that you are married to one, a parent to one, a child to one, or a co-worker to one. This episode will, IF you allow it, give you amazing tools so that your life can become more manageable, even if your loved one does or does not seek help for his or her addiction. You may be introduced to concepts that you have never before considered, or may even seem contradictory to what you have considered truth for perhaps your whole life, but these concepts are shared as honestly and openly as possible, using real experiences that cannot be denied as being true. So there you have it. If you have felt something in your heart or mind that is motivating you to act on it – whether that be to share this episode with a loved one, or to start taking some steps yourself to get a personal shortfall strengthened, please, I ask you, act on it. It can and will make all the difference in your life. Once again, go and check us out on Facebook and Instagram at @JTL Podcast. Check us out online at www.jtlpod.com. Drop us a note at thejtlpodcast@gmail.com. Visit our sponsors who I purposely did not put at the beginning of this episode or any other for the next 12 weeks. But they are helping this podcast continue forward. They are www.alifeuntold.com, www.sheppardbrackets.com, and www.radfordpineshomedecor.com . Use promo code JUSTIN with A Life Untold and JTLPOD5 at Sheppard Brackets and Radford Pines to save some money on your orders. Resources: Alcoholics Anonymous: https://aa.org Al-Anon (support for loved ones of alcoholics): https://al-anon.org Resources for many different fellowships: http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/the-lists/ http://www.reneweveryday.com/resources/family-and-friends/

A quick announcement for the first 12 weeks of 2020 in the Journey Through Life Podcast. Welcome to Journey In Recovery! Check out our partners: Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5% Announcing a new partner and the new promo code will be available Jan 6, 2020: Radford Pines Home Decor: www.radfordpineshomedecor.com.

In this week's episode of the Journey Through Life Podcast, we talk to a fascinating and REAL person. Jennifer Leeds is an amazing woman who has and is working through some major things. The transformation that she talks about in this story is amazing. You will get amazing insights, motivation, and wisdom from this conversation. This conversation goes into some very real, and sometimes dark places. But, I love how the light of the Son is always on her horizon and how she chooses to open her eyes wide to the light and let them shine. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

Such a good conversation this week with Klaus Voigtlaender. He was born in 1941 in Nazi Germany and witnessed as a young child the burning of Dresden at the end of the war along with many other tragedies. He watched as the Americans liberated Germany and then marched away, relinquishing East Germany to the Soviets. His family miraculously escaped Soviet Germany when he was about 11 years old and went through refugee camps and eventually emigrated to the United States. This story follows Klaus' life until now. It talks of the influence of a righteous and positive-thinking mother, and gives us perspectives that many of us just don't see first hand. I know you will enjoy this conversation and that you will learn something about life as a refugee and an immigrant that will perhaps open your eyes a little. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

In this powerful and heart-wrenching conversation with C.J. Eagar, we go places where no one wants to go. Into the untimely death of a child. We also go into the rarely-discussed effects of those similar trials in the emotions, lives, and marriages of those who walk through them. C.J. talks about each of these things in a way that brings emotion, hope, pain, and insight that can and will help any of us as we also trek through our own wintery seasons of life. Also announced in this episode is a forthcoming and awesome JTL series called Journey In Recovery - a 12 week series on addiction and recovery and the 12 Steps of recovery. It will start the first week of January 2020 and go for 12 straight weeks. It will be very informative and meaningful. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 and https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

In this episode, we Journey through the life and experiences of a wonderful, godly man, John Dubois. There is so much meat in this conversation that you really must listen to the whole thing. He is a deeply spiritual and religious man who lives his religion through the amazing work and service he provides to those who are "invisible" to so many of us. We tackle many difficult topics, not the least of which is suicide. John's takes on suicide will likely open your mind and heart and cause you to think deeply on this hot and current topic. He has worked as a suicide hotline manager and now is out on the front lines doing social work with people in crisis. We also discuss mental health and mental illness in very real and meaningful ways. He also talks of his own hopes for his life and his family and future generations. This truly is a VERY important episode on some VERY important issues. Sit back and enjoy this as you work, drive, relax, or wherever else you strive to become a better person by consuming wholesome media. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 and https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

In this Journey Through Life with Richard Long we journey with him from his early days in the deep South with financial difficulties and parents who refused to give up and refused to abandon their principles and new-found faith. We learn of struggles that he dealt with as a youth and some life-changing experiences that he had while walking in the deserts of Arizona with the Anasazi Foundation as a young walker. We see how these lessons learned have continued to help Richard and his family as he walks the paths NOT of least resistance and why that makes all the difference. I can promise that you will gain something from this episode as you allow yourself to do some self-reflection along with Richard and with me. Thoughts will come to your mind, and the invitation is to act on those thoughts to make changes in your life and your path to become a better person. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5% ACCI Cognitive Lifeskills: https://www.accilifeskills.com Anasazi Foundation: https://www.anasazi.org/

In this conversation with Christine Schwan we range from her earliest days as a young girl in Chicago to her eventual home of Phoenix Arizona where she learned that having a voice is vital to connection. Through cool experiences and decisions she learned how important it is for everyone to have a voice, and in the process, found her own voice. She parlayed a career as a speech-language pathologist into many avenues, one of which I am very excited about - she is a team yoga instructor for the Chicago Cubs. She shares her experience as she was in the clubhouse with the Cubs in their first world series win in 108 years in 2016. There are some amazing stories and experiences that Christine shares. Please enjoy this conversation. Also, please take a few minutes and check out these links: To donate to the non-small cell lung cancer research fund-run that Brooke Ellefsen is doing, a guest from a few weeks ago (BElieve - Arms Around), please go to this link and donate: https://bit.ly/2NY4PJ5 To have your own story put into a hardbound book and to save 10% on that cool project, please go to https://alifeuntold.com and use promo code JUSTIN at checkout. To get some amazing floating and open concept shelving installed with high-quality brackets, and to save 5% on those brackets, please go to https://www.sheppardbrackets.com and use promo code JTLPOD5 at checkout.

In this week's episode of the Journey Through Life Podcast we converse with Shawnee Jarman about her life and many of the lessons learned through the many experiences that have brought her to where she is today. We discuss the importance of finding your true authentic self and then living and being that way. We discuss the power of seeking happiness even through perceived difficulties. We talk about Assuming Positive Intent (one of my favorite take-aways from this conversation), and how to analyze things when we feel offended or hurt by the words or actions of another. These, among many other enjoyable insights and topics are covered in this conversation with Shawnee Jarman. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5% Shawnee Jarman Life Coach: https://www.familyfusionaz.com/shawnee

In this conversation with Andrea Bodine, we journey through her life which started in a orderly home in Alaska to a small farming and rodeo community in central Utah to where she is today in Mesa, Arizona. Andrea talks of the fun and trial of her life growing up and then of the bulldozer of an unexpected diagnosis of breast cancer and the treatment, recovery, and reconstruction of life and body and mind. In this conversation a concept was brought up that has revolutionized my thinking of how to approach trials in my life. That is the concept of "Choose Your Hard". It is super powerful and thought-provoking. Stick around and learn about it yourself. I know that you will walk away a better person for it. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

In this meaningful conversation with Shannon Tompkins, the Journey Through Life Podcast ranges throughout her life from early lessons from her grandfather to more recent lessons from her aunt. We talk of addiction and living with a loved one who took her on paths that she did not sign up for, and yet doing all she can to make it work. She talks of her own journey of healing (that continues today) by working the 12 steps of recovery, even though she was not the addict. She is a great example of the phrase that her father has often said, "Nothing stays the same for long". So, even when the depths of hell surround us, we can keep pressing forward, believing that it will change eventually. And when things are great, we can be humble recognizing that things could change there too. This is a fantastic, meaningful, emotional, and deep conversation with one of the strongest (because she strives to rely on God) people I have met. Enjoy this and other Journeys of ordinary people with extraordinary stories on the Journey Through Life Podcast (www.jtlpod.com). A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

What an amazing conversation this week with Brooke Ellefsen. If you do not already know her, you will feel like you do at the end of this conversation and you will be jealous of me that I have been able to meet her and hang out with her for a couple of hours. What an amazing woman! Oh... and she gives the most amazing and ... present... hugs I think I have ever received. In this conversation we talk about how life doesn't always go as planned and how she, in a very healthy time in her life, was suddenly and unexpectedly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer. It has been a little over 3 years since that diagnosis, and Brooke has defied the odds and has survived. And no matter what the future holds, she has held out hope and has inspired hope and BElief in so many others, including me. I am a BEliever. This conversation is heavy, and rightfully so. But we also dig into what make Brooke - well - Brooke, as she is not cancer and cancer is not her. We learn of miracles that have happened in her life as well as times when she has been an angel and worker of miracles in the lives of others in her circle of influence. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5% Brave Like Brooke Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Brave-Like-Brooke-202274863566449/ Feeding the Mouth that Bites You: https://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Mouth-That-Bites-You/dp/1514762374/ref=sr_1_1?gclid=CjwKCAjwxOvsBRAjEiwAuY7L8sb7tKFdwRGR4lY7MZJMr-VoWiw_0R5kAesEgnARzgVGGUIuIyFeGBoCasMQAvD_BwE&hvadid=174264779753&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=1027760&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=4275079712920490040&hvtargid=kwd-169496646530&hydadcr=24601_9648840&keywords=feeding+the+mouth+that+bites+you&qid=1570457510&sr=8-1

Wow. This conversation with James Layman really is a "wow" episode. It is packed with meaning and importance from the beginning to the end. Many times when we hear the phrase "Kids these days..." it is packed with negative connotations. James makes his life about turning that around and lifting and serving and empowering "kids these days" to be the leaders of the future. He shares several powerful stories that bring goose bumps. A couple of very meaningful phrases that come up in this conversation, and phrases that I have used multiple times in the last few weeks since our initial conversation are as follows: "Silence is where we create the stories in our own heads." To learn how powerful this phrase is, listen in. The other is paraphrased as such: A conversation starts in the armpit and goes all the way to the tips of the fingers. Make sure you listen past the bicep. The "In Their Own Words" segment at the end is also very poignant. James reads a poem that his mother wrote for him when he was quite young, but that he didn't find until many, many years later, after his mother had passed. Just enjoy! You will not be disappointed. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. Sleep In Heavenly Peace: www.shpbeds.org A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

A fun and far-ranging conversation with the chair person of Sleep In Heavenly Peace - Spokane Chapter. Jan Spackman talks of her childhood and youth and the great influence that her grandmother had on her. We then visit her life as a parent of 5, one of which is a special needs child. We talk of the challenges and joys of raising children. We visit addiction and rescue and redemption. The In Their Own Words Segment is a brief life sketch about Jan's grandmother that was such a huge influence in her life. Links to sponsors and to things discussed in the podcast. Sleep In Heavenly Peace: www.shpbeds.org A Life Untold: www.alifeuntold.com Promo code JUSTIN to save 10% Sheppard Brackets: www.sheppardbrackets.com Promo code JTLPOD5 to save 5%

In this conversation with Christer Rasmusson, we journey through his life growing up in Sweden and learning lessons from family and friends. We follow him through some time he spent in England and then back to Sweden to raise a family of 8 children in Sweden. We learn of a grand awakening and change of heart moment after his first marriage ended in divorce. A place in which he realized that he needed to get rid of his blame list. It is quite the powerful lesson that in hind sight, I wish I would have entitled this episode, "Get Rid of Your Blame List". Oh well... Christer is an author, speaker, and coach. If you are interested in learning more about his work, you can find it all at www.mccarthy.se . To purchase his book, "Turn Your Vision Into Reality" you can go here: https://www.amazon.com/Turn-Your-Vision-Into-Reality/dp/9175698439/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Christer%20Rasmusson%2C%20Turn%20Your%20Vision%20Into%20Reality&qid=1568643253&s=gateway&sr=8-1&fbclid=IwAR1aqKTmZN7N4kVVanJasbb-K1W8kc0AkcrhLJLAQL7eIIZwhIqeq3aCKhQ The In Their Own Words segment of this one was a fun one. It is a poem written by an ancestor of my wife. Elva Beaty wrote many poems and this one is called "Nothing to do but Go" and is a very image-provoking poem. I hope you enjoy it. Remember to check out our partners at www.alifeuntold.com and at www.sheppardbrackets.com . Please use promo code JUSTIN at checkout to save some money and to let them know where you heard about their services and products.

In this journey with Dean Miyasaki we follow his life and the life of his grandparents and parents as they emigrated to the United States from Japan. They worked hard to build a life in Southeastern Idaho as farmers and to make a better life for the generations that came after them. We learn of their experience during World War II as Japanese Americans and their roles in that era of history. We learn of Dean's early years and life on the farm, in school, and a bit about his mission to Japan. We learn of his professional and married life with family and their journeys and adventures. Dean share in his light hearted and easy going manner the things that are most important to him and the epiphanies he has had in his life. Sit back (or mow the lawn or drive the car, etc) and enjoy this conversation with an ordinary person with an extraordinary story. Check out our partners at our website, www.jtlpod.com. www.alifeuntold.com - save 10% with promo code JUSTIN www.sheppardbrackets.com - use promo code JUSTIN at check out.

This is a second release of the extraordinary story of Joe Harding from a few months ago. An ordinary, hard-working concrete professional whose life was drastically and immediately changed in a motorcycle accident. In this conversation we explore his childhood, his hero father, his struggles in his childhood and youth, his discovered love of working with concrete and his family, and the tragedy of his accident that left him a quadriplegic. We then explore what that road has been like over the last 18 months and what the road looks like ahead. I loved this conversation and witnessed some lights turning on as to how he can continue to "work hard" even in his physical condition and make a difference in the lives of others who have similar paths to him. This conversation inspired me and I hope it inspires you. Don't forget to check out our partner, https://alifeuntold.com and use promo code JUSTIN at check out to save 10% on your own legacy, or that of one of your relatives who NEEDS to tell their story. Or our other partner, Sheppard Brackets. Use JUSTIN at checkout at www.sheppardbrackets.com.

In this journey with Dave Bush, we learn some amazing and helpful lessons from his life and his experiences that he shares with us. This conversation is very heavily influenced by his membership in and life with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the lessons and experiences are things that transcend the Church or any other religious philosophy or practice. He talks of the wisdom and strengths of his good wife. We walk through his ups and downs, health and cancer, victories and defeats. At the end of this episode, Dave also shares a few experiences written by and about his great grandfathers from Wales who helped him understand his own passion and gift for music. Please be sure to check out our partners: https://alifeuntold.com Please use promo code JUSTIN to save 10% www.sheppardbrackets.com Please use promo code JUSTIN at checkout. https://www.etsy.com/shop/SheppardBrackets Please use promo code JUSTIN at checkout.

In this Journey with Mary Cook, the host and blogger of This Indulgent Life (https://www.thisindulgentlife.com/, on Facebook and Instagram @thisindulgentlife), we follow her through her life being raised as a Navy brat (her words not mine). We follow her desire to journey and travel the world and where the amazing and difficult places that has taken her. We discuss the struggles of a failed marriage wherein abuse and unfaithfulness was happening and the lessons learned from a new group of friends and acquaintances who taught her to have fun and enjoy life again. In the end, she shares the importance of trusting your intuition and creating great and amazing adventures as a family so that legacies and memories can be built. I believe that you will enjoy this episode and will gain something valuable from it. After the conversation, we have included another "In Their Own Words" segment with a short story, written by my grandfather, Clyde Taylor Higginson, about a mean sow pig. I think you will get a chuckle out of it. Remember to check out our partner, A Life Untold (alifeuntold.com) so you can get your life story or the life story of someone important in your life down in a book. Use promo code JUSTIN at checkout to save 10%.

In this conversation with Kelly Irion Smith, we journey through an apparently ideal childhood and family life into some pretty dark places. We explore abuse and the rays of hope that are breaking through as the abuse is brought into the light. We then explore family tragedy and the questions of life and death. We discuss end of life planning and the importance of saying what is prompted to be said right now. Kelly is an ordinary young woman with an extraordinary story that all can and will benefit from. I know I did and continue to benefit as I strive to apply the lessons and invitations from this conversation into my own life. If you have a loved one that you feel needs to get their life story into a book, please go check out our partner, https://alifeuntold.com and look through the options to have that life story done. Use promo code JUSTIN at checkout to save 10%. Check out old episodes of the Journey Through Life Podcast at www.jtlpod.com.

An upload with louder volume. Sorry for the quiet volume the first time around. This week's episode is late and short. It is basically just a quick "In Their Own Words" segment with a great story written by my grandfather, Clyde Higginson, about a harrowing experience he had as a B29 Bomber pilot over the Pacific. I recorded this while sitting on a tractor in Heber Arizona so there are some nature sounds and breeze and it was really fun. I also have a really cool conversation with my mom, Debra Barton, about her experience in working with https://alifeuntold.com in getting her life story down for her posterity. Enjoy this quick episode and remember to check out A Life Untold at https://alifeuntold.com and use promo code JUSTIN at check out to save 10%.

This is a second release of the original episode from the Know and Do Podcast from September of 2017. Cory Ellsworth is a fantastic and genuine man with a life story that rivals most. He is the father of a previous guest on the podcast, Cade Ellsworth. That episode was called "See the Person". It is also fantastic. In this conversation we went over the origins of his life and some of the things that have been most meaningful and impactful in his life. We also talked about tragedy that has struck his family in multiple ways over the years and how he and his amazing wife, Amy, have chosen to persevere rather than curl up and die in bitterness, sadness, and anger. We also talk about 2 Broadway-style musicals that he has written and a 4-book series called The Sieger Chronicles. Links to purchase and learn more about each of these projects is found below. 1. 1856: The Musical http://www.1856themusical.com/1856_The_Musical/Home.html 2. Crosses: A Musical of Hope http://www.crossesmusical.com/ 3. The Sieger Chronicles: https://www.amazon.com/Sieger-Chronicles-Traditions-Their-Fathers-ebook/dp/B076C9RRQX Also, remember to support The Journey Through Life Podcast by supporting our partner, A Life Untold. Save 10% on this awesome product and service by using code JUSTIN at checkout at https://alifeuntold.com .

In this conversation with Kara Houser, we follow her life, much of which occurs in rural Eastern Washington. We follow her as she is diagnosed with a malignant tumor at less than a year old and the permanent damage that did to her nervous system and her gait. We hear how she overcame a diagnosis that she wouldn't walk after 5 years old. Here she is, walking still at 40. She talks of the tough love of a mother and the comfort of a father and the drive and expectations to succeed in life regardless of physical limitations. She shares some great wisdom garnered from thousands of books that she has read and really experienced and tried to internalize them. At the end of this episode, in the "In Their Own Words" portion, is an entertaining story of Kara's grandfather, Kieth Howard Dixon, and his experience getting wounded in action in World War II. This story is special as it is about Kara's ancestor and read in her voice. Sit back and enjoy this extraordinary life experience. Don't forget to check out A Life Untold at http://alifeuntold.com and use JUSTIN at checkout to save 10%.

In this conversation with Aaron Sheppard, we explore growing up on a farm in Idaho, motocross racing, work, dating, marriage, family, and cancer, along with many other things. We learn how a calm and accepting attitude can help one cope with emergencies and trails in life. In "Think! Don't Just React", we find a mindset that has allowed Aaron to push through many trials and situations where many others would get upset, panic, or make rash decisions. We explore what is most important and what can be put on the back burner in life. At the end of this episode is another entertaining story of Clyde Taylor Higginson called "Merry KissMoose" in the "In Their Own Words" portion of the podcast. Don't forget to check out A Life Untold at http://alifeuntold.com and use JUSTIN at checkout to save 10%.

Ordinary People - Extraordinary Stories In this conversation with Kelli Dupps, we explore her idyllic childhood and early life that turned into a "crazy ride" when she learned of her youngest son's kidney cancer when he was about 1 year old. She shares the terror, mourning, gratitude, celebration, and survivor's guilt as her family tread the path of this experience. She shares how her mother and grandmother's legacies of strong women carried her through. She also shares how the help of other friends and family really has allowed her to do more than she ever thought possible. While I hope I never have to experience these trials first hand, I am grateful for her willingness to share with me and the listening audience, so we can learn from the example of yet another strong woman in Kelli Dupps. After the end of this episode I added a little bonus feature that I will be doing regularly at the end of Journey Through Life Podcasts from here on out. It is called "In Their Own Words". I will be reading the first-hand accounts of people who have finished their lives on Earth but have recorded stories and experiences that are meaningful, funny, and entertaining. Please enjoy this first one called "Cowboyin' Rudolph" about my grandfather, Clyde Taylor Higginson. Don't forget to check out our partner, https://alifeuntold.com and use promo code JUSTIN at check out to save 10% on your own legacy, or that of one of your relatives who NEEDS to tell their story.

In this conversation with Josh Roberts, we range from a fairly standard young childhood through some difficult teenage and young adult years. Josh, through this time, self-admittedly made some bonehead decisions. - some of which were very painful. But through those decisions and the consequences of them, he has experienced a kind of reawakening to what it means to live a life on one's own terms. If there ever was a young person who has realized what helps you get ahead and what holds you back, it is this guy. I think you will find some great nuggets of wisdom that can be applied into almost any life, no matter the age or stage of life. An ordinary person with an extraordinary story. Remember to check out our partner, https://alifeuntold.com and use promotional code JUSTIN at checkout to save 10% on a fantastic way to write one's own autobiography with experiences, lessons learned and wisdom earned.

This is the extraordinary story of Joe Harding. An ordinary, hard-working concrete professional whose life was drastically and immediately changed in a motorcycle accident. In this conversation we explore his childhood, his hero father, his struggles in his childhood and youth, his discovered love of working with concrete and his family, and the tragedy of his accident that left him a quadriplegic. We then explore what that road has been like over the last 18 months and what the road looks like ahead. I loved this conversation and witnessed some lights turning on as to how he can continue to "work hard" even in his physical condition and make a difference in the lives of others who have similar paths to him. This conversation inspired me and I hope it inspires you. Don't forget to check out our partner, https://alifeuntold.com and use promo code JUSTIN at check out to save 10% on your own legacy, or that of one of your relatives who NEEDS to tell their story.

In this conversation, Chris Palfrey opens up about his early life in Australia. Life with a pretty unstable family life for the first many years. The importance of maintaining connection with family and emotions. International travel right around the first anniversary of 9/11. And many other funny and heart-wrenching stories that left my jaw on the floor a few times. Journey Through Life has partnered with http://www.alifeuntold.com to help others share their own stories and legacies in the form of a custom and beautiful hardcover book. Save 10% by using promo code JUSTIN at checkout.

I first met Phillip almost 4 years ago when my family moved to Spokane. He and his family quickly became one of my favorite families, and I learned quickly that Phillip would give the shirt off his back to me or anyone else in need if he can. I reached out to him to see if he wanted to have this conversation based on a health scare he had less than a year ago. And that story was good, but I learned so much more about him and about life and overcoming tough life experiences through this conversation than I ever figured I would learn. It really is good stuff, and I am very grateful to him for having this conversation and sharing some wisdom with me. We follow him through his childhood in Florida, into his youth and young adulthood. His marriage and family. We talk of what is most important to him and what message he wants to share with those who come after him. Here are the links to the two books he mentioned as having a lot of importance and influence in his life: Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People: Doing Business the Chick-fil-A Way by Truett Cathy. https://www.amazon.com/Eat-Mor-Chikin-Business-Chick-fil/dp/1929619081/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3VF3PPVJUUSJS&keywords=eat+mor+chikin+inspire+more+people&qid=1559001726&s=gateway&sprefix=eat+mor+ch%2Caps%2C203&sr=8-1 When a Child Wanders by Robert L. Millet. https://www.amazon.com/When-Child-Wanders-Robert-Millet/dp/1590384067/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=when+a+child+wanders&qid=1559001807&s=gateway&sr=8-1

In this conversation with Chad J Carling, we talk about his life which began in the small southern Utah town of Fillmore where Chad lived, without electricity and running water for many early years. He had a love of airplanes from his childhood and turned that into a long and decorated career in the Air Force. He talks proudly of his integral part in the story of Robbie Risner, a decorated Air Force pilot in the Korean War. He is very proud of his family, of his heritage, and of his accomplishments. Sit back and enjoy this conversation with Chad J Carling. Here is the link to the History Channel special mentioned in the conversation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADXTxMQ_r8w

In this conversation with Rusty Wiezbowski we go through the experiences in his life that have brought him to one of his mantras that seems opposite of what almost everyone else always says. He says, "Life is Long". Now, at first, this seems like quite a stretch, but, as he shares his life experiences and the journeys of loved ones, it comes back and makes perfect sense. I hope you enjoy this Know and Do conversation where Rusty shares the wisdom earned and learned in his life.