Podcasts about Bible Belt

Grow up in a small town? You might be surprised at what kind of carnage can take place in such quiet corners of the world!  First, Benton relays the story of Katherine Knight, Australia's most famous female murderer. Then, Anna recounts the quadruple homicide that changed Keddie, California in 1981. Finally, the two settle in for a classic episode of City Confidential, profiling the attempted murder of Darlene Summerford.Our TV doc this week is Season 2: Episode 4 of City Confidential, "Foul Play in the Bible Belt".

From 2004 - A conversation with author Suzi Parker about her irreverent book "Sex in the South: Unbuckling the Bible Belt," in which she - herself a southerner - examines some of the interesting attitudes about sex and sexuality that she has encountered over the years.

Ever notice how witchy spaces don't always feel the same? On this episode, I share my trip to Michigan and how stepping into a crystal shop there felt free, relaxed, and judgment-free nlike the heavy, watchful vibe I get walking into similar shops in the Bible Belt. We'll discuss how regional culture influences spiritual spaces, what it means to practice witchcraft in a place where “someone's always watching,” and why it's essential to create spaces that feel safe and welcoming.crystal shops, witchcraft in the Bible Belt, spiritual spaces, witchy culture, judgment-free witchcraft, regional spirituality, energy of places, practicing witchcraft in public, inclusive witchy spaces.

266. Choosing Fun and Adventure in Your Marriage and with Your Family: An Interview with Dan & Sam Mathews   Isaiah 55:12 MSG “So you'll go out in joy, you'll be led into a whole and complete life. The mountains and hills will lead the parade, bursting with song. All the trees of the forest will join the procession, exuberant with applause. No more thistles, but giant sequoias, no more thornbushes, but stately pines— Monuments to me, to God, living and lasting evidence of God.”   *Transcription Below*   Dan and Sam Mathews have been married since 2014 and currently reside in Missouri with their two kids, Canyon and Ember. Since the moment they got married, Dan and Samantha have been living a life of sacrifice and faith. From backpacking in Arkansas to RV road trips across the US, they have always taken the adventurous route. Sam is a lifestyle vlogger and content creator, and Dan hosts a hunting podcast in addition to his social platforms. Together they share their life of adventure online with millions of followers. Follow them on socials @wearedanandsam.    Thank You to Our Sponsor: Sam Leman Eureka   Questions and Topics We Cover: What are a few adventures you're so grateful you said yes to in life? Matthew 25:26 MSG says, "That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that!" So drawing your wisdom from the Lord, how does your faith fuel your sense of adventure?  How can we begin to enjoy an adventurous life in our marriage and with our family?   Other Episodes Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce Podcast: 82 Traveling with Your Family with Katie Mueller 242 Stories Series: He Gives and Takes Away with Joyce Hodel     Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook, Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger:  (0:11 - 1:47) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.    The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today over 55 years later at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka.   Owned and operated by the Burchie family, Sam Leman's Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at lemangm.com.    Dan and Sam Mathews are my guests for today, and you may know them from all the social platforms at WeAreDanAndSam.   They live a life of high faith and delightful adventure, and their book, Always Choose Adventure: One Couple's Journey of Chasing the Things in Life That Matter Most, is actually going to release this month. I would highly recommend it. It was an amazing read.   I read through it so fast, and it was a great combination of enjoying the stories but learning so much along the way. It's kind of like our chat for today. We're going to cover various stories, but Dan and Sam are also going to give us simple and practical ideas and tips for adding a sense of fun into our marriage and into our family life.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Dan and Sam.    Dan Mathews: (1:47 - 1:48) Thank you for having us. We're excited. We are really excited.   Laura Dugger: (1:49 - 1:59) Well, I'm so excited to journey back and get to hear more of your story, but will you first just give us an overview of what current life looks like right now?   Sam Mathews: (2:00 - 2:29) Yes. Currently, I'm 22 weeks pregnant with our third baby. We have two kiddos.   Canyon is almost nine. Ember is seven. We live in Southern Missouri.   We love adventuring and traveling, and Dan hunts. We share life on every platform, so just lifestyle, vlogging, and sharing our adventures. We recently settled down in a home, and so this is our first time doing DIYs for ourselves.   Yeah, it's a fun season right now.   Dan Mathews: (2:29 - 2:46) And Sam loves to host, so I think we have 48 parties scheduled this summer and knocked out a couple already, but yeah, we're excited about life, excited about adventure, and sharing that with people and how they can actually get out and adventure more.   Laura Dugger: (2:47 - 3:01) You do that so well, but if we're going back then to more of the origin stories, will you both share your journey of growing up and your stories that eventually led for the two of you to overlap with one another?   Sam Mathews: (3:01 - 3:37) Yeah, definitely. It's always been me, my mom, and my sister. My mom was a single mom raising us, born in California, but then she moved us to Southern Missouri when I was young, and this was a great place to raise us.   In the Bible Belt, we were raised pretty much in church. She did an amazing job as a single mom, just caring for us and pointing us to Christ. We got plugged into a church very early on.   We volunteered there. My sister and I worked there. We attended there, and so we're really involved, and that's how I met Dan when he came to Bible College.   Dan Mathews: (3:37 - 4:58) Yeah, I grew up in central Wisconsin. We went to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, was very, very involved with the kid's ministry and youth group and just any opportunity I could be around that church community, I was. We had a group called Master's Commission that would come up and do outreach at our church.   They were from Florida, and I was like, man, I want to do that one day. These guys are awesome. They're doing human videos, and they're all musical.   My dad's brother and his family moved down to Southern Missouri, and I get a call one day right after high school. They were like, “Hey, there's a Master's Commission program down here. If you want to do it, we'll pay for it.” I was like, “Sure, let's do it.” Almost no questions asked, just kind of like, all right, tell me the date I have to be there. Then, I started packing stuff up and quit my job and moved down knowing absolutely nobody. I got plugged into the church. I became very, very involved, and then just built a community, and through that, I went there with Sam's sister, her older sister, and I got to know Sam, and then I ended up working out at the gym that she worked at.   Sam Mathews: (4:59 - 5:00) Which was at our church.   Dan Mathews: (5:00 - 5:15) Which was at the church, and so we were just around each other all the time, and that kind of developed over years and years and years. Then one day, I was like, wow, this chick is awesome, and now we're here doing podcasting.   Laura Dugger: (5:16 - 5:32) Which is incredible. Okay, so just to pause, and you go into more of these stories, love your books, so easy to read, but can you take us back to what you both first thought of one another when you were meeting those days at the gym? Oh, gee.   Sam Mathews: (5:33 - 6:22) For sure, Dan is the life of the party, like he is comedy, and just, he has all the jokes, and definitely a charmer with all the ladies, but so fun to be around, and not only his humor draws you in, but I didn't grow up with a father, and so I liked the, I don't know, like strong aspect that he had, just like the confidence, and then his relationship with the Lord was something that I desired to have for myself, you know, a leader in a couple like together, someone to point me towards Christ, but the lightheartedness and jokes and humor keep the hard days fun, but that for me was, you know, I always can count on you for a good joke.   Dan Mathews: (6:23 - 6:41) Yeah, I, when I first met Sam, it was kind of in a group setting, and it was with her older sister with my younger brother, and it was like, oh, this is, you know, Justine's sister. Little sister. Didn't really think a whole lot of it, but after a couple years, I think you were probably a sophomore at that time when I first met you.   Sam Mathews: (6:41 - 6:42) Yeah.   Dan Mathews: (6:42 - 7:36) And, and then after a couple years, it was like she was volunteering in the youth group, and she was on the recreation staff at our camps, and so it's like we were spending more time together, and I'm like, oh, Justine's sister's kind of cute, and yeah, we started, we started just kind of a friendship. We were just around each other all the time. I mean, like before we were dating, we're really interested in each other.   It's like I was walking back from the lake, and she'd hop on my back, and I'd just give her a piggyback ride up to the cabins, and then looking back, I'm like, wow, our lives just were really intermingled and overlapped for years and years, but early on, she was younger. She had braces. She was a hip-hop dance instructor, so I mean, she would have like one sweat pant leg rolled up, high-top Nikes on all the time, like thought she was the coolest thing ever.   Laura Dugger: (7:36 - 7:52) I was. I didn't think. Oh, that's amazing.   I love that, and my husband and I were also friends first, and I feel like that does set you up well in marriage. Like you've got your built-in buddy.   Sam Mathews: (7:53 - 8:30) Exactly. I was going through pictures yesterday, because I was going to post a trend online, and it was like, oh, how cute. How many months have you been married?   And it's like months? You put a picture for every year, and it's like we've known each other since like 2008, maybe 2009. Then, like started our like dating in 2010. I look at pictures of us from 2010 as a couple. I'm like, oh, my gosh, we've grown so much just like, you know, like physically, but even just relationally and spiritually, and like it's crazy looking back, and so thankful for so many years of friendship with him, but you know, relationship-wise, it's been great.   Dan Mathews: (8:30 - 8:52) Well, and I feel like doing life together is a great model before ever like the romantic side comes in. You get to know the person in group settings. You get to know who they are without the interest, because people can put on a different face once you're trying to impress somebody, you know, but we were just being our genuine selves around each other for a long time.   Sam Mathews: (8:52 - 8:59) Probably saw some stupid moments, some hard moments, but that's, yeah, that's what you want to see before you get into a relationship with someone.   Laura Dugger: (9:00 - 9:12) Absolutely. Yeah. And as we're starting back that far, then when you reflect back, what are some of the adventures that you're most grateful you've said yes to in life?   Sam Mathews: (9:13 - 10:38) Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I feel like dating, we weren't even dating at this point, the canoe trip when you did a master's commission, and that was so fun.   It was like all of his friends, my sister, all the master's commission group went kayaking, and I decided to tag along as a sibling, and his brother did, and maybe a couple others. And that was fun, but it also gave me an opening into how Dan adventures, because his way of adventuring is way different than mine. I grew up, like I said, with a mom.   We would camp at a cabin, and you'd pack the car full of everything you need. Dan would literally just put everything in a backpack and hike in two miles to go camping. And so being in that group, going kayaking, it was so fun, and it sparked this new love for adventure and new desire to learn a new way of adventuring.   That was so fun. I mean, that was before we were married, but this is kind of jumping far ahead, but when we were married, we moved to Colorado for a couple of years, and although it was a hard season for us, we learned so much. We gained so much from it.   A lot was birthed in us in that season. I mean, physically, I welcomed my daughter. We welcomed our second child in Colorado, but spiritually, I think God planted a lot of seeds that it may not have been a tangible adventure of being out in the woods, but spiritually, we were in the woods, and we grew so much, and I'm glad we said yes to it because it opened the door and led to so many other things.   Dan Mathews: (10:38 - 12:31) Yeah, I feel like a lot of our adventures, some are traditional. I mean, a big adventure for me was leaving home. I mean, I moved straight out of my parents' house to a different state, and that was totally crazy for me.   But then watching Sam, I mean, she moved out to California for a summer, went to a ministry out there. Then I saw her go to Colorado and Nanny for a couple, all summer long, and so I was like watching this, and we were talking, and I realized, like, we're both all in on an adventurous life, and even when we don't have the answers, it's like, is the Lord telling you not to do it? No?   Okay, well, then we'll see what happens, and I thought that was really cool to watch her just like, oh, I'm going to California for a summer, and at first, I was like, please don't. I don't want you to come all the way to California, but then I was like, that's going to be so incredible. Like, you're just leaving everything behind and starting over for a whole summer in a different state, and so that was like the early dating years where we were kind of doing our own adventures, but we were watching and encouraging each other in doing them, and then we started actually going out and camping and floating rivers and hiking up waterfalls, and if you've never camped in the backcountry with someone, I suggest doing it. It's a great metric for if there's someone you want to marry.   Like, if you can figure out canoeing and camping, you're probably going to be okay in marriage. That's good. And so, yeah, we started doing that stuff, and then from there, it was just like one after the next, going to Alaska, camping in grizzly country by ourselves, and it's our first time there.   Like, we've done some pretty wild things, some pretty traditional things, but at the end of the day, all of the adventures are what brought us together.   Laura Dugger: (12:32 - 12:45) Well, and just thinking of the adventure that drew you together, and then also your current platforms on socials and vlogging and preserving all of these pictures, like you said, you've captured all the pictures throughout the time.   Sam Mathews: (12:45 - 12:45) Yes.   Laura Dugger: (12:47 - 12:58) When you look back, do you feel like God had given you little seeds of what was yet to come or what kind of career you would be in someday, or was this totally a shock to both of you?   Sam Mathews: (12:59 - 13:57) You know what? Looking back at pictures or even videos that I took, I could see how it was something that the Lord was birthing in us, and I would say probably me so more than Dan. I think Dan's like, whatever you want to do, I'm along for the ride type of thing.   It probably wasn't his first choice as a career, but now that we're in it, we love it and we're thankful for the blessing it is to our family and the time that we get to spend with the kiddos. But I look back and I started videoing and taking pictures like years before even starting on social media, and then even the first few months in the year of sharing, it was like I didn't know what I was doing, but I still wanted to just share life and encourage people and love on people and inspire people. And yeah, it's crazy to look back on, but I also see the work the Lord was doing to get it all started before we even thought about it and knew that it would be something that we'd be doing.   Dan Mathews: (13:57 - 16:00) Yeah, and I feel like with Sam, she gets promptings from the Lord that she doesn't know what it is. She doesn't know what it means. And early on, I think the very first one, she's like, babe, I just have this feeling like a big change is coming.   And I'm like, anymore? Like, do you have any more information for me? That's not a whole lot to go off of.   And I mean, in the conversation, I was like, okay, we'll see. Then I just forgot about it. And I mean, it was like the next day.   There was an issue at work, just a very immoral thing that they were asking us to do as employees. And I was like, no, I can't be part of this. And I called her right after, and I was like, babe, I think this might be it.   Like I'm going to resign tomorrow. And we talked and prayed, and I only had like a five-minute car ride home. We talked, prayed, got off the phone, and immediately I get a call from my buddy.   And he's like, “Hey, dude, don't know what you're doing for work right now, but I've got a job for you if you want to come work at this place I'm at.” And I was like, “Oh, my gosh.” So then two years later, the same thing happened.   She's like, I feel like a change is coming. Boom, big change. Two years later, I feel like a change is coming.   All of a sudden, we're in a car moving out to Colorado. And it was just like that cycle. And so now when she's like, hey, there's a change coming, I'm like, oh, my gosh.   I got to pack my bags. Something big's happening. I know something major is happening.   And so, I don't know that early on either of us expected us to be where we are today. But we knew that we wanted to prioritize time together. We wanted to prioritize time with our kids and above all of it, time with the Lord.   And if we could get those three in the right order, it didn't really matter where we were. It didn't matter what state we were in. If we were living in a bumper pole camper, an RV, a tiny home, or a regular sized house, we just knew that we had to prioritize those things, and everything was going to work out.   Laura Dugger: (16:01 - 18:03) Truly. And that's the promise from Matthew 6:33, that you're really living that out. And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Burchie family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago. If you visit their dealership today though, you'll find that not everything has changed.   They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle. This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible.   They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple, Welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different. I've known Sam and Stephen and their lives my entire life and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today.   Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you and they appreciate your business. Learn more at their website, samlemanchevy.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka. You can also call them at 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.    There's a verse that you quoted in your book, and I had never read it before, in the message translation.   So, it's Matthew 25:26 that says, “That's a terrible way to live.” It's criminal to live cautiously like that. So, drawing your wisdom then from the Lord, how does your faith fuel your sense of adventure?   Sam Mathews: (18:04 - 19:50) Yeah, a lot of faith and trust. Several points in our life have been like a crossroads where we feel like we want to almost desire more out of everything to go towards the direction where God is leading us, where we don't know the outcome. We don't know what's ahead.   We don't know what's coming and it's forcing us to trust the Lord, to have faith, even though we're fearful of it. Or we look at another option where it's like, you know what, this is very comfortable. We know the outcome.   We know what's going to be required of us. We know how we're going to get there, how we're going to pay for it. And it was something we didn't desire.   We liked being in a position where we needed the Lord. We're reliant upon Him. And so, you know, we talk often in the book about being comfortable.   And I feel like when you're in a comfortable setting in life, it's safe. There's no risk involved. There's little to no trust in the Lord.   I say that, you know, there's more to the story of that. But that you don't want to be at a place where you don't need God, where you don't need to rely on Him. And so, for us, we just encourage people that if you do find yourself in a comfortable place, to maybe step out of your comfort zone a little bit.   To what's an area where you need to trust the Lord more? Is it finding that new job that you've been waiting for, that you've been hoping for? Is it moving to the state that's closer by your family or closer by your friends that you really desire but you're scared too?   To not just be comfortable and stay for the sake of not being fearful or not, like knowing what's next, but instead step out, trust the Lord, you know, as long as you have peace and as long as you feel that yes from Him. And just lay fear aside and move forward with the Lord.   Dan Mathews: (19:50 - 21:54) Yeah, with every big decision that we make, we're led by peace. And we've said it for years. If either one of us don't have peace about it, we're not doing it.   But when there are multiple doors open, we say we're going to choose the most adventurous one. If we don't feel a specific direction from the Lord, let's just pick the most adventurous one. And it's kind of become common practice for us to not have really many of the details planned out on a major decision on a trip.   And people are like, do you have any idea of what you're going to do when you move there? Or how long you're going to be traveling the country in an RV? And we're like, nope, we'll figure it out.   I joke with my buddies all the time because they're like, “I mean, how do you know everything's going to be okay? How do you know this?” I go, well, between me and God, we've got everything figured out.   And they're like, “Oh, okay, I get it.” I'm like, “well, the Lord has everything figured out, but I can throw myself in that team, you know?” And I feel like it's been an encouragement to some of our friends as they watch it.   And they're like, whoa, you guys did it. I'll talk about it for years. And even when we moved out to Colorado, in our minds, we were going to move out there.   All of our friend group was like, one person needs to move. And then everybody else is going to slowly follow out. Well, we end up moving out there.   And I'm like shooting my buddies messages like, “All right, when are you coming out? And one by one, it was like, “No, I don't think we're coming.”   No, it's not going to be for at least five years. It's going to be, you know, maybe when the kids graduate, all of these different responses. And I'm like, man, that was one of the biggest things that we missed when we were out there.   But we knew that moving to Colorado, taking a pay cut, paying more in rent, like all of those things were a stepping stone to get us to where we were today, to trusting the Lord and starting our first business together, trusting the Lord with our finances, with our time. And really putting us in a position where we were fully dependent on him for our survival.   Sam Mathews: (21:54 - 22:40) And so even if something doesn't work out, we mentioned a couple of stories in the book where we may have moved forward without peace, and it did not end well. But the Lord always brings it around and teaches us something from it or a situation where we felt the peace to move to Colorado, but we were only there for two years. It was hard on us financially.   We got into debt. We had no friends, no family out there. It was a hard season.   We still gained from it. So instead of looking at something as a complete loss, we still look to find the good. You know, what did the Lord birth in us?   You know, like Dean said, spiritually, we grew together. Financially, we started a business. Like so much good came from it that even though it maybe on paper or to others, it didn't make sense.   It was still good. And something that the Lord, yeah, started for us.   Laura Dugger: (22:41 - 23:05) And you've learned those lessons and now you get to share them with others. Even super practical with this one. Our family has never done the RV thing before, but even just dipping our toes in and trying a vacation that way.   What tips do you have for families, maybe who aren't traveling around, living out of their RV, but vacationing with one, what are some of your best tips?   Sam Mathews: (23:05 - 24:27) I just saw a video of someone sharing the other day where they took their family of, let's see, four, six total on an RV for the first time. And I was like, oh no, because the first warning I give to everyone is you have to drain your poop through the hose. If you're out on that, RV life is not for you.   RV vacation is not for you. Do you have to get down and dirty and take care of a few things? There's a lot more maintenance that comes with RV vacationing or RV life.   And I usually have the dirty work for Dan to do and I'm inside cooking, cleaning. But an RV has all your basic needs. You can still go to the bathroom, you can still shower, there's a toilet, there's a bed.   It's just on a lot smaller scale. And if you're not good with being in close proximity with all your children or your spouse, then you may just need a little bit of a bigger space to stay in. But it's fun because you get to navigate it together and you get to learn just a new way of life or new way of traveling.   And yeah, the maintenance of the restroom, you have to have water hookups, or you need solar for electric or you have to be hooked up to electric. The great part is you can go anywhere, and you can get right up close to some great adventures. Our favorite spot to park an RV is the rim of the Badlands.   It's so pretty. Is it the North Rim?   Dan Mathews: (24:28 - 24:28) Yeah.   Sam Mathews: (24:28 - 24:54) It's gorgeous. You wake up to the sun rising over it and it's the most peaceful thing to be right there next to it. And you can't do that with a cabin in the woods.   But the benefit to a cabin in the woods is that's its own adventure. And so just do a little bit of research on the maintenance required for setting up, tearing down the RV in order to get on the road and to like park it and set up.   Dan Mathews: (24:55 - 26:44) I like how you weave some of the worst parts about our RV life in there. But I will say being on the road, traveling and like just kind of deciding on the way is one of the greatest things ever. I did not, like we definitely had a plan.   It was like, “Hey, we're gonna stop one time.” Growing up, we've got five kids. So, it was like, we're stopping one time to go to the bathroom.   If you have to go, you're just gonna have to hold it type of thing. We were fairly structured in the traveling to a place. But being in an RV, it really opens up so much to where you can on the way be like, oh, I just saw a billboard.   I wonder what that is. Look it up. How far away is it?   Hey, what if we take a 45-minute detour and go check this out? Like we found places in the middle of Kansas that 1% of the population knows about. We camped.   There's spots that you can camp on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Like no guardrail, back your vehicle right up, walk out the door, sit there, have coffee or whatever in the morning. And that was like our favorite part about it.   There were nights that we would drive until like one in the morning. And we might be sleeping in a truck stop. But we were on the way to Glacier National Park or to the Oregon coast or wherever.   And so, I feel like ditching the schedule and just kind of figuring it out as you go is one of the most freeing things on a vacation. And the other nice part about it is if you find a place that you absolutely love and you're like, we want to spend four days here, do it. You don't have a new reservation somewhere else that you have to get to.   You can just go wherever the wind blows, have fun with the family. And yeah, I think everybody needs to do it at least one time.   Laura Dugger: (26:44 - 27:02) Oh yeah, for sure. What a great challenge to step outside our comfort zone like you said. Well, one other amazing adventure that you've embarked on together is becoming a surrogate twice, I believe.   Will you tell us a little bit more about that process and that experience?   Sam Mathews: (27:03 - 31:10) Yeah, definitely. So, in 2018, we had our daughter and she was a little bit more work than our first. So, our first was super easy.   Ate well, slept well, like barely cried. And our daughter, maybe it was just her being a girl. A little bit more needy and required some extra grace and some more prayer for patience on my part.   But at that point, I was like, yeah, I think I'm done. Having children of our own and parenting our own children because even raising two kids is going to be a task. But I didn't feel like I was done carrying children.   And I'm like, I still want to have babies, but I don't want to have more to parent. How do I do that? But I felt like the Lord just laid surrogacy in my heart.   And I started thinking about it, praying about it, researching it. And I brought it up to Dan like, hey, what would you think about me doing this? And I had to educate him a little bit on like what being a surrogate was.   As a gestational surrogate, I wasn't carrying an embryo with an egg that was mine. So, I'm not biologically related to the baby. And after some prayer, we both felt at peace about it.   And so, we walked through that door and started the process of meeting a couple or going through an agency to start a journey. And yeah, we've done two now. So, in 2022, I delivered a baby boy for a couple.   And then in 2024, so just last year, I've just actually in a few days, I'm going to hit my year mark of my second belly bud being one and a little girl for a couple. And it was like the most, one of the greatest adventures I've been on. And I've gained so much from it.   And it's so rewarding to see someone who desires to be a parent, to be a mom, but physically can't. To see them walk that road and just step into the role that like watching her become a mom is like, you can tell that's what she was meant to be. That's what the Lord had for her.   And it's so fun seeing the joy of their family and watching her grow up and like being a part of her life. That, yeah, like we just encourage other people, if you're able to do something like that, or no matter what it is, it's not just surrogacy, but if God's calling you to something that may require a lot more from you or something that is not normal, it's not traditional, you don't see it a lot, like just step out and do it. And yeah, it's been fun.   It definitely grouped Dan and I closer together. Spiritually, he was there for me in times of emotional hardship. Pregnancy in itself is hard, but to do it multiple times, you know, this is my fifth pregnancy now.   There's a lot of roles that he takes on to care for the kids more, to care for me more. And we've grown closer and just his love for me, seeing it that even though it's not our baby, like he's still caring for me and taking care of me as if it was. And the Lord, I've had to rely on the Lord so many times because pregnancy and birthing in itself is a miracle.   To go through moments of transfer, like the embryo doesn't always take the first time on a transfer or your levels are off or maybe one of the ultrasounds is, you know, something doesn't look good on it. We're constantly relying on the Lord and it gives us an opportunity to share with intended parents, you know, someone who didn't have hope, didn't have anything to look forward to for parenting their own children, to just like be an encouragement to them spiritually and then share these journeys with others publicly has been a great way just to share our faith and to share how going through a surrogacy journey caused us to rely on the Lord and, you know, point everything back to Christ and, you know, God being just very pro-life and we're excited to bring this life into the world.   And so, yeah, definitely a big adventure to embark on to bring two babies into the world that aren't ours, but one of like the greatest things I've ever done. It's awesome.   Laura Dugger: (31:11 - 31:25) It's a beautiful sacrifice and I'm sure others are also wondering at that moment when you meet the baby that you've been carrying, how did you handle those emotions of sharing the baby?   Sam Mathews: (31:25 - 33:42) Yes. Yeah, definitely. So, when you go into surrogacy, you know, from the beginning that it's not your child, especially as a gestational carrier, not related to it.   Throughout the pregnancy, all these milestones that you hit, you're excited for it, but you're excited for it for the parents. So, finding out, you know, there's a heartbeat and seeing the baby for the first time on ultrasound, you're excited for them. Finding out the gender, you're excited for them.   You know, delivering the baby, you're excited for them that you do a lot of mental prep, but there's also like a lot of research that shows to like plan something after delivery for your family to do, something for you to do with your kids so that when you do leave the hospital, you don't think about what you don't have anymore. You think about what you do have at your house with your family. And so, it may seem hard.   I think a lot of times people compare it to adoption where the birth mom is literally giving up her child to somebody else and the hardship that that would cause on her as a surrogate. And I can only speak for myself because I'm sure there are times where it is hard for a surrogate. But for me, it wasn't because I did a lot of mental preparing, emotionally preparing that I knowing that this child wasn't mine going into it.   I knew that at the end of it, I would deliver the baby and the baby would be taken from me and I'm not raising this child. And a lot of times you don't even touch a baby until like maybe you're discharged to see the baby before you leave. So, it's not like I'm delivering the baby.   The baby's being given to me and I'm holding and I'm bonding with it. And then it's being taken away. It's no, this is from the moment it comes out of the womb.   It is their baby and it's in their care. And again, seeing their face, their joy, the moment where like they're seeing their child for the first time is so rewarding. And that's something that I would never want to take from them.   It was never my role to be this baby's mother. It was to just carry their baby and to bring their baby into the world. And so, it's not as hard as you think, thankfully.   I mean, I wouldn't have done it a second time for sure if it was. And we're praying about a third one. But it's so rewarding.   And yeah, you know from the beginning that it's not yours. So, it's easy to, in a sense, pass the baby off.   Laura Dugger: (33:43 - 34:56) Well, that's a story that really encapsulates stewardship. I think that's a great example.    Did you know you could receive a free email with monthly encouragement, practical tips, and plenty of questions to ask to take your conversation a level deeper, whether that's in parenting or on date nights?   Make sure you access all of this at thesavvysauce.com by clicking the button that says join our email list so that you can follow the prompts and begin receiving these emails at the beginning of each month. Enjoy.    For both of you, your lives are just fascinating mostly because you're living this life of faith and sacrifice. So, it's compelling to get to hear how you're actually doing that. But then I love how you call out that you don't recommend people go to the other extreme and become reckless and chase adventure. You discern between choosing adventure and chasing adventure.   So, I'm wondering if you can give us any of your definitions or parameters around what choosing adventure does and does not look like for you.   Dan Mathews: (34:57 - 38:00) Yeah, I think that choosing adventure for us is looking at opportunities where we can spend as a family, where we can get outside of our comfort zones and just really put it in the Lord's hands. Have fun along the way, you know, whether it's ziplining or jumping off a cliff, like a lot of people think adventure has to be this grand thing and super dangerous. And for us, it isn't really.   Like there's been a couple of times where we've been like, this got crazy quickly. Maybe we could have planned it out a little bit better. But at the end of the day, it all worked out.   And so, when we talk about people choosing instead of chasing or not being reckless, it's all about like, do something new, do something fun, do something that puts you outside of your comfort zone, but isn't going to put you in a bad position. I'm not the guy that's like, you know what? Never swam across Lake Michigan.   I'm going to give it a go, see how it happens, and see what happens. If that's the case, it's like maybe start out with a triathlon and see what you're going to do and work your way up. And so, I don't ever want anyone to take the book or take the things that we say or the adventures that we've had in life and think I'm going to do something absolutely crazy that doesn't make sense.   That's not logical. That's not safe. Like, that's not what this is about.   It's about just getting outside of your comfort zone. And the more you're outside of it, the more comfortable you become with being uncomfortable. And I tell people, like on some of my backcountry hunts, I want to be comfortable in suffering.   Like when I'm really, really struggling physically to climb up a mountain with a 70-pound pack on my back, I want to be like, I know I'm making it out of this. It's not fun in the moment. Like it hurts.   My legs are burning. My back hurts. I feel like I need a break, but I'm going to keep pushing through.   And when I look back on that, I'm going to go, that was brutal and awesome. And I loved every second of it. And I feel like that's how, how we view our trips, our road trips.   I mean, driving, what was it? Thirty something thousand miles in a couple months and visiting dozens and dozens of states. It was like, there were times where it was like, I don't want to be on the road anymore.   The wind is literally about to tip the RV over. I'm almost taking out construction cones or running into things because I had never driven an RV before. And the very first place we go is Wisconsin.   And we drive right past Chicago and there's like construction for a hundred miles. And so it's like all of those things, they were fun. Yeah, they were scary in the moment we got through, we were never in any real danger.   And so, yeah, I feel like it's a stair step when it comes to adventure. I didn't start out just wandering around Alaska by myself. It started with going down to Arkansas, being five miles away from the vehicle and then kind of built from there.   Sam Mathews: (38:00 - 39:50) Yeah, to not be reckless, like to, you know, we talked about this earlier to move forward when you have peace. And just because you have peace with it, someone else may not understand it. But with peace, like there's wisdom too.   You don't want to move forward with a lack of peace and not using wisdom in a decision because yeah, that will get you in trouble and that will cause hardship and pain later down the road. But if you have peace about something and there is that open door and you feel the release from the Lord to go on this adventure, then do it. And even though if it doesn't work out, you know, God will still work everything out.   But yeah, like Dan said, when you, the more you do things that are outside your comfort zone or that, you know, even others may not agree with, but you feel at peace with and you're moving forward, the easier it becomes to do those. And the more you would trust the Lord. And like you said, again, it doesn't have to be some grand adventure.   We encourage people that if they're new to choosing adventure and they're new to stepping outside their comfort zone, try like a new restaurant one day, go to like a new, I was thinking the other day, we live in Missouri and we always travel outside of Missouri for adventure. I'm like, we need to do a six-month adventure just within Missouri. Like we drove two hours South and through Missouri to go to Georgia last week.   And we were driving down this hill on one of the roads. I'm like, this looks like, it looked like Georgia already, or it looked like Colorado, the hillside and the trees and the fog, I'm like, this is beautiful. And I look down, I'm like, oh, we're still in Missouri.   So, there's so much to adventure and to explore in your own backyard or down your street that it doesn't have to be something crazy wild. We're not saying go, you know, jump out of a plane and skydive or something, but just start small, start where you have peace and where you feel the Lord's leading.   Laura Dugger: (39:52 - 40:26) That's great. I love having a handful of practical things. I think of my brother, Drew and his wife, Amanda, when their kids were really little, they just drew a two hour radius to see what places would be fun to go invest and explore.   Or for us, I would say one of our most recent adventures, we didn't know what it would look like on the other side, but it's become one of our favorite things in life and probably our best decision in parenting for us as we started homeschooling our kids last year. And it has been a wild adventure.   Sam Mathews: (40:26 - 40:27) That's an adventure.   Laura Dugger: (40:28 - 40:36) So, any other tips to get people started? Those are even trying the new restaurant. Yeah.   Anything else like that that you would say?   Dan Mathews: (40:37 - 42:13) The nice thing is that we all have this supercomputer in our hand or in our pocket all the time. And there are so many lists of like the top 10 places to see, places to eat. There's books that are just like places to canoe before you dive, places to hike before you dive, and they have all of this stuff listed out.   And so, it's not that you have to be a pioneer and find a new place that nobody's ever been before. Look at the research that people have done before you and look at lists, get on Pinterest or any social media platform and try to just figure out what are practical things that you can do. And then you can also say, how difficult is this going to be for me?   Do I really need to jump that far into it right now? Or should I just go to a local park that might have a cool cave that I can explore? Or maybe there's a creek near the house and like, what if we just go down there and see if we can find fish or crawdads or try to skip rocks?   My kids, that is one of their favorite things. I'm like, I love doing it as a kid. I didn't realize how exciting just the act of watching a rock skip on the water would be for kids.   And so there's, yeah, there's a million different resources online for things that you can practically do close to home. And it might, for some people, just be trying that DIY project instead of calling a carpenter to put yourself up, you know, or a handyman. Like, give it a try.   The worst that's going to happen, you have a hole in your wall. Now you watch a video on how to patch it.   Laura Dugger: (42:14 - 42:37) That's so good. And I'm seeing a theme. A lot of these are getting outdoors and nature.   That's always an adventure. But then I'm even thinking simple things in conversation, trying out a new question, even with a loved one. Or you said at the beginning that you love hospitality.   So inviting somebody new into your home. I think any of that novelty is just really good for us. Yeah, definitely.   Dan Mathews: (42:38 - 44:32) Yeah, I think even making it a point in conversation when somebody asks you how your day is, instead of just saying good and continuing on, actually stop and talk to them. Because a lot of people, their biggest fear might not be going on a road trip, might not be financial ruin. It might just be opening up and being vulnerable with another person.   And so it could be the person at the office that you've never actually had a conversation with. You know each other. You might wave when you walk by their desk.   But actually talk to them. Get to know them. Tell them about yourself.   And so the book has a lot of those types of things lined out where it's like it might not be physical. It might not be out in nature. It might be within your home.   It might be, I mean, some people need to do this with their kids. Like that might be the scariest thing is talking to your teenager. Like actually having a conversation.   And we're going to sit down and we're going to have a meal together and actually talk as a family. And so, yeah, it looks different for everybody. And that's one thing, because our passion is being outside.   Like Sam wants a houseboat. She wants to buy a houseboat and renovate it and live in it for a certain amount of time. And we've had other people who a bunch of homeschool families bought sailboats and sailed all around the world as they were homeschooling their kids.   And I heard that and I was like, yeah, yeah, we're going to have to do that at some point. But I know for a lot of people, just going outside is a big deal. And so it looks different for everybody.   We do give a lot of nature examples, but there's different ways for every type of person, every level of. What would you even call it? Social.   There's a lot of different levels to the social scale. And so no matter where you are, there's something for you to be a little bit more adventurous.   Laura Dugger: (44:34 - 44:42) OK, so like I said, you've made a compelling argument for getting outside of our comfort zone. Why do you think some of us resist this attractive lifestyle?   Sam Mathews: (44:43 - 46:46) Yeah, I think there's fear in it. There's sadly nowadays, you know, what will other people think of me? What will what if we fail?   What if we lose money? What if we what if I look a certain way that I don't want to appear to others? And that's where you just have to think back to Christ.   Like what is it? What really matters at the end of the day? It's how God views you.   And if you fail, oh, well, what if the Lord like just opens up so many doors and creates an avenue for you to get out? Or what if so much good comes from it that we can't be afraid of failure? Again, move forward cautiously with wisdom and with the Lord's peace and direction.   But in our book, we share one of our biggest adventures was going out to Colorado and renovating a van for five days. And we broke down on the side of the road, something no one wants to do in the desert, in the middle of twice. We did twice.   We broke down in the middle of Kansas and then in Colorado again. And it was we'll be honest, it was not fun. It was one of like the scariest times.   But looking back, like we're so thankful we did because so much good came from it. Like we met some amazing people who helped us along the way. And it's now one of our favorite stories to tell of encouragement that just because you say yes to adventure and just because something bad happens, it's not all a waste.   And I think, yeah, that fear just keeps people from being able to move forward and being like, you know what? Like I'm comfortable right here in my house, my kids in public school, not going anywhere because I know where my money's coming. I know like what's happening tomorrow.   I know how people are going to respond. And I'm just going to like stay here. Not that that's a bad thing, because the Lord needs people in every season in every situation.   But if he's prompting you to step out and to try something new, like don't be afraid of what's required from you or what could happen. You never know like where it could lead.   Dan Mathews: (46:47 - 48:10) Yeah, I think a lot of it is those few things, fear, pride, or just you believing that God isn't big enough or doesn't care about your situation. And unfortunately, a lot of people are there where I really want to try this, but like what if things go wrong? And for us, it's like when things go wrong, that's where the Lord provides.   That's where the Lord directs. That's where he leads. That's where his word can be the lamp to your feet and a light to your path.   When you're trying to do it all on your own and you're staying in this safety net of comfort, nothing amazing happens in that place. And so, we've seen it time and time again, the Lord's provision, the Lord's provision in our lives and not only the provision financially, but actually like setting us free from constraints like social constraints of like you have to work nine to five. We heard that over and over and over.   And I'm like, well, the nice thing is Sam and I are both hard workers and super driven, and I'm sure we could get jobs again. Yeah, so like worst case scenario, we run completely out of money and we go back to go back to work. And I'm like, what does failure actually look like?   And I try to get people to break it down for me. People who are like, I'm glad that worked for you, but that couldn't work for us. And I go, why?   Sam Mathews: (48:10 - 48:10) Yeah.   Dan Mathews: (48:11 - 48:20) Like, why couldn't it work for you? And they're like, well, I like what happens if it doesn't work out? And I'm like, let's expand on that as far out as we can think.   Sam Mathews: (48:20 - 48:21) Even the worst.   Dan Mathews: (48:21 - 48:24) Like, does that work? Like, are you going to die? No.   Sam Mathews: (48:24 - 48:24) Yeah.   Dan Mathews: (48:24 - 49:02) Like, no, you'll probably just come back home if it doesn't work out, you know? And so, trying to trying to show people that because the fear of the unknown is pretty significant to people. Something completely new to them that they've never tried it's really challenging to get people to take that first step.   But once they do, the second step is easier. The third step is easier. And pretty soon you're jumping and sprinting and you're like, whoa, this whole life is out here that I didn't even know existed.   So yeah, I definitely think it's those three, though.   Laura Dugger: (49:03 - 50:59) That's good. And it makes me think that typically the way that we grow our faith is action. We put our faith into action and God gives us with more faith when we're faithful with the little faith that we have.   And it also makes me think back, I believe it was episode 82, 82. Traveling With Your Family With Teacher, Wife, and Mother to 4,, with the guest, Katie Mueller. I'm going to link to it. I think you guys would love it where she parallels what God called people to do throughout the Bible with travel, what that looks like today, practical, fun things.   But Sam, something that you said reminded me of this when you're like, “Well, if nothing else, it's going to be a great story.” And she referred to that, like when things went wrong growing up on their travels, they laughed so hard about those memories. And in their family, they tragically lost their dad very unexpectedly.   Actually, her mom, I'll link to Joyce Hodel's episode as well. She shares that story. But their family has all of these stories and all of these memories from choosing adventure.   So that makes me start to think of marriage and family. And as we put that together with adventure, you guys always make adventure feel approachable, even in parenting. And I'm thinking on page 15, you wrote that as a kid, anytime you get to drive cross country, stay at a hotel or eat at a restaurant, it's an adventure for no reason other than it's a break from the norm, right?   And you know what? That's the whole point. Choosing adventure is about stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something new.   There's no right or wrong way to do it. So, with that in mind, Dan and Sam, how can we begin to enjoy this adventurous life in marriage and in family?   Sam Mathews: (51:00 - 51:49) Yeah. Bringing your kids along is such a fun, it requires a little bit more packing, but such a fun aspect to adventure. And going on date nights with your spouse, trying something new, experiencing it together, finding something you enjoy together, but realizing that it can also, there's another level of fun to have your kids along with.   And sometimes we'll drive 30 minutes away and stay at a hotel for a night just because it's a new place to go and the kids love it. And it doesn't have to be expensive. They go putt-putt and that for them is the greatest thing.   If you end it with ice cream, it's even better than the cherry on top, that it's just something fun for them. But yeah, realizing that it can be a family thing, but it could just be you as a couple too. But yeah.   Dan Mathews: (51:50 - 54:56) Well, and for kids, there's so much adventure to be had right at home or right in your backyard. I bought, I went to Walmart one day and I bought two extra large king-size sheets just so that we could do forts. I was like, I'm gonna put these in the closet and now I've got like the alligator clips and so I can clip them to different things.   And when it's a rainy day and the kids are bored and we're stuck inside, it's just a break from the norm. And then they'll be like, mom, dad, come see what we did. And they might build like a little shop where they sell us stuff inside of their fort.   Or they might make beds for us and for the stuffed animals and for our dog and all of these different things. And so, breaking out of the norm is just what adventure is. Like if they're not used to that, if they're not used to that time together, like some days it's, we're gonna go jump on the trampoline and they're like, wait, both of you at once?   Normally one of us is getting stuff done and the other one's hanging out with them. And when all of a sudden it's like both of us unexpectedly are walking to the trampoline, they're like, oh, family trampoline jump. If you need really good ideas for adventure and you're a parent, just watch Bluey.   If you haven't seen Bluey, that dad is awesome. And like we used to do the claw game. I would put all of their stuffed animals in my lap.   My thumb was the joystick and then my other hand was the claw and they had to move it and I would pick up the stuffed animals. And to them, it was the greatest thing they'd ever done. And we saw it on a cartoon.   And so, incorporating family into it, I feel like it's just, it's really easy. And aside from excuses, there's no reason not to get the kids involved in it. Also, there's a million books about getting kids outside.   And so, like checklists that they can do. Every national park, if for those that don't know or haven't visited national parks, I didn't know this because we didn't go to any national parks growing up, but your kids can become a junior ranger. They get these booklets and they get badges of the individual parks and they have to learn about nature and about the animals that are there and about the history.   And so that became a thing for the kids. Every place we went, it was like, “Oh, I need a junior ranger badge.” And I mean, they had wooden badges just lining their chest.   Like they were some war hero and they absolutely loved it. And so there's things like that locally in nature parks and stuff. But doing it together.   I mean, that's what it's all about. For me, I watched the guys on TV and I'm like, that guy just went to New Zealand by himself or like watching alone. I'm like, I don't want to do that.   It would be pretty crazy, I feel like. I think everybody needs some type of alone time here and there. But for me, I want to share this stuff with my wife, with my kids, with my buddies.   And so, yeah, that's what it's all about.   Sam Mathews: (54:56 - 55:07) Yeah, like you said, have those stories to tell with your family, of your family members. That way, if something does happen and they pass, you have so much to look back on of the memories you're able to share together.   Laura Dugger: (55:09 - 55:15) Absolutely. And to bring those up and share them with our kids while we are together. They love hearing stories about when they were little.   Sam Mathews: (55:16 - 55:16) Oh, yeah.   Laura Dugger: (55:17 - 55:29) And you guys have taken it a step further where you document it then and preserve. So if we want continued inspiration after this conversation, where can we go to follow you two and your adventures?   Sam Mathews: (55:30 - 56:08) Yes, we do. Our kids love watching our travels and stuff. We share along for videos and stuff on YouTube, Facebook.   But we share our life on every platform. We are Dan and Sam. Pinterest, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook.   And then Dan has his hunting content over at the Nomadic Outdoorsman. And yeah, we share day-to-day life, what that looks like, lifestyle. But then our travels, our adventures, mom life, welcoming a new baby, our surrogacy journeys, whatever life looks like at that time and how we're enjoying it, what God's teaching us, where we're going.   And we laugh along the way, the encouragement and try to inspire you to live an adventurous, fun-filled life.   Laura Dugger: (56:09 - 56:28) Love it. We'll add links to all of those things in the show notes for today's episode. And you two may already be familiar that we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge.   And so, as my final question for both of you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Sam Mathews: (56:31 - 57:15) Ooh, practical knowledge. Let's see. I would say with motherhood, don't think that, I don't know if this would be considered savvy sauce, but it's just a good reminder to myself that as a mom, you may think you're alone in something, you're going through it, and it's just you, but you're not.   You are with a community of people who are feeling the same thing that you're walking through, going through the same thing, and just reminding yourself you're not alone because I think it makes the journey a lot easier to know that there's other people walking through the same season, the same hardship, the same joy, the same trials as you. And it makes life a little bit easier when you feel less alone.   Dan Mathews: (57:16 - 58:26) I think for me, it would be that your kids are going to be an extreme version of what you are. So, if you're showing fear and decisions, if you're hesitant, if you're not trusting the Lord, that's gonna be compounded in their lives. And they're just a more magnified mirror image of what their parents are.   And so, we try to, in everything that we do, go, is this something that's gonna set up our kids for success? And it's not like, oh, we have to have money in the bank for them, you know, for a retirement fund one day or a college fund. I'm talking like everyday lessons.   If I put my phone screen in front of my kids, they're gonna do that more and more and more. If I prioritize things that aren't meant to be prioritized over my wife, they're gonna see that. And so, we try to be very, very clear about what our priorities are.   We try to live intentionally, showing them the right way to do things and being an example to them. And so, yeah, that'd be my savvy sauce.   Laura Dugger: (58:27 - 58:49) I love it. You two are so full of integrity and you definitely shine the love and the light of Jesus brightly by the way that you live. So, I know I'm leaving this conversation feeling very inspired to choose adventure.   And I just wanna say thank you for being my guest today.   Sam Mathews: Thank you so much for having us. It was a joy.   Dan Mathews: (58:49 - 58:50) It was a blast.   Laura Dugger:  (58:52 - 1:02:06) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone.   Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents

Today we honor the journey of Mary B. Safrit, a writer, podcaster, and content creator, to explore her story of growing up in the Bible Belt, navigating faith, queerness, and deconstruction. Mary B. shares candid reflections on her upbringing, spiritual journey, and the challenges and growth that come with embracing her identity and leaving behind people-pleasing tendencies. Together, MaryB & Leslie discuss the complexities of church culture, relationships, and finding authentic community.Topics of Interest:Childhood memories growing up on a farm and in the SouthNavigating multiple church traditions (Methodist, Episcopalian, Catholic school, Southern Baptist)Experiences with evangelicalism, purity culture, and people-pleasingComing out as queer and the impact on faith and relationshipsThe challenges of deconstruction and leaving church communitiesThe importance of authentic friendships and making peace with lossBuilding community, healthy relationships, and embracing personal agencyMary B.'s work as a podcaster and writer, and where to find her onlineCheck out MaryB's podcast, Found Family HERE.Find out more about MaryB on her WEBSITE. Honoring the Journey is hosted, produced and edited by Leslie Nease and the artwork for the show is also created by Leslie Nease.Want to get updates/announcements and a FREE Deconstruction Journaling Prompt PDF? Sign up for Leslie's Monthly Newsletter! You can do that HERE.Pick up Leslie's new book, Honoring the Journey: The Deconstruction of Sister Christian here.Interested in working with Leslie as your Life/Faith Transitions Coach? Check out her website and learn more about what she offers! https://www.leslieneasecoaching.comIf you'd like to be a part of the Honoring the Journey Team as a Patreon Supporter, please check it out at this link!Would you like to leave a voicemail for Leslie? Click here!If you are looking for community as you deconstruct or just a place to go and enjoy the company of people who are seekers, learners and who are looking to connect with the Divine without religious baggage, please join the Private Facebook Community! Leslie is very passionate about connection and community, so if that sounds like you, please come join us!

Episode 25:32 Why Going To Church Can Be BAD For Your Health

What happens when you mix East Texas charm, soulful wisdom, and a baddie on a mission to stay balanced in a chaotic world? You get this heart-opening convo with Josh Brinkman.We explore it all from healing and happiness to the woo-woo wonder of soul contracts and full moon energy spikes.In this episode, we talk…✦ What balance really looks like in messy, magical real life✦ How your words impact water, your body, and your beliefs✦ Turning pain into rocket fuel and heartbreak into growth✦ Soul contracts, déjà vu, and angel kisses from beyond✦ Coming out stories, strong moms, and Bible Belt resilience✦ Masculine vs feminine energy (and how to protect your soft center)✦ Plus: A juicy lightning round of questions you didn't know you needed.00:00 | Finding Balance in Life03:03 | The Power of Positive Thinking06:05 | Happiness: A Personal Journey08:59 | Manifestation and Intentions12:05 | The Role of Relationships in Growth14:59 | Navigating Grief and Loss17:55 | Signs and Synchronicities20:50 | The Nature of Happiness23:40 | Soul Contracts and Life Choices38:13 | Exploring Soul Contracts and Family Connections41:01 | Intuition and Energetic Connections43:09 | Reconnecting with Family and Personal Growth45:30 | Navigating Identity and Coming Out51:09 | Balancing Masculine and Feminine Energies53:17 | Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions and InsightsMentioned in the Pod:Emoto Water Experiments"You Are The Placebo" by Dr. Joe Dispenza

What happens when knowledge becomes more important than faith? In this penetrating exploration of 2 Peter 2, we confront the uncomfortable reality of false teaching and its destructive influence in our lives.The sermon begins with a fishing story that captures our relationship with Scripture. Sometimes we throw out a perfect cast net that catches nothing, while a tangled mess somehow brings in fish. Similarly, our approach to God's word shouldn't depend on our expertise but on our willingness to swim under whatever net the Holy Spirit casts.At its heart, this message examines how false teachers operate—secretly introducing destructive ideas that appeal to our desires for comfort, success, and sensuality. They promise freedom while being enslaved themselves. The metaphor is striking: false teachers hand you a spoon to dig out of your prison while Christ stands nearby holding the key. Most dangerously, their deception doesn't explode like a short-fused firework; it slowly leads you down a path until you're far from truth.What makes this message uniquely powerful is its challenge to the knowledge-centered Christianity prevalent in Bible Belt culture. Through biblical examples like Noah (who built a boat before ever seeing rain) and Lot (who made terrible decisions yet remained righteous through faith), we see that God values faith over expertise. Noah is called righteous not because he knew everything but because when he had nothing to go on except God's word, he said, "That's enough for me."The sermon concludes with a profound insight: God isn't terribly concerned that we get everything right; He's concerned that we never stop running to be made right. This distinction changes everything about how we approach our spiritual lives. Are the voices speaking into your life drawing you closer to Jesus or further away? Are you pursuing knowledge as your salvation, or are you pursuing Christ with the knowledge you have?If you've ever felt that intellectual understanding of Scripture should be enough, or if you're wondering how to discern true teaching from false, this message offers both challenge and hope. Listen now and discover why swimming under God's net is always better than trying to throw your own. If you want to learn more about the MidTree story or connect with us, go to our website HERE or text us at 812-MID-TREE.

Send us a textWhat happens when you feel God calling you to something new? In this pivotal episode, host Justin reveals his plans to plant King's Banner Church in Tyler, Texas, bringing along a vision to revitalize faith in what he describes as "the buckle of the Bible belt." The announcement comes alongside news of his forthcoming book "Burn," described as a "field manual for catching spiritual fire."Drawing from Matthew 9:36-38, Justin unpacks a powerful ministry principle: when we take spiritual responsibility through prayer, God begins giving us spiritual authority to act. This principle has guided his journey from small living room gatherings to now launching a church with 30-35 people. The conversation explores how we often pray for change but fail to recognize we might be the very answer to those prayers.The hosts dive deep into what they call "event Christianity" – the phenomenon of Sunday services that look impressive but don't transform lives beyond the weekend. Justin challenges listeners to consider whether they've chosen "looking faithful" over actually exercising faith, noting how comfort has become the enemy of calling for many believers.Perhaps most provocatively, Justin suggests that while many churches focus exclusively on reaching the lost, there's an urgent need to disciple those already in the pews: "If you want to reach the lost, start with raising up the found." He shares alarming statistics about declining church attendance in the Bible Belt, painting a picture of communities that know just enough about Jesus to miss knowing Him personally.As Justin prepares for this transition, longtime podcast listeners can rest assured that Navigate will continue with co-host Tim and new team member Casey. The episode concludes with an invitation to follow the journey of King's Banner Church and support this mission to awaken what Justin calls "the sleeping giant of lethargic Christianity." For those feeling that nudge toward their own next step of faith, this conversation offers both challenge and encouragement to move beyond comfort into purpose.Check out Kingsbanner.org Support the show

"Segment one – on the road again, drunk intros, comedy highs & lows, bouncing back mid-bathroom break, killer early show vs 9:30 chaos, swingers oversharing, post-show paychecks, giving fans too much conversation, palmetto belts & Go to Hell pants, Charleston bar weirdos, two Confederate flags too many, ghost bartenders, Florida runs, the art of reveling in your wins, ego balance, bad vibes in the Bible Belt, comedy therapy, Jordan vs moist hotel floors...Segment two – midnight gas station pit stop, ghost girl vs tech bro, ghost cat makes bank, Jonathan can't pee under pressure, British soldier bathroom bullies, would you rather, Three's Comedy Tour… @ jordancentry @mrwilliamscomedy @kingjasonallen podcastzoningout@gmail.com Three's Comedy Tour at Copper Fox Distillery in Sperryville VA - July 18th & 19thhttps://www.eventbrite.com/e/threes-comedy-tour-at-copper-fox-distillery-tickets-1337308849769?aff=ebdssbdestsearch"

Send us a textEp 633: A Journey to Sexual Liberation! Join us!Lauren Elise Rogers is a Certified Holistic Sexuality Educator and Embodied Intimacy & Relationship Coach, celebrated for her warm and approachable style. Her holistic and embodied approach to education and coaching is deeply rooted in her own pain-to-purpose journey.Summary:Discover how Lauren Elise Rogers transformed from a restrictive Bible Belt upbringing to become a certified holistic sexuality educator helping others reclaim their sexual autonomy. This powerful episode explores the intersection of faith, sexuality, pleasure, and personal empowerment.Lauren shares her compelling journey through divorce and self-discovery, highlighting how early religious teachings can shape our relationship with intimacy. Through her work as an intimacy coach, she guides clients in untangling inherited beliefs about sexuality while maintaining their spiritual connections.Key highlights:- Exploring the contradiction between religious celebration and condemnation of sexuality- Understanding erotic plasticity and belief systems- Identifying and "weeding out" limiting beliefs from different life stages- The importance of body wisdom in setting boundaries- Reframing pleasure and consent in intimate relationshipsReady to challenge your own beliefs about sexuality and spirituality? Listen to this transformative episode that bridges the gap between faith and sexual empowerment.Timeline:00:00:02 - Exploring Sexual Wellness and Education, intimacy00:03:07 - Exploring Sexuality and Religious Beliefs00:07:25 - Exploring Faith and Spiritual Practices00:09:41 - Embracing Pleasure and Human Experience00:12:21 - Breaking Free from Negative Beliefs00:26:17 - The Importance of Negotiating Pleasure00:35:16 - Exploring the Roots of Sexuality00:48:00 - Understanding Childhood Sexual Exploration00:50:58 - Teaching Kids About Healthy Sexuality00:53:33 - Body Image and Tampon Myths00:54:53 - Questioning Beliefs About Sex and Consent00:57:25 - Exploring Safe Consensual SexKey Takeaways:• Lauren transformed her life from a restrictive background in Virginia's Bible Belt to embracing a pleasure-centered approach to intimacy, which challenges conventional religious teachings.  • Her journey included overcoming early marital struggles and a divorce, showcasing that personal growth can stem from significant life changes.  • Lauren emphasizes the importance of examining and redefining ingrained beliefs about relationships and self-worth to foster empowerment and self-awareness.Connect with Lauren:Website: www.sexedforyou.com/freeconsultYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@partnershippodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/sex_ed_for_you/Support the showExclusives: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1599808/subscribeRuan's newsletters: https://subscribepage.io/ruanwillowhttps://linktr.ee/RuanWillow https://payhip.com/RuanWillowBooks Affiliates BeeDee dating app https://beedee.app/?r=ohfuckyeahThe Fantasy Box https://thefantasybox.sjv.io/c/6250602/2141126/26423

On today's show, episode 179, I'm speaking with David L. Jones, who grew up under the umbrella of the Southern Baptist Church in North Carolina, USA. I had a wonderful conversation with David about his spiritual journey, from his vocation as Pastor of an Independent Sunday-keeping Baptist Church to pastoring a Seventh-day Sabbath-keeping fellowship located in a high concentration area of the North Carolina Bible Belt. The area has a strong presence of Protestant evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who collectively maintain a strong influence on religious beliefs based on social and political life. I'll be speaking with David about his spiritual journey, leading both he and his wife into pursuing a lifestyle according to the Laws of the Mosaic Torah, especially that of observing the Seventh-Day Sabbath and keeping biblical festivals in harmony with the teachings of the Dead Sea Scrolls Zadokite Ecclesiastical Calendar and faithfully adhering to the Torah's clean and unclean food laws. David and the Baptist Church he was pastoring stopped putting up Christmas Trees and partaking in whole-hog barbecues, the eating of pork shoulders, bacon, and a unique blend of seafoods such as oysters, clams, and shrimp. With all these changes, we'll learn how they affected not only his immediate family but also how the biblical Torah amazingly touched and changed the lives of the congregation he was pastoring as an Independent North Carolina Baptist Church. Further, we'll also learn about the Jones Family singers and their love for music in the genres of Southern Gospel and Bluegrass. Please, join me now for my interview with David L. Jones.

Please, feel free to send a text message here and give us feedback. Also, you may send a text msg or leave voicemail (425) 550-6670. Please DO NOT ask questions here because I have no way to respond to your questions. If you have questions, please send an email: questions@cominghome.co.ilOn today's show, episode 179, I'm speaking with David L. Jones, who grew up under the umbrella of the Southern Baptist Church in North Carolina, USA. I had a conversation with David about his spiritual journey, from his vocation as Pastor of an Independent Sunday-keeping Baptist Church to pastoring a Seventh-day Sabbath-keeping fellowship located in a high concentration area of the North Carolina Bible Belt. The area has a strong presence of Protestant evangelical and fundamentalist Christians who collectively maintain a strong influence on religious beliefs based on social and political life. I'll be speaking with David about his spiritual journey, leading both he and his wife into pursuing a lifestyle according to the Laws of the Mosaic Torah, especially that of observing the Seventh-Day Sabbath and keeping biblical festivals in harmony with the teachings of the Dead Sea Scrolls Zadokite Ecclesiastical Calendar and faithfully adhering to the Torah's clean and unclean food laws. David and the Baptist Church he was pastoring stopped putting up Christmas Trees and partaking in whole-hog barbecues, the eating of pork shoulders, bacon, and a unique blend of seafoods such as oysters, clams, and shrimp. With all these changes, we'll learn how they affected not only his immediate family but also how the biblical Torah amazingly touched and changed the lives of the congregation he was pastoring as an Independent North Carolina Baptist Church. Further, we'll also learn about the Jones Family singers and their love for music in the genres of Southern Gospel and Bluegrass. Please, join me now for my interview with David L. Jones. Support the show

When we experience consequences for the sin that we are partaking in, we need to respond in worship, thanking God for loving us enough to discipline us. The Bible is never supposed to be used as a weapon against us but rather as the Good News that there is forgiveness for those who believe and repent.

When we experience consequences for the sin that we are partaking in, we need to respond in worship, thanking God for loving us enough to discipline us. The Bible is never supposed to be used as a weapon against us but rather as the Good News that there is forgiveness for those who believe and repent. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/640/29

Jonathan Van Ness is here, queer, and worried about JD Vance not getting it in the rear.Order our new book, join our cult, and more by clicking here: https://linktr.ee/ivehaditpodcast.Thank you to our sponsors:Shopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://SHOPIFY.COM/haditHoneyLove: Save 20% Off Honeylove by going to honeylove.com/Hadit! #honeylovepodAddyi, The Little Pink Pill: See full prescribing information and medication guide, including boxed warning for severe low blood pressure and fainting, at http://addyi.com/piBilt: Start paying rent through Bilt and take advantage of your Neighborhood Benefits™ by going to https://joinbilt.com/HADIT.Homes.com: When it comes to finding a home - not just a house - we have everything you need to know, all in one place. https://homes.com. We've done your home work.Follow Us:I've Had It Podcast: @IvehaditpodcastJennifer Welch: @mizzwelchAngie "Pumps" Sullivan: @pumpspumpspumpsSpecial Guest: Jonathan Van Ness @jvn ​See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of The Guilty Files: Revisited, Brian and Dani pull back the heavy velvet curtain on one of the South's most chilling and misunderstood cases: The Corpsewood Manor Murders.Set deep in the remote woods of Georgia, the brutal killings of Dr. Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom in 1982 were far more than a simple robbery gone wrong.Brian uses his law enforcement and investigative background to walk us through the crime scene, the suspects, and the tragic chain of events that led two killers to this secluded sanctuary. Meanwhile, Dani peels back the layers of fear, rumor, and societal judgment that surrounded Corpsewood Manor—examining the cultural anxieties of the Bible Belt, homophobia, Satanic Panic, and the dangerous intersection of isolation and rumor-fueled hysteria.Together, they explore the media myths, police missteps, and moral panic that still linger around this case, asking hard questions about justice, bias, and the way small-town narratives can distort the truth. Was Corpsewood a true den of evil as some claimed? Or were Scudder and Odom simply unconventional victims in a deeply intolerant time?It's a case filled with shocking details, cultural complexities, and moral gray areas—and one that hits very close to home for Brian in more ways than one.

There are moments in life that break us and moments that remake us. Mo Isom Aiken's story is one of both. From an Elite Division 1, All-American athlete to a woman haunted by trauma, addiction, and suicidal despair, Mo's life took a dramatic turn when a near-fatal car crash became the very altar where heaven met earth. What followed was a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit that not only saved her life, but ignited a transformation so complete it would ripple through her marriage, her motherhood, and her mission around the world. This isn't just a story of redemption. It's a call to awaken to the invisible spiritual warfare waging over every soul—and to the freedom that comes with surrendering everything.In this episode of the Revelations Podcast, host Reagan Kramer sits down with Mo Isom Aiken for an unfiltered, deeply moving conversation that spans trauma, healing, and the raw power of a life fully yielded to Jesus. Mo opens up about growing up in the Bible Belt, navigating father wounds and performance-based identity, and the spiritual warfare that nearly claimed her life. Together, they explore Mo's radical encounter with God in the wreckage of her Jeep, the prophetic call that led her family from a fifth-wheel RV across 48 states to the mission fields of Nigeria, and the power of intercession that reshaped her view of prayer entirely.This episode is for the believer who feels stuck in cycles of shame or silence, the seeker longing to hear God's voice again, or the weary warrior who needs to remember what it means to defect from the kingdom of darkness and live fully alive in Christ.Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode:Gain deeper understanding of how a supernatural encounter with God can occur amidst unimaginable personal tragedy.Learn how radical obedience—like selling everything and living in an RV—can unlock divine provision and spiritual growth.Reflect on the importance of prayer, spiritual warfare, and intimacy with the Holy Spirit in a chaotic world.Become Part of Our Mission! Support The Revelations Podcast:Your support fuels our mission to share transformative messages of hope and faith. Click here to learn how you can contribute and be part of this growing community!ResourcesMore from the Revelations Podcast hosted by Reagan Kramer: Website | Instagram | Apple Podcast | YoutubeConnect with Mo Isom Aiken: Website | Instagram | Facebook | XCheck out the online course “Sex, Jesus, and the Conversations the Church Forgot” by Mo Isom Aiken Read “Wreck My Life: Journeying from Broken to Bold” by Mo Isom Aiken “Fully Known: An Invitation to True Intimacy with God” by Mo Isom Aiken | Buy Here Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA): WebsiteBible VersesJohn 10:10John 14:6Ephesians 6:12Mark 12:30 Luke 10:27John 5:6–92 Corinthians 12:91 Thessalonians 5This Episode is brought to you by Advanced Medicine AlternativesGet back to the active life you love through natural & regenerative musculoskeletal healing: https://www.georgekramermd.com/Episode Highlights[00:31] The Battle Between KingdomsThere's a real war for our souls, one that doesn't start with politics or behavior but with allegiance to light or darkness.Just as no man can serve two masters, we cannot live in both worlds. That lie keeps us stuck, powerless, and numb to God's call.Cultural Christianity is an illusion; we should consider what full surrender actually looks like.Mo Isom Aiken, a former All-American athlete turned revivalist and prophetic voice shares her story of defection from darkness—and the fire of obedience that followed.[02:56] Mo Isom Aiken: Childhood and Early LifeMo discovered her identity through competitive sports.Despite being raised in a Christian household, her faith was cultural and lacked deep personal roots.She describes the impact of early exposure to pornography and the pressure of performance-based love from her father.Her struggle with an eating disorder and need for control remained hidden behind a mask of success.[12:22] Transition to College and Personal StrugglesAt LSU, Mo excels as an All-American goalkeeper but continues battling inward brokenness.[13:02] Mo: “How much of my true self and my true life can people handle? Because they have this picture of me, and yet I am destroyed inside.”Her father committed suicide, devastating Mo both emotionally and spiritually.She turns to sexual sin, secrecy, and self-harm, wrestling with suicidal thoughts and tormenting spiritual voices.Though publicly praised, she describes living with private torment and deep spiritual oppression.[20:54] Spiritual Awakening and HealingMo survives a violent car crash and has a supernatural encounter with the Holy Spirit while trapped in the wreckage.She describes the weight and wonder of God's presence as overwhelming yet freeing.[22:58] Mo: “The kingdom of darkness was literally mad because things had been set up in my life that my gifts, my talents, my destiny, my anointing, my very God, given fingerprint of God, purpose was going to be leveraged for evil was going to advance the kingdom of darkness, if not for the mercy of Jesus”In that moment, she chooses full surrender to Jesus and receives a baptism of fire.Her salvation marks a clear defection from darkness into God's Kingdom—spiritually, emotionally, and physically.[28:20] Recognizing God in the Midst of DarknessMo reflects on how God pursued her even during seasons of rebellion and bondage.She shares a deliverance session where a spirit confessed she had “defected” from its kingdom.The conversation highlights how spiritual warfare is strategic and real—but God's grace is more powerful.Mo encourages listeners to stop excusing bondage and fully embrace the invitation to be made whole.[33:22] Impact of Faith on Personal RelationshipsReturning to campus, Mo feels conviction and begins separating from old friends and sinful patterns.She committed herself to purity and obedience, even when it meant facing rejection and isolation.[39:07] Mo: “But if you won't separate yourselves from the ones who are holding you back from your destiny — then you've tightly gripped something God's asking you to open your hands about right? When you open your hands, when you let go of things, He will then, in time, refill what is His good portion.”Through FCA, she found a godly community, received a baptism at LSU, and experienced revival.A two-year intimacy fast sets the stage for meeting her husband, Jeremiah, and building a Christ-centered family.[46:45] Fifth Wheel Missions and Family LifeMo recalls receiving a prophetic word in college about living in a fifth-wheel RV and going on mission.A decade later, she and Jeremiah sell everything and travel the U.S. with their four kids, sharing the gospel.She shares how moments of humor and hardship—like a sewage overflow—shaped their faith and resilience.The RV season prepared them for deeper obedience and future international missions.[56:44] Mission to Nigeria and Angelic VisitMo recounts a dream where an angel tells her she'll go to Nigeria to forge a deeper connection to the divine.Initially resistant due to fear for her children, she surrenders and receives confirmation from her mentors.The family spent eight months in Lagos serving under Nigerian spiritual leaders.Their time becomes a season of discipleship, humility, and spiritual equipping for future ministry.[1:14:19] The Power of Prayer: Greatest Takeaway from NigeriaMo describes prayer as the single greatest lesson from their mission season.In Nigeria, daily prayer was non-negotiable—fostering spiritual strength, wisdom, and breakthrough.She challenges Western believers to move prayer from a fallback to a foundation.Prayer, she emphasizes, is the gateway to discernment, power, and intimacy with God.[1:21:24] Teaching the Next Generation to Prioritize PrayerMo and Reagan discuss the difficulty of maintaining a prayerful life amid Western busyness and distractions.Mo explains how she and Jeremiah are raising their children to see prayer as essential, not optional.They commit to resisting hustle culture and modeling devotion in everyday life.Mo calls for prayer warriors to arise—those who walk in reverence, not performance. [1:32:39] Spiritual Warfare and the Call to Live Fully SurrenderedMo prays a powerful blessing over listeners for renewal, healing, and sanctification.Revival begins in surrendered hearts, not just pulpits; it is in living God's Word to be kind and loving to all those around you.It is our time to live fully awake, defecting from darkness and advancing God's Kingdom with boldness. About Mo Isom AikenMo Isom Aiken is a prophetic voice, revivalist, and bestselling author whose life and ministry are marked by radical obedience, spiritual boldness, and supernatural transformation. A former all-American goalkeeper at LSU, Mo encountered the living God in a near-fatal car accident that became a divine turning point. From the ashes of trauma, addiction, and loss—including her father's suicide—Mo rose into deep intimacy with Jesus and a calling to call others out of darkness and into the light. With more than 14 years of experience speaking, teaching, and discipling, Mo now carries a powerful anointing for deliverance, prayer, and spiritual awakening.Alongside her husband Jeremiah and their four children, Mo lives as part of a family on mission—mobilizing across America in a fifth-wheel RV before being prophetically sent to Nigeria through an angelic encounter. Their journey is a living testimony of surrendered faith, courageous intercession, and generational restoration. Whether preaching in churches, serving the overlooked, or training others in spiritual warfare, Mo is driven by one purpose: to see Jesus made known, captives set free, and the Kingdom of God established on earth as it is in heaven.Connect with Mo on her website or socials: Instagram, Facebook, or X.Enjoyed this Episode?If you did, subscribe and share it with your friends!Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning in about generational curses and how to break them, leave us a review. You can also share this with your friends and family. Revival starts in the heart willing to defect from darkness and say yes to God. It rarely feels convenient, but in surrender, healing flows to your life and everyone around you.Have any questions? You can connect with me on Instagram.Thank you for tuning in! For more updates, tune in on Apple Podcasts.    

What happens when freedom becomes a threat... and fantasy meets a gun barrel?In this haunting ReWired episode, Dani steps beyond the factual ruins of The Corpsewood Manor Murders and into the dark psychological maze left behind.Dr. Charles Scudder and Joseph Odom weren't just victims of a brutal double homicide in the isolated woods of Georgia — they were scapegoats of a society that feared what it couldn't understand.But was this really about Satanism? Or sex? Or stolen money?Or... was it about a slow-simmering cocktail of paranoia, repressed desire, and desperate identity?

Tucked deep in the woods of northern Georgia, the stone ruins of Corpsewood Manor still whisper secrets—of ambition, isolation, and brutality. In this week's Uncovered episode, host and former law enforcement officer Brian peels back the layers of one of the South's most chilling and misunderstood double homicides.This isn't just a story about murder.It's about fear. Judgment. And the fatal consequences of standing out in a place that demands conformity.

When Monik Pamecha co-founded AI voice startup Toma in early 2024, he hadn't anticipated spending the summer months sweating in Bible Belt car dealerships. He and co-founder Anthony Krivonos were still focused on banking and healthcare customers when the dealers came knocking.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

CULTIVATING SAINTS, SAGES, AND STATESMEN THROUGH THE GREAT TRADITION OF CHRISTENDOMIn this episode, we interview Deacon Harrison Garlick, a former "Bible Belt" protestant who became not only Catholic, but an ordained Catholic Deacon, and the Chancellor of an entire Diocese thanks to the Bible, beauty, and Church history.Deacon Garlick is a member of Eternal Christendom's Advisory Board, and the co-host of "Ascend: The Great Books Podcast." You can follow him on X: https://x.com/HarrisonGarlic1VISIT OUR WEBSITEhttps://eternalchristendom.com/BECOME A PATRON OF THE GREAT TRADITIONHelp us continue to dig into the Great Tradition; produce beautiful, substantive content; and gift these treasures to cultural orphans around the world for free:https://eternalchristendom.com/become-a-patron/EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNTS AT ETERNAL CHRISTENDOM BOOKSTOREhttps://eternalchristendom.com/bookstore/CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIAX: https://twitter.com/JoshuaTCharlesFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuatcharles/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshuatcharles/DIVE DEEPERCheck out Eternal Christendom's "Becoming Catholic," where you'll find hundreds of thousands of words of free content (as big as the Bible!) in the form of Articles, Quote Archives, and Study Banks to help you become, remain, and deepen your life as a Catholic:https://eternalchristendom.com/becoming-catholic/LISTEN ON APPLEhttps://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eternal-christendom-podcast/id1725000526LISTEN ON SPOTIFYhttps://open.spotify.com/show/3HoTTco6oJtApc21ggVevu

This week, V and Sami are joined by Jennifer Welch and Angie Sullivan, hosts of the I've Had It podcast, to talk about their new book Life Is a Lazy Susan of Sh*t Sandwiches. They dig into dealing with religious trauma, marriage to a sex addict, and what it's really like being progressive in the Bible Belt. Then, they deep dive into the overlap between faith and politics, the Democrats' ongoing messaging struggles, and why Trump still unfortunately has a hold on so many voters.  Watch this and more today youtube.com/@thebetchesnews!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Het is een van de heetste hangijzers van deze tijd: gender. Hoe zit het nou echt? Zijn man en vrouw (of iets daartussenin) sociale constructen – dingen die je kunt kiezen en veranderen? Of zijn het biologische feiten – iets waarmee je geboren, misschien zelfs geschapen bent? Het onderwerp leidt tot felle discussies in de media en politiek. Van Trump, die wettelijk wil vastleggen dat er maar twee geslachten bestaan, tot het Verenigd Koninkrijk, dat recent bijna volledig is gestopt met hormoonbehandelingen voor jongeren. Vandaag spreken we iemand met een uniek perspectief op dit thema, want hij werkt als arts en onderzoeker al zo'n 15 jaar in de transgenderzorg – én hij is een reformatorisch christen.  Martin de Heijer is hoogleraar endocrinologie aan Amsterdam UMC – waar ze sinds de jaren '90 wereldwijd een voorloper zijn op het gebied van transgenderzorg, Martin weet er dus wetenschappelijk veel van, en spreekt vanuit de praktijk van de behandelkamer. En hij spreekt vanuit zijn christelijke geloof – hij gaat naar een reformatorische kerk op de Bible Belt. Hoe combineert hij die twee werelden? En hoe kijkt hij aan tegen de snel veranderende ideeën over geslacht en gender? David Boogerd spreekt hem uiteraard samen met onze vaste gast: theoloog Stefan Paas, hoogleraar aan de VU Amsterdam en de Theologische Universiteit Utrecht. We gaan weer live met De Ongelooflijke! Donderdagavond woensdagavond 26 juni zijn we live in de Nieuwe Buitensociëteit in Zwolle. Kaarten zijn te boeken via eo.nl/ongelooflijke (https://meer.eo.nl/de-ongelooflijke-podcast).

The Prohibition era (1920–1933), enacted by the 18th Amendment, birthed an overnight economy of moonshiners who distilled and distributed homemade liquor to meet America’s insatiable demand for alcohol, transforming rural farmers and opportunists into underground entrepreneurs who supplied speakeasies. But this new economy didn’t disappear after Prohibition was repealed. If anything, it became stronger, at least in the South. Moonshining persisted due to persistent poverty, high liquor taxes, and entrenched cultural traditions in the rural South, where Bible Belt traditions meant respectable folks didn’t want themselves to be seen at bars or liquor stores. It grew in the 1940s and only disappeared when industrial distillers were able to produce spirits that undercut moonshine prices. To explore this topic is Chris Skates, author of “Moonshine Over Georgia.” A historical fiction novel, it pulls from the harrowing, exciting, and very real stories Chris’ grandfather would tell him growing up, working as a revenue agent in Prohibition-era Georgia.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textIn today's episode, I interview Sarah Goeke and Julia Sears, the writer and director of the web series "Forked," a story of a woman recovering from the purity culture of the Bible Belt through sobriety and dragon fantasy erotica.Listen to hear about Sarah trusting her director on the shoot for And Through the Portal We Go, keeping the cast of "Forked" very much in the family, and finding humor in some of life's most serious moments.Books mentioned in this episode include:The Lilies by Quinn Diacon-FurtadoThe Chromatic Fantasy by H. A.Big Swiss by Jen BeaginWolfsong by TJ Klune Films and TV shows mentioned in this episode include:"Forked" directed by Julia Sears and Carolyn BraverAnd Through the Portal We Go directed by Mike HayhurstPractical Magic directed by Griffin DunneDrop Dead Gorgeous directed by Michael Patrick JannSpice World directed by Barnaby Thompson and Bob SpiersLittle Miss Sunshine directed by Jonathan Dayton and Valerie FarisSunshine Cleaning directed by Christine JeffsThe Big Lebowski directed by Joel CoenWaiting for Guffman directed by Christopher GuestSinners directed by Ryan CooglerSeverance (series)Wicked directed by Jon M. ChuFleabag (series)Follow Sarah on Instagram @sgerk, Julia @juliacsears and the series @forkedwebseries.Support the show

Through his work with the Reformation Project, and his book God and the Gay Christian, Matthew Vines captures the essence of a journey shared by millions managing the complex intersection of faith and sexual identity.In a political climate where White Christian Nationalism increasingly scapegoats LGBTQ people for societal ills, Vines offers something revolutionary: a thoughtful framework for understanding Scripture that upholds its authority while making room for affirming theology. Through meticulous examination of historical context, he demonstrates how the same-sex behaviors condemned in Scripture were fundamentally different from the loving, committed relationships we recognize today.Drawing fascinating parallels to how Christians reinterpreted biblical teachings on slavery and charging interest, Vines shows how contextual understanding isn't compromising faith—it's deepening it. "The reason same-sex behaviors were condemned in Scripture are very different than the types of same-sex relationships we're talking about today," he explains. We discuss Pope Francis's legacy of inclusion and the challenges within evangelicalism, where reform seems simultaneously impossible and inevitable. Vines suggests that effective change comes not through flashy redesigns of church with pride flags everywhere, but through communities that fully include LGBTQ people while keeping "the main thing the main thing"—following Jesus.-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

In this episode, Wednesday 13 delves into his latest album 'Mid Def Crisis', the influence of 80s sleaze and shock rock on his music, and personal anecdotes from his childhood. He shares stories about growing up in the Bible Belt during the Satanic Panic, his fascination with bands like Twisted Sister and Motley Crue, and the lasting impact of icons such as Alice Cooper, with whom he has toured and collaborated. He also discusses the creative process behind the new album, his return to playing guitar, and hints at future projects, including possibly directing a movie. Don't miss this insightful conversation that offers fans a closer look at Wednesday 13's musical journey and inspirations.

Special Patreon Re-Release: Love and Loss with James Jetton   James 1:2-4 (NIV) "Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."   **Transcription Below**   James Jetton's Bio: My name is James Jetton. I have and still do live a crazy beautiful, challenging, and blessed life. I am blessed to get to raise 4 beautiful children, and I have spent time getting to serve a fantastic community as a Recreation Minister, where I got to combine my love of Jesus, sports, and people. I served in this role for 13 years before my bride Kaetlin was diagnosed with Leukemia in 2020. Unfortunately, after an awe-inspiring journey with cancer, Kaetlin went to meet her Savior in January of 2022.   Clearly, this changed so much of my life trajectory. Currently, I'm working towards obtaining a Masters in Social Work to take the pain and experiences I have had to help others through their pain. Kaet and I were married in 2009 and built a beautiful life; we taught each other so much. So, I deeply desire to take everything we learned together and the lessons the Lord has taught me to help others.   I mentioned earlier that I have 4 exceptional children, Laken, 9, Isla Kaet, 7, Hattie, 6, and Ryder, 4. Laken is my go-getter; she is fearless, strong, and tough. Sweet Isla Kaet is a quiet thinker and planner and is often referred to as little Kaet. She cares deeply and is always looking for ways where she can help and take care of her family. Hattie is our child with special needs and has been diagnosed with GNB-1 Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder). Hattie will light up any room she is in; it's incredible that a child who only has a few words, uses a wheelchair, and is “limited” by our world's standards, can bring joy to people in a way that I never knew was possible. Ryder the caboose is a maniac, and his sisters affectionately call him “Wreck it Ryder” he has no fear and is a super extrovert; he keeps us all on our toes. He is what some would say, “all boy.”   This is a brief bio of me and our circus; through everything, we have found joy in all circumstances. Although there are exceptionally hard days as we have endured much grief, God has always provided, and I am thankful for the life God has given us.   Questions we discuss: Life took an unexpected twist in 2016. Will you catch us up on your discoveries that year? While many of us were in the midst of changing schedules and suddenly homeschooling children in May of 2020, your family was receiving even more news. Will you share that with us now? What is life like for your family these days, as grief likely comes at unexpected times?   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Chick-fil-A East Peoria and The Savvy Sauce Charities (and donate online here)   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Other Episodes from The Savvy Sauce of God's Faithfulness: 17 Being on Both Sides of Forgiveness with Adelle Dickie 18 Clinging to Jesus as I lived Through My Worst Nightmare with Angela Braker 19 Grief and Triumph and God's Pursuit Though it All with Julie Locke Moore 20 Joy in the Lord Even Through Tremendous Loss…Twice with Rachel Faulkner Brown 62 Unexpected Grief and What Helped Me Through It Can Help You Too with Singer and Blogger, Brittany Price Brooker 78 Parenting the Prodigal Child And God's Desire For Redemption With Mother-Daughter Duo, Claire Stanfill and Tindell Baldwin 79 Radical Business and Radical Parenting with Gary & Marla Ringger, Founders of Lifesong for Orphans 83 Miracles of God with Founder of Midwest Food Bank, David Kieser 120 Our Story for His Glory with Mercedes Cotchery 134 Fashion Meets Faith with Shari Braendel 141 Rescued from Poverty with Norah Birungi 143 Prodigal Story: Sexuality, Drugs, and Scripture with Dr. Christopher Yuan 160 Unleash This Generation with the Power of the Gospel with Greg Stier 161 God Redeems with Hettie Brittz 162 Healing from Spouse's Sexual Addiction with Jennifer Roush 174 Stories of God's Upside Down Economy with Kristen Welch 208 Tremendous Testimony and Adding Spark into Your Marriage with David & Teri Sumlin 223 Journey and Learnings as Former Second Lady of the United States with Karen Pence 229 Escape from Modern Day Sex Slavery with Rachel Timothy Special Patreon 28 Re-Release: What to Do When You Don't Like Your Story with Sharon Jaynes 231 Stories Series: Faith Building Miracles with Dave Pridemore 232 Stories Series: Testify to Glorify with Richard Gamble 233 Stories Series: Surprises from God with Tiffany Noel Special Patreon Re-Release: Patreon 30 Story of Perseverance with Jenny Boyett 234 Stories Series: Redemption From Sexual Sin in Marriage with Garrett and Brenna Naufel 235 Stories Series: Ever-Present Help in Trouble with Kent Heimer 236 Stories Series: God's Power and Light with Jaime Farrell 237 Stories Series: Prodigal and Redemption with Renee Endress Special Patreon Re-Release: Patreon 31 Unexpected Story of Trauma, Anxiety, Adoption, and Hope with Bettina Stevens 238 Stories Series: God Delights in His Children with Brad Habegger 239 Stories Series: Experiencing the Supernatural with Jackie Coleman 240 Stories Series: God's Rescue and Covering in Parenting with Brenda Dugger 241 Stories Series: From the Mission Field, Experiencing God in the Little and the Big with Patty Sommer 242 Stories Series: He Gives and Takes Away with Joyce Hodel 243 Stories Series: Angel Encounter and Hearing from God with Mary Beth Zimmerman 244 Stories Series: Medical Marvels with Carolyn Henricks 245 Stories Series: Miracles Big and Small with Dr. Rob Rienow 246 Stories Series: Experiencing God's Tangible Love with Jen Moore 247 Stories Series: Exciting Adventures Follow Radical Obedience with Susan Zobrist 248 Stories Series: Discipline of Celebration in the Midst of Unexpected Loss and Grief with Jonathan Pitts Special Patreon Re-Release: Patreon 49: Story of Healing from Sexual Betrayal in Marriage: An Interview with Bonny Burns 249 Stories Series Conclusion: Now What? Living as Global Christians with Todd Ahrend of The Traveling Team   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   **Transcription**   Music: (0:00 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 2:07) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here. I'm grateful for today's sponsor, Chick-fil-A East Peoria.   Check them out online to place your order for dining or catering, or to fill out an application to join their friendly team. Visit cfaeastpeoria.com. If you've been with us long, you know this podcast is only one piece of our nonprofit, which is The Savvy Sauce Charities.   Don't miss out on our other resources. We have questions and content to inspire you to have your own practical chats for intentional living. And I also hope you don't miss out on the opportunity to financially support us through your tax-deductible donations.   All this information can be found on our recently updated website, thesavvysauce.com. And now, I'm pleased to share this episode with you that used to only be available to paying patrons.    My guest for today is James Jetton.   Mark and I attended the same family camp as James in 2022. I observed a father who was very devoted to his children, and one of his precious daughters was in a wheelchair, which was always by his side. He was so tender with his children, and I just assumed his wife was resting while he was attending to the family.   I did not learn of his full story until after camp, and it was through a mutual friend, April Siervo. But then, after she shared a bit more of their story, I immediately reached out to James to request that he share his faith and testimony with us today. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, James.   James Jetton: (2:07 - 2:15) I'm happy to be here. I'm looking forward to talking to you and just kind of sharing how God has moved in our lives the past few years.   Laura Dugger: (2:15 - 2:24) You have already lived through so much, but let's just start here. When did Jesus initially draw you to himself?   James Jetton: (2:26 - 3:25) Yeah, I think that's like, you know, it's a big question, right? But also, it shouldn't be. I think the first time I really just kind of came to know the Lord, I was in the eighth grade.   I had a retreat, and in that moment, for me, it was a situation of— it wasn't necessarily for me, but also just trying to do the right thing. I grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, so I was in the Bible Belt. I was like, this is what we're supposed to do.   We're supposed to give our lives to Jesus. But I would say probably going into my senior year of high school, I had some moments just kind of alone at a beach, actually. I was like, what am I doing with my life?   And I believe that that was kind of the first one real moment in my life where I decided, I think I'm going to actually follow the Lord now and not just do this, just to say I'm doing it. And so that was really the first time I really felt the Lord draw me to him. And then, of course, as time goes on, there's all these other little moments throughout where he's continually staying close and bringing me back to him when I feel like I'm drifting away and that sort of thing.   Laura Dugger: (3:27 - 3:39) Thank you for sharing that. And you've written before on your blog that, I'll quote, one of the best decisions I have ever made was when I persuaded Kaetlin to marry me, end quote.   James Jetton: (3:39 - 3:40) Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (3:40 - 3:43) James, how did the two of you meet and fall in love?   James Jetton: (3:44 - 5:30) Yeah, so we went to college together. We went to Troy University. I vividly remember a time where she was getting out of her car, and she didn't know me at this time.   But I remember seeing her. I think I met her maybe once or twice through some mutual friends. I remember seeing her get out of the car and literally, I'll never forget this moment.   I was like, man, if I could just have a girl like that. And it stuck with me. And I think the first time we met, I think I made some comments that she wasn't happy about, about some fraternity guys that were in a different fraternity than me that I didn't think too highly of.   But I didn't realize in that moment that she was actually the sweetheart of that fraternity. And so, we kind of got off to a little bad step there. But I remember she broke up with another boyfriend.   That was part of the reason I saw her. And I was like, I could never have a girl like that. All the girls like that are taken.   And so, she broke up with her boyfriend. I remember her best friend called me and was like, “Hey, can I bring her over to y'all's house? Because she just needs to laugh”.   I was like, “Well, we can do that. We can make sure she laughs”. And so, I think from there, we just kind of, I don't know, just we continued to talk.   And for some reason, she liked me a little bit and I liked her a whole lot. And we dated for about three years in college. And when we got out of college, we got married in May of 2009.   And so that was kind of where life began to speed up a lot at that point. But that was the first time I'll never forget those moments. And then there's other things throughout.   But I remember seeing her in the parking lot like that girl.   Laura Dugger: (5:31 - 5:43) So, I love that. And OK, so married in 2009 and then children came a little while later. So how many children did you add to your family?   James Jetton: (5:44 - 6:28) Yeah, we have four kids. Our first child was born in 2013. So, after we got married, we lived back here in Niceville for a little bit but then ended up moving.   She wanted to go to PA school, and I was working a job I didn't care too much for. So, I was like, how quickly can we go to school? And so, we moved to West Tennessee where she went to PA school.   And I ended up going to school there, too, because she studied all the time, and I was bored. And I was like, I guess I should do something productive as well. So that was 2009 and we had a lot of fun.   We love to travel, did a lot of fun things. And then in 2013, we had our first child, Laken.   Laura Dugger: (6:28 - 6:39) And then if you fast forward, life took an unexpected twist in 2016. So, will you catch us up on your discoveries that year?   James Jetton: (6:40 - 13:07) Yeah. So, we, you know, so we had Laken in 2013. Then, we had another part of our - we did have a miscarriage between Laken and Isla who was born in 2015. But then we had Hattie who was born in 2016.   And Hattie's our child with special needs. And she was born in - all of our pregnancies where we used to joke with people that could have babies and just bounce right back and have these beautiful, wonderful pregnancies. And they loved it.   That was not us. Every single one of our pregnancies brought some challenge within it. And so with Hattie, my wife started swelling a lot and kind of found out she had some clotting in her legs.   And so, we ended up having to induce labor for her with that happening. And, you know, when she my wife was also a PA in the ER. So, she understood medical things way better than I did.   I was kind of oblivious to a lot of things. So, she would probably say it was a little bit more scary than I realized it was when she was giving birth. But when Hattie came, like in some accounts, it just kind of seemed normal.   But she was having some trouble breathing. And so, she was in our hospital. In order to go to the NICU, you have to kind of get transferred out to a smaller hospital.   And so, they were keeping her under observation that night. And her breathing wasn't really getting a whole lot better. And they did x-rays and stuff like that, but couldn't really find much.   And then there was a morning where we were about ready to load up and send her to the NICU. And Kaetlin went and held her. And when she went and held her, she started breathing better.   And she calmed down. And it was kind of crazy. It was genuinely like the love of a mother.   Just like this connection seemed to just calm Hattie down. But we ended up finding out later, one of the nurses was amazing. And was like, I think that she has a broken collarbone.   They didn't see it on the x-ray at first because of the way her chin was turned. And so, when they went back and looked, they did another one. And sure enough, she did have a broken collarbone.   So, at the time, we kind of thought that was kind of the reason for her distressed breathing and that sort of thing. And she had trouble latching and sucking. And what we kind of came to find out later is she had what would be called hypotonia.   Which is basically where the best way to describe it in layman's terms is like a floppy baby. Like you hold her up and everything just kind of flops. And I remember Kaitlyn going to her four-month appointment.   And her being very concerned like, “Hey, Hattie's not meeting milestones. And I think that this isn't going to be a good appointment”. And sure enough, the doctor agreed.   We've always had amazing doctors around us. And so, he agreed. And so, we got referred to neurology.   And another just cool story about how God just provides. One of my best friends growing up, his dad was a neurologist in Birmingham. And so, I called him.   And he's like, all right, I got it. You're going to be here next Thursday. I'm like, oh, okay.   When we were kind of told like it's going to be like three or four months before we can even get you into a neurologist. And so, like God just kind of provided that. And we started that journey of trying to figure out what's going on.   And anyone who's ever had a special needs child, especially when you don't know what it is. Because there was nothing we could have done to foresee this happening. What Hattie had was called DeNovo, like just completely her.   Didn't come from me. Didn't come from Kaylin. And there's no other kids with special needs in our family.   It was just something we couldn't have expected or planned or could have even seen or anything like that. And so just kind of going through a lot of different doctors and tests and eventually getting referred to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore. Because at the time they thought it might be a neuromuscular thing.   And so, from there, they're like, oh, we don't think that's what it is. But then we ran a whole bunch of genetic panels. And like you're just going through all of that.   It definitely there's waves, right? Like it's like you want an answer, but at some level you're afraid of the answer. So, like each time we would do testing stuff before nothing would ever come back.   And so, it was like a relief. Okay, well, good. It's not that one.   Okay. Not that one. But then you're still like, well, what is it?   And so, after we went to Baltimore, they did much more extensive genetic testing. We found out she had this genetic disorder, or syndrome is what they're calling it now called GNV1. And it's crazy rare.   Like at the time, there were only 64 known cases. It was discovered in 2016. So, there's chances that there's other kids out there with it.   I think now there's a little over 100 that they know of. We're part of like a Facebook group where there's some of them in there. And so that's what we got the diagnosis for Hattie.   And so, what that means, I guess, probably no one knows what GNV1 is. Not even doctors. We go to doctors like, oh, can you tell us what this is?   We'll do our best. But it just starts out as hypotonia and global delay, which means every aspect of her is delayed from speech to gross and fine motor movements and all that kind of stuff. And also like with kids with special needs, it doesn't seem to affect any one of them the exact same way.   And so, but the thing about Hattie is like she has an infectious smile. She has this joy that is unreal. Like anybody that meets her just can't get enough of her.   And that is true in so many ways. Hattie uses a wheelchair to get around and Hattie's expressive language. So, her ways to communicate is behind.   But she understands everything. I mean, everything, which is pretty amazing, is my understanding. Not all the kids have that ability to receive and understand things as well as she does.   But she is an absolute joy. We used to always say and still do that Hattie's going to change the world. And we know the fact she's changed my world for sure.   And we know she's changed many others. But yeah, I could keep going on and on. But where we are today, like genuinely that she is a purpose and a reason why I've got to get up every single day.   Yeah. So, she's pretty amazing. Like I'm just yeah, I could go on and on about her.   Laura Dugger: (13:08 - 18:15) I think you described her so well with an infectious smile and joy is the word that comes to mind when you see her. Yeah. And now a brief message from our sponsors.   I want to say thank you to our longtime sponsor Chick-fil-A East Peoria. I hope that you've already downloaded the Chick-fil-A app. Because did you know that with the app you can skip the line and have food ready for you when you arrive?   This is one of my favorite options when I'm taking my four daughters to Chick-fil-A East Peoria. Download the Chick-fil-A app today and start earning points toward free rewards that are fully customized to your preferences and tastes. Chick-fil-A was named as one of Glassdoor's best places to work in the nation.   That's a huge honor. And one team member even wrote, no comparison. This is a great job for a first job, extra money or for career advancement.   Such a loving environment, great management and fair pay. Chick-fil-A believes that the local and involved ownership ensures fostering an environment where you are known, challenged and cared for. So, if you're looking for a wonderful place to work, visit Chick-fil-A East Peoria or fill out an application online today at cfaeastpeoria.com.   Are you utilizing Savvy Sauce Charities to full capacity? Other than our special Patreon re-release episodes, our content is now available in video form in addition to our audio only. And we have written transcriptions for every episode.   Visit our website today, thesavvysauce.com, to access all these forms of interviews. And while you're there, make sure you sign up for our email list to receive encouragement, questions and recommended resources about once a month to promote your own practical chats for intentional living. 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Another way to find it is simply type in donate to the search bar on our website and just click the first picture shown. We are all about sharing around here, sharing resources, sharing joy, and sharing the good news about Jesus Christ.   We ask that you also will share by sharing financially, sharing The Savvy Sauce podcast episodes, and sharing a five-star rating and review. You can also share any of our social media posts on Instagram or Facebook. We are grateful for all of it, and we just love partnering together with you. Now, back to the show.    In a different season, when many of us were in the midst of changing schedules and suddenly homeschooling our children in May of 2020, your family was receiving even more news. So, will you share that with us now as well?   James Jetton: (18:16 - 22:36) Yeah. We did have our fourth kid, Ryder. He was born in 2018, and he is a wild man.   My wife and I used to always say, or people would tell us, you'll know when you're done. But we had him, and we were like, okay, we're broke. We're done.   No more. But he's awesome. But yeah, the move forward to then, you know, that COVID stuff was really hard.   It was really hard. I was working for a church, and I do sports and rec ministry, and also I was doing student ministry at the time. And so, for me personally, like, things just kind of got shut down.   No one was doing sports leagues, and student ministry looked weirder than ever. And then my wife, she was working in the emergency room as a PA, and so she was facing everything head on. And so, I guess that kind of started in March.   It's funny, just to kind of back up a little bit. We felt prior to that, probably February or March of that 2020, when things were kind of like exploding, we just felt the Lord doing something in our lives. We felt like He was preparing us for something.   We felt like it was going to be something just amazing. But then as we moved forward to try to understand what God is doing, what He was telling us, in May, my 4-year-old, she had her preschool graduation. And I'll never forget this day.   My wife was a go-getter. She's tough. She's strong.   And we had a super weird COVID graduation for Isla, my 4-year-old. And it was weird because it was a drive-through graduation, so we had to get up there early and go do it. So, my wife also, she would do work night shifts so that she could be home with the kids when I couldn't be there.   And so, it wasn't uncommon for her to have to sleep in some. But this was like she hadn't worked the night before, and she hadn't worked. And so, we'd been off for two days, but she was just so exhausted.   She had this terrible headache that morning. And for her to say, like, I can't go to the graduation, that was like, there's something significant here. And I told her, like, she had gone to the doctor about a week before and got on some antibiotics, but it wasn't doing anything.   And I was just like, hey, I think it's time to go back to the doctor because you're not any better. And I've got to take these kids to this graduation. So, I loaded up all the kids.   We went to the drive-through graduation. While I was there, she called and said that her sister was going to take her to the emergency room. So that was a long day.   At that time, COVID was full on, so she couldn't have visitors. No one could come in with her. She had to be dropped off and go inside.   One huge plus in that for our specific situation is that she was taken to her own emergency room. So, she still had her friends and what she would call family there as well. And so, she dropped her off.   My sister-in-law dropped her off and just kind of waited in the parking lot until we figured out what was going on. So, it kind of went throughout that whole day. And I remember that night, the school was doing another virtual graduation where they showed pictures and that sort of thing.   And she texted me and said, I need to talk to you now. I was like, okay, like right now? Because I'm home alone with all four of the kids.   She's like, yeah, and I need you to get away from the kids. I was like, this doesn't sound good. What could this be?   And so, we FaceTimed, and that's where she told me they think I have leukemia. And so then as things started speeding up, we sent out a message to our church asking for prayers. From there, I put the kids to bed.   I drove to Pensacola. She got transferred to Pensacola, and we started treatment there for leukemia. So that was what happened.   That was the big moment in May. And then from there, there's a whole lot more. And so, I'll share as you wish.   Laura Dugger: (22:37 - 22:54) Wow. Thank you for catching us up to that point, James. I can't even imagine the initial devastation that comes.   And as your journey unfolds, I remember seeing a post about leaving your light on.   James Jetton: (22:54 - 24:24) Yeah. Like I said earlier, my wife always did the night shift. And so, I always left the light on for her when she was at work and then turned it off when she came home.   And so, yeah, so early on, I said that I'm not turning the light off until you come home. And so, during that time, the first treatment, it doesn't seem like a lot now because she was in the hospital so much. We didn't know how long she'd be in there.   But the first initial treatment, they're like, you're going to be in for three weeks. And so, I knew that she wouldn't be home for three weeks. And I guess this is me just kind of realizing that was a long time for the kids.   I remember talking to a friend of mine who was leading a small group of high school boys. And I remember him telling them, like, how hard do you think it would be if your mom was gone for three weeks? I was like, yeah, it's not easy.   But so. So, yeah, so that was that was the reason. Just like my wife, one, she was a light in the midst of all the darkness that she was having to face.   And I just wanted to make a point that like, hey, we're leaving this light on for you until you come home. And in a lot of respects, you know, she did go home. Long, long story.   But, yeah, that that was the reason for the light.   Laura Dugger: (24:25 - 24:34) So, well, and the way that you describe her, it sounds like our mutual friend April said her joy was just out of this world.   James Jetton: (24:34 - 24:36) Yeah, that's true.   Laura Dugger: (24:36 - 24:49) It sounds like maybe the both of you share that, but you were not entering into a joyful season. So, what did the next few months and year even look like?   James Jetton: (24:49 - 30:47) Yeah. So initially, when things went down, my wife and I agreed that we would not let our kids lose both their parents. And so, I tried to make it a point to be home at night.   So, when we were in Pensacola, like I would stay with her some nights, but I would also be home at night to put the kids to bed or I would put the kids to bed and I'd drive over that night and come back in the morning or be with her during the day. Like, you know, it was just crazy stuff. One, you know, it happened at the end of the school year.   So, we have all the kids at home. We didn't get to send them off to school. We were blessed to have an amazing college student.   It was one of Kaetlin's girls that she got to mentor when she was in high school. She was an amazing girl. She decided she would be like our nanny that summer.   And so, she was with our kids all day, every day. So, I could go and be with Kaetlin during the day and come home at night. And so, we went through that.   We were here and we did the treatment in Pensacola. It didn't work. And so, the next step at that point was like, well, what are we doing now?   And on a Thursday, the doctor was like, I think we need to go to MD Anderson. We'll see if there's a spot. And then on a Friday, they had a spot.   And then on Monday, we were in Houston at MD Anderson. I went to MD Anderson with her. You know, COVID protocol there still.   I could only be with her for 14 days and inpatient. And then I had to leave as an inpatient. So, I can only go with her for 14 days in that initial time.   And so, we went there. She started a treatment plan. We found an apartment.   And then I left. And then her dad came. And her dad was huge in a lot of this stuff and was able to allow us to do things like me and be with the kids.   And so, I think I stayed there for 10 days. And then he came over to stay with Kaetlin to take her back and forth to the hospital, just receiving treatment. And then I came home, and I came back to Niceville.   And that was during the summer. July, we were at home. We stayed in Niceville just kind of waiting to see, like, is Kaet going to be there longer?   Or is she going to be coming back here? And that was a wild summer. And this is what I think I would tell a lot of people that are going through hard things.   Like just because you're going through hard things doesn't mean there's other hard things. They're just a part of life. And, you know, when you have four kids, stuff happens.   You know, like we had one of my daughters, Isla, she had to have eye surgery that summer. While Kaet was in Houston. So that was an interesting thing.   My four-year-old son, he busted his head open on the back of a step going outside. So, he had to have some stitches in his head. He's the second that has had stitches in our family.   And he was the youngest. So, then the treatment, the goal was to get her to a place where she could do a bone marrow transplant. And so, we got, they got her to that point.   Her leukemia cell counts were low enough that we're ready to do a bone marrow transplant. And at that point, you know, we decided we're going to move to Houston. Everything was virtual at that time.   And I just couldn't see any reason why we couldn't all be together in Houston. And so, we found an apartment, we hunkered down. It's a two-bedroom apartment.   We built some makeshift bunk beds. And so, we moved there in August. And the community we have here was unreal.   The support that we have. Like I didn't, we didn't have to make a meal for, I felt like six months, I think. Like it was just crazy.   And people were allowing it and giving us money. So, we didn't have to worry about these kinds of things and what we're doing. And from moving packing boxes, like, I mean, I can't, it's just unfathomable.   All the different things that were put in place for us to do, to do what we did. And I don't think it would have happened without the community that came around us and our church here was great, but I've got to see The Big-C Church. And, and, and it was, it was amazing.   And so, we ended up, we all moved to Houston, and we lived in a two-bedroom apartment. Part of that story is like, you know, it's like, all right, we're doing this. And then talk about kids.   My four-year-old, the one that had also had the eye surgery, she had broken her ankle on a scooter. Like a week before we're going, it was like, are you kidding me? How is this happening right now?   But we had some great friends like, you know, when your wife is involved in the middle of the medical world, it makes access to doctors and stuff a lot easier when you're in a small town, like we are. So, they got it taken care of, got her in a cast. I was like, yeah, but we can't return with this hard cast.   We're going to Houston. He's like, all right, we'll get her in a hard cast. And we'll put her in a boot for the rest of the time.   So, we moved there. And you know, the dreams of like riding scooters around downtown Houston and doing all this kind of stuff kind of went away a little bit with the kid. And so, he, but there was a pool there.   So, we went swimming, she could swim. And so, we, we just made the best of what we had. Like we, we had a lot of good memories in that little apartment, even though it was, it was tough.   I remember, we, Halloween wasn't too long ago. We had our own little Halloween party in that apartment where we all dressed up, even Kaet. Cause she ended up getting her bone marrow transplant that time.   And another aspect of where dad was so important is when you get in the bone marrow transplant, you cannot leave, and you can have one guest. And so, her dad came and he stayed with her. It was about 30 days of bone marrow transplant.   And so, he was there with her so I could be with the kids, doing the best I can with that virtual school and, and managing Ryder and Hattie in the midst of trying to do school work with the kids. It's nothing I ever want to go back to.   Laura Dugger: (30:48 - 31:03) Well, and not to mention you appreciate The Big-C Church, but Houston was not your long-term community. So, being here in this new place and all of these transitions, what were the results of her bone marrow transplant?   James Jetton: (31:04 - 40:17) Yeah. So, the bone marrow transplant, it ended up working. She went into remission and so we get to come home Thanksgiving of 2020.   We came home and that was awesome. It was like a huge homecoming. Finally got back home.   She's, she's in remission. We felt like we'd beaten this. We, you know, we got that Christmas here and we were back home.   We even, our family always loves to go, has always gone to North Carolina for vacation every year. And we didn't get to do that. But so, it was like, now we're going.   And so, in January we're like, all right, we're going kids. It was just me and the kids and Kaet and we wanted to go see snow. So, we went up there and we found a place to stay.   It was an awesome trip. Loved it so much. We, when we had to check out of our place, we found another house so we could stay in for a few more days.   And so, you know, at that time though, when we were doing that, she was kind of having these red bumps kind of popping up over her. We didn't really know what it was. It could have been a reaction.   We couldn't figure it out. Saw some doctors here locally. No one could really figure out what it was.   And I think fast forward, what we found out probably, I think it was February. She came out of remission and that was kind of the beginning signs of her coming out of remission. And so that's where, life sped up.   Like, I mean, if it wasn't already fast, it was, it was just unreal. It was like a whirlwind like it was because she had to fly to Houston to go and see her doctors. And so, she was in Houston by herself when she found out that she had come out of remission, and they were going to start immediately.   So, she stays, and she flies over on Friday and on Monday they got her back doing her treatment. And so, and I was like, well, it looks like we're moving to Houston. And I was like, but this time we're not staying in a two-bedroom apartment.   It's like we're going to make this a little bit more manageable for us. So, we had some great family. Kaetlin actually had a cousin who lived in Houston.   We found a house inside their neighborhood that we could rent. And this was, you know, more, more provision that he just continued to show. We found this house in like a week and we had people from our community boxing up everything in our house.   He's gotten a truck, and we thought that we'd all get everything in one truck. But we didn't get everything in one truck. We'd even hired the movers to load up the truck.   They couldn't get it all in there. So, I was like, y'all told me that it would all fit on this truck, but now it's not. And it's Friday at like 5 p.m. when we were supposed to leave tonight. So, we're not leaving. But my brother came down. I had another one of my best friends come down and they were like, we got to go, we're going to make this happen.   So that next morning, I'm not kidding. When there was like 20 to 30 guys in my house, a brother had gotten the truck. I hadn't even, they left early to go with the truck.   I'd come. And I was at the house with the kids at a friend's house. And when me and the kids showed up, these 30 guys had already loaded up the truck and we were ready to go.   Guy came and dropped off a big spread of McDonald's for everybody. We prayed over us and we headed out that morning. And so, it was just, I mean, just crazy that, you know, in one week we packed up a four-bedroom house, loaded up two trucks and drove to Houston and we're now unloading at a new house in Houston.   And, and that's where we were for a while. That was where Kaetlin, then we went back into the treatment more aggressively trying to get her back to remission. And so that was, when we moved there in March of 2021.   And that was kind of our place for a while. We actually thought we'd be there for a real long time. Kids had started school there, trying our best to get connected community there, but it's difficult, especially when you've come from a place where you feel so connected and then you're moving somewhere new where you don't really know anybody.   And then you're moving there in a time where the whole town shut down. It was tough, but we got the kids back in school. We tried to start getting them back into normalcy of life.   And there's all these new trials when you're going through this stuff every day, it seems like there's a new trial. MD Anderson is amazing. They treat each patient. It's like an individual.   So, every plan they have is just specifically for that patient. And so, they were going to try to do this CAR T-cell treatment. So, we'd kind of gone through the whole summer, and then we get to the point where she's going to do her CAR T-cell treatment.   Now, you know, we, we were hunkered down with this COVID stuff. Like we didn't, we didn't do much. We got really good at DoorDash and grocery delivery.   And we, you know, we masked up everywhere we could because Kaetlin's system was so immuno-compromised and we had done what we had thought was a very good job of keeping her safe, keeping everyone safe. Well, and then she got to the point where she was ready to start this new trial with CAR T-cell treatment. And she gets admitted that night and every time they go in and they give her a COVID test, well, that night she had COVID.   And it was, it was like, what? And she didn't feel bad. Her dad had gotten it too.   Like we, and I, so I remember getting that, it was like one o'clock in the morning. I was asleep. I remember it like blowing up my phone.   And I was like, I didn't realize it until later. And I talked to her. And that was definitely a tough conversation because she had to like get moved, packed up and moved out and moved to a different place and then treatment for the COVID stuff.   But the crazy part was, and it was kind of, you know, I wanted to get frustrated about things I could, but like, she had zero symptoms and she had just tested positive. And so, the next morning we all had to go get tested. And it was just the weirdest thing.   I know that COVID has been so devastating to so many people. But in that moment for us, it was like, we don't like, I was like, I ran nine miles yesterday and now I'm positive for COVID. I don't.   And so, but what it did was it kicked her out of the trial that she was on. And so, then she had to come home. The next process was just kind of getting her ready for that same thing.   Basically, what her doctor did was like, I'm not taking out, you're going to get kicked off the trial, but I'm just going to make you my own individual patient. We're going to do it that way. And so, we had some, we had some pretty high hopes for this.   Doctor seemed pretty optimistic about this plan. And so, we had been renting our house in, in Niceville. And with this new plan, I would have had Kaetlin there for like three years.   And so, we were like, you know, do we really want to rent our house anymore? It's like, no, we don't. All right, well let's sell our house.   So, we sold our house, and it sold in like less than 24 hours. And it's like $25,000 over asking price. It was like, well, okay, God, I feel like that's what we're supposed to do.   And so, she went in to get that treatment. And, and, uh, unfortunately, uh, we found out that didn't work. Uh, it was like, well, she can't remember coming home and saying like, well, I'm ready.   I want to go back home. I was like, what? We just sold our house.   We don't have a home right now. But God always makes a way and you always provide always. Um, and so we, you know, I was like, all right, we want to go home.   We're going to go home. And at first I was being very logical. I was like, well, let's let the kids finish out the semester.   Cause this was like around Halloween is when she realized it didn't work and we're going to come home. So, we were able to come home. We had some amazingly generous friends who they got us a private flight to come home for that Halloween.   And I guess when we were there, um, that's where we really just decided we need to be back. And, and so she, when we went back to talk to her doctors about managing her leukemia remotely. And so that was what the plan was.   So we, we moved back that Thanksgiving, uh, with all of our stuff and we were looking for a place to stay. It was actually kind of a fun month. We were living on the beach for a couple months or really from Thanksgiving to right before Christmas.   We had some pretty awesome things come available. We were able to live in a house on the beach. And so that was, that was mine and my wife's always kind of like a special place.   And so, we love the water, and we love the beach. And so that was an awesome place for us to be. And so, uh, coming back, it was tough.   She was getting out of the hospital a lot just with fevers and stuff like that. And then we got to have Christmas here that December. And then January 9th of this past year, she, she, uh, eventually passed away.   We weren't expecting, I mean, we knew that there would be an end, but I don't think we could have expected it to, um, happen then. And I think we kind of thought we'd have a little bit more time, but we didn't, but we were thankful. I'm thankful for my wife.   It was like we got to get back now because we knew that when an issue did pass that we needed to be in our hometown and not in Houston, where our community was much smaller.   Laura Dugger: (40:18 - 40:27) So, yeah. And so, you're together, you're celebrating Christmas. And then things suddenly turned unexpectedly.   James Jetton: (40:28 - 40:28) Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (40:28 - 40:31) And that led to losing her on January 9th.   James Jetton: (40:32 - 44:59) Yeah. You know, nothing really happened like, you know, in that leukemia world. And you know, a lot of cancers that give you like, you know, a prognosis like, you have three months, you have four months full, but blood cancer is very different.   And it kind of exacts you and, and there's no way to really know for sure, like, is this going to work or how long do we have and that sort of thing. And she was just in and out of the hospital so much. When we came back home, when you have leukemia, anytime you have a fever above a hundred point four, it's like you're immediately going to the doctor.   And so that's kind of how, you know, when she went in, like, there's still kind of an expectation that she would come home. But then those last few days, like, I just, I vividly remember as we're trying to figure out what to do, we're going to, are we going to go to a new treatment plan or we're going to try something else? Or, or is this kind of the end?   And her doctor here, he said, there was a plan that we possibly could have done, but he was like, they're saying this got a success rate of like, whatever, nine of 10 people went into remission with it. He's like, but when you look closer, they were only in remission for four weeks. And he was like, is this what we want to do?   Cause chemo just, it wipes you out. And it's like, there's no way to continue to live like this. But she, Kaetlin, she was, she just had a way of bringing a peace over everybody.   She had a way of like knowing exactly what everyone needed, I guess, in some respects. Cause I remember leaving the day we decided we would not do the treatment plan. And I came home, like I said, I always try to be home to put my kids to bed.   She said that the night before it kind of, she went downhill fast. She got up and walked around the hospital with her dad and told her dad like, “Hey, I think I'm going to do, I think I'm going to do it. I'm going to do the treatment plan.”   You know, I've talked to him about this, but I feel like that was almost like the piece he needed to go home. You know, when she passed, it was like, it was beautiful. Like it was, it was such a blessing that she was in her home hospital and that the doors, it was like a revolving door.   I remember Kaetlin told me once, she said, “when I pass or when I'm in the last days, don't tell anyone that they can't come see me.” And so, we were trying to figure out how we're going to do this. And I was like, well, she said that anybody who wants to come see me, let them come see me.   And so, we put a word out and there was like a revolving door of people just coming in and out of the room all day. Like the doctors, the ER told the front desk people, like, you know, technically, I guess you're only supposed to have like two visitors or something because of the COVID things. And she was like, anybody that comes in and says they want to see Kaetlin Jetton, you say, “Go on up”.   So it was, it was pretty awesome seeing all these people come in and see her. And we had already gotten to see the impact that she had made on so many people's lives for the past couple of years, but it was cool to see them all there doing that. And I remember the night she passed, I leaned over, I was heading home and two of my best friends since the ninth grade had come down and they were at the house with the kids and I was coming home to put the kids to bed.   And I leaned over and gave her a kiss and I said, don't wait on me. It's like, it's okay. It's time to go home.   And sure enough, that's, I left that night and I got a phone call about 11 from her dad and she had passed and that, and I think that, you know, in some respects, it's like, should I have been there? I was like, but I think that also was like, no, Kaet wanted you to be with your two guys. And Kayla knew that her family would be there with her.   And she did exactly what she wanted to do. You know, she always had a plan even from her like celebration service. She had everything written out.   Who's going to speak, what songs are playing, when are we doing this? And so it was, it was, you know, it was pretty cool seeing how many people just came in and out and how she just kind of felt like she knew what she was doing, even up in the last days. So.   Laura Dugger: (45:00 - 45:55) Do you love The Savvy Sauce? Do you gain anything when you listen? Did you know that the two ways we earn money to keep this podcast live is through generous contributions from listeners and from our paying sponsors.   That means we can promote your business and you're still supporting The Savvy Sauce. It's a win-win. Please email us today at info@thesavvysauce.com to inquire about pricing for sponsoring each episode. Thank you for your consideration.    Well, James, your perspective is incredible. And yet I'm so sorry, such a deep loss for your whole family.   And what is life like now for all of your family these days? Cause it's still very recent. And I'm wondering if grief still comes up at unexpected times.   James Jetton: (45:56 - 50:49) Yeah. You know, it's, you know, it's a day-to-day thing, I believe. I don't, and grief is certainly something that sometimes you don't see it coming.   And I'll say, I love bragging on this community. I love bragging on this town so much. So, my kids, they're all in school, you know, and I'm bragging on my kids too.   After she passed, the kids got to stay home for a couple of weeks, but then it was time to go back to school. My two girls go to one school where actually Kaetlin went to school from kindergarten all through. So, I felt like that was a very special thing for her and the kids could go to the same school that their mom went to.   But then Hattie goes to a different school because of her special needs. And then Ryder goes to a different school. He's in preschool.   And so, after she passed, like, so it was complicated in the sense of, I've got to get Hattie to school at 7:30. I've got to get Lincoln out of school by like 8:45 and then Ryder can go in before 9:00 a.m. So, I would usually drop him off on the way. But I say, I'd say like, what does life look like?   Well, after she passed, I knew like, how am I going to make this work? And that semester, there was somebody in my house every morning at 7:00 a.m. to sit with the kids, help with breakfast, and help finish getting them ready while I could take Hattie to school at 7:30. And then I would come back home and after they finished getting ready, then I would take them to school. So, I had someone in my house every morning at 7:00 a.m. after she passed, which was, you know, they were doing it for the kids, but they were doing it for me too. I knew that I couldn't just lay in my bed and let people just come on in and take care of my kids. Like I had to get up, take a shower, look like I'm somewhat presentable and go on. And that's kind of how that last semester was, just community and people with meals and then through all that, trying to get them engaged, get them back into doing some things that they love to do.   And yeah, I like to brag on my kids in a lot of ways, this perspective kind of dawned on me in the past couple of weeks of like, I sent them back into a new school where they know very many people. Everybody knows them. Not everyone.   I don't know everybody. And they had to go and do that a few weeks after their mom passed. Here I am trying to stay away from people and not have a whole bunch of conversations, but yet the kids are stepping up and doing their thing.   And man, it's just, it's pretty inspiring when I think of it in that respect as well. Nowadays we are blessed that we get to have a nanny and it's, that's a whole cool story in itself. And that she worked with me in student ministry, and I'd actually left to go be a nanny for some other people in Nashville.   And I was texting her trying to figure out, “Hey, I need some help. You got any friends down here that want to be a nanny? Cause it's hard to find.”   And she's like, “Actually, I would love to come back and do it.” And that was just a huge blessing. Cause it was like, at the time of us having all these new things, I was able to be able to have somebody that the kids already knew come in and be there.   And so, she helps in so many ways and allows the kids to do their tennis and their soccer and gymnastics or whatever it may be. And it allows me to get to, coach them and be a part of that, those aspects of life, which I love doing so much. And so, she's really helped.   So, in our day to day now, like it, it's a lot of moving pieces. I mean, just last week, we got to go to a widower's retreat and there was never a worry, never worry about who's taking care of the kids, that they're getting to where they need to be. So, it's a genuine, like I get to see how a village truly takes care of the kids.   And yes, there are days and it's hard. And some days it just kind of sucks and it sucks for them. It sucks for me.   But I have gotten to see how God still shows out through the difficult moments and how he still provides no matter how far away I am or how close I am. He still continually provides. And I know that, and I know that he will not let us down.   It's one day at a time. And as we approach these new seasons, there's always new seasons. You talk about grief and things pop up.   I think that holidays will bring up stuff they already have in some respects and my wife, you know, she was a medical professional. So, when kids get sick, it's different now. We go to the doctor more often because mom's not here to take care of them and call in medicine.   But I think that we do sense a void in that when kids are sick and that sort of thing. But, today, like things are okay. We're doing all right.   Laura Dugger: (50:50 - 51:07) Well, and James, you were a journalism major and you're a very gifted writer. So where would you direct us to get to read more about your family and stay current and hopefully find ways that we can further support you?   James Jetton: (51:08 - 52:18) Well, my wife and I, we started a blog called Our Hands Go Up, and it's OurHandsGoUp.com. And that's formed out of, started with Hattie. That's where the blog started because Hattie, we talked about that joy that she has, but our hands will always go up.   Like her hands go up all the time and it just seems so appropriate. And the picture of hands going up, there's so many things that go to that with our praise to God, our vulnerability and our sides. And there's just a lot that comes through that anyway.   But yeah, Kaetlin started writing on that and I wrote some in that. She spearheaded it because she's way more organized and detailed than I am. So, it looks a lot prettier than what I would have done, but here recently, like I've felt a calling to bring it back and revitalize it.   So as of right now, like there's, my wife wrote a lot, and she still has writings that she never shared with anybody. So, I've started revitalizing it by sharing some of her writings, but I will be writing in there as well. So that would probably be a good place or even, and then my, just my social media, James Jetton, you can always see some crazy stories of my kids.   Laura Dugger: (52:21 - 52:34) Oh, wonderful. We will link to both of those in our show notes. And are there any practical needs that you do have at this time or any specific prayer requests you would like to share with us?   James Jetton: (52:35 - 53:26) You know, I think the specific prayer requests are just for me and for my kids. So, things are going to look different for them for sure. And I know there's going to be some hard moments.   So, I guess the prayer would just be, you know, provision as God's always provided. And, you know, when I say that, I don't just talk about it in like a material way, but like He seems to provide us with feelings, emotions, people, support, all of that. And so just provision for my kids and just encouragement and support for them as we've kind of walked through these, these new firsts for the kids and, and that it will just, they will still have, find the joy that we always talk about choosing and, and that my wife did so well that we will continue to find that joy through these more difficult days ahead for sure.   Laura Dugger: (53:26 - 53:58) Yes, Lord may it be so. Well, James, you clearly just have so much wisdom to share and I appreciate you walking through so much of your personal journey. And I know that you also do have a lighthearted personality and we're going to end on a lighter note because you may know that we're called The Savvy Sauce because Savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge.   And so, as my final question for you today, what is your Savvy Sauce?   James Jetton: (54:01 - 54:51) You know, my Savvy Sauce, it's just, it's one day at a time. I think that we get overwhelmed with, you know, I joke with people, like it's a stupid joke. But hey, if God wanted to give us more than one day at a time, He would. So, we only get one day, and He doesn't give us two days at one time.   You know, just taking things as they come one day at a time. We all have our goals. We all have our plans, our dreams and aspirations, but leaving space for the Holy Spirit and how God moves is critical.   And when you're walking through grief and you're walking through hard stuff, like thinking about too much out there in front of you can be debilitating. And so just focus on what your next step, just take one more step. We can always take one more step.   And so just kind of day at a time and just take one more step.   Laura Dugger: (54:52 - 55:08) James, thank you for your faithfulness to Kaet, your faithfulness to our Lord, your faithfulness to your children. And we will all be praying for each of you in this coming season and beyond. And just really grateful for you being my guest today.   James Jetton: (55:09 - 55:26) Well, I'm really grateful to be here. This is great. I'm thankful for the chance to just share her story and share our story.   I feel God has just moved and worked through us in so many amazing ways. And anytime I can get a chance to share how God has moved and worked, I'm thankful. So, thank you for having me.   Laura Dugger: (55:26 - 58:42) It's been an honor. One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you ready to get started? First, tell someone.   Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible.   I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ.   I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We wa

This episode features a conversation between John Pinna and Jeff Mitchell, an atheist and author of the book "Jesus Demigod (https://a.co/d/ddpkbqa)", which argues that Jesus did not exist. Mitchell shares his faith journey, having grown up as a Christian in the Bible Belt and later becoming an atheist after critically examining the Bible and Christian theology. The conversation explores topics such as the historicity of Jesus, the reliability of the New Testament, and the concept of truth. Mitchell argues that the evidence for Jesus is abysmal and that the stories about him are literary creations, while John Pinna shares his perspective as a person of faith, highlighting the importance of respectful dialogue and critical thinking. The discussion touches on the challenges of confronting uncomfortable truths, the value of life, and the need for civil conversations in the face of disagreement. Special Guest: Jeff Mitchell.

Nine days ago in Frisco Texas an altercation at a track meet shocked the nation. Austin Metcalf was a promising track and field athlete attending a championship competition when he got into a brief altercation with another athlete, Karmelo Anthony, over a tent. According to witnesses, in a matter of moments after the disagreement started, Karmelo took out a knife from his bag and stabbed Austin Metcalf in the heart. Austin died moments later in his twin brother's arms. This tragedy reopened the wound and division that has been present for nearly the entirety of our nation's history. Austin Metcalf is far from the first victim of black on white violence, bringing pressing and relevant questions about law, order, and race to the surface yet again. But as family and community mourn for Austin Metcalf and Karmelo Anthony is being held in jail on a one million dollar bond, hundreds of thousands of dollars have been raised by the black community for Karmelo Anthony, who they see as a victim in the encounter, despite him confessing to the stabbing. We are at the point where even the unjustified murder of a high schooler cannot be objectively condemned as a terrible tragedy by some sides of the aisle.At a certain point it's time to say the quiet part out loud. Why are Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont the safest states to live in and also, coincidentally, the least diverse? Why are black women more likely to commit murder than white men? And what are the implications of this in relation to what neighborhood you live in, how you protect your family, and even what sports you put your kids in? This episode is brought to you by our premier sponsors, Armored Republic and Reece Fund, as well as our Patreon members and donors. You can join our Patreon at patreon.com/rightresponseministries or you can donate at rightresponseministries.com/donate.Join us today as we unpack this important topic.*MINISTRY SPONSORS:**Reece Fund.* Christian Capital. Boldly Deployedhttps://www.reecefund.com/*Private Family Banking*How to Connect with Private Family Banking:1. Send an email inquiry to banking@privatefamilybanking.com2. Receive a FREE e-book entitled "How to Build Multi-Generational Wealth Outside of Wall Street and Avoid the Coming Banking Meltdown", by going to https://www.protectyourmoneynow.net3. Set up a FREE Private Family Banking Discovery call using this link: https://calendly.com/familybankingnow/30min*Squirrelly Joes Coffee - Caffeinating The Modern Reformation*Our audience can get a free bag of coffee (just pay shipping) by visiting ⁠https://squirrellyjoes.com/rightresponse ⁠

Dr. Gillian Frank continues to explore the progressive religious communities in conservative areas, focusing on the Unitarian Universalist ministers and LGBTQ couples who participated in same-sex marriage ceremonies in Birmingham, Alabama. The episode highlights Reverend Luna Jensen Borad's, detailing the political and religious struggles leading to and following the legalization of same-sex marriage. Personal stories from Kay and Andrew illustrate the impact of finding liberal religious spaces in a conservative environment. The episode examines the intersection of faith and social justice, unraveling the complex history of marriage equality and the enduring presence of liberal religion in the Bible Belt. Red State Religions is produced by the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement with generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation. Created by Dr. Gillian Frank Producer: Andrew Gill Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi Audio Engineer and Music: R. Scott Okamoto Production Assistance: Kari Onishi For more research-based podcasts and public scholarship visit www.axismundi.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we had to honor and privilege to interview Kait Ballenger, author of the recently released Original Sinners Series! This was a fun interview and we hope that you enjoy it!  A little about Kait: Kait Ballenger is an award-winning author of dark romantasy and paranormal romance. She is obsessed with tales of morally gray, sometimes villainous heroes and can't resist a spicy redemption arc. When Kait's not busy writing kinky paranormal fantasy, she can usually be found with her nose buried in someone else's naughty books. She lives in Florida's Bible Belt with her husband and two adorable sons—and will gladly use that belt to whip you.    Don't forget to follow all of our socials here!!

In the first episode of 'Red State Religions,' host Dr. Gillian Frank explores the progressive religious communities in conservative areas, focusing on the Unitarian Universalist ministers and LGBTQ couples who participated in same-sex marriage ceremonies in Birmingham, Alabama. The episode highlights Reverend Luna Jensen Boad's and Reverend Lne Broussard's roles in these historic events, detailing the political and religious struggles leading to and following the legalization of same-sex marriage. Personal stories from Kay and Andrew illustrate the impact of finding liberal religious spaces in a conservative environment. The episode examines the intersection of faith and social justice, unraveling the complex history of marriage equality and the enduring presence of liberal religion in the Bible Belt. 00:00 Introduction to Red State Religions 00:51 A Historic Day in Alabama 05:30 The Path to Marriage Equality 15:53 Personal Stories of Love and Struggle 25:27 Finding Community in Unitarian Universalism 33:10 Conclusion and Next Episode Preview Red State Religions is produced by the Institute for Religion, Media, and Civic Engagement with generous funding from the Henry Luce Foundation. Created by Dr. Gillian Frank Producer: Andrew Gill Executive Producer: Dr. Bradley Onishi Audio Engineer and Music: R. Scott Okamoto Production Assistance: Kari Onishi For more research-based podcasts and public scholarship visit www.axismundi.us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fear and hope! These are the two realities that are put before us by the writings of the fathers on the struggle with lust and fornication. They are hard stories to listen to for in them we begin to see the poverty of man and what we are capable of doing not only in our lesser moments, but when we turn away from God in the slightest fashion. Whatever one's religious identity might be or how vigorously one has embraced the ascetic life, what brings an individual to the depths of sin is hubris; trusting in our own understanding or following our own desires in such a way that we put ourselves in God to the test.  Thus, the stories should give rise to fear within our hearts in order that we might place our trust only in God and cling to him through constant prayer. However, we are also give that which provides hope of salvation through the very same stories. God does not abandon us even when we have turned away from him. He will use every means possible (other people or affliction) to draw us back to himself. He will turn the world upside down if it gives rise to a spirit of repentance within our hearts. It is this repentance that draws us out of the mire.  The fathers are quick to instruct us that we are not to abhor human sexuality or members of the opposite sex. However, we must respect the power of natural desire, especially when it is paired with concupiscence. The darkness brought to our minds because of our sin often leads us to objectify the other; to lose sight of their dignity and to focus simply on ourselves and the satisfying of our needs. The fathers would have us understand the great power of the demons. We are told in one story this evening where all of the forest in the place were consumed by the flame that came from the serpent being cast out.  We must understand, then, that we are not simply struggling with our natural defects and flaws but rather with principalities and powers.  Sin is a fearful thing and true faith allows us to see its ugliness and destructiveness. This same faith allows us to see the only source of our true hope – Christ. With humility let us cry out to him that he might show us his abundant mercy. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:38:06 Forrest Cavalier: Hard topic1 00:38:59 Forrest Cavalier: I've heard bits and pieces of what you have said, from different people, who were not prelates. The 1970's approach of trying a cure was disastrous. 00:54:15 Forrest Cavalier: Teach us to strive from the pulpit. Hebrews 12:9-12 Besides this, we have had our earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them. Should we not [then] submit all the more to the Father of spirits and live? They disciplined us for a short time as seemed right to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we may share his holiness. At the time, all discipline seems a cause not for joy but for pain, yet later it brings the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who are trained by it.e 00:59:41 Forrest Cavalier: A fire poker 01:00:43 Maureen Cunningham: If he would have fell and a chid would came then he could not be a church Father .  What would happen 01:04:32 Anthony: I worked for a firm that worked in divorces and in child protection....even in the Bible Belt, divorce is a SERIOUS problem. We don't have much understanding beyond flesh, and that is reinforced by ads and movies and cartoons and songs. 01:08:49 Maureen Cunningham: Always a Blessing  Thank You 01:09:36 ANDREW ADAMS: Thanks be to God! Thank you, Father! 01:09:36 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you

In New York, there were the Stonewall riots. In the Bible Belt, there was steer roping. We'll hear the secret history of gay rodeo. Plus, the Washington Post's new managing editor on how his childhood in Phoenix shaped his journalism.

Kristen Becker is a standup comedian and activist based out of Provincetown, Massachusetts. Becker also has a long history of touring, living, and organizing in the Deep South. In 2006, she founded the "Dykes of Hazard," an all-lesbian comedy group that toured the Deep South for a decade. In 2014, Becker testified before the Louisiana State Legislature in support of the Louisiana Non-Discrimination Act. From there, she set out on a tour called "Loosen the Bible Belt" with pastor Jay Bakker. In 2017, she founded "Summer of Sass," a nonprofit that hooks queer teens up with a job and housing, and flies them out to Ptown for a summer on the gay beach. More recently, she crashed out at a fancy party and secured $3 million worth of funding for her program. You'll have to stick around til the end for that story! Thank you for listening to Cruising Podcast! -Reviews help other listeners find Cruising! If you like what you hear, please subscribe and leave us a 5-star review! -For more Cruising adventures, follow us @cruisingpod on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook -Follow Kristen Becker @KristenBeckerComedy -Follow Summer of Sass @SummerofSass -Donate or find out more about Summer of Sass -Special thanks to this episode's sponsor, Olivia Travel -Discover Olivia at Olivia.com and save $100 on your next trip when you use promo code CRUISING -Support Cruising here! Cruising is an independent podcast. That means we're entirely funded by sponsors and listeners like you! -Cruising is reported and produced by a small but mighty team of three: Sarah Gabrielli (host/story producer/audio engineer), Rachel Karp (story producer/social media manager), and Jen McGinity (line producer/resident road-trip driver). Theme song is by Joey Freeman. Cover art is by Nikki Ligos. Logo is by Finley Martin. Support the show Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this podcast interview, John Pinna speaks with Michael Barton, a Muslim revert from Wichita, Kansas who converted to Islam in 2006. Barton discusses his journey from Methodism to Islam, describing how he felt disconnected from his Christian upbringing despite a strong belief in God. He shares how his college anthropology studies and encounters with Muslim students sparked his interest in Islam, particularly when he discovered Islam's connection to biblical prophets and its pure monotheistic concept of God that resonated with his own beliefs. Barton details his gradual immersion in the Muslim community, from his first visit to a mosque to taking his Shahada during Ramadan, through his struggles balancing his new faith with old habits, to eventually becoming a principal at an Islamic school. He now actively shares his faith through TikTok and other social media platforms while reflecting on the challenges of being a Muslim in America's Bible Belt and the importance of presenting Islam with knowledge, nuance, and cultural sensitivity appropriate for the American context. https://linktr.ee/MichaelBarton

A new study shows a decline in the number of Tennesseans who have an active faith. Plus, the local news for March 4, 2024 and this week's edition of What Where Whens-Day. Credits: This is a production of Nashville Public RadioHost/producer: Nina CardonaEditor: Miriam KramerAdditional support: Mack Linebaugh, Tony Gonzalez, Rachel Iacovone, LaTonya Turner and the staff of WPLN and WNXP

Jonah Falke is schrijver en kunstenaar. Falke maakte naam als kunstschilder en als frontman van de band Villa Zeno. In 2016 verscheen zijn debuutroman ‘Bontebrug', gevolgd door titels als ‘De mooiste vrouw van de wereld', ‘Dagboek uit Zundert' en ‘De geschiedenis van mijn sok'. Voor ‘Dagboek uit Zundert' verbleef Falke op de geboortegrond van Vincent van Gogh en maakte hij verschillende schilderijen. In zijn nieuwste boek, getiteld ‘Bible Belt', probeert Falke als ongelovige door te dringen tot het dagelijks leven in de Bible Belt. Daarvoor bezoekt hij kerkdiensten, studiedagen, gevangenissen en uitvaarten en logeert hij bij een gereformeerd gezin in Zeeland. Femke van der Laan gaat met Jonah Falke in gesprek.

***Content note: mention of drug use, sexual assault, overdose, and domestic violence*** Anisa had a typical millennial childhood in the Bible Belt, but as a teen she experienced a sexual assault and ultimately in adulthood lived through a life threatening meth addiction. Listen to the story of how she found and fought for recovery to finally live free and fully as herself.Celebraterecovery.com

This week, we're in Tennessee discussing how a classroom of teens solve a string of murders. Then, we'll talk about an accidental death or foul place. Buckle up and join us on this dark and twisted ride through the Volunteer State. You may now join us on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠buy us a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Cocktail⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Be sure to subscribe on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and leave a review, or, email us at unitedstatesofmurder@gmail.com Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Be sure to check out the Murder 101 Podcast! Sources: Red Headed Murders, The 74 Million, The New York Post, Oxygen, WZTV, In Loving Memory of Lauren Taylor Agee, Medium, Justia Law Music by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Pixabay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

In the 1980s, women with red hair began vanishing along highways in the Bible Belt, their bodies discarded in shallow graves or along desolate roads. Truck driver Jerry Leon Johns was arrested after his brutal attack on a young dancer went awry, linking him to at least one of the infamous "Redhead Murders." Spanning six states, 14 victims, and decades of unanswered questions, this chilling true crime saga explores the patterns of a predator, the lives of the victims, and the enduring mystery: Was Johns the Redhead Killer—or is he still out there? Tune in to Crime After Dark here:  Spotify Apple Podcasts Author: Mike Colucci Huge thanks to our sponsors: Acorns: Head to acorns.com/crimehub or download the Acorns app to start saving and investing for your future today! Acorns Early: Head to acornsearly.com/crimehub or download the Acorns Early app to get started. Sign up now and your first month is on us! SelectQuote: Go to SelectQuote.com/crimehub today to find the right life insurance for you. Shopify: Go to shopify.com/crimehub to take your retail business to the next level today. * * * DISCLAIMER: This episode contains explicit content. Parental guidance is advised for children under the age of 18. Listen at your own discretion. #crimehub #truecrime #truecrimepodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How should Christians respond to natural disasters - with judgment or compassion? From their unique perspective as pastors in California, Ron and Hope Carpenter tackle the devastating LA wildfires and challenge misconceptions about God's judgment. Drawing from their transition from the Bible Belt to the religiously diverse Bay Area, the couple shares profound insights about representing Christ in a secular culture, loving those who think differently, and seeing tragedy as an opportunity for revival.   Whether you're struggling to understand God's role in natural disasters or wanting to make a difference in times of crisis, this raw and relevant episode of Ron + Hope: Unfiltered offers a powerful perspective on being God's ambassadors of hope in a hurting world. Thank you to our partners HelloFresh - Get up to 10 FREE meals and a free high protein item for life at HelloFresh.com/ronandhope10fm. One item per box with active subscription. Free meals applied as discount on first box, new subscribers only, varies by plan.   S4E2 (#152)   Are there any topics you'd like us to discuss? Do you have any questions you'd like us to answer? Send them to unfiltered@ronandhope.com.   Follow Ron Carpenter at https://www.instagram.com/ron.carpenter/ Follow Hope Carpenter at https://www.instagram.com/pastorhope.carpenter/   Subscribe to Ron's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/user/pastorroncarpenter Subscribe to Hope's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1TUxyS_-elLEOORZ2YiunA Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's Monday, December 23rd, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes written by yours truly and heard on 125 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  Filling in for Adam McMannus I'm Ean Leppin. Attack on a Christmas market in Germany Fox News reported on Friday that a festive Christmas market in Eastern Germany erupted into chaos when a car was driven into a group of people in the city of Magdeburg.  Between 60 and 80 people have been injured and at the time of this report 2 had been killed including a child.  The Associated Press reports that the suspect is a 50 year old Saudi doctor who came to Germany back in 2006.  German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said, ‘My thoughts are with the victims and their families.  We stand by their side and by the side of the people of Magdeburg.' Pray for all of the people involved that God will bring comfort and peace in this tragic time. Psalm 34:18 - The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed spirit. Pray for Believers in Nigeria as Christmas Day Approaches  As reported by Mission Network News Christians in Nigeria are facing an increased level of persecution for the upcoming Christmas holiday.  The terrorist group Boko Haram has historically attacked during past Christmas celebrations.  Darrel Templeton with Megavoice comments on the threat. TEMPLETON: "They're trying to scare and terrorize the Christians, to keep them from being bold in their faith, in gathering and in exercising their religious freedoms." Templeton goes on to report that the military and police force in Nigeria sometimes act more as accomplices than as watchguards.  Nigeria is currently number 6 on the list of countries where it is most dangerous to be a Christian according to Open Doors. Boko Haram isn't the only group that persecutes believers.  The climate in Nigeria is currently an open season on believers.  It has been reported that homes are looted and buildings have been burned. Word from missionaries on the ground in Nigeria report that believers there recognize the blessing of suffering in relation to their faith.  Templeton with Megavoice tells us how we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ. TEMPLETON: "They're not praying, or asking us to pray, that they be taken away from this, but they ask for protection and they ask for boldness." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 But He said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.  Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities.  For when I am weak, then I am strong. Georgia Supreme Court to consider an abortion ban As documented by the Center for Reproductive Rights. In July 2022 a court case in Georgia, SisterSong v the State of Georgia sought to block HB 481, which bans abortions after approximately 6 weeks.  On November 15th 2022 Judge Robert McBurney of the Superior Court of Fulton County struck down the ban as void.  He further found that a subsequent change in Federal constitutional law, the overturning of Roe v Wade, does not revive the ban.  Instead, if the legislature wishes to ban abortion, it must pass a new law.  Just a week later on Nov 23rd the Georgia Supreme Court granted an emergency stay of the injunction, allowing the ban to take effect once again while the state's appeal continued.  As of October 7th of this year The Supreme Court of Georgia issued a ruling staying the trial court decision striking down HB 481.  This reinstated the abortion ban while the appeal proceeds at the Georgia Supreme Court. In response The Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Erik Baptist who is also director of the ADF Center for Life has filed a brief on behalf of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine asking the court to reverse the lower court ruling that permanently blocks Georgia's pro-life Living Infants Fairness and Equality Act or LIFE Act.  The LIFE Act protects the life of an unborn child when a fetal heartbeat is detected. Erik Baptist is quoted as saying, ‘The Georgia Superior Court made a critical error when it pitted the interests of a mother against those of her child as a reason for ruling the LIFE Act unconstitutional. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine has a vested interest in holistic care for both mother and child, and we are urging the court to reverse the lower court's decision and follow U.S. Supreme Court precedent that allows states to enact and enforce pro-life laws.' Hope Being Delivered Through Chainsaws for Christ in North Carolina Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina earlier this year.  CBN News reports that some 120,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.  As temperatures have dropped and winter is settling in, displaced families are facing desperate situations and continuing to rely on the churches and faithbased community for help.  Reverend Scott Rogers with the Asheville Buncombe Community Christian Ministry says The churches are the heartbeat of this effort… ROGERS: "The churches are the heartbeat, and, if you will, the nervous system, the spinal cord, that gets the message of the needs to the churches, back to our central support systems, and that's what God's people do.  That's what the Bible Belt is all about." This Christian Ministry unites 300 churches and 5000 volunteers to provide temporary shelter, food, clothing and long term recovery assistance.   Another ministry that has been helping out in North Carolina is Chainsaws for Christ. (Facebook link here) It's founder Brent Allmon talks about what motivates him to serve. ALLMON: "And I just want to help them.  People help me, and God loves me.  He loves you.  He loves everyone that's listening to this.  I just want them to know that there is peace and hope in the name of Jesus Christ." Literally everything that Brent and Chainsaws for Christ brings has been provided by the Lord through donations.  The chainsaws, tools, food, volunteers, RV that he sleeps in to the Christmas toys they are providing to the community.   So what does Brent charge to those receiving services from Chainsaws for Christ? ALLMON: "For us, zero.  The Lord paid it over 2000 years ago, and we get the opportunity to give back just a little bit." If you would like to give to help the victims of Hurricane Helene you can give to  Samaritans Purse Hurricane relief effort or visit the facebook page of Chainsaws for Christ find the links in our transcript at theworldview.com Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, December 23rd, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by Amazon Music or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Ean Leppin (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Pro-Wrestling and Sports Entertainment have walked a fine line with The Adult Entertainment Industry since The Monday Night Wars between WWF and WCW. Not only did the two biggest companies in pro wrestling implement adult entertainment and entertainers, but ECW during that time would as well. TNA even used Chyna for a match even after she started her adult film career. Even recently, Matt Riddle was on MLW talking about being at the AVN Awards. So, why is it in 2024 is being an adult entertainer, and being an indy wrestler an issue?Tonight's guest is indy wrestler and adult entertainer, Nadia White. They express the difficulty they've had recently with promoter's booking them, only to cancel AFTER the promoter looks them up while knowing many wrestlers now-a-days have OnlyFans Accounts. Nadia expresses their frustrations and even shares a story about how they almost didn't even get to have their first match!Nadia also expresses the sexism within pro-wrestling as we've seen male wrestlers portray adult film stars, become adult film movie directors, and while they can still get booked, Nadia expresses its more difficult for them. During the interview, we also learn who Nadia enjoyed watching when they were growing up and who they would watch wrestling with as well. Nadia also discusses training, keeping their adult entertainment name the same as their wrestling name and what's in store for Nadia White in 2025!!Nadia White's Social MediaInstagram: @NadiaWWrestlingTwitter: @NadiaWWrestlingPro Wrestling Tee's: https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/wrestler-t-shirts/nadiawhite.htmlTime Stamp00:00 Intro00:16 We've seen professional wrestlers come from all walks of life Finn Balor once had a Balor Club is for everyone shirt, AEW had a motto that wrestling is for everyone. Today I am sitting down with Nadia White an independent pro wrestler who is also an adult film star who's faced many challenges in there journey as a professional wrestler00:32 Nadia how are you today?00:58 Were you a fan growing up? 01:17 who were some favorites?02:17 How was it being trained by Davey Richards and Team Ambition?03:43 READ Nadia's TWEETS. 04:43 Pro-wrestling and adult film industry go hand-n-hand0006:49 How often does a promoter cancel and what have they said to you?07:52 Did your original opponent for your first match still work that show after refusing to work with you?08:16 They call out female wrestler who refused to wrestle them08:51 the excitement of the first match, didn't know her but messaged her about the match prior09:35 Advice from pro wrestlers like Jerry Lynn11:11 Keeping her adult film name same as wrestling name (advised to change it)12:11 Being Banned from Nathen's Hotdog Eating Contest because they are an adult film star.13:50 Any issues in the locker room or at shows? "Kids love me at shows."15:00 Promotions, wrestlers who've had issues are at the "Bible Belt of The USA" and not researching them happened last week going on for two years not getting booked for being an adult film star17:45 Has her husband faced any backlash? Wrestling being sexist 18:20 but its okay for Matt Riddle on MLW to joke about going to AVN awards19:00 Talks on Triple H not wanting Chyna in the WWE HOF for doing porn, X-Pac shouldn't be in to.21:00 How are promoters when they cancel on them26:10 What's in store for pro wrestling and Nadia in 202526:55 "I just want to wrestle"27:11 Is their anyone they want to work with or a company to work in. "AEW. TNA." "Go to Japan"29:00 What they want the fans or promoters to know about them#WrestlingCommunity #indywrestler #SupportIndyWrestling #TNA #AEW #NadiaWhite #WrestlingNews #DarkSideOfTheRingSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/perchedonthetoprope/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Pro-Wrestling and Sports Entertainment have walked a fine line with The Adult Entertainment Industry since The Monday Night Wars between WWF and WCW. Not only did the two biggest companies in pro wrestling implement adult entertainment and entertainers, but ECW during that time would as well. TNA even used Chyna for a match even after she started her adult film career. Even recently, Matt Riddle was on MLW talking about being at the AVN Awards. So, why is it in 2024 is being an adult entertainer, and being an indy wrestler an issue?Tonight's guest is indy wrestler and adult entertainer, Nadia White. They express the difficulty they've had recently with promoter's booking them, only to cancel AFTER the promoter looks them up while knowing many wrestlers now-a-days have OnlyFans Accounts. Nadia expresses their frustrations and even shares a story about how they almost didn't even get to have their first match!Nadia also expresses the sexism within pro-wrestling as we've seen male wrestlers portray adult film stars, become adult film movie directors, and while they can still get booked, Nadia expresses its more difficult for them. During the interview, we also learn who Nadia enjoyed watching when they were growing up and who they would watch wrestling with as well. Nadia also discusses training, keeping their adult entertainment name the same as their wrestling name and what's in store for Nadia White in 2025!!Nadia White's Social MediaInstagram: @NadiaWWrestlingTwitter: @NadiaWWrestlingPro Wrestling Tee's: https://www.prowrestlingtees.com/wrestler-t-shirts/nadiawhite.htmlTime Stamp00:00 Intro00:16 We've seen professional wrestlers come from all walks of life Finn Balor once had a Balor Club is for everyone shirt, AEW had a motto that wrestling is for everyone. Today I am sitting down with Nadia White an independent pro wrestler who is also an adult film star who's faced many challenges in there journey as a professional wrestler00:32 Nadia how are you today?00:58 Were you a fan growing up? 01:17 who were some favorites?02:17 How was it being trained by Davey Richards and Team Ambition?03:43 READ Nadia's TWEETS. 04:43 Pro-wrestling and adult film industry go hand-n-hand0006:49 How often does a promoter cancel and what have they said to you?07:52 Did your original opponent for your first match still work that show after refusing to work with you?08:16 They call out female wrestler who refused to wrestle them08:51 the excitement of the first match, didn't know her but messaged her about the match prior09:35 Advice from pro wrestlers like Jerry Lynn11:11 Keeping her adult film name same as wrestling name (advised to change it)12:11 Being Banned from Nathen's Hotdog Eating Contest because they are an adult film star.13:50 Any issues in the locker room or at shows? "Kids love me at shows."15:00 Promotions, wrestlers who've had issues are at the "Bible Belt of The USA" and not researching them happened last week going on for two years not getting booked for being an adult film star17:45 Has her husband faced any backlash? Wrestling being sexist 18:20 but its okay for Matt Riddle on MLW to joke about going to AVN awards19:00 Talks on Triple H not wanting Chyna in the WWE HOF for doing porn, X-Pac shouldn't be in to.21:00 How are promoters when they cancel on them26:10 What's in store for pro wrestling and Nadia in 202526:55 "I just want to wrestle"27:11 Is their anyone they want to work with or a company to work in. "AEW. TNA." "Go to Japan"29:00 What they want the fans or promoters to know about them#WrestlingCommunity #indywrestler #SupportIndyWrestling #TNA #AEW #NadiaWhite #WrestlingNews #DarkSideOfTheRingSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/perchedonthetoprope/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

We have a 10 Commandment fight that has broken out in the Bible Belt, and a victory — although likely short term — for religious freedom. Michael Popok breaks down a new emergency order from an Louisiana Federal Judge blocking the MAGA Louisiana Governor and Legislature from compelling that every public class room display a giant 10 Commandment poster, and why Justice Alito — an arch conservative Christian — will likely overturn it on the way to the Supreme Court. Ollie: Head to https://ollie.com and use promo code: LEGALAF to receive 60% OFF your FIRST BOX of meals when you subscribe today! Join the LegalAF Patreon: https://Patreon.com/legalAF Remember to subscribe to ALL the MeidasTouch Network Podcasts: MeidasTouch: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/meidastouch-podcast Legal AF: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/legal-af MissTrial: https://meidasnews.com/tag/miss-trial The PoliticsGirl Podcast: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-politicsgirl-podcast The Influence Continuum: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-influence-continuum-with-dr-steven-hassan Mea Culpa with Michael Cohen: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/mea-culpa-with-michael-cohen The Weekend Show: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/the-weekend-show Burn the Boats: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/burn-the-boats Majority 54: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/majority-54 Political Beatdown: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/political-beatdown Lights On with Jessica Denson: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/lights-on-with-jessica-denson On Democracy with FP Wellman: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/on-democracy-with-fpwellman Uncovered: https://www.meidastouch.com/tag/maga-uncovered Coalition of the Sane: https://meidasnews.com/tag/coalition-of-the-sane Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome back to Lez Hang Out, the podcast that wants to travel the world with you! This week Leigh (@lshfoster) and Ellie (@elliebrigida) hang out with Allyssa Leaton (@thelesbianpassport), a lesbian travel content creator, and talk about her experiences traveling as a solo queer woman. Allyssa grew up in the Bible Belt not knowing the word ‘lesbian', let alone what it meant. Now she proudly serves as much-needed queer representation in the travel space, inspiring hopeful LGBTQ+ travelers and finding all the best gay hotspots around the world.  Although Allyssa has visited more than 20 countries at only 25 years old, she does not make her travel decisions with ticking boxes in mind. Instead of always going to a new country, she has made repeat trips to her favorite places, including Buenos Aires (the city she credits as having the most sapphic-inclusive queer scene) and Iceland (a place where being gay was such a nonissue that Allyssa felt cultural whiplash). As an introvert, Allyssa has found herself thriving as a solo traveler, loving the freedom provided by solitude. We talk with Allyssa about the safety of traveling alone as a lesbian, tips for finding queer spaces and making friends in a new place, and the challenges of traveling full-time.  Check out Everywhere is Queer for a simple way to find queer spaces all over the world.  If this chat inspired you to take a BIG, GAY trip, you can find more information about our next Big, Gay trip on our website.  You can support Lez Hang Out while unlocking a bunch of exclusive perks including access to our Discord channel, 23 and counting full-length bonus episodes, weekly ad-free episodes, and more by joining us on Patreon. You can also support the podcast by buying our original merch at bit.ly/lezmerch and purchasing our original Lez-ssentials songs for as little as $1 each on Bandcamp. You can give us your answers to our Q & Gay questions on Twitter @lezhangoutpod and follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Ellie (@elliebrigida) and (Leigh @lshfoster) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices