Send us Fan Mail From the foster care system to street criminal to support his habit, James shares a daunting story of hardened criminal to TRUE RESTORATION! You don't want to miss this riveting story of drugs, felonies, jail and more. With over 200 arrests to his name, James shares of the 'very bad place with very bad people' where he would spend hard time, until an encounter with God would change it all. But it wouldn't be an easy transition! James would spend 21 days on the floor of a jail ce...
Apr 20, 2026•49 min
Send us Fan Mail The Ashleigh I know today is a bundle of joy and sunshine - though that's not always been her story. She always considered herself the 'ugly, awkward and odd kid' of 10 kids in her family, and began rebelling and using at an early age. With a message of 'we don't want you' at early on when she came out of the closet at 16, the story of real madness began. Running away from the foster home/system, she'd land in jail, and lose her biological mom to MS early on. Heavy drugs came in...
Apr 06, 2026•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 86
Send us Fan Mail Meet James. In critical shape in his early 30s, with a diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver, a short life expectancy and 'incurable' as the diagnosis, James has a MIRACLE story to share - and not just of physical healing, but so much more. He tells of the duplicitous lifestyle he lived for so long, with one foot in the 'church world' and religion, and the other foot living solidly in the world with all the entanglements that addiction and more can bring. He even worked in the chu...
Mar 23, 2026•1 hr 11 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Gina - a radically transformed biker chick who loves Jesus, her family and LIFE! ...because she spent so much of it lost, addicted and so much more. Gina shares of her 'normal childhood' in a blended family - but with much older siblings who shared drugs with her at such an early age. She would be in and out of relationships/marriages, children, ultimately living the life filled with 'fancy cars in a fancy neighborhood, filled with nannies and maids' - and also living NEXT ...
Mar 09, 2026•47 min
Send us Fan Mail Today is part 2 of Andrew's story! We first met Andrew on the April 21, 2025 episode, titled Hell on Earth - A Painful Story of Drugs, Girls, Witchcraft and More . Today we pick up with "the rest of the story". Andrew takes us from where he was at six months of recovery, to today, and the extraordinary story that God continues writing in this redemption story! Be encouraged by the healing transformation that comes when we truly surrender and the GOODNESS that ensues! And don't M...
Feb 23, 2026•42 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Anthony, Air Force veteran, who, in his words, didn't want to leave 'cracks' but rather 'craters' for his time on this earth. His work with what he deems the "super ninjas' of the military is an EPIC tale of heroism itself, but the loss he'd endure, leading to the PTSD and his raging alcohol-mixed with pills and more...he had a turning point decision to make when his wife confronted him with the 'ultimatum'. IYKYK... Let's go listen now. Author of "Moon Child: The Roots and...
Feb 09, 2026•38 min
Send us Fan Mail I'm excited to introduce you to Mandy - who brings a unique perspective to the conversation today! Mandy has a nursing background of 25 years, and as the wife of a pastor, has homeschooled their two now grown children. And having walked through some of the challenging seasons that mid-life can bring, Mandy now coaches faith-based women who are in similar places in their journey. Let's listen to Mandy's story now and see if she can perhaps help you in a time of transition in your...
Jan 19, 2026•43 min
Send us Fan Mail Let's meet Pete - Another of my favorite Redemption Stories! I share a special bond with Pedro, as you'll hear that he was a student at 180 Ministries when my son, DJ was initially in the program with him. Like so many, Pete suffered an unthinkable tragedy early on, and dealt with it as so many do - turning to drugs to numb the pain of it all. It would transpire to where he'd find himself facing 26 years in federal prison - but God had other plans! You won't believe how this sto...
Jan 05, 2026•1 hr 6 min•Season 8Ep. 80
Send us Fan Mail WOW! Today's guest, military Veteran, Mike Smith shares his harrowing story of growing up in a messy family, with an early event he describes as 'scarring me for life'. It brought on the first suicide attempt at 16...and would continue to unravel for years. Once in the Air Force with an option to work for NASA, things were good - until they weren't. Kicked out for weed, the humiliation spiral began. He speaks to the 'little old lady' who shared the Gospel with him the first time...
Dec 22, 2025•48 min
Send us Fan Mail The devastatingly difficult story from childhood and beyond. John's story is laden with difficulties - and HOPE! He speaks of the insanity of growing up in a low-income area on the south side of London, rife with abuse, alcoholism and so much more. By age 11, he no longer wanted to be alive and attempted taking his own life. Gratefully, he was unsuccessful, but the trauma would continue - for many years. He began 'ducking and diving' as he calls it, getting into the criminality ...
Dec 09, 2025•1 hr 2 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Jason - a well-mannered, clean-cut guy with a crazy story! Aren't they all?! I'm so grateful to have met Jason when my son was first in the Men's Center program at 180 Ministries. He was serving on staff as the Disciplinarian at that time - which brought its own unique challenges and opportunities. And yet, ' once isn't enough ' when it comes to Jason's story of recovery. As it is for many, relapse can be a part of that recovery journey. With homelessness, shelter, jail and...
Nov 10, 2025•52 min
Send us Fan Mail You'll LOVE the story Kathy Grace shares as she knows FULL WELL who her identify is now - tho she walked in a different understanding for years. With an abusive father and timid mother, she saw/believed that 'emotions are bad' and 'I can be replaced'. She shares knowing about God early on, but never having a relationship . And with the messaging she received and believed, Kathy Grace began the transition process around age 19, changing her name, doing the hormone therapy and mor...
Nov 10, 2025•1 hr 5 min
Send us Fan Mail There are some stories that are so incredible - they MUST be shared with the world! And Ashley's story is just that. She is not only a survivor but now THRIVING in her story of recovery and redemption. Ashley spent much of her life being the 'invisible one', mistreated and abused, frequently placed in really harmful situations as a child. She would be the caretaker to her siblings and considered herself the 'rescuer' until the cycle of addiction began to consumer her, too. She n...
Oct 27, 2025•52 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Jonathan and Michelle - amazing couple who just celebrated their 17h wedding anniversary as I upload this episode! You'll enjoy hearing the journey of Jonathan, who grew up in my hometown of Billings, MT, where it wasn't uncommon for the adults in our world to drink - and for many of us to think that was 'normal' - whether that meant a destructive lifestyle or not. In Jonathan's words, he thought that's what it meant to be a 'grow up'. The destructive patterns would begin e...
Sep 22, 2025•50 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Joe - with a harrowing story of addiction, suicide attempts, and no idea of his identity, Joe shares some explicit parts of his journey. As such, you'll hear me add a word of CAUTION in my opening dialogue - to listen at your own risk. Parts of his testimony were difficult for me to hear, and yet stories of heroine abound, as do trap houses and rescuing children and women from trafficking - they are more common than I know or understand. Now, however, Joe is a messenger of ...
Sep 01, 2025•1 hr 29 min•Season 7Ep. 73
Send us Fan Mail Today's guest is Amber Hollingsworth - professional addiction counselor and so much more! She shares how, ironically, while her family of origin was laden with this insidious disease, she didn't get into her profession as a result of that! Her experience runs deep, as her profession is helping both addicts and their loved ones and family members navigate the best possible outcomes for all. You won't want to miss checking out her YouTube Channel by the same name; Put the Shovel D...
Aug 12, 2025•45 min•Season 7Ep. 72
Send us Fan Mail Meet Vanessa! Her story is one for the co-dependents among us. Vanessa recalls a rather ideal childhood, yet now knows it was the caring big sister who 'shielded' her from so many of the realities that she wouldn't come to learn about until her middle school/high school years. Her father was a high-functioning, high-producing alcoholic who maintained such a solid image - until there was (in Vanessa's words), the big crescendo ! For all of us, somewhere along the way, the house o...
Jul 14, 2025•50 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Char'Dae, PhD candidate with an extraordinary background! Her mantra, 'it's never too late' is such an allegory of OVERCOMING! Feeling so very different at the earliest age, Char'Dae credits her Grandfather with the message to her young heart that said, "Just be you". Ever sensing she wasn't 'enough', she went to the counseling center in college, where, though she wouldn't find anyone who looked like her, she began to understand that her struggles were rooted in anxiety and...
Jun 16, 2025•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 70
Send us Fan Mail Meet Richard - aka, The Drinking Machine! Early on there was what he describes as 'the accident that changed everything'. That would trigger his own story in a family line filled with alcoholics. Climbing the 'success ladder' to epic levels of financial success, Richard shares of how each move, the drinking would increase, cocaine would become a new norm, and the psychological trauma that would follow. The story doesn't end there! Let's go listen now... If you enjoyed this podca...
May 26, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Susan - Mom to Andrew from our last episode! This mother shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of this disease through the lens of a parent. As a military family, there were ample moves along the way, and somehow that saying, "Birds of a feather, flock together" rings true in this story. At one point along the way, she shares the fearful dark side of the near-fatal overdose situation, in back-to-back trips to the ER. Ultimately, Andrew, recognizing the truth of his situati...
Apr 28, 2025•58 min
Send us Fan Mail Andrew describes his journey of addiction in the title of today's episode. At one point he knew he was 'at death's gate' with a pit of emptiness that was eroding his very life. But it hadn't always been that way, and thankfully, that's hardly the end of the story. Andrew grew up in a beautiful, loving family and enjoyed a great life, as he describes it. But then a terrible accident 'turned on' the addiction that had been lurking since birth. Now he's celebrating recovery at the ...
Apr 21, 2025•1 hr 1 min•Season 6Ep. 67
Send us Fan Mail Meet Jade & Kyle. High school sweethearts with a journey like so many of ours. Or is it? If you are needing some HOPE, this is your episode! Their 'backstory' incorporates so much what many of us know or have experienced for ourselves - the deception that runs rampant within this horrific family disease. Yet with GOOD NEWS abounding, the radical detours this couple went on over the course of their 14 year relationship has a number of unique elements, not the least of which i...
Mar 31, 2025•1 hr 29 min
Send us Fan Mail Just WOW! Meeting Jennifer was such a treat for me - and I trust it will be for you, as well! Not only does she have a phenomenal story, but how she and her husband are now helping others in the most remarkable way! It's just another amazing story of Redemption! Growing up in Miami and with her parents splitting up in her early years, Jennifer was hit with a LOT of trauma early on, to include the murder of her favorite uncle at a mere 7 years old. She was violated early with dru...
Mar 25, 2025•1 hr 33 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Todd - a former Professional Rodeo Cowboy/Bull-Rider - whose time with horses now is in the pen sharing the Gospel across the country and around the globe via Riding High Ministries (https://g.co/kgs/iEzi3C6). But it wasn't always this way. As Todd shares, he was hurting - and therefore hurting a lot of others along the way. With days of promiscuity, alcohol, people pleasing and more, his 'turning point' now impacts others on a global scale. There were several 'wake-up call...
Mar 17, 2025•49 min•Season 6Ep. 64
Send us Fan Mail Meet Molly; entrepreneur, single-parent, lover of Jesus and so much more! While Molly doesn't go deep into the story of her ex/alcoholic, she shares how all three of her boys have suffered addiction. And yet the last 5 years have been, by far, the most challenging and difficult to navigate, as her oldest, John traversed into the dark side with paranoia into severe psychosis. Driving herself to the Arctic Circle to find some solace, she states, "God is gracious". WIth treatment c...
Mar 03, 2025•49 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Richard - fun-loving Bostonian in the restaurant industry who speaks to his journey before and after alcoholism. As the child of two parents who smoked and drank, (and a passel of other family members) Richard began his imbibing at the tender age of 12. The on-again-off-again cycle with months of not drinking was how it started, until he found himself 'in the bottle'. His only regret now, as he shares, is that his dad never saw him sober. It's a sobering story - take a list...
Feb 17, 2025•1 hr 4 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Steve - whose gripping story of recovery and redemption eclipse the long and winding road, with a 13-year stop along the way in a Colorado penitentiary. Steve is well-versed now in what he refers to as the "Gold Standard" of recovery. And trust me, having tried sobriety for ten years on his own, he learned some of the most difficult lessons in the hardest of ways. From feeling that sense of 'socially awkward' with which so many can identify, Steve became the 'terrible drunk...
Feb 03, 2025•54 min
Send us Fan Mail Greetings and Happy New Year! I love this time of year - this sense of 'new beginnings'. Today I'm so happy to introduce you to Christine - a dear friend in recovery in my own program, ironically called 'New Beginnings'! Christine shares her testimony in such a raw, authentic, vulnerable way - one I know you'll relate to. My hope is, that while she, too, experienced the relapse of a loved one, the story didn't end there. Much like I had to learn, as well. Which is why the title ...
Jan 20, 2025•46 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Lacy...beautiful entrepreneur, who, from the outside looking in, has it all together. So goes so many of our stories! Yet you and I both know, it's far from the truth. By now we recognize that literally, everyone has a story . Which is why I'm so grateful to each person who bravely shares their experience, strength and hope, to give us just that, for when we most need it. Lacy is no stranger to 'hard' as her winding story will speak to. From divorced, alcoholic parents, to ...
Jan 06, 2025•56 min
Send us Fan Mail Meet Creigh, contestant on The Voice ! I was so inspired when hearing his introduction on this year's season of The Voice , I immediately reached out to see if he would be willing to share his awesome testimony! Fortunately, he shared his 'yes' and here we are! To hear once again that "You are not alone" and to not let this disease 'rob you of your best life' was so encouraging! In this holiday season when gatherings with friends and family can be difficult at best for many of u...
Dec 23, 2024•44 min
