Grace, Grit & Hope

Tonya Reed's childhood and teenage years were marked by trauma, instability, addiction, and choices that eventually led her to jail. But in the darkest season of her life, a Gideons International volunteer handed her a small blue Bible—and everything began to change. In this episode, Tonya shares her journey from early‑life pain to drug dealing, incarceration, and finally the slow, steady transformation that reshaped her future. Today she leads a thriving caregiving business and returns to the same jail to minister to women walking the road she once traveled. It's a story of how deep pain found redemption through God's word and grace.

Miguels Pizza began as a quiet roadside restaurant, but as Kentucky's Red River Gorge grew into a worldwide climbing mecca, Miguels evolved into an outdoor enthusiast hub. In this episode, Dario Ventura, the son of founder Miguel Ventura, shares what it was like growing up meeting people from around the world and watching the Gorge transform. Today, he carries his father's legacy forward with a new venture, Red Point Barbeque. It's a story of a family from Portugal who worked incredibly hard, welcomed visitors and helped build one of the world's most beloved outdoor communities.

Connect with Miguels Pizza & Red Point Barbeque:

• Miguels Pizza: https://miguelspizza.com

• Red Point Barbeque: https://redpointbbq.com

• Red River Gorge Climbers' Coalition: https://rrgcc.org

What happens when a childhood spent traveling the globe on missionary ships to spread the Gospel turns into a lifelong battle against modern-day slavery? In this episode of Grace, Grit & Hope, we sit down with Kentucky residents Greg and Mala Malstead, founders of Freedom Firm USA. Driven by profound faith, they stepped into the dark world of child sex trafficking in India to bring rescue and restoration to the vulnerable. With more than 1,100 girls rescued to date, the impact has been miraculous. Mala shares her story of answering this critical call at age 18, while Greg discusses his perspective as an attorney working with police to prosecute traffickers.

Learn more at https://www.freedomfirm.org/

Join Kevin and Paschal with reform powerhouse and gold-medal-winning author Vicki Reed. After decades in child welfare—from opening Lexington's first youth shelter to shaping statewide juvenile justice reform—Vicki has turned her frontline experience into impactful fiction. We dive into her award-winning debut, The Car Thief, and her release this spring: Sleight of Hand. The book follows a youth caught in a common nightmare: a relentless cycle of foster care moves. Her books reveal a profound truth from decades of working with troubled youth: it often takes just one caring adult to turn their lives around.

Connect with Vicki Reed:

· Websites: https://vreedauthor.com, https://middletonbooks.com

· Books: Available on Amazon

· Support a Cause: Learn more about becoming Court Appointed Special Advocate volunteer to change the lives of abused and neglected children at https://casaoflexington.org

Ultramarathoner Simeon Bates joins Grace, Grit & Hope to share the story behind his extraordinary 900‑mile run for justice. Determined to support Freedom Firm's mission to end child sex trafficking in India, Sim ran 30 miles a day for 30 days across Kentucky's Red River Gorge. His faith fueled him through the pain, helping raise $100,000 for an organization that has rescued over 1,000 survivors. Sim's journey is a reminder that one person's courage can spark real change. This episode will move you.

Join Paschal and Kevin as they trade their dignity for a Wi-Fi signal in this hilariously honest dive into our doom-scrolling insanity. From coffee shops filled with silent phone zombies to students walking on campus while staring into devices, they poke fun at themselves and our nation's collective trance by featuring Kevin's original song:"The Doom Scrollin' Blues." This episode is a front-porch intervention for our screen-obsessed nation. Break the spell, interrupt the trance, and have a good, hard laugh about the inescapable conclusion: we've all gone bonkers from screens, mobile phones and 24/7 negative news.

Folksinger Michael Johnathon tells his life story and calls us to reclaim the soul of American music: the spirit of the front porch. He reflects on Pete Seeger's belief that the audience is the true star and warns that today's world of commercial music has lost its soul. From his Walden‑like years in Mousie, KY to founding WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour, he champions community, simplicity and the power of shared songs. He contrasts the inclusive front‑porch stage with the isolating commercial stage. He celebrates the brilliance of WoodSongs Kids and reminds us that love — not money — is the greatest transaction of the arts. His message is clear: America needs our front‑porch soul restored.

Paschal Baute has spent nearly a century forging grit. A 96‑year‑old veteran who served with four branches of the military, he is also a former monk, retired psychologist, and author of 50 books on resilience and hope. He has survived cancer, adapted to blindness, and recently endured the loss of his wife of 57 years. From childhood bullying to boxing in Guam, from military school to catastrophic disability, Paschal reveals how to choose courage over despair. This conversation is a masterclass about grit from a man who has spent his entire life drawing upon it.

Paul Prather revisits the 90-minute vision in 1980 that upended his understanding of God—a Damascus experience in which he saw that God is in control of everything, and that His deepest desire is to bless people, not to condemn. Pastor Paul's experience echoes Jesus and St. Paul: whose teachings stressed forgiveness, love and grace—not judgment or measuring others. Grace, Prather argues, is the true center of the faith with God's love and mercy accepting us exactly as we are. This frees us from sin consciousness and changes everything. His kingdom is not a distant promise; it's here now, whenever and wherever we share His unmerited love. Prather's message is beautifully simple: lighten your grip. God already has you.

To listen to Paul Prather's recent sermons on grace, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/@bethesdachurchmountsterlin7545/videos