I don't know how to really introduce this episode beyond the fact that I like Hasan and wanted to have him on the show. We've known each other for a few years and I enjoy reading what he has to say on social media about national and local news. He's a hardworking, Black American father of three, and I wanted to have him on because he has a perspective on life that I don't have. This episode is not an interview but a conversation and I hope you enjoy hearing the thoughts of someone who I respect. 

I didn't grow up around guns, but I grew up around people who grew up around guns. I've always been kind of afraid of them and I don't get the fuss over them, but I understand why someone would want to own one. In this episode, I talked to my friend Steffan who is a gun owner but who also sees that there are issues in our country with guns. I hope this is not the traditional debate you've heard on cable news 10,000 times because I wanted it to be a discussion, and even just an info session for me. 

Discipleship is a term you may not be familiar with because it is commonly used within the church. It's similar to mentorship. It's the practice of training others in a more personal approach, but it's so much more than that. I believe many American Christians have not experienced true discipleship because they may not have been given the opportunity or those who could disciple them have not been properly guided themselves. So we rely on Sunday mornings to do what should be done through discipleship, and a Sunday morning service can never fulfill that need.

My friend Matt Ulrich was someone I wanted to talk to specifically about discipleship because I know it is a passion of his, and he has studied the practice of discipleship more than anyone else I know. 

Even if you're not a Christian, I think there is good advice in this episode about how we can influence and help others to grow in their abilities. One of the things I like about the idea of true discipleship is that it's more than just giving people a checklist of items or personal sermons, it's about seeing the positive strengths someone has and using your power to enable them to use them, and then to do the same for others. 

A lot of people love the Enneagram. It's not a new thing, but it has definitely surged in popularity the last few years. My friend Maria West is not a self-described expert, but she sure knows a lot more than I do. I haven't got on the Enneagram train, so I figured a conversation with Maria would be a great place to start. We talk about Enneagram and what it can help us understand about our own lives. 

Kierkegaard is back and this time it's personal! - Sorry, I was just trying to hype it up like a movie sequel. But this is part 2 of the Kierkegaard discussion we had a few weeks back with Linley Ali and Kevin Krumei. In this episode, Linley and Kevin have brought in their friend Dave Boehmer to add to the discussion. So buckle up, nerds. 

If you're like me, you've probably just heard the name Soren Kierkegaard and a quote or two of his. But he is a figure who has been widely influential for ages, and even still today whether we realize it or not. This episode is a bit different, and yes it is dense. But I would challenge you to listen and treat it like your head and heart are getting a workout. It's good to dive into subject matters that stretch us, and that's partly why I find this discussion valuable to share with the listeners. But there is a lot to unpack here so I won't waste any more time with you reading this description of it. 

There is nothing quite as beautiful in this world as the story of an adoption. I've only known a few friends who have adopted children, and one set of them was Asha and Jake Junot. Asha and I were friends at UF and have remained social media friends since, and I followed their story of adoption. They were gracious enough to open up their story to the listeners of this show and invite us into the pain and joy. This is a great episode for those of us who have wondered why we seem to run in circles and why we can feel so far away from what we want. If you need some encouragement and your spirits uplifted, this one is for you.

You can follow Asha's Instagram page for messages of encouragement and reflection at @ashajuneoh

"You can be anything you want to be!" Most of us heard this while growing up, but is it actually true? Maybe it is, but it's not yet true for Mark Jones. 

Everyone records podcasts with successful people who have successful stories and then they listen to them thinking one day they can be successful too. Aren't you sick of that? That's why I wanted to talk to my friend Mark who is an entrepreneur without a success story . . . yet. I think you will enjoy hearing of his many endeavors and the reasons why he is still trying after all of this time. The struggle is real!

Not to sound like your senior high school year book that your friend signed, but what a long, strange journey it's been these last few years. If you grew up in the church like I did, you've probably had a lot of moments where you wondered, "What is wrong with these people?" "Am I still one of these people?" and, "Why are the people who raised me turning on me and on what they taught me?"

There's nothing new to hearing about people who have left the American Church give their opinions and chastisement of it, and I do think there is a place for that and Christians need to hear their words. However, I wanted to have a discussion with church kids who are now church adults and how we're handling these questions. 

Carlene and Dan are two friends I literally grew up with in Ocala, FL in the same church and Christian school. They have both experienced a lot of what I have, and we've all had to do some repenting and reworking in our lives and in our faith. In this episode, we talk about what has been a challenge in the American church, where we currently stand, why we're still grateful to it, and what hope we have for the future. Maybe you can relate to some of the thoughts shared here. 

Many of us who believe in God share different views of God. But there is a common perception of God, even if it is not spoken, that he is distant from us and often annoyed with us. We limit our prayers because we don't want to bother him, or we think he doesn't care. We may believe, again - even if we don't say it, that God was reluctant to give us salvation because we are so bad. While it is true that humans are sinful, it is untrue that God doesn't value us or loves us less because of it. 

In this episode, Linley and I will discuss who God is and who humans are, and why humanity is not just a whim of an idea or an accident for God to fix. Each of us has a purpose in life designed and planned by God, and His love for us is much greater than we have acknowledged.