Living on Incline

From the bright lights of the Major Leagues to the edge of total destruction. 

In this explosive trailer for Living on Incline, host John Eklund sits down with former Atlanta Braves and Kansas City Royals pitcher Anthony Lerew. Anthony pulls back the curtain on the surreal, high-rolling lifestyle of professional baseball—from private charter flights and sudden wealth to a decade-long battle with heavy addiction. 

But the real turning point? A devastating 120 mph motorcycle crash that snapped his leg, leading to a nightmare of 14 surgeries, a near-fatal bone infection, and an incredible journey of surrender and redemption. 


🔔 Subscribe to Living on Incline for more raw stories of faith, resilience, and life after the pros!

#AnthonyLerew #LivingOnIncline #MLB #BaseballPodcast #Testimony #FaithAndSports #RedemptionStory


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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
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Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

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Can you ever truly heal from a secret porn addiction—or are you condemned to struggle in silence forever?

In this powerful and deeply vulnerable episode of Living on Incline, John Eklund sits down with Heidi Cooper, Recovery Specialist at Covenant Eyes and a pastor's wife, to unpack the hidden connection between childhood trauma, secret shame, and severe pornography addiction.

After surviving childhood sexual abuse, Heidi became addicted to pornography at just 12 years old. Carrying decades of secret shame into her marriage and ministry, she learned the hard way that time and marriage alone don't heal deep wounds.

In this episode, Heidi shares her raw journey from trauma and addiction to true freedom, detailing:
• How unaddressed childhood trauma drives addiction as a coping mechanism
• The brain science of why pornography impacts the brain similarly to hard drugs
• The silent epidemic of secret addiction affecting men, women, and church leaders
• Why secret shame keeps people trapped—and how authentic relational healing and trauma counseling set you free

If you or someone you love is fighting a secret battle with pornography addiction, this conversation is a powerful reminder that you are not alone and real healing is possible.


📲 CONNECT & RESOURCES:
• Covenant Eyes (Accountability & Victory Shield App): https://www.covenanteyes.com
• Pure Desire Ministries: https://puredesire.org


💬 LIKED THIS EPISODE?
Leave a comment below, hit Like, and share this video to help reach someone who needs to hear this message today.

#PornAddiction #LivingOnIncline #HeidiCooper #CovenantEyes #AddictionRecovery #TraumaHealing #MentalHealth #FaithAndRecovery #BrainScience

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Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

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Andrew Warrick knows what it means to ask “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Not as a theological exercise—but because he has lived it.

In this episode of Living on Incline, Andrew sits down with John Eklund to tell the story of the wounds that shaped his life, the moment he hit rock bottom, his journey into recovery, surrendering his life to Christ, and ultimately facing a loss he never could have prepared for: the death of his wife.

After doctors discovered that his wife had suffered permanent brain damage and was not expected to recover, Andrew was forced into one of the most painful conversations imaginable—asking his wife whether she wanted to enter hospice. She later passed away on July 22, 2024.

But Andrew’s story didn’t begin there.

At 17 years old, he came home to discover his mother had moved out while his father was away. The moving truck was literally pulling away as Andrew arrived. That experience of rejection and abandonment would follow him into adulthood, relationships, marriage, and his understanding of himself.

Years later, Andrew reached a point where he says:

“I didn't want to go. I didn't want to live. I didn't want anything. I was just, I was at rock bottom.”

That darkness eventually brought him into recovery—and face-to-face with the God he had resisted surrendering to for most of his life.

But surrender didn't magically make everything better.

As Andrew says in this conversation:

“This isn't a movie. It's real life.”

This is a conversation about grief, marriage, childhood wounds, generational patterns, recovery, fatherhood, death, unanswered prayers, surrender, and what it actually means to trust God when life doesn't turn out the way you prayed it would.

Andrew’s story doesn't offer an easy answer to suffering. It offers something different:

Hope in the middle of it.

If you've ever been angry with God, wondered why He allowed something to happen, lost someone you love, or struggled to understand what purpose could possibly come from your pain—this conversation is for you.

Subscribe to Living on Incline for more honest conversations about recovery, faith, mental health, suffering, purpose, and what we're capable of when we stop running from the things that need healing.

Presented by Recovery Alive.

#LivingOnIncline #RecoveryAlive #Grief #Faith #Recovery #ChristianPodcast #MentalHealth #Loss #Healing #Jesus #Testimony

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

Send us Fan Mail

Hear a decorated Army pilot share his profound near-death experience and the lessons learned from a lifetime of service.

Hal Harless joins us to discuss his journey as an Army pilot and his career in law enforcement. Beyond his professional achievements, he reflects on a moment where he faced a near-death experience, describing a sense of silence and peace that has stayed with him ever since.

We also look back at the geopolitical climate of 1986, touching on his time serving in East and West Germany and his high-stakes Somalia missions. This conversation offers a unique look at how military service shaped his perspective on life, duty, and the quiet moments that define us.

Hal Harless Books:
BEHIND THE WIRE: The Untold Battle of Mogadishu: https://a.co/d/00PneFw9
The Medevac Pilot: A Lifetime of Service So Others May Live: https://a.co/d/0bqlL4NP
A Soldier's Story: https://a.co/d/05DBvKIO
From Shadows to Sky: The Rise of an Airborne Soldier: https://a.co/d/07Uvsy26


Subscribe for weekly stories of resilience, and let us know what part of this journey resonated with you most in the comments.

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Listen and Follow Living on Incline

Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

Send us Fan Mail

At 99 years old, Mr. Byrd reflects on nearly a century of faith, service, and quiet generosity. From driving a school bus at 16 to serving in WWII-era Germany, building successful businesses, and serving on the Board of Trustees at Campbell University for over 40 years, his life has been defined by a deep commitment to lifting others up.  In this special interview, John Eklund from Recovery Alive sits down with Mr. Byrd to discuss his inspiring life journey and his instrumental support in opening Journey’s Door—a home providing hope, healing, and shelter for women in recovery. 

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Listen and Follow Living on Incline

Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

Send us Fan Mail

"The first pill lit my brain on fire."

Long before she became a central figure in Vice President JD Vance's bestselling memoir and Netflix film Hillbilly Elegy, Beverly Vance Aikins was a registered nurse trapped in a 15-year battle with prescription opioid addiction, heroin, and devastating rock bottoms.

In this unvarnished long-form interview, Beverly Vance confronts her darkest chapters—from stealing painkillers as a hospital healthcare worker to the harrowing night she prayed not to wake up—and reveals the turning point that ultimately saved her life.

Now 11 years sober, Beverly reflects on overcoming substance abuse, repairing broken family relationships with her children—including her son JD Vance—earning her college degree at age 65, and devoting her career to addiction recovery counseling and mental health advocacy.

Watch as Beverly Vance shares her complete, untold journey of opiate addiction recovery, family reconciliation, hope, and lasting faith.


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Listen and Follow Living on Incline

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

#BeverlyVance
#AddictionRecovery
#HillbillyElegy
#Sobriety
#OpioidCrisis
#OvercomingAddiction

Send us Fan Mail

The camera turns off. The real story begins.

Get a first look at our upcoming episode of Living on Incline featuring CBS 17 News Anchor & Journalist Greg Funderburg.

For 20 years, viewers have watched Greg report on top national news and interview U.S. presidents—but behind the scenes, he was carrying the invisible weight of newsroom trauma, severe burnout, and personal depression.

In this powerful, unfiltered interview with host John Eklund, Greg opens up about the toll of covering tragedy every day, processing grief away from the anchor desk, and how stepping out in faith led him to launch his own podcast, Rated G.


Follow Greg:
https://www.cbs17.com/author/greg-funderburg/
https://www.gregfunderburg.com/
https://www.facebook.com/p/Greg-Funderburg-100044388070959/
https://www.instagram.com/gfunderburgtv/?hl=en
https://www.tiktok.com/@UCNvnkvgW0-FEl5ulgx_rNQg 
https://www.youtube.com/user/gfunderburg84
linkedin.com/in/greg-funderburg-973878102
https://x.com/gfunderburgTV
https://www.cbs17.com/rated-g-with-greg-funderburg/



Listen and Follow Living on Incline

Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

Listen and Follow Living on Incline

Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

Send us Fan Mail

How do you rebuild a broken life after decades of prison, addiction, and lost time? In this deeply moving episode of Living on Incline, Anthony McGee (21 years incarcerated), Ryan Ellis (30+ year struggle with addiction), Amy Lewis, and Morgan Barfield share their raw, unfiltered stories of overcoming trauma, finding faith, and stepping into true freedom through peer-governed recovery homes.

From the terrifying reality of re-entering society to the daily work of repairing relationships with their children, these four individuals reveal what actual, long-term restoration looks like beyond the initial detox.

If you or a loved one are navigating addiction, sober living, or life after incarceration, this episode is a powerful reminder that no one is ever too far gone to find hope, community, and purpose.

TIMESTAMPS:

00:00 - Introduction & The Reality of Recovery Homes

02:15 - Anthony McGee: Transitioning Out After 21 Years Incarcerated

08:40 - Ryan Ellis: Overcoming 30+ Years of Addiction & Cutting Toxic Roots

15:30 - Amy Lewis: From Prison & Deep Loss to Helping Others

22:10 - Morgan Barfield: The Humility of Returning to Sober Living

28:45 - Peer Accountability vs. Traditional Rehab Facilities

35:20 - Rebuilding Trust & Relationships with Family

42:10 - Daily Surrender: The 12 Steps as a Lifestyle

48:30 - Final Words of Hope & Encouragement

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION:

What part of today’s episode resonated with you the most? Drop your thoughts or prayer requests in the comments below!

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• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603

• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ

• RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss

• Website: https://www.livingonincline.com 

SPONSORED BY RECOVERY ALIVE:

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

• Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

NEED HELP OR SUPPORT?

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, substance abuse, or mental health, help is available 24/7:

• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357 (Free, confidential, 24/7)

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988

#LivingOnIncline #AddictionRecovery #LifeAfterPrison #SoberLiving #FaithAndRecovery #TransformationStories #OvercomingAddiction #Testimony #MentalHealthAwareness

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of *Living on Incline*, host John Eklund sits down with award-winning investigative journalist and author **Sam Quinones** (*Dreamland*, *The Least of Us*, *The Perfect Tuba*) for an unfiltered look into America’s addiction crisis.

Sam spent decades covering over 200 murders as a crime reporter, tracking Mexican heroin cartels, and documenting the deadly rise of OxyContin, fentanyl, and synthetic methamphetamine.

GUEST RESOURCES

Sam Quinones 
https://samquinones.com/


Listen and Follow Living on Incline

Listen on your favorite platform:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/78HwNrRWZHGAHL8Zv90nO0?si=e4b5d032e9214deb
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

Send us Fan Mail

What happens to the people who are too broken for a standard homeless shelter?

In this high-stakes interview, recovery expert Chris Budnick pulls back the curtain on a brutal systemic paradox: standard institutional shelters automatically disqualify the exact individuals trapped under the influence, forcing a volatile cycle between first responders and emergency rooms. From his raw personal battle with "baseline pain" as a teenager to managing one of the most successful peer-led recovery ecosystems in North Carolina, Chris exposes why society's approach to addiction fails—and reveals the radical blueprint required to help people truly flourish.

🔔 Subscribe for more high-end, cinematic interviews on exploring our full potential and overcoming the odds.

CHANNELS MENTIONED:
Learn more about Healing Transitions: [https://healingtransitions.org/](https://www.google.com/search?q=https://healingtransitions.org/)
Support Recovery Alive: [https://recoveryalive.com/](https://recoveryalive.com/)

TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - I Did Not Want to Live
1:06 - Automatically Disqualified From the Shelter
2:45 - Who Is More Deserving of a Bed?
3:55 - The Origin of Healing Transitions
4:49 - Scared Straight Confrontational Models
6:33 - The Fear of Being Left With the Pain
7:47 - The Relapse of a Role Model
8:56 - Finding My Recovery Ancestor in a Kitchen
10:57 - From Inpatient Case Management to Executive Director
12:53 - Reevaluating Without Severing the Relationship
14:12 - Breaking the Barrier of Learned Helplessness
16:03 - Reconciling and Sticking With the Lifelong Journey
17:50 - The Evolution of the Always Tagline
19:11 - What Do People Need to Flourish?
21:15 - Building Apartments for Women and Children
22:25 - Facing Crowding and Overdose Surges During COVID
23:48 - Developing Alumni Into Tomorrow's Leaders
25:58 - The Challenge of Cleaning Up Cities Through Trespassing
27:11 - Burnout, Vicarious Trauma, and Staff Sustainability
29:04 - How to Tour and Support the Mission

#HomelessnessSolutions #AddictionRecovery #SystemicFailure #MentalHealthMatters #LivingOnIncline


Listen and Follow Living on Incline

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/living-on-incline/id1828304603
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZdyfS2K4OE4WFJRWSuAgsQ
RSS Feed: https://feeds.buzzsprout.com/2521959.rss
Website: https://www.livingonincline.com



Sponsored by Recovery Alive

Living on Incline is proudly sponsored by Recovery Alive, a Christ-centered recovery program helping people find hope, healing, and purpose through authentic community and biblical transformation.

Learn more: https://www.recoveryalive.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recoveryaliveinc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/recoveryaliveinc
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recoveryalive

Send us Fan Mail