A casual holiday opener quickly gives way to one of the most arresting testimonies we’ve hosted: Mike’s path from a fractured childhood and counterfeit models of manhood to the discipline of the military, the shock of Iraq, and a visceral encounter with Christ that ended fence-sitting for good. He takes us through Al Kut under siege, the gnawing fear of not coming home, and the moment a sculptor’s hammer at a men’s retreat made Jesus’ suffering feel present, undeniable, and deeply personal.

We talk about what happens when you inherit no blueprint for marriage or fatherhood and try to fake it with cultural scripts. Mike shares how structure, mentorship, and the humility to start over helped rebuild trust with his family during a rocky reentry marked by paranoia and anger. He describes seeing Ur’s ziggurat from base, standing near Babylon, and teaching Genesis with the conviction that Scripture reads like eyewitness history, not bedtime tales. That shift—from “stories” to “accounts”—changed how he leads, loves, and serves.

This conversation is both a challenge and a comfort to men who feel stuck between belief and obedience. Mike’s invitation is clear: your influence is larger than you think, your gifts are needed now, and eternity is the real horizon for your decisions at home, at work, and in your church. If you’ve been waiting for a sign to step up, confess, mentor, or simply show up with consistency and courage, consider this your nudge. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help more people find stories that spark real change.

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