In this podcast, Jessica Strong tells her story of growing up in Liberty, Missouri without a father. Despite her strong academic talents, drugs and alcohol became a part of her life at a very young age. At the age of twenty, she signed up for the Air Force and learned Arabic. She became a translator for Air Force assignments in the Iraq war. After entering the military, she never thought of her dad until seventeen years later her sister was in a church service in Saint Louis, Missouri and started texting Jessica about a preacher she was hearing. It was Jessica’s dad whom she had never met. At the age of thirty-nine, Jessica meets her dad for the first time—The Reverend Jimmie Bratcher. Don’t miss this redemptive story about the heart of a father.

Matt Pryor is the lead singer/songwriter for The Get Up Kids. The band was formed in 1995 and toured with Green Day and Weezer. They gained a loyal following and headlined tours in America, Japan, Europe, and South American. Matt also founded The New Amsterdams and has put out several solo albums. One of my favorites is “Momento Mori” which is a stripped down, folk-rock album. He has also done two children’s albums. In this podcast, we talk about his career as a singer/songwriter and the importance of mental health as a spiritual journey. The episode closes with his song “Shangri-La.”

Jimmie Bratcher is a blues singer/songwriter. He has also served as a pastor so he is often referred to as the Rev. Jimmie Bratcher. He has released several blues albums and a cookbook that goes along with his newest album, “I’m Hungry.” But my favorite part of this interview is the story of his daughter, Jessica Strong, whom he met for the first time just a few years ago. This is the first time I needed a box of Kleenex for tears in a podcast interview. Jimmie shares the highlights of this amazing story which you can read in the book, The Little Girl Wins. Don’t miss this one!

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Jordan Taylor Thompson (J. Taylor) is a singer/songwriter based in Kansas City who describes himself as a “seeker of truth.” After growing up in a large family who traveled throughout America singing gospel music in fundamental Bible churches, Jordan began his own spiritual journey of discovery. His lyrics reflect a deep desire to explore the spiritual aspects of life. He has co-written and recorded songs with his brother, Jake Wells, like “Born Again,” “Water,” and “Circle of Life.” In 2019, he released an EP entitled “Boy” with one of my personal favorites—“Indigo Sea.” He continues to write music, and he performs one of his new songs on this podcast. I thoroughly enjoy Jordan’s music and frequently have his songs on repeat.

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This week, Dad and I talk about fishing in Oklahoma and staying at Reds.

Jake Wells is a Kansas City based singer/songwriter who grew up in a large family that traveled around America performing gospel music. After Jake went through a season of finding his own voice, he released a DIY single entitled “Roll Like Thunder” in 2016. This single went viral with downloads and led to him receiving an invitation to audition on NBC’s television show “The Voice” (Season 15). Jake and I talked about his faith and songwriting journey. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Jake and look forward to doing some events together. His sound has been described as “Funkadelic Bluesy-eyed Soul Rock.” I think you’ll love it.

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This week, Dad and I talk about my first memory of fishing.

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