“We Is Stronger Than Me” with Ryan Canaday & Karie McMullenPondoff’s Anonymous

Ryan Canaday and Karie McMullen from FREE Recovery Community in Denver join us for a raw, thoughtful conversation about addiction, faith, grief, and the power of community.

This episode explores what happens when recovery shifts from isolation to connection. We talk about shame, anger at God, burnout in ministry spaces, losing people to addiction, and the kind of spiritual community that makes room for doubt instead of punishing it.

At the center of this episode is one simple but powerful idea: “we” is stronger than “me.”

About FREE Recovery Community

FREE Recovery Community (Denver, CO)
https://www.freerecoverycommunity.com

A spiritually grounded recovery community focused on connection, belonging, and breaking shame through honest conversation.

Time Stamps

• 00:00 – Introduction to the journey
• 03:12 – Transformative moments in recovery
• 08:55 – Faith, community, and what actually helps people heal
• 12:54 – Doubt, anger at God, and staying spiritually honest
• 17:47 – Addiction and family systems
• 22:48 – Desperation, surrender, and what finally shifts
• 30:32 – “We” is stronger than “me”
• 35:03 – The illusion of anonymity and the power of shame
• 59:53 – How FREE Recovery Community started
• 01:05:56 – Grief, funerals, and the urgency of the work
• 01:30:31 – Representation and belonging in spiritual spaces
• 02:00:56 – Baptism and redemption

Connect with Pondoff’s Anonymous

https://www.pondoffsanonymous.com

Sponsors

McKelvey Insurance Group
https://www.mckelveyins.com

LightSource Psychotherapy (Belleville, IL)
https://www.findyourlightsource.com