What We Really Want: Conversations About Connection

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If you've been to many social gatherings, you probably know it isn't too hard to find the runners. We LOVE to talk about running...ALL about running. (And yes, we know it can be insufferable sometimes.) 😜

But if you're a non-runner, before you choose to skip this episode, let me really encourage you to give it a listen. Our friends Cary and Micah Morgan are not only pillars of the Birmingham AL and ultra-running communities, they're also people who love connecting with other people.

Our conversation gets into running, yes, but also kindness, curiosity, friendship, grief & loss, and the depth of closeness available to us when we look for it. 

Episode 71 | Cary & Micah Morgan: Running Has a Way of Really Bringing People Together will be available Tuesday, July 21st!

#carymorgan #micahmorgan #caryandmicahmorgan #beatsandfeetswithmicah #runhardandcaryon #running #cadenceruncoaching #marathon #ultramarathon #badwater135 #connection #community #vulnerability #grace #gospel #transformation #healing 

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Why do people often feel more "churched" and cared for in recovery meetings than they do in their actual churches? What is present at those meetings, and/or missing from those churches? And what can we do about it?

Zac Hicks thinks these are important questions to consider. Zac is the lead pastor of Church of the Cross, a church plant in Birmingham AL. Over the past 20+ years, his extensive ministry experience has also included worship leading, songwriting, seminary teaching, and authoring books.

Zac is a contemplative thinker and it was really fulfilling to have a deep dive conversation that delved into multiple topics, including pastoral vulnerability, empathy, how we scrutinize song lyrics in worship, Family Systems theory, you name it and we talked about it. 

Whether you're a pastor/ministry leader, someone in recovery, or just anyone interested in being a safe person for others, there's a lot of helpful stuff here. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

#zachicks #zachicksmusic #churchofthecross #pastor #empathy #traumainformed #pain #suffering #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation #healing

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Why do people in recovery say so often that their recovery community feels more like church than their ACTUAL church? Is this an observation pastors ought to listen to?

Zac Hicks thinks so. Zac is the pastor of Church of the Cross, a young church plant in Birmingham AL. He understands how people's difficult and traumatic experiences (that often took place in their churches) impact how they show up... even how they hear the preached Word.

It's a somewhat rare blessing to talk with a truly trauma-informed pastor, and this conversation was like that. 

Episode 70 | Zac Hicks: Why Does Recovery Feel More Like Church Than Church Does? will be available Tuesday, July 7th!

#zachicks #zachicksmusic #churchofthecross #pastor #empathy #traumainformed #pain #suffering #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation #healing 

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Conversations that don't feel rushed can feel pretty rare, but they're special when they happen. That's what it was like talking to our new friend, singer/songwriter Jason Gray. 

Jason has been around Christian music for a long time, writing and releasing music that connects deeply with the heart. He's a man who has been through a lot of pain in his life, including parental abandonment, divorce, a speech handicap, and an adult child with a life-threatening illness.

Throughout all that, Jason has channeled his pain, his anger, his curiosity, and his hope into his music (you'll hear clips of several songs as you listen). This is, for sure, a conversation worth staying for...all the way to the end.

Song clips in this episode:
(2:44) Death Without a Funeral
(11:52) Remind Me Who I Am
(13:26) Why You Brought Me Here
(29:07) Worth Staying For
(43:23) Honesty

#jasongray #jasongraymusic #singer #songwriter #singersongwriter #pain #suffering #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation #healing

Jason's website
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Greg was introduced to Jason Gray's music pretty early in recovery. The music video for his song "Remind Me Who I Am" gave a beautiful reminder that there's a difference between broken behavior and spiritual identity. 

Jason is a thoughtful man who has been through a lot of pain. He often has channeled that pain into deeply meaningful songs that make listeners feel seen, heard, and understood.

The conversation ran the gamut... songwriting, friendship, abandonment, stuttering, divorce, a kid with leukemia, our shadow self... You name it, it was talked about. 

Episode 69 | Jason Gray: A Conversation Worth Staying For will be available Tuesday, June 23rd!

#jasongray #jasongraymusic #remindmewhoiam #singer #songwriter #singersongwriter #pain #suffering #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation #healing 

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One of the greatest gifts that can be given a person in recovery is presence. Company. Someone to walk with you. Someone to make sure you aren't doing recovery alone.

For 25 years, Troy and Melissa Haas have been walking with men and women impacted by addiction and betrayal trauma. Out of their own experience - with Troy's multiple addictions and incarceration and Melissa's discovery of Troy's infidelity & sexual addiction - came a process of healing, recovery, and wholeness. 

Their experience hasn't been wasted. In 2001 they founded The HopeQuest Group, an organization offering help and resources for addiction treatment. Based out of the Atlanta GA area, they offer inpatient treatment, intense outpatient treatment, individual and couples' counseling, and recovery communities for men in sexual addiction recovery (Walking Free) and women healing from betrayal trauma (The Journey).

#troyhaas #melissahaas #troyandmelissahaas #hopequestgroup #walkingfree #thejourney #recovery #healing #treatment #sexaddiction #sexualaddiction #pornaddiction #betrayaltrauma #grace #gospel #healing #awaken #awakenrecovery

HopeQuest Group website

Walking Free men's sex addiction recovery community

The Journey women's betrayal trauma support community

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Anyone who doubts that their story of brokenness can be transformed into one that brings life, hope, and healing to others... needs to listen to this conversation!

Troy & Melissa Haas have walked the road of recovery themselves. Troy has experienced multiple addictions and imprisonment, and Melissa has gone through the agony of partner betrayal trauma. Together they embraced their own recovery journey, and since 2001 have offered help and resources to thousands.

As founders of The HopeQuest Group and based out of Atlanta GA, Troy and Melissa, along with their team, offer inpatient and outpatient addiction treatment for men, as well as sexual recovery support communities for men and women. They also have a burden and passion for providing resources for church leaders.

Episode 68 | Troy & Melissa Haas: We Just Want to Walk With People will be available Tuesday, June 9th!

#troyhaas #melissahaas #troyandmelissahaas #hopequestgroup #walkingfree #thejourney #addictiontreatment #addictionrecovery #pornography #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation

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Parents raising kids today face challenges different from any other generation before. Technology is expanding and changing more rapidly than ever, and dangerous and harmful content hunts for young eyes. 

Kristen Jenson has a mission: to help equip parents to prepare their kids. When kids know what is out there, how it is harmful, and what to do when they're exposed, they'll be safer, healthier, and more resilient. No one can fully prevent their kids from seeing porn or other harmful content, but they can make sure their kids know what to do when they see it.

Kristen is the author of the book series Good Pictures, Bad Pictures, which just released a Girl's Guide edition. She is also the founder of Defend Young Minds, an organization providing training and resources to help parents and caregivers more effectively teach and prepare their kids.

#kristenjenson #goodpicturesbadpictures #defendyoungminds #parents #parenting #pornography #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation

Kristen's Good Pictures, Bad Pictures books (Amazon)

Defend Young Minds website

"My Kid Saw Porn...Now What?" SMART Plan guide

Books (Defend Young Minds website)
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Pretty much all parents want to protect their kids from being exposed to porn. The sad reality is that parents can't always stop that exposure from happening. What if a better goal was to set our kids up with ways to identify what's going on, and a clear plan for what to do when that exposure happens?

Kristen Jenson has been working for years to develop resources that help parents prepare their kids. The books in the Good Pictures, Bad Pictures series have sold over 350,000 copies and - along with many free resources at Defend Young Minds - helped parents set their kids up for success in avoiding the dangers of porn.

Episode 67 | Kristen Jenson: The Ability to Make a Good Choice will be available Tuesday, May 26th!

#kristenjenson #goodpicturesbadpictures #defendyoungminds #parents #parenting #pornography #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation

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There's a song lyric that reminds us of something important:

"If beauty’s what you’re after, just look close to see...
Knowing small things matter is really no small thing."

That's from one of our friend Andy Gullahorn's songs. What a treat to have Andy back for another conversation. Talking with someone who's been a friend for a long time means you don't have to have much planned...the conversation will happen naturally. And this one defintely did.

From friendship rituals to turning 50 to signing up for the Senior Olympics, Andy looks for meaning in everything. And the people who are around can sense there's something special about finding connection everywhere. Which, not coincidentally, actually gives us What We Really Want. That's not just the title of this show, it's also the title of one of Andy's newest songs, which he performs for us during the conversation!

Here's to you finding beauty and meaning, whether in bowling leagues, bonfires, badminton, or anything else around you. Thanks for the reminder, Andy.

#andygullahorn #winningstreak #highfive #songwriting #connection #relationships #spirituality #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation

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