With Gratitude, Matt

Author Barbara Legere lost her 29 year old son Kevin to suicide in 2020. Kevin had been fighting a drug addition and his mental health for 13 years and Barbara did everything she knew how to do to help him recover and just love him. His life and the lessons Barbara learned from it inspired her to write a book called, Kevin's Choice, A Mother's Journey Through her Son's Mental Illness, Addiction and Suicide. Her hope is that the book will help other parents and teens who are suffering, shine a light on the warning signs (for those who think everything is fine), and prevent further loss. In 2021, there were over 100,000 lives that were taken from us who were just like Kevin. Her book and this interview are filled with tips and guidance for parents that might be dealing with similar issues. You can also learn more at www.barbaralegere.com/ and read about her latest book Talk to Me I'm Grieving: Supportive Ways to Help Someone Through Grief.  Barbara would have done anything to save her son and his choice will never be easy to accept. But she often feels his presence, love and encouragement and that fuels Barbara to keep sharing, writing and speaking about ways she can help. She also lost another dear soul in her life named Anthony to a drug overdose and he also is part of her drive to be a source of strength and wisdom for anyone who will listen. Tune in for her candid interview with Matt. You listen to the audio version or view the interview on youtube. 

Most any high school basketball player in the 1970s dreamed of the opportunity to play for Coach John Wooden, one of the most respected and successful coaches of all time. Andy Hill earned that chance on a UCLA team that won 3 straight National Championships from 1970-72 (part of a string of 7) along with such legends as Bill Walton, Henry Bibby and Jamaal Wilkes. The only issue for Andy was that he spent much of those 3 years as a reserve on the bench. After graduating, Andy carried some unresolved feelings about his time on the team. 25 years passed before Andy decided to call Coach Wooden and connect over the phone. During that time prior to his phone call, Andy’s career was skyrocketing, with such roles as the President of CBS Productions and Channel One News. But there is nothing quite like the bond with a former coach. Immediately, the unresolved for Andy was resolved and a new friendship was established. As they spent more time together, Coach Wooden’s influence became more evident (past and present). They went on to write a book together, Be Quick—But Don't Hurry: Finding Success in the Teachings of a Lifetime.  Tune into this follow-up conversation from February 2021 to learn more about Andy’s journey, his friendships, and his life lessons from basketball and TV. You can listen here or view the interview here.

Bret Betz MD is a physician at the University of Cincinnati Health specializing in orthopaedics, sports medicine, and emergency medicine. It was his interest in sports medicine that led him to become the team physician for the Cincinnati Bengals. He was on the field January 2 when Damar Hamlin went down and laid unconsciousness on the field as 23 million fans watched across the country. It was a moment he and his team were prepared for due to their game day routines, discipline, years of training, and life experiences. At the age of 10, Bret tragically lost his father in a plane crash and always desired to not only make his father proud, but to do something positive with that pain. He was drawn to emergency medicine where he is board certified with a Certificate of Added Qualifications (CAQ) in sports medicine. As a result of the care given to Damar, Bret and the medical team who worked together on January 2 were honored at the Super Bowl. Damar was present and gave a heartfelt speech. Listen in to learn more about Bret’s career, his family, and how gratitude plays a role in his life. You can tune in here or watch here. 

The work to become a priest is not easy but it is full of joy as you will see with this conversation with Brother Andrew. Brother Andrew Torrey is in his last year of 14 years of formation with the Legionaries of Christ in Rome. In the spring of 2024, he will be ordained and assigned to a parish somewhere else in the world.  For many of us, 14 years of religious study and the anxiety of an unknown future living location might seem overwhelming. But Brother Andrew is putting his trust in God and knows that his purpose, his calling and the real work to become a priest is about helping others get to Heaven (his eternal impact). Brother Andrew is a terrific representation of the future of the Catholic Church and proof of how Church leaders are changing. Brother Andrew comfortably and wisely addresses many of the questions, the obstacles and the misconceptions that some see hindering the growth of the church such as the priest scandals and shortages. Brother advises that God is love and addressing weakness is a strength of Jesus! Brother Andrew also talks more about how we can all grow through our faith and our challenges on his podcast, Pause and Play (also on Facebook). In addition, you can catch him on an episode of Many Hail Marys, where he prays the Rosary and then shares more about his personal faith journey in the second half of the show. You can listen to Matt’s interview here or you view the interview online.

Newly published author Hannah Schermerhorn was two months away from her wedding day in 2014 when she ended the engagement. She was embarrassed, felt shame and was let down because she wanted all the richness and joy that comes from married life. Learning to embrace being single was a transition that was aided heavily by her faith and her strong upbringing. Her experience inspired her to write her first book for any others facing similar challenges. Hannah discovered countless lessons and tools that she wished she had known before her journey began and lays them out beautifully in “A Single Life to Live: Stop Waiting for Your Life to Begin and Thrive Where God has You Today.” The book is available on Amazon or you can also go to her website for more info. Her ability to hand over the struggle to God and her work to find peace and purpose paid off as Hannah married Josh in November 2022. Listen or watch here to hear more details about Hannah’s story and her new book.  

Chris Gathers is a brain cancer warrior and after the successful removal of his tumor, decided to do something to shake up his daily routine.  Inspired by a best friend, he started an Instagram page @culminationpoint in which he posts regular messages about surviving brain cancer, trauma and lessons learned about healing and growth. As the title of his page suggests, it came down to a choice of either status quo or shedding the past and recreating. As a Regional Vice President for Nationwide Insurance (focusing on Life), Chris understands the value of planning and is doing all he can as a husband and father of two girls to make every day count. His messages come from his experiences, his heart, and are a result of fighting through crisis and adversity. Prior to cancer, Chris grew up around divorce, depression, mental health issues and anxiety that took many years to accept, unravel and pull out the needed guideposts. The lessons he shares are universal in their application and will remind any listener of how we can connect through our challenges. Enjoy this candid conversation with Matt here or view it on YouTube. 

After releasing 56 shows over two and one-half years, the With Gratitude Matt show honors former guests by asking them to check in with their latest gratitude list and honors listeners by asking them to share highlights from past shows. With each episode, the intent is always to pass along life lessons, share stories that people can connect with, and talk about the power of gratitude, faith, and community in overcoming challenges. With this episode, we reflect on the show’s journey so far and take inventory of what we have right now to help all of us to prepare and succeed in 2023. Blessings to all our current and future listeners. You may enjoy this episode best by viewing on YouTube - https://youtu.be/FlZuE05XizM

Kathy and her husband Dave Leurck are the proud parents of 3 children, Andrew, Audrey, and Alexandra. As parents, we of course all hope that our children are born and develop perfectly. But sometimes God has other plans and our dreams change. In Drew’s early years, it was discovered he had special needs and his family did everything they could to understand his condition and “fix it”. However, as time passed and his growth and abilities were better understood, the family came to accept who Drew is and how God made him. This led to his family celebrating everything Drew was teaching them, from how to love more, to having more compassion and patience, and to just appreciating the small and simple things in life. At the age of 7, Drew began drawing rainbows everyday for him mom (he has now drawn over 8000!). This gave Kathy the idea to make a small card that included a picture of one of the rainbows, a snapshot of Drew, and a message that “you’re special.” Since printing the original batch, Drew has handed out over 18,000 cards and made so many others smile. The experiences that came from handing out the cards inspired Kathy to write a book, titled, You're Special: Daily Reflections from God's Children with Exceptionalities, released on December 11, 2022. It is a daily devotional that features Drew and many others with exceptionalities. You can also see some of Drew’s artwork via their foundation, Drew’s Rainbows, where they are helping other artists make a living as thriving artists. Enjoy this uplifting conversation with Matt and Kathy as she shares more about their journey and her realization that we all are quite perfect just as we are. The book is available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble where you will have the opportunity to embrace 365 days of reflections and embrace Drew's purposeful words: "You're Special." You can also view the video of this interview here -  https://youtu.be/gdVcdvGINso

Jonathon Sams is no stranger to fighting adversity in his life. When he was 14 he was diagnosed with cancer the first time, then again when he was 39, and for a third time in the spring of 2022. He is a loving husband and father of 4 who sees overcoming cancer as one of his many roles in life. Now, after 3 battles with the disease, he is in a position where he can help others with fear when facing cancer treatment or any big life obstacle. His positive outlook is infectious and also just a choice he makes every day to make that day, awesome. During his last treatment in May 2022 at the University of Cincinnati Medical center, Jonathon got the idea while walking the hospital hallways to go a mile. The distance kept increasing until he decided to take on a marathon distance. With an IV still attached and friends supporting him all over the country, Jonathon walked that marathon (check out the local news footage here). He says it was a “a marathon of purpose” and a tribute to the staff at UC Medical and elsewhere who walk marathons every day, making every day worthwhile. Listen to the podcast to learn more about Jonathon’s journey, his beautiful approach to every day and how he and his family are prepared for that next life challenge that comes their way. You can also view the interview on Youtube -  https://youtu.be/IJqqGta9xys.

Chris Norton’s story and the person he is today truly define inspiration. You can find details of his journey from many sources including NBC NEWS, People Magazine, or the film made about his achievements titled, “7 Yards” (on Netflix). In 2010, Chris suffered a debilitating spinal cord injury while playing football for Luther College his freshman year. Paralyzed from the neck down, he was given just a three percent chance of recovery. Not one to back down from a challenge, Chris chose to fight and slowly regained feeling in his limbs and then made walking again his new goal. Just 5 years later, after many years off therapy and efforts to regain his strength, he walked across the stage to accept his college diploma with the help of his fiancé Emily. He followed this walk with a 7 yard walk down the aisle to wed Emily in 2018. Since then, 8 kids have been added to their family and Chris is now a motivational speaker, traveling the world helping others deal with adversity. Listen in as Matt and Chris talk more about his story, the work his does now, his faith, and the foundation started in his name. If you’d like to learn more about Chris, the foundation or the true definition of inspiration, please visit their website - https://chrisnorton.org
You can view the video version of this episode here.