The Connected Life

This week we’re having an unscheduled interruption. Since the world is already topsy-turvy why not? Not to fret though, next week you’ll get part two of our two-part episode, Shattering the Secrets that Shame Us. Hope is one of the most valuable commodities necessary to find life in the midst of watching everything crumble to pieces. We are at a moment in history where we need a fresh reminder of how things can come together after falling apart. In this episode Justin and Abi sit down with special guest Dallas Jenkins. Dallas shares how, after having lofty dreams that needed  a miracle to make them happen, he watched the miracle unfold before his very eyes, only to watch it all shatter in the end. Dallas dives into his inspiring story of filmmaking and the breaking process he went through before the fiery storm of success that has seemingly come out of nowhere with the launch of his latest creative endeavor, The Chosen tv series. At a time in history when the world is in desperate need of hope both Dallas’ story and The Chosen are just what the doctor ordered! After getting inspired by the episode don’t forget to go download The Chosen app on your smart device and check out for yourself what 100’s of thousands of people are all raving about!

Secrets have a way of trapping us in pain. However, often times we believe that it’s more painful to share our experiences, than having to to get real and honest about them. Unfortunately, this only leads to a life of isolation, separated from love. In part two of this two-part episode, Justin’s friend, Jeremy, shares the final pieces of his lowest point before finding life altering freedom through confession. He opens up about the fears he had to face, and the many ways he’s found healing from a past that should have permanently broke him. Jeremy’s story goes to show that no one is too far gone that love and compassion can’t restore. Justin and Jeremy wrap the conversation up with a wild twist over 40 years in the making that you’ll never see coming! Get ready to see how every part of life can be the spring board for your healing and success!

We all have our secrets. Behind those secrets, no matter how big or small, lurks the voice of shaming accusation. The singular goal of this voice is to suffocate our humanity until the essence of a life fully lived is no more. Surviving a childhood of normalized abuse is often just that, survival. In this riveting two part episode, Justin sits down and chats with his friend, Jeremy, to talk about the secrets that kept Jeremy from thriving and nearly took his life. He opens up about a childhood riddled with shame inducing secrets that were the driving force behind addiction and many other destructive decisions. If you’ve needed bravery to face the secrets haunting you from the past, this episode, filled with radical bravery, packs a punch of the necessary strength and courage you might be looking for! Oh, and you won’t want to miss part two when Justin and Jeremy reveal a wild mystery behind their friendship, tying together a story over 40 years in the making!

For many of us, the world has gone topsy turvy. Fear and panic rule the news and social media. Uncertainty about jobs and future plans are all up in the air. Kids are out of school and ruining our routines. Toilet paper shortages are leaving many of us having to shower multiple times a day! Yeah it’s a wild time and we’re living through a historic moment. But fear not! Abi and Justin are on the scene with pepperings of humor and strategies on how to connect and come alive in circumstances that are leaving many people feeling wildly out of control. If you want keys to thriving through Pandemic 2020, you’re going to need more than social distancing and we’ve got what you need. Join us as we share powerful and hopeful thoughts on today’s fear crisis. This is a timely message you won’t want to miss!

All of us go through seasons of life where we feel like we got knocked down, and some times knocked out. Many times we can feel as though we lost our fight along the way. But what if we can get that fight back? In this final episode of this four part series Abi and Justin talk about their struggles with faith through their suffering, how they reconciled a good God in a broken world, and how they found their fight to move through the darkness to the other side where life fully exists. Get ready for a powerful ending to an already amazing series! And don't forget to check out www.stumvollconsulting.com/courses/thecompassionproject to get your hands on The Compassion Project! 

Suffering and sadness are an unavoidable part of the human experience. The gift of suffering is that it illuminates humanity in a unique and special way. Although no one can truly understand the full suffering of another, or the impact of that suffering, they can accept our journey, stand with us, and learn to hold space for our process. In part three of this series we dive into Justin’s perspective and how he learned to stay healthy while loving someone in a rough spot. He shares how he knew Abi would be sick when he met her, yet chose to marry her knowing that it would affect his life. He talks about his own season of physical pain and sickness and how that paved the way for a greater measure of empathy and sacrificial love for Abi. Along with all of that, Justin and Abi discuss how to extract the gifts from within suffering, why we need more than one supportive source, how to take care of our own heart when someone we love is suffering, and letting go of over-responsibility. Get ready to break co-dependency and have your view of suffering radically changed! And don't forget to check out www.stumvollconsulting.com/courses/thecompassionproject to get your hands on The Compassion Project!

We have two options when we go through hard things; see the pain as an invitation into wholeness, or get stuck in hopelessness, fear, and heart ache. For part two of this four part series, Justin and Abi discuss the revelations Abi had through the last year of sickness. Abi’s health issues forced her into a world of deeper vulnerability, and gave space for grief to surface that produced healing in places she’s felt orphaned and alone. They share how allowing themselves to grieve the wrongs of the past didn’t mean they wallowed in their pain, but rather gave themselves the comfort that their souls had desperately needed so that they could truly move forward. Get ready for a dose of hope as Abi and Justin continue to share the powerful lessons they’ve gathered from enduring and overcoming suffering within their own lives. And don't forget to check out www.stumvollconsulting.com/courses/thecompassionproject to get your hands on The Compassion Project     

We’ve all gone through valleys of despair or suffered painful seasons. Those of us who choose to ignore it and push forward are often praised for being strong. Unfortunately, ignored pain, buried deep within, eventually finds a way of erupting until we pay attention and get the necessary healing. In this tremendously vulnerable series, Abi and Justin invite you to be part of a very exposing piece of their lives as they share about Abi’s sickness. In this episode Abi speaks candidly about her suffering and shares openly about her history of emotional pain. Together they examine the possible role her emotions have played in her physical health. This is one epic series you won’t want to miss! And don't forget to check out www.stumvollconsulting.com/courses/thecompassionproject to get your hands on The Compassion Project 

Man’s best friend is supposedly a dog, but what if it could be another human being? Humanity gets a bum wrap because often times we don’t understand ourselves, others, or the friendship process. Many of us have had bad experiences with friendships, leaving us jaded and shut down. But what if it didn’t have to be that way? In this episode, Justin is booted to the curb as Abi and her best friend, Pietze, sit down for an insightful conversation about the ups and downs of their friendship. Together they investigate what it takes to build a life-long friendship in the midst of changing and growing as individuals. They share their worst meltdowns, what they did to rebuild, and how they continue to maintain a strong and healthy friendship. If you desire to have friendships with depth this episode is a MUST listen to! And don't forget to check out www.stumvollconsulting.com/courses/thecompassionproject to get your hands on The Compassion Project! 

In-Laws, whether we love ‘em, hate ‘em, or fall somewhere in between, as long as we’re married, they’re here to stay. We can all become immune to our own family’s deficiencies. Sometimes it takes an outsider to notice the crazy that we spent our entire lives thinking was “normal”. Join Just and Abi as they pull from their own personal histories of dealing with each others dysfunctional family systems. Listen as they share about the ever changing dynamics that occur when a new person is brought into the mix and how that person is meant to be a gift of an objective eye. Get ready to learn about practicing boundaries, resetting priorities, the skill of confrontation, and managing the clash of family culture!