The Connected Life

Mom’s are an intricate part of the fabric of our lives. Our bond with them is woven into the interactions with our most intimate connections, whether we’re aware of it or not. Moms are known for creating the road map for nurturing, when left unacknowledged, this relationship with our mother can skew how we experience and treat the people we love the most. In this episode, Justin and Abi share how the relationship with their mothers unknowingly created pain and misunderstandings that drove a wedge in their connection throughout their marriage. After over a decade of being together, Abi opens up about her newfound understanding in her own process. If you want to solve some of the mysteries driving your experiences with your loved ones and want a better understanding of yourself, this episode is a must listen to! 

Having the courage to take ownership for our life, and the mistakes we make, is difficult for many of us. Justin’s mom, Barbara, had to decide between taking ownership for her failings or lose the relationship with him altogether. In this episode Justin and Barb candidly share about the conversations and confrontations they had over the course of almost a decade. Between blow-ups, melt-downs, and bawl-your-eyes-out moments, they chose to risk big and dig deep. Because they both had the courage to get honest, take ownership, listen well, and forgive greatly, they were able to find healing and restoration. Through their process of trial by fire, wisdom and practical tools emerged that couldn’t have been discovered any other way. Get ready for a richly packed redemption episode as we delve into part two of a mother and son’s healing story.

The relationship between a parent and a child is a special one. If you’ve ever been a parent or a child, then you know how easily things can get messy! Continuing with The Mother Series, we have a special guest, Barbara Stumvoll, Justin’s mom with us!  Join us as we dive into the painful history of Justin and his Mom’s relationship and how after decades of brokenness they managed to do the hard work to heal their relationship. If you’ve ever personally struggled with “mother issues” or working through problems with your kids,  then you’ll want to tune to this insightful, heart to heart discussion. Listen closely as they model how to take ownership for themselves and display understanding and compassion for each other. This is a miracle over a decade in the making that you won’t want to miss.

For many of us, parents can be a sensitive subject. As children our desire is to be loved and nurtured, but for some, that doesn’t always feel like the reality of what happened. When parents are involved in creating pain, it can sometimes be easier to look at our past through rose-tinted glasses. Getting honest with ourselves can sometimes be the most heartbreaking part of our journey. A mother’s love and care is key to the development of any child. For some, however, that love and care can be absent, or sometimes feel toxic. In a season of popping denial, Abi takes an honest look at her childhood and how her mother’s life of prescription drug addiction and mental sickness actually impacted her well being. Join Justin and Abi in this incredibly raw and vulnerable episode as Abi shares, tears and all, about her journey of processing through the pain of loosing a mother that was seemingly never there.   Also, be sure to check out www.justinandabi.com to learn more about The Father Series.

For many people, understanding a woman’s sex drive could be considered more valuable than a diamond mine! A woman’s sex drive can even seem as mysterious to a woman as it is to a man. Often times, men find themselves guessing what women want in the bedroom, and that kind of pressure can seriously kill the mood. What if we told you that there was a road map that nobody talks about? Whether women want to admit it or not, one of the keys to that secret map are hormones! Understanding the role hormones play in the bedroom can make or break intimacy. In this episode Abi and Justin are joined by Pietze as they shamelessly talk about the power of hormones and how they affect sex. For all the singles out there, this dose of hormonal reality is the perfect foundation for a future healthy relationship. If you’re married and want a better sex life, this episode is a must!

It takes real guts to ride a 1,500 pound enraged bull, but the world of Professional Bull Riding is a full of gritty men ready to risk it all! In this episode Justin is joined by former Professional Bull Rider Todd Pierce. Todd travels the world breaking the “unbreakable” horses through a radical display of patience, understanding, and love. After decades of doing the impossible, Todd found himself “bucked off his horse,” on Justin’s couch, facing a beast much bigger than a bull. Through a courageous act of risk, Todd went head to head with some of his most painful emotions and came out a bigger champion than ever before. Get ready for a wild ride as Justin and Todd jump into Todd’s story of breaking horses and how that was a picture of his own breaking he had yet to experience. This episode will amaze you and inspire you to get back up after life has bucked you to the ground.

For many of us, we carry secrets that seem too dark for anyone to understand. We carry this heaviness until is crushes us or we explode. Here in this darkness, crippling lies slowly wear us down, leaving us suffering in isolation. September is Suicide awareness month. Suicide is one of the most difficult and scary subjects for people to openly address. In this episode Justin and Abi vulnerably tackle their own war with suicide. In a world of silence, this episode is meant to be a conversation starter that sheds light on one of the darkest and heaviest battles that many unknowingly suffer through on a daily basis. If you’ve never felt suicidal, listening to and sharing this episode is the first step in creating an environment safe for loved ones to open up about their secret challenges. September is the perfect time to start open dialogues. Please partner with us throughout the month in hopes of saving lives.

For most of us, we want to feel inspired day to day and we often dream of living a life full of adventure. Unfortunately, the reality is often a life that feels boring and uninspired. The hurdles to this type of excitement are often wrapped into a simple question such as, “How do I practically implement inspiration and thrill into my life?” In this episode we hear from Lauren, one of our favorite friends, about how she learned to buck the norm, let go of the reigns, and live wildly out of control! Join us as Lauren shares how she suddenly and drastically changed her life by quitting her accounting job and moving to Africa. She opens up as to why she’s chosen to continue taking risks and how she practically lives a lifestyle of excitement. If you’re in need of a pick-me-up, or want to be challenged to live a life full of wonder, then you won’t want to miss this episode!

Self-sufficiency and the victim mentality often keep us from experiencing true freedom. It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of self-protection when people in our lives hurt and disappoint us. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of conversation about exactly HOW to work through trauma, past pain, and move towards wholeness and freedom. Join Justin and special guest Chris Cook as they share their deeply personal experiences with trauma and PTSD. Get ready to hear how they fought their way out through learning healthy coping mechanisms, facing their greatest fears, and choosing not to do the journey alone. If you’ve ever felt stuck in painful circumstances or like you have to keep it all together on your own, then do not miss this episode! Freedom is just around the corner!

For most of us, family vacations can be a tricky time to navigate. They’re often chock full of triggers and past pain that hasn’t been resolved. Often times, it can be difficult to let our walls down long enough to feel known and free amidst our siblings, parents, and relatives. So how do we go from surviving family vacations to thriving in them? Join Justin and Abi on their own vacation as they drive through Glacier National Park and discuss Justin’s fresh explosion with his dad. They’ll share important insights as to why honesty is the biggest key that will affect change within families and why purposely validating the child in you is so important. You don’t want to miss this incredibly vulnerable story or the profoundly impactful and healing moment that followed!