Advertise on podcast: What We Really Want: Conversations About Connection

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Why is it that so many high-achieving men don't experience the same "success," achievement, or satisfaction in their marriages/personal lives that they do in other parts of life? Lantz Howard wants to help men find the answer to that question. Lantz is an executive coach whose mission is to help people through transformational work that helps them live and lead wholeheartedly from their true identity. With years of experience in coaching and church ministry leadership, he wants to help his clients find and experience honesty and fulfillment in all areas of life, not just professional. Lantz offers many resources through his website and also is the host of the Wholehearted Leadership podcast. He lives in Texas, and he & his wife Jessica have four daughters. #lantzhoward #wholeheartedleadership #championhusbandchallenge #marriage #wholehearted #coaching #leadership #gospel #awaken #awakenrecovery #awakenpodcast #whatwereallywant #wwrw #grace #connection #conversation LantzHoward.com 30-Day Champion Husband Challenge Wholehearted Leadership podcast (Apple) Wholehearted Leadership podcast (Spotify) Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Several recent episodes have featured guests who are helping enable parents to engage in healthy conversations with their kids about sex. These are some of the hardest parts of parenting, but also some of the most critically important. Someone who has contributed a lot of helpful resources is John Fort. An author who is also on staff with BeBroken Ministries, John has been equipping parents to have ongoing healthy talks with their kids about sex and sexuality. He has modeled it in his own home, even co-authoring a book with his son Lucas, called Father/Son Accountability.  John has just released a new book called Don't Stress Talking Sex: Starting Honest, Healthy Conversations with Your Kids. The book seeks to help parents know how to lay a good foundation, understand and communicate God's design for sex, recognize counterfeits, and be ready to answer questions. John lives in Oregon with his wife Anna. They have two grown children. #johnfort #johnwfort #bebrokenministries #dontstresstalkingsex #parenting #parents  #sexeducation #sexuality #pornography #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation BeBroken Ministries John's books on Amazon Pure Life Academy (sexual wholeness courses) Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Nobody is out there searching for grief. None of us asks for it. But grief comes into our lives anyway. How do we experience and navigate grief in a way that not only doesn't destroy us, but actually helps us live more genuine, dependent, and connected lives? Ross King is learning about all of this. And he doesn't want to. For over 30 years, Ross has been writing and singing songs that have encouraged and challenged people of faith. He's always been one to say what's on his mind, not tip-toeing around difficult topics. But the past two years have taken him into deeper and more painful places than he ever imagined. In 2024 Ross' wife Staci was diagnosed with cancer, and after almost a year of battling it, she passed away in August 2025. To say it rocked the world of Ross and their four kids would be a huge understatement. Ross questioned everything, sometimes in ways that were painful and uncomfortable to witness. But he's wrestled with God, genuinely. And wrestling automatically pulls us in closer to our "opponent." In the midst of his continued grief, Ross is writing new music that invites listeners to walk with him and to ask important questions about what we believe. He says, "I don’t have answers, and the songs are raw and vulnerable and messy, but as I’ve started to share them, it’s been beautiful to see not only how others are comforted, but also how life-giving it is for me. I don’t have a 5-year plan. I’m just living day by day, trying to push back the darkness with a little bit of creative light." #rossking #rosskingmusic #forwardandon #faithalone #thingsthatimafraidof #worship #worshipmusic #christianmusic #grief #staciking #suffering #faith #hope #joy #loss #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation #healing Ross on Facebook Ross on Instagram Ross King's music on Spotify Ross King's music on Apple Music Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" For men who want to recover from porn addiction, what does the relationship between doing and understanding need to look like? How much of recovery and healing involves developing new skills vs. deep heart change? These are important questions, and ones our guest has worked through with thousands of men. Sathiya Sam is an author, speaker, host of the "Man Within" podcast, and founder of coaching community Deep Clean. Sathiya seeks to utilize timeless principles and cutting-edge science to help guide his clients through in-depth transformational processes. Because it's so easy for recovering people to have an unhealthy relationship even with the concept of sobriety, our conversation is timely and important.  Sathiya lives in Canada with his wife Shaloma and their kids. #sathiyasam #deepclean #manwithin #manwithinpodcast #recovery #healing #coaching #sexaddiction #sexualaddiction #pornaddiction #sobriety #grace #gospel #healing #awaken #awakenrecovery Deep Clean website Man Within podcast Sathiya's Instagram Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Talking to your kids about sex is a lot scarier than it used to be. It's always been uncomfortable for most parents, and is often a topic danced around or ignored completely. But the stakes for our kids are too high to ignore how changing cultural messages are affecting our kids. Amber Garrett Carroll knows all about this, and has been devoting her life to helping not only her kids, but all kids - by offering training and resources for parents. As a single mom, co-parenting with an ex-husband who came out as gay, she's aware of how many complex situations kids are exposed to. Sexuality (in general), same-sex attraction, and gender incongruence are some of the topics impacting kids even before they're out of elementary school.  Amber has been working for over a decade with a nonprofit organization called EQUIP (see Episode 46 with EQUIP's director, Pieter Valk), and has written a parent training course to offer parents a deep familiarity with God’s wisdom for sexual stewardship for all people, and to provide practical guides for age-appropriate conversation with kids, broken down by age group. Amber has also recently published a book for parents called Ready to Talk: A Christian Parent's Guide to Gender and Sexuality. This extremely practical book offers what so many Christian families have lacked: a clear roadmap for discipling kids in today's culture. Amber lives in Nashville, TN with her two kids. #ambergarrettcarroll #ambercarroll #equip #equipyourcommunity #vocationalsingleness #christiansingleness #lgbt #gaychristian #parenting #sexeducation #gender #genderincongruence #sexaddiction #healing #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation EQUIP's web site Amber's author website Free Parent Pack Purchase Ready to Talk Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Talking with John Lynch is a treat. It's getting lost in a conversation, unaware of how much time has passed, or even exactly what you're talking about. It's easy to get pulled into John's warmth and sincerity, but he's also intense when talking about God's love for his children. John co-wrote a life-changing book several years ago. The Cure: What if God isn't Who You Think He Is and Neither Are You?  has had a radical impact on many people's lives and recovery journeys, and on how they see God's love and grace. In this conversation we talked not just about The Cure, but about another of John's books, On My Worst Day. It's a memoir of sorts, where John dives deep into his own life, and gives glimpses of what Jesus was saying to him all throughout the story. There's something in there for everyone. We're thrilled to have John as the speaker for our very first CONNECT Men's Weekend, October 9-11 in Birmingham AL. Click the link below to register to be part of this amazing weekend of encouragement and connection! #johnlynch #johnlynchspeaks #thecure #truefaced #onmyworstday #gospel #grace #awaken #awakenrecovery #awakenpodcast #whatwereallywant #wwrw  #connection #conversation John's speaking website (JohnLynchSpeaks) The Cure (on Amazon) On My Worst Day (on Amazon) Awaken's CONNECT Men's Weekend (Oct. 9-11, 2026) Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" This is a repost of the last of three episodes Greg & Stacey got to record for Return to Heart, the podcast of Tin Man Ministries. We're posting these episodes here, with the microphones turned around, with the title "Who's Asking the Questions Now?" In this episode Tin Man's clinical director Phil Herndon talked with Greg to...  Offer a working definition of addictionDistinguish how sexual addiction is tricky and complicatedTalk about the role honesty plays in recoveryUnderstand and deal with stimulationEnvision holding space for both self-compassion AND taking ownershipReinforce the need for community & asking for help.Addiction doesn't develop out of nowhere. Finding a safe place to unpack your story can not only bring greater understanding, but also the chance to finally break free and live the life you were meant to live. We hope this conversation will bring hope that things really can be different. Thank you to Tin Man Ministries for their permission to rebroadcast the episode here on What We Really Want! #gregoliver #awaken #awakenrecovery #philherndon #tinmanministries #returntoheartpodcast #sexualaddiction #sexaddiction #betrayaltrauma #sexualbetrayal #healing #recovery #therapy #connection #rootsretreat #rootsretreatwomensworkshop Tin Man Ministries website Return to Heart podcast (Apple Podcasts) Return to Heart podcast (Spotify) Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" In the Spring of 2026, Stacey and Greg were honored to record a few episodes for Return to Heart, the podcast of Tin Man Ministries. We're posting these episodes here, with the microphones turned around, with the title "Who's Asking the Questions Now?" Last week you heard Phil talking with Stacey (solo), and next week will feature a conversation with Greg. In this episode Tin Man's clinical director Phil Herndon talked with Stacey and Greg to discuss childhood experiences, marriage expectations, coping strategies, addiction, betrayal trauma, and the long road of recovery (individually and together). Addiction that leads to sexual betrayal is complicated. It's a horrible breach of trust and does colossal damage to a relationship. AND, often that damage is the last thing the betraying partner had set out to do. The early wounds that contribute to addiction were often having their effect long before the relationship started. Healing is a long journey, and reconciliation is possible, but not guaranteed. We hope this conversation will bring hope, encouragement, and things you can work through with God, your partner, or a trusted friend. Thank you to Tin Man Ministries for their permission to rebroadcast the episode here on What We Really Want! #staceyoliver #staceyandgregoliver #gregoliver #awaken #awakenrecovery #philherndon #tinmanministries #returntoheartpodcast #sexualaddiction #sexaddiction #betrayaltrauma #sexualbetrayal #healing #recovery #therapy #connection #rootsretreat #rootsretreatwomensworkshop Tin Man Ministries website Return to Heart podcast (Apple Podcasts) Return to Heart podcast (Spotify) Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Recently, Stacey and Greg were honored to appear as guests on Return to Heart, the podcast of Tin Man Ministries. We're posting these episodes here, with the microphones turned around, with the title "Who's Asking the Questions Now?" Next week will feature a conversation with both Stacey and Greg, and the week after another one with Greg. In this episode Tin Man's clinical director Phil Herndon sat down with Stacey Oliver to discuss betrayal trauma, recovery after sexual addiction, attachment wounds, codependency, and the long road toward healing. Drawing from her own story, Stacey shared what it felt like to discover hidden betrayal, why so many partners ignore their "gut," and how healing often begins by finding safe people who understand your pain. Whether you're navigating betrayal yourself, supporting someone who is, or trying to understand how trauma impacts relationships, this conversation offers hope, wisdom, and practical insight.  Awaken offers the Roots Retreat Women's Workshop as a help for women navigating the healing process after sexual betrayal. See link below for more information. Thank you to Tin Man Ministries for their permission to rebroadcast the episode here on What We Really Want! #staceyoliver #staceyandgregoliver #awaken #awakenrecovery #philherndon #tinmanministries #returntoheartpodcast #betrayaltrauma #sexualbetrayal #healing #recovery #therapy #connection #rootsretreat #rootsretreatwomensworkshop Tin Man Ministries website Return to Heart podcast (Apple Podcasts) Return to Heart podcast (Spotify) Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" Let’s just state the obvious. Runners are weird people. We know it and we embrace it. But if running is not your thing, please don’t skip this conversation. There’s something here for you. Cary and Micah Morgan are pillars of the Birmingham AL running community. More than that, they’re wonderful people who genuinely care about others and love well.  Cary is a physical therapist and owner/lead coach of Cadence Run Coaching, a business that helps runners achieve their goals. Micah is a nurse practitioner who also happens to be one of the world’s most elite ultra-runners. For about the last ten years, Micah has been crossing one challenge after another off her list, including the Badwater 135 ultramarathon, which is considered the toughest road race in the world. In fact, on July 27, 2026 Micah will compete in her third Badwater 135. You can track her progress using the link below. In our conversation, we definitely talked about running. But more than that, we talked about the community and connection that comes from a shared passion. No matter what you love to do, when you find others who love it like you do, there’s a special connection available.  Cary and Micah are faithful friends and companions to so many, and more recently have walked through shared grief as well. In December 2025, the Birmingham running community lost a good friend when Christina Chambers’ life was suddenly cut short. We talk about that pain, as well as how many people Christina touched by her friendship. For those of you listening when the episode comes out, please check out the Christina Chambers Twilight 5K, coming August 7th. Link to register or donate is below. Have fun listening to three obsessed runners (Cary, Micah, Greg) and one sane non-runner (Stacey) talk about passion, friendship, and great connection.  #carymorgan #micahmorgan #caryandmicahmorgan #beatsandfeetswithmicah #runhardandcaryon #running #cadenceruncoaching #marathon #ultramarathon #badwater135 #connection #community #vulnerability #grace #gospel #transformation #healing  Cadence Run Coaching website Badwater135 website Christina Chambers Twilight 5K race page (run or donate) Micah on Instagram Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" 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 Zac's personal website Church of the Cross (Birmingham AL) Zac's books (Amazon) Zac on Instagram Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" 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 Jason on Instagram Jason on Facebook Jason's music on Spotify Jason's music on Apple Music Jacob Gray's GoFundMe page Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" 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 Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" 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) DYM on Facebook DYM on Instagram DYM on X (formerly Twitter) DYM on LinkedIn Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

"Send us a message! (questions, feedback, etc.)" 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 Andy's website Andy's Patreon page Support the show Awaken website Roots Retreat Men's Intensive Roots Retreat Women's Workshop Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)