BeTempered Episode 102 – When Life Cracks and Faith Rebuilds with Joe Swartzel

BeTempered Episode 106 - PTSD, Forgiveness, and the Crown of Thorns with Tony Talbert

A single decision at 100 miles per hour can ripple through families, friendships, faith, and the rest of your life. In Episode 106 of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Tony Talbert to unpack the night a drunk driver changed everything. What started as a celebration of his friend David’s recovery journey through addiction and service ended in tragedy just minutes from home, leaving Tony and his wife Donna carrying grief, trauma, and questions that don’t disappear when the headlines fade. Tony opens up about the realities of PTSD, survivor’s guilt, panic, flashbacks, nightmares, and the pressure many people feel to “move on” before they’re actually healed. He shares how EMDR therapy, honest prayer, and eventually visiting the young man responsible for the crash became part of a healing process that challenged everything he thought he knew about justice, forgiveness, and redemption. Then the conversation takes a turn none of us expected. On a freezing day in Richmond, Indiana, a homeless man asks Tony for help and leaves behind a freshly cut green crown of thorns. Weeks later, Tony receives a message he believes came directly from Jesus, and suddenly the nightmares stop. What follows is a powerful conversation about faith, suffering, purpose, and the kind of charity that restores dignity instead of creating dependency through practical support, accountability, and love. This episode is raw, emotional, hopeful, and deeply human. Listen now at https://betempered.com [https://betempered.com] and support the mission at https://patreon.com/betempered [https://patreon.com/betempered] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/support]

BeTempered Episode 105 - Living Through War and Holding Onto Faith with Kateryna Tabota

What happens when your normal life disappears overnight? In this episode of BeTempered, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down with Kateryna Tabota to hear the real human side of the Ukraine war through the eyes of a wife, mother, and woman of faith. Her story moves from growing up in post-Soviet Ukraine, to serving in the medical field, to suddenly facing air raid sirens, uncertainty, and separation from family as war closes in around them. Katya opens up about raising children during chaos, leaving Ukraine for Poland while her husband was legally required to stay behind, and the emotional weight of wondering if your family will ever be reunited again. She shares how faith became her anchor during the fear, confusion, and constant uncertainty surrounding everyday life. The conversation also dives into the unexpected moments that changed everything. A scooter accident eventually creates the medical exemption that allows her husband to reunite with the family. Church relationships and the United for Ukraine sponsorship program lead them to Ohio, where complete strangers prepare a home for them before they ever arrive. From beds and groceries to a full tank of gas, Katya reflects on the kindness that helped her family begin rebuilding their lives in America. Dan, Ben, and Katya also talk about culture shock, learning English through customer interactions, rebuilding a career through nail licensing, and the hope of returning to medicine in the United States someday. It’s a conversation about resilience, faith under pressure, family sacrifice, and gaining a deeper appreciation for freedoms that are often taken for granted. This episode will challenge perspective, deepen gratitude, and remind listeners how powerful faith and community can become in life’s hardest moments. https://betempered.com [https://betempered.com] https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/support]

BeTempered Episode 104 - 2 Years of Conversations That Changed Us

Two years later, we decided to turn the cameras around and let Brian Ballenger ask the questions. This episode pulls back the curtain on the real story behind the BeTempered podcast, how a mindset shift, a weight loss journey, and the idea of tempered glass became the foundation for something much bigger. Strength is not built in comfort. It is built through pressure, heat, failure, and choosing to keep going anyway. What started as a simple experiment turned into a movement centered around faith, resilience, discipline, and conversations most people are afraid to have out loud. Dan Schmidt, Ben Spahr and Shawn Ruebush open up about the moments they still wrestle with doubt, the pressure of staying authentic, and the messages from listeners that remind them these stories truly matter. They reflect on how hearing the testimonies of guests over the past two years has changed the way they see addiction, trauma, recovery, and the people around them. This conversation dives deep into vulnerability, grace, imposter syndrome, forgiveness, and why being fully present in everyday life can completely reshape relationships, faith, and purpose. The episode also gets practical. The guys talk about parenting in a digital world, social media boundaries, smartphone restrictions, and why uncomfortable conversations inside the home matter more now than ever before. They connect discipline to consistency through daily routines, early mornings, and intentional habits that build stronger families and stronger communities. They also share what is ahead for the BeTempered Foundation, the BeTempered Standard for schools, and local outreach efforts like Care Cycle and hygiene support initiatives. If BeTempered has ever encouraged you, challenged you, or helped you feel less alone, share this episode with someone who needs it. Subscribe, leave a review, and help us continue spreading stories that remind people they are capable of more than they think. Learn more at https://betempered.com [https://betempered.com] Support the mission at https://patreon.com/betempered [https://patreon.com/betempered] Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/support]

BeTempered Episode 103 - From Survival to Calling with Dennis Alejo

A bowl of porridge does not look like a life plan, but for Dennis Alejo it was the first glimpse of something different. Sitting down with hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr, Dennis walks through a childhood in the Philippines shaped by hunger, instability, and survival. Introduced to alcohol at eight and working just to eat, long term thinking was not part of the equation. It was day to day, moment to moment. What begins to change his life is not a single breakthrough but people. Small acts of kindness. Mentors who keep showing up. A faith that slowly moves from something he hears about to something he lives out. Dennis shares what it was like leaving a system where poverty feels constant and stepping into the United States where structure, planning, and opportunity can actually change outcomes. He reflects on a defining moment with a retired US Marine who told him he would one day be a pastor in America, and what it took over the next decade to see that become real. The conversation also gets practical. Dennis talks about building a digital marketing agency with purpose and connecting that work to Kingdom Legacy Ministries so business fuels real impact. Through that mission, thousands of children are fed each month, kids are given the chance to return to school, and young people are trained with digital skills that create opportunity that multiplies. This episode is about identity, forgiveness, and the idea that the fire you walk through can become the strength you carry. It is a story about breaking cycles, finding purpose, and choosing to build something that outlives you. Listen now at https://betempered.com [https://betempered.com] Support the show at https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/support]

BeTempered Episode 102 – When Life Cracks and Faith Rebuilds with Joe Swartzel

Some people know what to say when life is smooth. This episode is for when it isn’t. When work feels heavy, marriage feels strained, and you’re quietly asking yourself, “Is this all there is?” Joe Swartzel joins us with a story that doesn’t hide from the hard parts. A longtime bricklayer known for his smile, Joe shares what that smile has carried through. A childhood marked by constant moving and a mother who was legally blind shaped his sense of responsibility early. Sports, mentors, and coaches helped build his foundation, but life eventually tested everything he thought he knew. Joe opens up about walking through divorce, raising kids across two homes, and the weight that comes with trying to hold things together when it takes two people to save a marriage. He takes us to a defining moment. Standing under a massive moon after a night of drinking, asking God if life was really meant to be nothing more than work and weekends. That question led to a turning point. Not a quick fix, but a real surrender that changed the direction of his life. We also talk about what healing actually looks like after divorce. What kids like Justin and Kristen carry quietly. Why blended families need guidance, patience, and grace instead of judgment. Joe and his wife Lisa now use their story to serve others, creating space for people walking through addiction, brokenness, and rebuilding. This is a conversation about faith that shows up in the middle of the mess. About resilience that isn’t loud, but steady. And about what real community looks like when people choose to walk with each other instead of turning away. If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who needs it. These are the stories that remind us we’re not alone. Learn more and support the show at https://betempered.com [https://betempered.com] Join the community at https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/fan_mail/new] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2386809/support]