The Recovery Podcast

Episode 21: Rachel Snyder (Part Two)

On today’s episode Natalie and I return to our interview with Rachel Snyder as she continues to share her story and the process of surrender, redemption, and renewal through her higher power and her time in Recovery.  This is was an important episode not just for the podcast but for me personally- Rachel, Natalie and I talk through some very difficult subjects on this one. But the thing that stands out to me the most is that Rachel’s story and the discussions we share on this episode are absolutely saturated with the evidence of God’s power, faithfulness and promise. I couldn’t think of a more fitting intro- and outro- for this episode than the song “Evidence” by Josh Baldwin, so stick around at the end of the episode for TRP exclusive live cover by Kyle Cogburn, the worship leader here at the Village Church.  This is part two of Rachel’s story.  Disclaimer: While we absolutely DO encourage our guests to share from their experiences in their recovery programs, no one is a spokesperson or representative of the recovery programs they choose to share their experiences from.

Episode 20: Rachel Snyder (Part One)

On today's episode my wife Natalie and I will be interviewing someone that folks have requested we have on the podcast for a long time coming- Rachel Snyder. Rachel will share how her childhood was defined by the abuse and victimization perpetrated upon her by the very people meant to protect her, how she lost her voice and autonomy, and how she was thrust into her adult life very early on with no voice, no sense of self worth, and only the lens of her trauma brokenness in which to see the world.  Be warned- Rachel shares some very difficult events, circumstances and themes in this episode including physical and sexual abuse, and the death of a child. But on the flip side of those truly terrible things, I hope that something bigger, something even more profound stands out- that our higher power can redeem us, and is not handicapped by our brokenness, shame, pain or doubts. Yes, this is a story of survival and trauma- but more so this is a story of a God that is truly bigger than all the terrible things in this life and how woefully short we fall in understanding that.  This is part one of Rachel’s story.  Disclaimer: While we absolutely DO encourage our guests to share from their experiences in their recovery programs, no one is a spokesperson or representative of the recovery programs they choose to share their experiences from.

Love and Marriage: Noah and Jenn Demerly

Marriage is hard, even before you take into account the baggage that some of us bring in to it. While most of us start off earnestly intending to fulfill our vows of “till death do us part”, we often find that we’re in over our heads once that baggage causes issues we weren’t anticipating.  For those of us in Recovery, that baggage almost always poses a very real threat to the survival of our marriages and all that comes with it. Join Natalie and I as we interview Noah and Jenn Demerly, whose story was the inspiration for this very series. They’ll share how mental health, addiction, codependency and just the universal human condition can take our marriage to hopeless places where we feel isolated and alone. But- once we’re willing to step out of denial and admit our hopeless- we are bound to encounter it’s very antithesis- hope, and in abundance.  Disclaimer: While we absolutely DO encourage our guests to share from their experiences in their recovery programs, no one is a spokesperson or representative of the recovery programs they choose to share their experiences from.

Love and Marriage: Hers

Many of us in recovery have found our marriages and homes to be more like a triage zone on a battlefield than a healthy space where we feel loved and wanted; and looking back on where some of our marriages were (and where some of your marriages might be now), when one or both people in a marriage aren’t in a healthy place, our efforts turn from focusing on growing together and instead end up being about keeping our marriages alive.  On today’s episode I’ll be joined by my wife Natalie, previous guest Carol Hoelle and new guest Jenn Demerly as they share the struggles of going from a place of survival in their marriages to opening themselves up to the promise of a full, happy, healthy marriage with a way forward into growth and change. As you’ll hear in this episode, opening up to that isn’t easy, and it doesn’t mean there won’t be conflict or friction- but it does mean there’s a hope of a better life together.  This is the Hers episode of the Love & Marriage series. Disclaimer: While we absolutely DO encourage our guests to share from their experiences in their recovery programs, no one is a spokesperson or representative of the recovery programs they choose to share their experiences from.

Love and Marriage: His

Most of us have been made acutely aware of the statistics showing that almost 50% of marriages fail in the US, but for those of us in Recovery- or are married to someone in recovery- know that the odds are stacked even more against us.  Ladies, feel free to sit in on this one, but this episode is really for the fellas- join Kyle Sears, Mitch Spies, Noah Demerly and I as we hash out the challenges we face in working recovery inside of a marriage, what we have an obligation to do for our wives and what we have a duty to avoid- all in pursuit of being the husband we all want to be. This is the His episode of the Love and Marriage series. Welcome to The Recovery Podcast.  Disclaimer: While we absolutely DO encourage our guests to share from their experiences in their recovery programs, no one is a spokesperson or representative of the recovery programs they choose to share their experiences from.