Rough Drafts: How God Writes His Love in Our Stories

Someday when they write a history of Burns, TN, today's guest and his family will be on every page. He's a county commissioner, bus driver, coach, and a whole lot more. Today, Rusty Groves shares about a traumatic accident that reshaped his life and walk with God.

This week Amanda describes the ups and downs of a story where the only thing she knew for sure was what she didn't want her life to be like. She shares how she became a social worker, met "Comcast", and found her faith.

Content Warning: This episode contains discussion of sexual trauma and behavior. You should listen before listening with your kids.
 
It's amazing how deeply we hide our trauma and our shame. Steve this week shares a story of learning to work through the puzzle pieces of his past, confronting the core ideas that stick with us and sabotage our relationships. In this episode, we talk about how fantasy sometimes is the mind's attempt to correct a trauma, how behavior is a voice, and how dissociation can be a warning sign. Steve's great moment is when he gets to the point where he realises, "I am not as awful as I always thought I was."
 
During the show, we mentioned the Sexual Addiction Screening Test, available here: https://www.bethesdaworkshops.org/for-sex-addicts/
 
You can find Steve's ministry and podcast at https://www.ultimateescape.org/parents/page/podcast

When we internalize the message that we are unlovable or that God is constantly angry at us, it makes a real mess in our lives. In this week's episode, Lisa Wesson shares how "gospel glasses" eventually opened her eyes to codependency and changed her entire way of doing life.
 
Show notes: During this week's show, Lisa mentioned a powerful book: The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning.

Randy Fuqua is the sort of guy who, when you see his name on caller ID, you smile. Randy has chosen joy, and his joy and his honesty are contagious. In this week's episode, he tells a story of an impossibly difficult journey. It's one nobody wants to walk. Even in the middle of the mess, he still looks for, and finds, Jesus.

Writing these descriptions is actually the hardest part of the podcast process each week. I want to tell you about the person...but I don't want to tell you too much about them to ruin the story!
This week's guest has a beautiful soul and an incredible story. God has overcome incredible obstacles in her life, and I know you'll be blessed by hearing her. Welcome Danielle Gopp!

Warning: Phil's discusses some dark times and thoughts of self-harm. If that's not something you're ready to hear, you might skip this episode.
From Siberia to Tennessee? That's quite the journey. There were plenty of other stops on the way. You'll hear Phil's honest struggles with life's ups and downs in this week's episode of Rough Drafts.

One of my favorite "God things" is how often he takes something so very random and uses it to accomplish something else. 
Life is full of these stories: because I was late to work, I had a conversation I never would have expected, that caused something significant to happen. 
Today's story is definitely one of those stories, and it all started at a ball game...

You've met Tyler...now it's time to meet part 2 of this week's couple's special....Bethany Quinn.
Bethany grew up in White Bluff and never expected her journey would bring her full circle, back to teaching in the school where she was class president. God's plans never seem to go the direction we expect!

It's a special week of Rough Drafts....you get both halves of a Dickson County power couple: Tyler and Bethany Quinn! Bethany's episode releases Thursday.
Tyler tells the story of how he came to know God, how a neighbor introduced him to church, and how eventually he found his place. What's really cool to me is that God is now using Tyler to help other people find their place. He leads the Gap ministry - aimed at our 20-somethings who tend to fall between the cracks, into the gap.