Diary of an Overcomer Podcast

Send us Fan Mail On this episode of Diary of an Overcomer, Carol and Jen discuss another tool to help you overcome hard circumstances- TRUSTING IN GOD.  They cover- Trust defined What NOT trusting God looks like  What TRUSTING God looks like  And then go on to give 5 practical ways to trust God. Take a listen and let us know what you think.  King and Country  "God Only Knows" Wide awake...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Carol and Jen discuss prayer. In an Overcomer's life there are certain tools that they have used in overcoming whatever obstacles were in their way. In the next three episodes we will be discussing those foundational tools. The first one we are discussing is prayer and the absolute necessity for it in the life of the believer.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Carol shares another great story about an overcomer.  Jay was a mom trying to make ends meet while battling addiction. Every time Jay took a step forward it felt like two steps back until she ended up living in the back of her truck with her children. It took the perseverance of a woman who knew what it was like to be on the streets to help Jay find the resources s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Carol and Jen are joined by Shepherd's Gate program staff, Alicia and Brittany, to discuss an innovative new recovery program called SMART Recovery.  (https://www.smartrecovery.org ) This program is not just for addictions, but is also helpful to get through unhealthy habits. Join us and let us know what you think. If you need prayer or have questions about S...

Send us Fan Mail Betty's life started off rocky, with her dad disappearing out of her life at a young age because of his conviction as a sex offender. Carol shares her story of tragedy and triumph in this episode. Betty's story is one we have heard often, of a rough childhood that led to poor decisions that had dire consequences that led to addictions and homelessness. But Betty's s...

Send us Fan Mail WARNING: This podcast contains a story of domestic abuse and may not be appropriate for all audiences.  This podcast episode is a new type of episode called STORY TIME where we are simply sharing a story of an Overcomer.  Today's Overcomer is Shay, a woman who endured 28 years of marriage to an extremely abusive man. Her story is full of hope and inspiration.

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Carol and Jen discuss a new drug combination that is causing the user to experience a "zombie-like" state, rotting flesh and a painful come down, making it even harder to get off the drug.   Editor's note: the views and opinions expressed on Diary of an Overcomer are those of the podcast participants and do not necessarily reflect the official policy...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Carol and Jen talk forgiveness and review the book by Lysa Terkeurst, "Forgiving What You Cannot Forget."  From the book- "Have you ever felt stuck in a cycle of unresolved pain, playing offenses over and over in your mind? You know you can't go on like this, but you don't know what to do next. Lysa TerKeurst has wrestled through this jour...

Send us Fan Mail Join Carol and Jen on this episode of Diary of an Overcomer as they welcome their guest April Poulter. April shares in this episode her story of addiction and her walk-through to recovery and understanding the 12 steps and what it means to submit your life to Jesus. April wrote a book and you can find it on Amazon-  Peace by Piece   For more information on Shepherd's Gate- ww...

Send us Fan Mail January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month. On this episode of Diary of an Overcomer we are so pleased to have with us  Nicole Phillips of Lavished Ministries in Florida. Nicole's heart for women in the commercial sex industry as well as those victimized by sex trafficking is amazing! Since the age of 17 years old she knew this was her calling and at 21 started Lavished Min...

Send us Fan Mail In this Christmas episode, Carol and Jen invited Mark Wollan to discuss how often we can miss the impact of Christmas when we stray from the Biblical text. It’s surprising how much of our thinking (even for Christians) is informed by Christmas carols and “traditions” about the Christmas story, that aren’t biblical. Take a listen and see if you agree the Biblical account of Jesus&a...

Send us Fan Mail Every 16.2 seconds someone takes their own life in the U.S. That is staggering. On this episode we talk with Marsha McInnis of NAMI Tri-Valley, an organization that helps people and families dealing with mental health issues. We talk about the rise in suicides and the various reasons, as well as discuss what we can do to help those with suicidal ideations. You won't want to m...

Send us Fan Mail Our very exciting guest on this episode is Erin Scott. Erin Scott is FVLC’s Executive Director. She has extensive experience as a domestic violence and sexual assault advocate, a family law attorney, and a nonprofit manager. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of UnCommon Law and previously served on the Board of Director of the California Partnership to End Domestic Vi...

Send us Fan Mail Our guest for this episode is Jeff Gilman the Executive Director of Redwood Gospel Mission in Santa Rosa, California. Our topic is ministering to those experiencing homelessness and Jeff's innovative  programs and services have proven to be a success in building bridges between the faith community and those living on the streets. His experience, over almost 40 years in minist...

Send us Fan Mail Stephanie was a teen mom at 16 and a widow at 35, now she is the mother of a goat rodeo, grandma to two and the Delta Area Director of YoungLife.  In this episode we talk with Steph about the difficulties she faced as a teen mom, she shares with us the hardships of being married to a spouse who became addicted to pain medication and the heartbreak of becoming a widow.  Through all...

Send us Fan Mail John Krause is a businessman, owning a successful coffee roasting business with coffeehouses in three locations throughout the Bay Area of California.  Talking to him today, you wouldn't know he came through major heartaches as a child and began a devastating addiction in his early teens which led him in and out of jail for over 12 years, his last time was spent within the wa...

Send us Fan Mail We have our first DOCTOR on Diary of an Overcomer!! Dr. Brooke Keels holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and a Ph. D. in Marriage and Family Therapy with over 15 years of direct counseling, academic, and administrative experience. Dr. Keels specializes in program design and counselor training/supervision and currently serves as the Clinical Director at Lighthouse Reco...

Send us Fan Mail From domestic violence to designer, Deja shares her story of overcoming with a refreshing frankness.  In this episode, you will hear from our special guest Deja Slaughter about her journey from domestic violence, addiction and homelessness to Shepherd's Gate, a women and children's program located in the Bay Area of California. She will talk about her healing, and the im...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode we got to hang out with a woman who is a legend at Shepherd's Gate, Diane Johansen, volunteer extraordinaire and AA sponsor/leader. Diane shares with us her story of hitting her rock bottom and overcoming addiction and how God and the steps of AA helped her get back on her feet and stay sober for over 23 years!!  We talk with her about the importance of findin...

Send us Fan Mail January is Human Trafficking Awareness Month and since Shepherd's Gate has helped victims of human trafficking we wanted to talk about what human trafficking is, some of the misconceptions about it and how to keep your kids safe on the internet from it. Yep, human trafficking happens here in the US and one of the targets is vulnerable kids on social media. Our guest today is...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to the 2nd episode in a 2-part series today we are talking about Overcoming despair by intentionally spreading joy.  The first episode we discussed how to experience the peace and joy of Jesus internally, this episode we will be talking about taking that peace and joy and intentionally spreading joy to others, basically taking the commandments Jesus talked about- loving Go...

Send us Fan Mail This podcast episode is the first of a 2-part series and is very different from our usual topics. We chose these topics to address the melancholy and grief many experience this time of year during the Holidays. Our purpose is to help those who are struggling with their circumstances, to OVERCOME. We have chosen 2 ways we have personally overcome grief and hardship, the first is by...

Send us Fan Mail If you or someone you love is struggling with an addiction, know where to go to get help is crucial. In this episode we discuss how to know when you or someone else needs help, where to go to find a solid recovery program, how to access that program and we even talk about insurance and relapse. So give us 30 minutes and find out what it takes to begin the recovery process. NOTES S...

Send us Fan Mail Yep. You can order illegal drugs over social media, oh you're not interested in ordering illegal drugs over social media, well your teen may be. In this week's episode we share the story of Sammy, TV personality Dr. Laura's son. Sammy was a good kid, good family who dies of an overdose. His story contains lessons that will hopefully prevent other needless deaths.  S...

Send us Fan Mail They will not be counted in the over half a million homeless in the US. They live under the radar. Living in vehicles, couch surfing with friends or family, this segment of the homeless population is surprising in many ways. Join Carol and Jen as they talk about this group and how the homeless are counted and why it is important to get accurate counts and answer some common questi...