It Just Is... the Podcast

Step Eight - We make a list of every person we harmed and seek to repair the damage with them all. Here is a simple rule of thumb for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you; then grab the initiative and do it for them! If you only love the lovable, do you expect a pat on the back? Run-of-the-mill sinners do that. If you only help those who help you, do you expect a medal? Garden...

Welcome to the It Just Is podcast, I’m your host, Michael Smalley. We’ve reached Step Seven - Humility - We ask God to help us change and remove all our signature sins. If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves. A claim like that is errant nonsense. On the other hand, if we admit our sins—simply come clean about them—he won’t let us down; he’ll be true to himself. He’ll forg...

Willingness is the key to this step. A Gaelic proverb states, "Nothing is easy for the unwilling." If you are unwilling to face your signature sins, failures, and pride, then progress becomes impossibly difficult. Those willing to face their faults and ignore the desire to avoid the pain in doing so are more likely to succeed in change. When life is difficult, willingness is a stance we can take t...

Welcome to the It Just Is podcast, I’m your host Michael Smalley. Step Five - We admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another person the exact nature of our wrongs and signature sins. Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckon...

In Step Four of the recovery process, we are presented with a crucial task - to undertake a thorough and accurate analysis of our moral inventory, with a particular focus on identifying our signature sins. This process requires us to be fearless and honest with ourselves as we delve deep into our past behaviors, actions, and thoughts that may have caused harm to ourselves and others. By identifyin...

Step Three: Do I want to live or die? If I want to live, I will turn my will and life over to the care of God and surrender everything. If I want to die, I choose to stop here. So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is th...

Don't miss out on a special interview with my missionary friends who are living in Southern Lebanon. They share their testimony of faith and trust, which is something we could all use in these times. You can find out more about their music ministry and discipleship work and support them financially by visiting https://www.horizonsinternational.org/jeremy-and-zaheda-fletcher  

Hope has the power to uplift our spirits and fuel our drive for a better future. It is a beacon of light during challenging times, giving us the strength and determination to keep going. It inspires us to pursue our dreams, overcome obstacles, and imagine a better world. By bringing people together, instilling optimism, and motivating positive change, hope is a beautiful and essential part of the...

For years, I tried and failed, again and again, to overcome my obsession with overeating. All you needed to do was look at me, and there’d be no doubt eating too much plagued my life. Until I learned there was nothing I could do to stop overeating, I continued to suffer. I’d shown myself and the world I could not stop this signature sin in my life. Until I finally quit trying to overeat and handed...

Have you ever heard of the 90 in 90 challenge? You’d better, because I mentioned in yesterday’s podcast episode! It's a powerful tool that can transform your life if you're willing to put in the effort. I'm talking about overcoming your signature sin and finally breaking free from its grasp. Now, I know this might sound like a daunting task, but trust me when I say that it's worth it. So, if you'r...

Things get sexy today because we are discussing the power of routine! I know I just lost most of you, but I want to challenge you to keep listening. Because routine saved my life, and I know it can save your life, too! Are you familiar with a 90 in 90? You need to be because it saved my life. A 90 in 90 is an Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) term, meaning 90 meetings in 90 days. When Dr. Rick Marks sugge...

Welcome to the It Just Is podcast. Today's show explores the power of taking things "one day at a time" and how it helps us break free from signature sin. Life can be overwhelming at times, but with the right knowledge and skills, we can overcome anything. Are you a fan of the It Just Is Podcast? Do you want to take your personal growth to the next level? Become a Stay Classy Podcast Member now an...

Rarely have we seen a person fail who has thoroughly followed our path. Those who do not find healing are people who cannot or will not completely give themselves to this simple program, usually men and women who are constitutionally incapable of being honest with themselves. There are such unfortunates. They are not at fault; they seem to have been born that way. They are naturally incapable of g...

On April 8, 2022, everything changed! My life had become unmanageable, suffering was the norm, and I finally cared enough to change. Passivity, escaping, shutting down, and addiction plagued my life. These are not a complete record of all my faults, but more like a Hall of Fame of my biggest struggles, what I like to call Signature Sins. “It works if you work it,” spoken at the end of many Alcohol...

Welcome to my journey toward self-discovery and acceptance. This study is the culmination of years of struggle with personal issues and the realization that the only way to overcome them is through acceptance and a relationship with Jesus Christ. For most of my life, I was a mess. I blamed everyone but myself for my problems and couldn't seem to find a way out of my struggles. That is until I foun...