The Connected Life

Humans are naturally messy. The healing process is no different. For parents, It can be difficult to take an honest look at how their pain and actions have affected their children. Coming to terms with hurting the ones we love is never easy, but the first step to repairing a broken relationship is to find healing for oneself. In this episode Abi and Justin interview Nina and Francois about their s...

Life has a way of throwing us curve balls. For most of us, it's a rarity to be prepared for these unforeseen circumstances when they hit our lives. Many of us can find ourselves devastated with little hope of bouncing back. But, what if it was possible to have even an inkling of incite before bombs detonated? In this final episode of the faith series, Abi and Justin are joined once again by their...

Throughout history people from all walks of life have believed that they could gain insight into their future, as well as others futures through one means or another. Many ancient texts are filled with prophecies regarding mankind. But what happens when we as humans have a direct relationship with an unconditionally loving Creator that wants to talk to us? In this episode Justin and Abi are joined...

For every bit of deconstruction of one's faith, there must be a reconstruction of something, otherwise the end result will only be demolition. In this episode Abi talks to Justin about the foundational tenants of his faith that guide his life after reconstructing what he spent years deconstructing. He shares the truths he now holds dear and why they're so valuable to him. Together they invite you...

The message often conveyed through religion is one of self-deprecation and unworthiness. A system of principles based on caring for others without regard for oneself leaves many people feeling broken, bitter, and burned out. Without a proper balance, people are bound to find themselves living a lifestyle of codependency and frustration or narcissism and elitism. In this episode Justin and Abi addr...

The journey to deconstruct one's faith can be filled with beauty and pitfalls. Some will find themselves reconstructing what was torn down, while others will leave their lives demolished and in disarray. In this episode, Abi and Justin explore their own seasons of deconstruction. They discuss the ways their personal experience with the process liberated them and the ways they made messes in the mi...

As humans we were designed to be progressively growing, evolving, and maturing. The process for this to happen can often look messy and feel very disrupting, especially in relation to faith. In order to express a life of mature love, however, this journey is a must.  In this episode Abi and Justin explore the six phases of faith with Australian author and poet, David Tensen. Together they begin ta...

Like anything else, religion is filled with rules and ideologies that we adopt as the truth we should live by. If we spend enough time in any system, we will all eventually be faced with circumstances that invite us to question what we believe. In this episode, Justin and Abi talk about some of the key misconceptions about life that they learned from religion and how it affected them. They challen...

For many, faith and mental health simply don't mix. People either have strong spiritual practices that lack practical understanding of the human condition or they lack any type of spirituality and their tools for self-help are their religion. In this episode Abi and Justin bridge the gap between faith and emotional health as they discuss the need for spiritual and practical answers to the human co...

Since the beginning of time, religion has been a universal thread throughout humanity. Though varying immensely in its expression from culture to culture, the sad but common bond of performance ties them all together. In this episode Justin and Abi use their Christian faith as the focus of dialogue to explore how all expressions of faith are built on a hierarchal structure. These structures are ma...

Faith can be a touchy subject for many people. For some, faith is what miraculously saved them from their deepest darkness. For others, it's the source of some of their greatest pain. Faith is an undeniable part of the general human experience, which is all the more reason to explore it. In this conversation starting episode Abi and Justin dive into their personal histories with faith as the found...

In today's society, the moral compass regarding pornography points in many directions. In a world that has become progressively sexualized, the normalization and acceptance of pornography is at an all time high. With so many varying opinions on the matter, who's to say what is really right or wrong about pornography? In this sobering episode, Justin and Abi are joined by their close friend and fil...

Life has a way of passing us by if we'll let it. In the end, many   people find themselves feeling regretful for what they didn't do and what they didn't say, especially in connection to the relationships they care about the most. In this episode, Justin and Abi are joined once again by their good friend Jenna as they talk about how to get present with life and express it to the fullest. Jenna sha...

New Year's resolutions are often about making a change, but rarely are they about simply desiring more freedom. Our need for change can often be rooted in shame and only further exacerbate the problems we're experiencing. A desire for freedom, however, can inspire a shame-free exploration of our lives, where we can get honest about the reality of our humanity. In this Episode Abi and Justin explor...

2020 has been a rollercoaster ride for the entire world. It's been a year that has shaken many to the core. In all the craziness, some times it's hard to see the light. Often times it's not until we look back that we can see with clarity the goodness that is sprinkled throughout even the hardest seasons of life. In this episode Justin and Abi share about their Christmas miracle while taking an hon...

Granting access to the parts of our lives that feel too painful or messy to look at can be incredibly difficult. It's easy to feel scared and powerless to what's hiding behind locked doors within our hearts. However, these hidden rooms hold the keys to creating a lifestyle of hope, joy, peace, and love. In this episode, Justin and Abi discuss how they've dissociated from pieces of their own story...

Sexuality is often a subject shrouded in shame or minimized into absolute irrelevance. As a formative part of the human condition our views and expressions of sexuality have a deep impact on our relational connection to ourselves, others, and God. Because of this, open conversations about our sexuality are a vital component to creating a fulfilling, healthy life. In this episode Abi and Justin div...

It's time to celebrate. The Connected Life is 100 episodes old! We're like an expensive fine wine, aged to perfection. We're here to answer questions live as we dive into a discussion directly about connecting to ourselves, others, and God. In this episode we're joined by an enormous number of our Connected Life family as we chose to record this episode, in it's entirety, live. Join us as we laugh...

Holidays have a way of evoking a lot of emotions for the good and the bad. 2020 has been a unique year like none other in our nation's history. Some people have spent a large portion of this year separated from the people they care about the most. At the epicenter of this shaky year are political divisions to last a life time. In this episode Justin and Abi explore ideas to help people navigate po...

Life is full of obstacles, and some of them can feel daunting and impossible to overcome. It's easy to feel powerless to the pursuits set before us. But, even the most outlandish goals can be tackled one step at a time. In this episode, Justin and Abi are joined by their good friend Bryant Ellis, Co-owner of The Adventure Challenge. Bryant shares about the can-do attitude that he developed in his...

For many people, hopes and dreams can feel more like a fantasy than a reality. Often times, the things we long to do and experience can feel lofty and unrealistic. If we do pursue goals that have significance to us, it's easy to get defeated when they don't look the way we want them to in the time we want them. In this episode Justin sits down with his good friend Topher, the DJ known as King Arth...

We've all had our moments of believing the worst about someone and building a laundry list of complaints about them. These unspoken judgements are often riddled with misunderstandings that, given enough time and offenses, can collapse relationships all together. In this episode, Justin and Abi are joined by their friend, and co-owner of The Adventure Challenge, Ben Day. Ben shares how his company...

The idea of fun has been commercialized and monetized into extravagant, costly getaways and material possessions. People spend years saving up so they can have fun only to pay for expensive mediocre experiences that leave them disappointed and unfulfilled. In this episode, Abi and Justin are joined by their fun and fabulous friend Jenna. As a wife, mother of three, and a business owner, Jenna has...

There are times in life that seem like nothing is happening. We lack vision and clarity for our future. We feel as though our hopes and dreams are being dashed to pieces. Here in this place of nothingness is an invitation to discover who we really are. In this episode, Justin and Abi are joined by their dear friend Sammi. Sammi shares about her season of nothingness and how this season led to her...

Let's all face it, life can sometimes feel like a rollercoaster. For some it's a series of high highs, and low lows. Others live in low lows and rarely see the light of day. Then there are those that live with their heads in the clouds wearing permanent smiles on their faces never looking down long enough to catch a glimpse of reality. In this episode Abi and Justin dive playfully into the essence...