The Storydram

Kory had a bad email day and we’ve all done it - reply all, wrong person, autofill wrong Chris. Chris tells the story about the time he was texting with two people and accidentally texted something downright mean about the other person to the wrong person. Rough. 

The guys welcome Fr. Nick Vance to Storydram and they all discuss what book they would write and publish. You may be surprised by Fr. Nick’s answer.  Fr. Nick tells a story about getting a gift from his granny and spending it all in one place. As you may guess, turns out that wasn’t a prudent decision. The guys reflect on what a gift faith is for all of us. 

The guys welcome special guest Addy Diaz on the show. Chris confesses to falling asleep in Mass and almost getting caught by his pastor and boss. Addy tells a story about being so bad at Call of Duty that others were embarrassed for her. The crew discusses humility and owning it.

Merry Christmas! In this very Christmasy episode Kory tells us all about the Christmas delicacy of his grandparents - pickled pigs feet. Chris then recalls getting a flat tire after Midnight Mass in front of the Cathedral in downtown St. Paul, MN and the various offers of help he received that Christmas Eve. 

The guys play a round of Storydram roulette. But, alas, somehow the theme music disappeared. Kory is devastated; Chris less so.   Chris has to tell a story about either shower beers or a story about what happened on the way to the store. As much as Chris enjoys a good shower beer, he instead tells a story about a time that he and his son walked to Hy-vee and proceeded to over buy with no good plan...

The guys open by talking about the most wonderful time of the year - McRib season. Kory tells a story about a time he made 6 different fast food restaurant stops in one night. A Progressive dinner or tour of St Cloud Minnesota’s fast food options. The guys comment on treating church like fast food places and shopping around for what we like best at each church. 

Chris and Kory welcome guest Michael Gormley to Storydram. The guys talk to Gomer about cursing on a Catholic podcast before he tells the story of the stop and start proposal of his wife Shannon (who is a saint).  If you’re in a relationship that needs a “what’s next” conversation or if you’ve found the one and just need to talk to them about it, this story is for you.  Check out Gomer's podcasts...

Chris updates Kory on his 21st anniversary date night before he  tells a story about a fender bender where Chris met a very frustrated fellow driver. A bit of honestly and the conversation changed quite a bit. The guys think about the effects of honesty in the spiritual life. 

The guys talk about their lack of daring experience and what kinda of questions people ask on first dates. Kory tells a story about driving around on a frozen lake with a fog so thick they couldn’t find the shore. Chris and kory reflect on trusting in God. 

This week we have a Storydram first. Chris and Kory recently appeared on the podcast Better Preach with Ryan O'Hara, a podcast focused on developing and delivering great Catholic talks. We had a blast with Ryan and are excited to share that episode with you today. Ryan has been speaking to Catholic audiences across the United States for nearly 30 years. Recently, he has pressed into the work of he...

Chris and Kory chat about their mother's weeknight cooking before Chris tells the story of the time he threw a party in highschool. The climax of the story isn't the party or even getting caught, but the punishment imposed by his very hurt parents. What is the purpose of punishment or course correction with our kids? Lots to think about. Parents, if you have impressionable young ones (or even teen...

The guys talk about hoodie sweatshirts, fall weather, what makes things cozy, and just seem to catch up in the open. Then Kory paints a mental picture by telling us all about the time he forgot his towel at the gym. After Chris gets over his immature giggling at Kory's locker room vulnerability, the guys reflect on shame, nakedness, vulnerability, forgiveness, and salvation. This one goes off the...

Guest Fr. John Utech plays Storydram Roulette with Chris and Kory. Passing on telling us about alien cow abductions, Fr. John talks about how honest and vulnerable, sometimes intensely so, people can be with their priest. From intimate information about pregnancy to brutal statements about a priest’s appearance, people share the earnest things with their pastors and church workers. 

Eve Anders shares incredibly good news - she can finally go to Monster Jam in 2025. Then Eve and her roommate Marissa tell us about picking up a very special friend Cha Chi on a late night Taco Bell run. The group thinks about what we are more courageous in groups than alone. 

Guests Marissa Carletta And Eve Anders join the guys to talk sport coats and cardigans. Then the ladies tell us about a bat problem in their house and how they finally solved it. A bit trial and error is needed to discover how God was present in this story but you’ll hear reflections about sin, forgiveness, and community. 

Listen to two rounds of Storydram Roulette recorded live with a group of youth ministers and formations staff from the archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.  Kory tells a story about Chris’s car and Chris tells a story about covid haircuts and suffering. He slaps some wisdom, “I knew the Lord enough to know that he might let me suffer but I didn’t love or trust him enough to say yes to it.” 

As summer 2024 winds down Kory and Chris recall summer jobs from their college years. Kory worked as a parish secretary and Chris was an achieve development consultant. Seriously.  Chris tells a story about his son getting a potty training toilette seat stuck on his neck. Chris had to cut it off his head with a hacksaw. Seriously.  The guys reflect on the idea that curiosity can be a near occasion...

Kory finds out he's an introvert from Alicia. It's an epiphany for their marriage. It turns out we all might know ourselves as well as we think we do. Thankfully God does.

Bishop Michael Izen joins the guys for a very special live recording of the Storydram Podcast.  The guys recorded in front of the Youth Ministers and Faith Formation staff in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.  Have you seen someone do something so out of the ordinary that you made up a reason for it? Chris starts the conversation with a story about watching a guy wash his hands in the s...

Chris savors the joy of opening a new box of 64 crayons at the start of the school year and suggests that opening brand new crayons is an aspect of heaven.  Kory tells a story about a time he drove over 30 minutes just to get Nelson’s ice cream. Insanity. The guys reflect on how true freedom requires growing in knowledge of the truth and choosing of what is true.

Clearly Kory records without Chris’s knowledge and the guys compare base tracks of classic songs like Under Pressure and Ice Ice baby. Chris admits he doesn’t get modern rap.  Chris goes on to apologize to Iowa for claiming it is the most boring state to drive through. On a recent trip with the fam, he encountered a terrible storm which reminded him of a time that his windshield wipers didn’t seem...

Liz Kostelc, Chris’s delightful wife, joins the guys and shares the modern burden of choosing between way too many varieties of a Cheese-It’s and hot sauces. Like the newlywed game Liz quizzes Chris on which variety he would have gotten. It’s marital tension like we’ve never had before on the show.  Then Liz tells a story from their 5th anniversary trip to Napa. Liz was pregnant with their second...

The guys welcome guest Murray Wolf on The Storydram this week.  Chris asks the all important question, “What state is the most boring to drive through?” And two sons of North Dakota  try and defend their homeland.  Murray tells us about a time, as a child, he figured out his dad wasn’t telling the truth. The guys try to figure out if it is ever wrong to not tell the truth.

Chris confesses that the filter between his brain and his mouth gets pretty thin when he is tired. Kory agrees. How do you know someone competes in triathlons? They’ll tell you. But seriously, Kory shares his experience of trying his first triathlon. The guys are reminded that consistency beats intensity most of the time and there is nothing like a good coach in the spiritual life as well.  Also,...

An episode unlike any other. Chris just got back from the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis and couldn’t stop taking about it. As you can imagine he had too many stories to tell just one. Kory and Chris hold a great Catholic conversation about what happened and what might be the outcome of this pivotal event.