This is Your Wake-Up Call || alcoholic, addict, co-dependent, tools and resources for recovery, HOPE

Send us Fan Mail Let’s meet Cat… Abandoned in the middle of the night by his mother, Cat would struggle with abandonment issues and feeling undeserving of love. Consequently, he would fall into the trap of alcohol and drugs at a very early age – becoming addicted to heroin by high school. Fast forward to arrests for 16 felonies and 42 misdemeanors, he would land in jail. But that would hardly be t...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Steve – who, as a child with dyslexia thought he was what he heard others call him – “lazy or stupid”. With a family history of this wretched disease we call alcoholism, the risky behavior began early on. He would go on to hone his technical skills in the Army (thank you for your service, Steve), as well as a host of other things – including exacerbating his addictions, episo...

Send us Fan Mail From the foster care system to street criminal to support his habit, James shares a daunting story of hardened criminal to TRUE RESTORATION! You don't want to miss this riveting story of drugs, felonies, jail and more. With over 200 arrests to his name, James shares of the 'very bad place with very bad people' where he would spend hard time, until an encounter with...

Send us Fan Mail The Ashleigh I know today is a bundle of joy and sunshine - though that's not always been her story. She always considered herself the 'ugly, awkward and odd kid' of 10 kids in her family, and began rebelling and using at an early age.  With a message of 'we don't want you' at early on when she came out of the closet at 16, the story of real madness b...

Send us Fan Mail Meet James. In critical shape in his early 30s, with a diagnosis of cirrhosis of the liver, a short life expectancy and 'incurable' as the diagnosis, James has a MIRACLE story to share - and not just of physical healing, but so much more.  He tells of the duplicitous lifestyle he lived for so long, with one foot in the 'church world' and religion, and the other...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Gina - a radically transformed biker chick who loves Jesus, her family and LIFE! ...because she spent so much of it lost, addicted and so much more.  Gina shares of her 'normal childhood' in a blended family - but with much older siblings who shared drugs with her at such an early age. She would be in and out of relationships/marriages, children, ultimately living t...

Send us Fan Mail Today is part 2 of Andrew's story! We first met Andrew on the April 21, 2025 episode, titled Hell on Earth - A Painful Story of Drugs, Girls, Witchcraft and More . Today we pick up with "the rest of the story". Andrew takes us from where he was at six months of recovery, to today, and the extraordinary story that God continues writing in this redemption story!  Be e...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Anthony, Air Force veteran, who, in his words, didn't want to leave 'cracks' but rather 'craters' for his time on this earth. His work with what he deems the "super ninjas' of the military is an EPIC tale of heroism itself, but the loss he'd endure, leading to the PTSD and his raging alcohol-mixed with pills and more...he had a turning...

Send us Fan Mail I'm excited to introduce you to Mandy - who brings a unique perspective to the conversation today! Mandy has a nursing background of 25 years, and as the wife of a pastor, has homeschooled their two now grown children. And having walked through some of the challenging seasons that mid-life can bring, Mandy now coaches faith-based women who are in similar places in their journ...

Send us Fan Mail Let's meet Pete - Another of my favorite Redemption Stories! I share a special bond with Pedro, as you'll hear that he was a student at 180 Ministries when my son, DJ was initially in the program with him. Like so many, Pete suffered an unthinkable tragedy early on, and dealt with it as so many do - turning to drugs to numb the pain of it all.  It would transpire to wher...

Send us Fan Mail WOW! Today's guest, military Veteran, Mike Smith shares his harrowing story of growing up in a messy family, with an early event he describes as 'scarring me for life'. It brought on the first suicide attempt at 16...and would continue to unravel for years.  Once in the Air Force with an option to work for NASA, things were good - until they weren't. Kicked out...

Send us Fan Mail The devastatingly difficult story from childhood and beyond. John's story is laden with difficulties - and HOPE! He speaks of the insanity of growing up in a low-income area on the south side of London, rife with abuse, alcoholism and so much more.  By age 11, he no longer wanted to be alive and attempted taking his own life.  Gratefully, he was unsuccessful, but the trauma w...

Send us Fan Mail You'll LOVE the story Kathy Grace shares as she knows FULL WELL who her identify is now - tho she walked in a different understanding for years. With an abusive father and timid mother, she saw/believed that 'emotions are bad' and 'I can be replaced'.  She shares knowing about God early on, but never having a relationship . And with the messaging she recei...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Jason - a well-mannered, clean-cut guy with a crazy story! Aren't they all?! I'm so grateful to have met Jason when my son was first in the Men's Center program at 180 Ministries. He was serving on staff as the Disciplinarian at that time - which brought its own unique challenges and opportunities.  And yet, ' once isn't enough ' when it comes to...

Send us Fan Mail There are some stories that are so incredible - they MUST be shared with the world! And Ashley's story is just that. She is not only a survivor but now THRIVING in her story of recovery and redemption. Ashley spent much of her life being the 'invisible one', mistreated and abused, frequently placed in really harmful situations as a child. She would be the caretaker...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Jonathan and Michelle - amazing couple who just celebrated their 17h wedding anniversary as I upload this episode! You'll enjoy hearing the journey of Jonathan, who grew up in my hometown of Billings, MT, where it wasn't uncommon for the adults in our world to drink - and for many of us to think that was 'normal' - whether that meant a destructive lifestyl...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Joe - with a harrowing story of addiction, suicide attempts, and no idea of his identity, Joe shares some explicit parts of his journey. As such, you'll hear me add a word of CAUTION in my opening dialogue - to listen at your own risk. Parts of his testimony were difficult for me to hear, and yet stories of heroine abound, as do trap houses and rescuing children and wome...

Send us Fan Mail Today's guest is Amber Hollingsworth - professional addiction counselor and so much more! She shares how, ironically, while her family of origin was laden with this insidious disease, she didn't get into her profession as a result of that!  Her experience runs deep, as her profession is helping both addicts and their loved ones and family members navigate the best possib...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Vanessa! Her story is one for the co-dependents among us. Vanessa recalls a rather ideal childhood, yet now knows it was the caring big sister who 'shielded' her from so many of the realities that she wouldn't come to learn about until her middle school/high school years. Her father was a high-functioning, high-producing alcoholic who maintained such a solid im...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Char'Dae, PhD candidate with an extraordinary background! Her mantra, 'it's never too late' is such an allegory of OVERCOMING! Feeling so very different at the earliest age, Char'Dae credits her Grandfather with the message to her young heart that said, "Just be you".  Ever sensing she wasn't 'enough', she went to the counseli...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Richard - aka, The Drinking Machine! Early on there was what he describes as 'the accident that changed everything'. That would trigger his own story in a family line filled with alcoholics. Climbing the 'success ladder' to epic levels of financial success, Richard shares of how each move, the drinking would increase, cocaine would become a new norm, and t...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Susan - Mom to Andrew from our last episode! This mother shares the good, the bad, and the ugly of this disease through the lens of a parent. As a military family, there were ample moves along the way, and somehow that saying, "Birds of a feather, flock together" rings true in this story.  At one point along the way, she shares the fearful dark side of the near-fata...

Send us Fan Mail Andrew describes his journey of addiction in the title of today's episode. At one point he knew he was 'at death's gate' with a pit of emptiness that was eroding his very life.  But it hadn't always been that way, and thankfully, that's hardly the end of the story. Andrew grew up in a beautiful, loving family and enjoyed a great life, as he describes...

Send us Fan Mail Meet Jade & Kyle. High school sweethearts with a journey like so many of ours. Or is it? If you are needing some HOPE, this is your episode! Their 'backstory' incorporates so much what many of us know or have experienced for ourselves - the deception that runs rampant within this horrific family disease. Yet with GOOD NEWS abounding, the radical detours this couple w...

Send us Fan Mail Just WOW! Meeting Jennifer was such a treat for me - and I trust it will be for you, as well! Not only does she have a phenomenal story, but how she and her husband are now helping others in the most remarkable way! It's just another amazing story of Redemption! Growing up in Miami and with her parents splitting up in her early years, Jennifer was hit with a LOT of trauma ear...