Halfway There

124: Chris Staron Calls a Truce on the Culture War

Chris Staron is a film-maker and podcaster who has one of the best shows out there that you’ve never heard. It’s called Truce and his mission is to call a truce to the culture wars. Today, Chris shares his journey of fighting for his faith in college and being financially challenged while making his movies. He reminds us about the value of being hard to offend and quick to love. His journey hasn’t been easy and he’s dealt with the realities of the film business and the anxiety that goes with it. Now, Chris is creating a conversation that will change how you think about culture, politics, and faith.
Listen to Chris’s story now!
Stories Chris shared:
Why he started his podcast Truce
Growing up in Ohio in a Christian family
Giving his life to Christ as a 10 year old at a play
How his faith was tested in college
Why he switched from being “a bit of a Pharisee” to “hard to offend”
How he got into film making
Making connections in the film industry and his movies
The importance of gratitude in his journey
Moving to Wyoming after dealing with anxiety about funding his films
Great quotes from Chris:
It’s important to be hard to offend.
The main thing is to always be grateful.
[Jesus] came to die on a cross, so who am I to think my whole life is going to be roses?
Resources Chris mentioned:
Cradle Robber by Chis Staron
Bringing Up Bobby film
Between the Walls film
Chris’s highly recommended podcast Truce
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123: Kristi Kennedy and Love for All People

Kristi Kennedy, Co-Founder/CEO of Bee Friendly Network she is a PhD Candidate in Medical Research, a widow by circumstance and mother to five, all are survivors of bullying and abuse. Today, she shares about fully accepting her faith and founding her company to help fix the problems she saw in the world. As she was growing up she wrestled with a question that prevented her from diving deeper into her faith. All of us have our questions that we just can’t find the answer to but her story is an encouragement that questions, and needs, do receive answers.
Listen to her story now!
Stories Kristi shared:
Founding the Bee Friendly Network
Growing up in Detroit and the way segregation in the suburbs shaped her
The one spiritual question that haunted her from the time she was young
Getting a call from Anne Kennedy (D. James Kennedy’s wife) who answered her burning question
The Christlike example of the Kennedy’s
Beginning to serve as a prayer partner
Becoming a “widow by circumstance”
The amazing ways God provided for her family
Being bullied in kindergarten
Why she started Bee Friendly
The impact of Bee Friendly
Great quotes from Kristi:
No matter how bad things are, there’s always a way you can give to somebody.
There is no obstacle too big for God.
Resources Kristi mentioned:
Kristi’s website, Bee Friendly
Kristi’s family website, Bee Friendly Family
Connect with Kristi on Facebook
Evangelism Explosion 4th Edition by D. James Kennedy
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122: Pheyland and Natalie Barthen Trusting God Through Uncertainty

Pheyland and Natalie Barthen are musicians, worship leaders, and evangelists. Today they share how they learned to trust God in even the most uncertain circumstances.  Pheyland and Natalie reached rock bottom financially when God picked them back up and provided for them in unexpected ways. Their story will inspire you to place your trust completely in God and allow him to take care of you on your journey. Now, they are on a journey pressing into the calling God has for them.
Listen to Pheyland and Natalie’s stories now!
Stories Pheyland & Natalie shared:
Starting a ministry together in 2001
The Lord providing for their family
Natalie growing up as a pastor’s kid being at church all the time
The moment the Holy Spirit grabbed Natalie’s heart in church after a night of drinking
Pheyland giving his life to the Lord at the altar at seven years old
Being filled with the Holy Spirit at a church camp
Learning about how to depend on the Lord in the past year
Pheyland working a full-time job and the misery of it
Trusting God with their finances during a job crisis
When their pastor took an offering just for them
The acorn story
Great quotes from Pheyland & Natalie:
We really didn’t have a choice but to lock onto God with everything we had.
It just let me know that God hadn’t forgotten about me.
Resources mentioned by Pheyland & Natalie:
Pheyland & Natalie’s YouTube channel
Pheyland & Natalie’s Facebook
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121: Daniel Gomez and the Ride Home

Daniel Gomez is a coach, author, and speaker. Today, he shares his story of coming to know God, drifting away from him during his career, then being brought back through his wife’s illness. His struggle between balancing his career with his life with his family and relationship with God is relatable to all of us in our work centered world. God used many people to show him that he had wandered away. His story pushes us to look into our own lives and see if we really are being the people God made us to be.
Listen to Daniel’s story now!
Stories Daniel shared:
Why he wrote his book You Were Made to Fly
Giving his life to Christ as his dad suffered with cancer
Finding a mentor to help him grow in Christ
Why picking up trash is a spiritual discipline for him
How a corporate career led his heart away from God
The prayer that gave him a new heart
His conversation with his son that led him to see he had changed
The restoration he feels from the Lord
How he became a speaker and coach
Great quotes from Daniel:
I really didn’t even know what I was going to write I just knew that God put it on my heart to do something.
I’ve been a big crybaby a lot this year.
There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus.
God is running to where you’re at right now to meet you because he loves you.
Resources Daniel mentioned (some links are Amazon affiliate links that send me a small commission when you use them):
You Were Born To Fly: Be Original, Be The Best YOU by Daniel Gomez
Think and Grow Rich: The Original, an Official Publication of The Napoleon Hill Foundation by Napoleon Hill
Different by Micah Taylor
Daniel’s Website: Daniel Gomez Speaker
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120: Art Costello and Managing Expectations

Art Costello is the creator of Expectations Therapy. Today he shares about how God led him throughout his life both through loneliness, the war in Vietnam and the loss of his wife. His unique experiences of talking with God became a vital part of his prosperity and success in his life. You will find Art’s stories relatable and his method of understanding your expectations invaluable.
Listen to Art’s story now!
Stories Art shared:
Teaching people to manage their expectations.
Moving to a rural area as a child and the loneliness that brought
The hill where he spoke to God as a child and the extraordinary experience he had there
Using his intuition to stay safe in Vietnam
The amazing pastors who discipled him
The health diagnosis for his wife that shattered his charmed life
The tailspin he went into after his wife died
How he received the message of expectations matter
Our roles as humans
The steps of expectation therapy
Be faithful.
Great quotes from Art:
God planted the seed of expectation in every man, woman, and child. It’s up to us to manage them.
Everything in God’s world is a process.
Once you surrender and believe and have faith, boy, you’re life will go where God intends it to go.
Resources we mentioned:
Art’s website, Expectation Therapy
Art’s Instagram profile
Art’s course, Expectation Therapy
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119: Penni Zelinkoff and Releasing Not Good Enough

Penni Zelinkoff is a speaker, podcast host, and coach helping people overcome not feeling good enough.  Today, Penni discusses discovering how she connects to God and recognizing that she was loved just as she was and is. Drifting away from the lord led her closer to him and aided her in accepting that God doesn’t want to see her dressed up to see him. Penni also shares her powerful strategy for releasing feelings of being not good enough.
Listen to Penni’s story now!
Stories Penni shared:
The decision she made to take her life back and discovered her purpose
Growing up in Hawaii in the Lutheran church
How questions without answers led her to a Bible study
The dream that changed her life
Learning to listen to the inner voice of the Lord
Her morning routine that keeps her grounded
The importance of gratitude journaling
Growing away from the Lord
Deciding to go back to church and being seen by the church and God
Living in her purpose by motivating others through mentoring and podcasting
Overcoming the feeling of “not good enough”
The “Stop, Drop, & Roll” strategy to overcome feeling not good enough
Great quotes from Penni:
What can I do today that will make me proud to put it in my gratitude journal?
When I don’t have the Lord in my life it become emotionally, spiritually, physically chaotic.
When I am the best version of myself, I have had faith in my life.
You can’t out give the system so how can I give to the system?
Resources we mentioned:
Penni’s podcast The Penni Z Show
Lead Like Jesus Revisited by Ken Blanchard
Penni’s website
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118: Tracy Higley and Overcoming Overwhelm

Tracy Higley is a writer, serial entrepreneur, and mom with a passion for helping women become unstuck in life. Today Tracy shares stories about owning her faith, losing a child and facing the fact that she was addicted to getting things done. In a world focused on constant productivity her story resonates with us all during the busy season surrounding Christmas. She was driven to the end of herself before she was able to realize she didn’t have to do it all. Her story will inspire you to ask important questions about what you truly want during this season and your life.
Listen to Tracy’s story now!
Stories Tracy shared:
Running on dual tracks as an author and business person
The moments when her faith became her own
Becoming a “classic overachiever” in high school
Not feeling valuable unless she was doing something for the Lord
Learning to get still and observe the Sabbath
How losing a child and a pregnancy changed her parenting
How she felt when God didn’t seem to be holding up his end of the deal
The Christmas Eve when she realized she was burned out
Realizing she was addicted to getting things done
Throwing away her to-do lists and trusting God to remind her
The questions we should ask ourselves
Great quotes from Tracy:
How much of this Christian life is really performance based?
What is there nothing I can do to have things go my way?
We early on learned that our kids belong to God.
Resources we mentioned:
Tracy’s website
Tracy’s course: Impactivity
The Critical Journey, Stages in the Life of Faith, Second Edition
Impactivity: What if you’re working hard on all the wrong things?
Tracy’s Impactivity podcast
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117: Aaron Walker from the Valley to the Mountaintop

Aaron Walker is a life and business coach, author, and mastermind facilitator. Aaron has been successful all his life with business all over Nashville. From the outside, it appeared he had everything together. He did all the right things like going to church, reading his Bible, and praying every day. His life took a dramatic turn on August 1, 2001 when his car struck a pedestrian sending him into a five year dark night of the soul. Aaron opens up about the darkness of that period and the way it deepened his relationship with the Lord. Today, Aaron mentors men through mastermind groups and coaching, a significant impact he may never have reached without going through that difficult experience.
Listen to Aaron’ story now!
Stories Aaron shared:
Growing up in a Christian family in Tennessee
Giving his heart to Christ at a revival in 1970
How his life changed when he hit a pedestrian in his car on August 1, 2001
What his life was like before the accident
Why he was angry going through the dark night
How he learned prayer is not just asking God for things
Learning to memorize Scripture in his morning routine
How he ended up in a mastermind with Dave Ramsey
How he helps people with Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind Groups
Great quotes from Aaron:
There’s no way I would wish that on my worst enemy, yet I wouldn’t take anything for it because it pointed me in the right direction.
If you have total clarity you don’t need faith.
I want to give my life to something bigger than me.
Isolation is the enemy to excellence.
Resources Aaron mentioned:
Aaron’s website View From the Top
Apply to join Aaron’s mastermind
View From the Top: Living a Life of Significance by Aaron Walker
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