Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

Welcome to Episode 21 of “Stories & Other Things Holy.”
In this episode, Joshua Minden introduces a powerful reflection drawn from the Gospel of Luke—the story of Jesus’s temptation in the desert—inviting us to question the labels we’ve internalized from our past. Terry Nelson-Johnson then shares an intimate story about a conversation with his mother—a moment when makeup, memories, and vulnerability converge to remind us that even when familiar parts of our identity seem lost, we remain held by an unwavering source of love.

Join us as we explore:
• How moments of struggle can trigger a renewal of self
• The interplay between vulnerability, love, and self-worth
• The spiritual invitation to “remember who you are” even amid chaos

[0:00] – Opening: Connecting the Gospel & Personal Story
[1:56] – The Paradox of Beauty & Vulnerability
[3:09] – A Tender Conversation with Mom
[4:16] – Reclaiming Precious Identity
[5:20] – Healing Through Love: A Night of Care
[7:46] – Closing & Community Invitation

Subscribe and hit the bell icon for more transformative stories. For further reflections and resources, visit our website and sign up for our newsletter.

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly

Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

Welcome to Episode 20 of Stories & Other Things Holy – a heartfelt Lenten reflection that invites you to explore the transformative power of letting go. In this episode, host Joshua Minden and principal storyteller Terry Nelson-Johnson share a personal and unexpected journey: while visiting Star Rock in central Illinois, Terry experiences a life-changing massage that not only eased his physical tension but also became a metaphor for releasing the familiar pains we carry.

Through candid storytelling and gentle humor, Terry reveals how a former steel mill worker turned massage therapist encouraged him to “breathe into” his pain and surrender it, leaving him transformed. This reflection ties in timeless gospel themes of healing and renewal, challenging us to face our discomforts so that we may experience liberation and spiritual growth.

[00:00] Introduction & Lenten Reflection Overview
[00:15] Theme: Embracing Vulnerability & Letting Go
[01:32] Terry’s Introduction: The Massage Experience
[02:35] Memory & Connection: Star Rock & Childhood
[03:41] Meeting John: An Unexpected Encounter
[04:29] The Turning Point: Choosing to Embrace Change
[05:36] Facing the Pain: A Transformative Massage
[07:06] Release & Renewal: Breathe Into the Pain
[08:37] Call to Action: Embrace Nature & Healing
[09:03] Closing & Invitation

If you’re on a quest for healing and renewal this Lent, join us on this journey of vulnerability and transformation.

• Sign up for our weekly reflections, prayer prompts, and grace exercises at: StoriesandOtherThingsHoly.com
• Please like, subscribe, and share this video to help spread the invitation to heal and transform.
• Leave a comment below sharing how you let go of your pain.
• Consider becoming a supporting member on Buy Me a Coffee

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly

Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

Welcome to Episode 19 of Stories & Other Things Holy! This week, host Joshua Minden and principal storyteller Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson bring you a heart-stirring tale about a once-vicious dog who finally trusts enough to be loved. Using this unlikely story of healing and connection, we dive into deeper questions of spirituality, grace, and the choice to let go of isolation.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

• Why vulnerability can be the key to true freedom
• How “hell” can be anything that keeps us from belonging or intimacy
• What it means to let someone—and God—“love the hell” out of us
• Biblical parallels to Lazarus and the significance of “rolling away the stone”
• Practical ways to risk being loved in our daily lives

Key Moments:

• [00:02] Joshua’s introduction to the power of stories and the question: “Have you ever felt like an unlikely candidate to be loved?”
• [01:43] Terry’s anniversary trip story: discovering a dog with a remarkable healing journey
• [06:52] “He let me love the hell out of him” – the line that reframes everything
• [10:08] Connections to other stories of healing and touch
• [14:06] Exploring Lazarus’s story: unbinding ourselves from what keeps us isolated

Resources & Next Steps:

• Sign up for our weekly newsletter at StoriesAndOtherThingsHoly.com for reflections and “gracercises” that help deepen your spiritual journey.
• If you found this episode meaningful, please like, share, and subscribe to our channel for more stories and spiritual insights.
• Join the conversation in the comments: What would it look like for you to let love break through your toughest barriers?
• Consider becoming a supporting member on Buy Me a Coffee

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly

Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

In this heartfelt episode, Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson shares a story about his seven-year-old son’s daring bobsled-style adventure—sliding down the stairs on a comforter. When play turns painful, Terry witnesses an unexpected moment of resilience that changes his perspective on risk, love, and how we grow from life’s inevitable bumps and bruises.

What You’ll Hear in This Episode:

• A comical yet moving account of a child’s unstoppable spirit
• How playful risk can reveal deeper truths about creativity and pain
• Insights on why love naturally “creates life” and “absorbs pain”
• Reflections on turning everyday moments into profound spiritual lessons

If you’ve ever questioned how to balance risk, care, and genuine love in your life—or if you just need a reminder of how a child’s perspective can transform your own—this conversation is for you.

Join the Discussion:

• Subscribe for weekly episodes
• Share your thoughts or a related story in the comments below
• Visit StoriesAndOtherThingsHoly.com to sign up for our newsletter and receive weekly reflections and prayer prompts

Support the Podcast:

• Consider becoming a supporting member on Buy Me a Coffee
• Help us reach more listeners by liking, sharing, and leaving a review

Hashtags & Keywords:
#StoriesAndOtherThingsHoly #ParentingWisdom #RiskAndReward #SpiritualReflections #LoveCreatesLife #AbsorbPain #SpiritualParenting #FaithJourney #FamilyLifeLessons #TerryNelsonJohnson #HomilyInspiration #ChristianPodcast

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly

Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

Welcome to Episode 17 of Stories & Other Things Holy! In this heartfelt installment, Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson recounts an intimate story centered around his daughter Claire and a pivotal moment of vulnerability in his family. When faced with unexpected challenges—from a family crisis to the tender aftermath of loss—Terry discovers that our destiny is to be held. He explains how being embraced in our most fragile moments transforms shame into humility, isolation into communal healing, and pain into a path toward liberation.

Key themes include:
• The transformative power of a compassionate embrace
• The distinction between humiliation and being humbled
• How vulnerability leads to spiritual healing and renewal
• The importance of holding one another in both human and divine relationships

Join us on this journey of healing, grace, and renewal. If this episode resonates with you, please subscribe, share your thoughts in the comments, and consider joining our email newsletter for more reflections and grace-ercises.

Visit our website: https://storiesandotherthingsholy.com/
Support us on Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/otherthingsholy

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly

Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

📖 Humiliation or Humility? The Wisdom of Falling | Stories & Other Things Holy 🎙️

What happens when we fall—physically, emotionally, or spiritually? In this episode, Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson shares a poignant story about his mentor, Silky, a man who exuded grace and confidence, and how one unexpected moment changed his perspective on humility, vulnerability, and grace.

Terry and Joshua explore the profound distinction between humiliation and humility and how falling is not just a human experience, but a divine one—seen even in the life of Jesus. This conversation invites us to rethink our relationship with failure, embarrassment, and the moments when we are brought back to the ground.

✨ Key Takeaways:
✔️ The difference between humiliation and humility
✔️ How vulnerability can unite us rather than isolate us
✔️ Why falling is an essential part of the spiritual journey
✔️ How grace meets us in our most humbling moments

🙏 Join us in this powerful reflection and share your thoughts in the comments!

🔔 Subscribe & Support the Podcast:
✔️ Subscribe for weekly reflections & stories: https://storiesandotherthingsholy.com/
✔️ Support the podcast & our work on Buy Me A Coffee

#FaithAndHumility #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianReflection #Vulnerability #GraceInEverydayLife #HumilityVsHumiliation #FaithPodcast #StoriesAndOtherThingsHoly

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly

Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

The Trustworthiness of Pain | Stories & Other Things Holy

In this episode, Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson and host Joshua Minden delve into the paradoxical relationship between pain, suffering, and healing. Through a humorous yet poignant story about physical therapy and a profound insight from Terry's son, the conversation explores how pain can be redemptive and lead us to new life when contextualized within love and trust.

Reflecting on the Paschal Mystery, they discuss Good Friday moments in life that call us to let go, surrender, and trust in the promise of Easter. This episode invites you to reimagine pain not as something to avoid but as part of the journey toward renewal and transformation.

In this episode:

• A father's journey through physical therapy
• An unexpected lesson from a son in recovery
• Understanding the relationship between pain and healing
• How suffering can lead to transformation
• Finding trust in life's challenging moments

Featured Storyteller: Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson
Host: Joshua Minden

Chapters:
0:00 - Introduction
2:09 - The Story of Painful Physical Therapy
5:26 - Trusting Pain and Its Meaning
12:59 - Good Friday Moments: Letting Go and Surrender
16:29 - Jesus’ Suffering and the Authority of Pain
18:54 - Love and Life Contextualize Pain

Connect with us: Website: StoriesAndOtherThingsHoly.com Email: connect@otherthingsholy.com

Support the show: Buy Me A Coffee

🎧 New episodes every week!

#StoriesAndOtherThingsHoly #Healing #Spirituality #PersonalGrowth #Faith

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly

Send Terry and Joshua a text using this link.

Welcome to this week’s episode of Stories and Other Things Holy!

Have you ever wondered what it really means to take a leap of faith? Dr. Terry Nelson-Johnson shares a joyful and tender story about a trapeze experience that illustrates how trust, hope, and risk are all part of living a life of faith. Through reflections on Jesus’ ultimate leap of trust, we’re invited to let go of our fears and take the risk of saying yes to God’s transformative love.

🌟 Key Themes:

• The vulnerability of taking a leap of faith
• Jesus’ decision to leap into the resurrection
• How trust and risk are connected to God’s invitation
• Cooperating with God’s transformative power in our lives

🎧 Watch or listen to experience the laughter, reflection, and spiritual insights!

📍 Don’t forget to subscribe for more stories that challenge, inspire, and heal.

🔗 Related Links:

• Sign up for our newsletter: https://storiesandotherthingsholy.com/
• Become a supporting member with Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/otherthingsholy

#LeapOfFaith #StoriesAndOtherThingsHoly #FaithAndTrust #SpiritualJourney #ChristianReflection #TrustGod #Resurrection #HolyMystery

Support the show

📱 Follow us:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/otherthingsholy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otherthingsholy
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@otherthingsholy
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/otherthingsholy
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OtherThingsHoly