Unspoken Lives Podcast

This episode discusses domestic abuse. Listener discretion is advised.

In this episode of Unspoken Lives, Natalie Mika shares a chapter of her life she kept hidden for years.

From the outside, life looked normal. She was raising her son, working, and showing up every day like everything was fine. But behind closed doors, Natalie was living through an abusive relationship that slowly escalated from emotional and verbal abuse into some...

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of child loss and grief.

After a medical crisis that began just minutes after her son’s birth, Susan and her husband faced months of uncertainty that would ultimately lead to profound loss.

In this episode, we move beyond the hospital room and into the long and often unseen road of grief.

Susan reflects on what it meant to return home and continue living while carrying heartbreak. She ...

Content warning: This episode contains discussion of infant medical trauma and child loss.

At 20 weeks pregnant, Susan and her husband learned their baby boy had a serious heart defect. They were given a plan and a path forward. Surgery would take place shortly after birth, and while the diagnosis was overwhelming, there was direction and preparation.

What they could not foresee was how quickly that path would change.

Just 45 minutes ...

Content note: This episode includes discussion of infertility and miscarriage. Please listen with care if this topic is tender for you.

In Part 2 of this conversation, Shelley shares what happened beneath the surface. The grief. The anger. The wrestling with faith. The questions she never imagined asking.

After years of infertility and pregnancy loss, Shelley reached a point where the pain felt consuming. In this episode, she speaks ...

Gentle Content Note: This episode includes discussion of infertility, miscarriage, and pregnancy loss. If this topic is tender for you, please listen with care.

Shelley never imagined infertility would become one of the defining chapters of her life. What began as hope for a growing family turned into years of trying to conceive, fertility treatments, miscarriage, and emotional heartbreak. In part one of this conversation, she share...

In part two of Laura Thielemann’s story, the conversation continues into career, leadership, and the values that have guided her forward.

Laura shares how she built a successful career in healthcare administration through determination, consistency, and a belief that if she committed fully, she would find a way forward. She reflects on how her mindset, rooted in perseverance and self-belief, shaped her professional growth even when ...

Laura Thielemann was born and raised in Lima, Peru, where she spent much of her childhood being raised by her grandparents while her mother worked in the United States to build a future for their family. It was a childhood rooted in love, tradition, and the steady presence of family who helped shape Laura’s sense of belonging.

At twelve years old, Laura moved to the U.S. and reunited with her mother after years apart. She entered a ...

In part two of Brandon’s story, he returns to share the pieces he wasn’t ready to say out loud the first time we talked.

After living a fast, dangerous life shaped by drugs, violence, loyalty, and loss, Brandon reflects on the moments that followed. The realities of prison, the people he lost along the way, and what it looks like to rebuild life at a slower pace after everything he once knew came to a stop.

This conversation goes dee...

Brandon grew up learning how to survive early, navigating life largely on his own. What followed was a fast, dangerous world shaped by anger, loyalty, money, and choices made long before he understood their weight.

That path eventually led him to prison, a place Brandon now reflects on as the moment his life was forced to slow down and, in many ways, the reason he is still here today.

In part one of Brandon’s story, he shares what li...

Life does not always go the way we plan, and sometimes the challenges we face feel bigger than we can handle. In Part 2 of Angela Taylor’s story, she dives deeper into the valleys of life, sharing moments of doubt, heartbreak, and the struggle to balance personal faith with the pressures of parenthood and work.

Angela opens up about navigating difficult seasons, from professional setbacks to the emotional weight of raising a family ...

Faith isn’t always easy. Sometimes it is tested in ways that leave you questioning everything you thought you knew about life, God, and yourself. In this powerful conversation, Angela Taylor opens up about the valleys she has faced, moments of heartbreak, the challenge of managing family life on a tight budget, and feeling powerless in the midst of it all.

As she navigates the highs and lows of her business and the demands of parent...

This week’s episode is a short holiday message and a moment of gratitude.

With the season being so full, I’m taking a brief pause from guest stories to make sure every story receives the focused attention it deserves. Instead, I wanted to share a simple reflection on connection, the unexpected conversations this podcast has already opened up, and three small ways we can stay connected during a busy week.

This episode is an invitation...

Breast cancer didn’t just change Emily Crowder’s body. It changed how she listens to it, cares for it, and teaches her children to do the same.

In Part 2 of Emily’s story, she opens up about healing after breast cancer and the deeper transformation that followed. From rebuilding her relationship with her body to navigating fear in the quiet hours of the night, Emily shares how faith, community, and intentional lifestyle changes help...

Emily never expected to hear the words “you have breast cancer,” especially after a year of screenings that offered more questions than clarity. In this emotional Part 1, she shares the moment that changed everything and the confusing road that led there. She opens up about navigating repeated callbacks, the uncertainty that followed, and the strength it took to keep asking for answers.

Her story is honest, hopeful, and full of cour...

Finding Strength, Perspective, and Healing 

In Part 2 of Ty Samples’ story, he continues to share the unspoken moments of his childhood that shaped the man he is today. Ty reflects on the moments of fear, courage, and resilience that taught him how to protect those he loves and to take control of his own life. He opens up about the lessons he learned through trauma, the importance of leaning on family, friends, and faith, and how he...

Stories That Shaped a Childhood 

Ty Samples courageously shares the untold story of his childhood, revealing the experiences that shaped him. His early years included fear, abuse, and family secrets, yet he was also surrounded by love and protective instincts from those closest to him.

This is a story that is rarely spoken and one that takes incredible strength to share. In this episode, Ty reflects on the challenges he faced growing...

Faith isn’t just tested in the moment of crisis—it grows through the seasons that follow. In Part 2 of this two-part series, Pastor Randy Youngblood opens up about the ongoing battles and revelations after his oral cancer diagnosis.

Randy reflects on the moments of fear, pain, and spiritual challenge that came in the months following treatment. He shares how he navigated setbacks, the physical and emotional toll of treatment, and th...

What happens when the very thing you rely on to fulfill your purpose is suddenly at risk? For Pastor Randy Youngblood, oral cancer threatened not only his life but the voice he uses every weekend to teach and inspire.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Kelsey sits down with her lifelong family friend to hear about his journey—the fear, uncertainty, and faith it took to face the impossible.

• Randy recounts the shock of his di...

Content warning: This episode discusses pregnancy loss, substance use and a near-death experience. Listener discretion is advised.

Americle’s journey continues as she shares the challenges she faced as a teen, her time in foster care, the consequences of tough choices, and the life-changing accident that tested her faith and resilience. Through every trial, she discovered strength, hope, and a deeper connection to God. Her story is ...