BeTempered

dschmidt5
  • 4.9 (28)
  • Christianity
  • Weekly

Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith. BeTempered is about real people having honest conversations about the moments that have shaped their lives. Each week, we sit down with guests willing to share the good, the hard, and everything in between.  We talk openly about addiction, recovery, loss, trauma, mental health, relationships, leadership, faith, purpose, and what it takes to keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan. At the heart of BeTempered is the belief that our struggles don't have to be wasted.  Through honest conversations and resilient faith, we explore how God can meet us in the hardest seasons of our lives and use what we've been through to strengthen us, shape our purpose, and help someone else. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have a perfect story.  Sometimes hearing what someone else has walked through is exactly what you need to realize you're not alone. New episodes every Friday. BeTempered — Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith.

  1. 5d ago

    BeTempered Episode 129 - The Coaches, Losses, and Lessons That Shaped Him with Dan Schmidt

    At 25 years old, Dan Schmidt was engaged and trying to buy a glass company he barely understood. He knew how to work and was willing to take the risk. Then the bank told him no. Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr sit down for a closer look at the experiences that shaped Dan, from growing up on a farm in rural Ohio to the coaches, painful losses, and uncomfortable lessons that followed him into adulthood. Dan shares the reality of college football at the University of Dayton, including the grind of camp and the frustration of traveling with the team without getting on the field. Those lessons carry into business ownership, where showing up means making decisions that affect employees and their families. Dan talks about learning to lead, why “people are the problem and people are the solution,” and how marriage and faith help anchor him when the responsibility gets heavy. The conversation also gets into COVID uncertainty, health scares, and the discipline reset Dan found through 75 Hard. He shares why discipline is a skill you practice, how small daily decisions compound, and why shortcuts don’t create lasting change. We also talk about bringing BeTempered into schools, what we’re learning when students open up, and why compassion and resilience deserve attention long before someone reaches a breaking point. If you’re carrying responsibility, working through rejection, or trying to get yourself back on track, this conversation gives you plenty to think about. Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs it, and leave a review. Please keep the BeTempered mission and the students we serve in your prayers. Learn more and donate: https://betempered.com Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  2. Oct 23

    BeTempered Episode 128 - Faith After a 10-Year Prison Sentence with Amy Hicks

    She kept working. She stayed involved in her community. From the outside, Amy Hicks looked like she was doing fine. In private, she was hiding a meth addiction that stretched across decades. In BeTempered Episode 128, hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr talk with Amy about the life people saw, the addiction they didn’t, and what happened when she could no longer keep the two separate. Growing up on a farm in rural Indiana, Amy had a strong church background and a deep desire to belong. She shares how alcohol, cocaine, and eventually meth became part of her story, even as she continued meeting the responsibilities that made her life appear stable. Behind that appearance, addiction was taking a toll on her marriage, parenting, and relationships. An arrest brought the private struggle into public view. Facing jail and overwhelming shame, Amy entered long-term, faith-based treatment at House of Ruth. There, she began learning how to be honest, accept unconditional love, and build a relationship with Jesus that went deeper than the traditions she had grown up with. Then came a 10-year prison sentence. Amy opens up about the doubt, grief, and despair that followed, and the surrender that changed how she approached her time behind bars. Through faith-based programs and a Bible Reading Marathon she organized inside prison, she found opportunities to serve other women, including some who had never opened a Bible. We also talk about the work that continues after release: serving as a recovery leader, building support groups, pursuing expungement, and setting boundaries so helping others doesn’t become burnout. This is an honest conversation about hidden addiction, public consequences, faith, and rebuilding a life. For anyone struggling in silence or trying to understand someone who is, Amy’s story offers a reason to keep going. Subscribe to BeTempered, share this episode with someone who needs hope, and leave a review with the part of Amy’s story that stayed with you. Learn more: https://betempered.com Join the BeTempered community and support the show: https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  3. Oct 16

    BeTempered Episode 127 - Breaking the Silence, Rebuilding Families with Sharon Cranfill

    One bad decision at 12. Eight rehabs during a marriage. A Christmas night that left children crying in the corner. Sharon Cranfill shares the experiences that shaped her recovery and eventually led her to create a place where other women could begin again. Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt welcome Sharon, founder and executive director of House of Ruth in Connersville, Indiana, for an honest conversation about addiction, faith, family, and the daily work of rebuilding a life. Through its Christian residential recovery program, House of Ruth helps women pursue sobriety, find stability, and work toward reconnecting with their families. Sharon opens up about the role faith played in her own sobriety and how that experience shapes the way she leads. Together, they explore how poverty, trauma, and generational addiction affect families, why shame keeps people silent, and what it means to offer love and accountability to someone who may not share your beliefs. They also get into the structure behind the mission. Sharon explains the program’s 18-month commitment, why residents don’t work at first, and the reasoning behind nine months without a cell phone. She discusses referrals from families, jails, prisons, attorneys, and detox centers, along with how Recovery Works funding can help cover the first three months for eligible residents. There are stories of second chances, including one woman’s journey through prison toward purpose. There are also difficult conversations about relapse, mental illness, and the heartbreak of caring for someone whose recovery you cannot control. Sharon speaks candidly about both the hope and the limits of helping. For anyone navigating addiction, loving someone who is struggling, or wondering whether their past has disqualified them from a meaningful future, this conversation offers a reason to keep going. Subscribe to BeTempered, share this episode with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. Learn more: https://betempered.com Join the BeTempered community: https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  4. Oct 9

    BeTempered Episode 126 - Showing Up & Showing Out Through Cancer Treatment with Brandon Van Matre

    Brandon Van Matre thought he had a lingering cough. Then he woke up in the middle of the night spitting up blood. What followed was a diagnosis that changed everything: stage 3 classic Hodgkin lymphoma. Brandon joins Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt to share his journey from small-town Indiana sports kid to husband, father, and strength and conditioning coach, and what happened when cancer became part of that story. He opens up about the warning signs he brushed off, the mental weight of waiting on biopsies, and the moment he decided he wasn’t going to live in denial. We talk about going through chemotherapy while continuing to show up for his family and students, the routines that helped him stay grounded, and why “control the controllables” became more than something he said in the weight room. Brandon also shares how community support and prayer helped him through uncertainty, and how faith moved from the background of his life into his daily routine. During his final 75 days of chemotherapy, Brandon completed 75 Hard. He walks us through his decision to take on the challenge, how he structured the daily commitments, and what he learned about discipline during treatment. With so much outside his control, those routines gave him something concrete to focus on. This is an honest conversation about cancer, fatherhood, faith, and finding purpose when life changes without warning. It’s also about the people who show up and what it means to let them help. Subscribe, share this conversation with someone who needs encouragement, and leave a review. What’s one hard thing you’re committing to next? Watch or listen: https://betempered.com Support BeTempered: https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  5. Oct 2

    BeTempered Episode 125 - Addiction, Prison, and the Road Back with Mike Horning

    “Why don’t they just stop?” It’s an easy question to ask when you don’t know someone’s story. Mike Horning joins hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt for an honest conversation about childhood trauma, addiction, prison, and the faith that helped him begin rebuilding his life. Growing up in Connersville, Indiana, Mike experienced abuse, tried to protect his younger siblings, and encountered drugs far too early. He shares how anger, shame, and a chaotic home shaped his decisions, eventually leading to arrests and incarceration. He also explains how prison reinforced some of the behaviors that brought him there, while jail ministry and Bible studies introduced him to the possibility of a different life. That change didn’t happen all at once. Mike opens up about relapse, concealed opioid use, years on methadone, and the work of rebuilding trust with his wife and being present for his children. His testimony makes room for the setbacks that can get left out when people tell a recovery story. Through his work with Pathway to Damascus, Mike now helps other men pursue recovery through faith, discipleship, accountability, and practical support. He discusses the importance of addressing mental health and basic health needs, along with his experiences and perspective on medication-assisted treatment, including methadone and Suboxone. This conversation challenges how we look at people living with addiction and asks what changes when we take time to hear their stories. Mike shares what it has meant to receive another chance and help someone else find theirs. Learn more about Pathway to Damascus: https://pwtd.org Learn more about BeTempered: https://betempered.com Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/betempered Subscribe, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who needs hope or a new perspective on addiction and recovery. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  6. Sep 25

    BeTempered Episode 124 - Losing Three Children and Wrestling With God with Holly Jordan Trevillion

    Three children. One rare disease. A mother left asking how she could keep living, and what she could still believe. Author Holly Jordan Trevillion joins hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt to share the story behind her memoir, This High Mountain. Her son Jamie and daughters Hillary and Hannah were all diagnosed with metachromatic leukodystrophy, known as MLD. Holly takes us from the first signs that something was wrong to the devastating realization that the same disease threatened all three of her children. She shares the realities of transplant decisions, long hospital stays, complications, and years of care at home. She also talks about the moments no parent can prepare for, including leaving the hospital without your child and trying to imagine a future after losing all three. Holly is honest about what grief did to her faith, her marriage, and her ability to keep going. She opens up about divorce, using alcohol to numb the pain, thoughts of suicide, and a later abusive relationship. Along the way, she wrestled with anger toward God and the fear that asking hard questions meant she had failed Him. Through that struggle, Holly describes a changing understanding of faith, moving from legalism and fear toward grace. We talk about lament, unanswered prayers, and what it means to bring God the feelings you think you’re supposed to hide. Today, Holly is telling her story so others facing grief and despair can feel less alone. Her testimony makes room for the questions, the setbacks, and the slow work of learning to live again. Find Holly’s memoir, This High Mountain, on Amazon: https://a.co/d/0eofJWLA Learn more about BeTempered: https://betempered.com Support the show: https://patreon.com/betempered Subscribe, share this conversation with someone who needs it, and leave a review to help others find BeTempered. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  7. Sep 18

    BeTempered Episode 123 - Pregnant at 16, Finding Healing Decades Later with Angie Turner

    What happens when you finally talk about something you’ve carried in silence for decades? Hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt welcome Angie Turner for an honest conversation about teenage pregnancy, abortion, faith, and healing. Angie shares what it was like to become pregnant at 16, feel pressure from those around her, and carry the emotional and spiritual weight of that experience into adulthood. As a nurse, Angie brings her perspective to informed consent and the importance of having information and support when you’re young and scared. She opens up about her own grief, depression, and shame, and how faith helped her begin working through what she had kept inside for years. The conversation also explores parenting, talking openly about sex and values, and responding with compassion when your child is afraid. When Angie’s own son became a teenage father, she had an opportunity to offer the understanding and support she knew mattered. Angie’s story makes room for difficult questions, honest reflection, and the hope of redemption. Ben, Dan, and Angie also discuss pregnancy support resources and how families can find practical help when they don’t know where to turn. Subscribe to BeTempered, share this with someone who needs encouragement, and leave a review to help others find these conversations. Learn more: https://betempered.com Support the podcast: https://patreon.com/betempered Send us Fan Mail Support the show

  8. Sep 11

    BeTempered Episode 122 - Learning to Trust Without Answers with Cody Munn

    Who are you when the uniform comes off and the life you planned falls apart? Cody Munn spent nearly six years in the United States Air Force. But coming home meant facing questions his military training couldn’t answer. Without the structure, responsibility, and identity he had known, what came next? Cody joins BeTempered hosts Ben Spahr and Dan Schmidt for an honest conversation about military service, depression, grief, and the pressure of high-stakes security work. He opens up about the reality of suicide in the military community and the struggle to find purpose after leaving the service. Back home in Ohio, rejected job applications and the isolation of COVID made starting over even harder. Cody shares how the GI Bill opened a door to welding, how a new career helped him find direction, and how meeting his wife, Kirsten, gave him someone to build a future with. His journey toward faith began with questions. Curiosity led him to examine the evidence for Christianity, and simple prayers during car rides became part of a growing relationship with God. Cody walks through what brought him to surrender his life to Christ and take the next step through baptism. Then came challenges he and Kirsten couldn’t work their way out of. Infertility. Painful conversations in doctors’ offices. A pregnancy they had struggled to imagine. An emergency C-section and a frightening moment in the NICU that brought the uncertainty of parenthood into sharp focus. Through it all, Cody shares what trusting God looked like when he couldn’t control the outcome. His story makes room for the questions, the setbacks, and the hope that can grow while life is still uncertain. If you’re starting over, wrestling with your faith, or struggling to see what comes next, this conversation is for you. Subscribe to BeTempered, leave a review, and share this conversation with someone who needs encouragement. Learn more at https://betempered.com and support the podcast at https://patreon.com/betempered. Send us Fan Mail Support the show

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Ratings & Reviews

4.9
out of 5
28 Ratings

About

Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith. BeTempered is about real people having honest conversations about the moments that have shaped their lives. Each week, we sit down with guests willing to share the good, the hard, and everything in between.  We talk openly about addiction, recovery, loss, trauma, mental health, relationships, leadership, faith, purpose, and what it takes to keep moving forward when life doesn't go according to plan. At the heart of BeTempered is the belief that our struggles don't have to be wasted.  Through honest conversations and resilient faith, we explore how God can meet us in the hardest seasons of our lives and use what we've been through to strengthen us, shape our purpose, and help someone else. You don't have to have it all figured out. You don't have to have a perfect story.  Sometimes hearing what someone else has walked through is exactly what you need to realize you're not alone. New episodes every Friday. BeTempered — Real Stories. Raw Truth. Resilient Faith.

Information

  • Creator
    dschmidt5
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    130
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 BeTempered
  • Show Website
    BeTempered

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