Beyond Existing - Beyond the Small Talk

Alisa Stockov

Has life's struggles left you feeling like you were going through your days "just existing?" In this podcast you will hear stories/testimonies from myself and others who have dealt with the struggles life has to offer and getting to that place in which life is being lived "beyond existing."  I appreciate all of those who have been willing to "put themselves out there" to open up and share personal information for the betterment of others.  

  1. Human Trafficking Up Close and How a Mission Trip Led to a Greater Calling for Shamirah

    Jun 1

    Human Trafficking Up Close and How a Mission Trip Led to a Greater Calling for Shamirah

    We talk with Shamirah about becoming Messianic, surviving PTSD, and how that journey led her into mission work connected to trafficking survivors in Turkey and later, the Middle East. We share what she saw, what changed in her trust and faith, and what ordinary people can watch for when something feels off.  • human trafficking statistics that frame the scale of the crisis  • what it means to be a Messianic Jew and why it mattered in her story  • surviving church trauma and rebuilding faith after PTSD  • how YWAM training led to overseas missions and high-risk service  • working at a refugee center supporting trafficked women and children  • the arrest story and the unexpected conversation in a police station  • why some survivors refuse to return to the US or UK after rescue  • how rescue work can feel like spiritual warfare and take a mental toll  • practical red flags in public spaces and why reporting matters  • starting a local Messianic Facebook group to build community  Hey listener, before you go, would you please open your podcast app, scroll to Beyond Existing, Beyond the Small Talk, and tap follow and leave a five-star rating or a quick review to help this podcast grow. Also, you can go to the episode's description to send me a text if you would like to share how this episode impacted you, or if you would like me to share a message with my guests. Thank you for listening.  Send us Fan Mail

    1h 13m
  2. What Does Motherhood Mean When It Never Comes and the Insight that Crystal Gained

    Apr 22

    What Does Motherhood Mean When It Never Comes and the Insight that Crystal Gained

    We talk with Crystal about infertility, a miscarriage that changed her marriage, and the medical choices that followed. She shares how fertility meds led to a rare blood clot in her eye, how faith carried her through losing vision, and why she still believes she is worthy without biological children.  • meeting, marrying, and waiting a few years to start a family  • getting pregnant quickly then losing the pregnancy and grieving together  • learning what infertility means after years of trying  • finding fibroids, getting a procedure, and starting fertility medication  • noticing severe headache and vision changes then getting an urgent diagnosis  • connecting letrozole to a rare blood clot and stopping meds immediately  • living through eye injections, laser surgery, and permanent vision loss  • weighing IVF, donor eggs, and adoption then choosing peace with their life  • leaning on prayer, church support, and long-term perspective  • naming the hidden impact on husbands and partners  • the reminder to read side effects and make informed decisions  Hey, listener, before you go, would you please open your podcast? Scroll to Beyond Existing Beyond the Small Talk and tap follow and leave a five-star rating or a quick review to help this podcast grow. Also, you can go to the episode's description to send me a text if you would like to share how this episode impacted you, or if you would like me to share a message with my guest. Thank you for listening.  Send us Fan Mail

    45 min
  3. Healing Without a Prescription; How Homeopathy and Regenerative Yards Can Build True Health with Melissa of True Cut Ranch

    Feb 23

    Healing Without a Prescription; How Homeopathy and Regenerative Yards Can Build True Health with Melissa of True Cut Ranch

    Trading a Charlotte business for a quiet patch of land wasn’t about escaping the city; it was about building health from the ground up. We sit down with Melissa of True Cut Ranch to trace a clear path from raised beds on a two‑thirds acre lot to a regenerative farm where soil leads, animals thrive, and medicine gets gentler. The surprises are practical: chickens as fertilizer, daily moves to lower stress, and a hard pivot to selling only animals born on their farm so health is bred, not bought. We unpack how small changes compound. Melissa explains preventing cattle pinkeye and treating minor issues with homeopathy and herbs, then draws a sharp line between herbalism’s roots-and-leaves and homeopathy’s pharmacy-made microdoses. Her most striking story is a guided protocol that resolved her child’s severe dairy allergy, paired with a careful approach to testing and safety. From there we get tactical: comfrey for tissue repair, calendula for skin, burdock for gentle liver support, plus essential oils like lavender, geranium, and yarrow for simple care. In addition, learn how to turn an HOA yard into an edible landscape with berries, rosemary, strawberries as groundcover, and grape arbors. No yard? A sunny windowsill grows sprouts year-round. We tie symptoms like inflammation and neuropathy back to everyday levers—better protein, seasonal sleep, less stress, quercetin-rich foods, pineapple’s bromelain, and pantry planning that beats the drive‑thru. Melissa shares how workshops, study groups, and a textable resource list make learning simple and cheap, so you can act fast when it matters.   https://www.truecutranch.com/ If this conversation helps you think differently about food, farming, and gentle medicine, follow the show, leave a 5‑star review, and share it with a friend who needs a hopeful first step. Your support helps more people move beyond existing and toward real health. Send us Fan Mail

    1h 2m
  4. Losing my Daddy and Coping with Loss, especially During the Holidays

    12/24/2025

    Losing my Daddy and Coping with Loss, especially During the Holidays

    A daughter revisits the ten days that reshaped her family, from surgical hope and ICU turns to the quiet strength of community and faith. Small signs—a snowfall, a vision, a hawk—become anchors that steady grief through holidays and years. • kidney crisis, surgical plan, and early complications • ICU vigil, Christmas awakening, and rapid decline • dialysis strain, December 28 loss, and burial of hopes • Psalm 91, anxiety imprint, and coping in the body • empty house, sports memories, and daily absence • community support, pastoral presence, and generosity • vision in worship, snow in Savannah, and hawk as sign • hospice with mom, spiritual thresholds, and farewell • parenting through grief, teaching in hard places, and gratitude • remarriage after loss, unanswered prayers, and steady faith • Christmas hope, Jesus as anchor, and endurance Before you go, could you please open your podcast app, scroll to Beyond Existing Beyond the Small Call, and tap follow and leave a five-star rating or quick review to help this podcast grow. Also, you can go to the episode's description and send me a text if you would like to share how this episode is, or if you would like me to share a message with any bucket. Send us Fan Mail

    33 min
  5. Chucky and Sandra share Surviving the COVID Delta Variant and What Chucky's Near-Death Taught Them

    11/16/2025

    Chucky and Sandra share Surviving the COVID Delta Variant and What Chucky's Near-Death Taught Them

    We trace Chucky’s fight with the COVID Delta variant—from a beach trip to the ICU, 22 days on a ventilator, and a hard reset in rehab—through fear, faith, and the everyday work of recovery. Sandra shares the caregiver’s view: tracking O2, pushing for transfer, and holding the line when things got dark; all while dealing with her own COVID illness. • early symptoms, falling oxygen, urgent ER decisions • ICU isolation, chaplain calls, hallucinations and funeral dreams • ambulance transfer, high-flow oxygen, ventilator and sedation • “cheated death” conversation with lead physician • rehab pivot with Tracy, parallel bars, and nine-day breakthrough • first meals, cravings, and returning to work in a truck • long COVID realities, diabetes management, energy peaks and valleys • gratitude practices, compassion for workers, faith and testimony Hey listener, before you go, would you please open your podcast app, scroll to Beyond Existing, Beyond the Small Talk, and tap follow and leave a five star rating or a quick review to help this podcast grow Also, you can go to the episode's description to send me a text if you would like to share how this episode impacted you, or if you would like me to share a message with my guest Send us Fan Mail

    1h 15m
  6. "I Fired Hospice (Kind Of) and My Oncologist Called Me Nuts." Sandy Shares her Near-Death, Faith-Filled Cancer Journey.

    10/10/2025

    "I Fired Hospice (Kind Of) and My Oncologist Called Me Nuts." Sandy Shares her Near-Death, Faith-Filled Cancer Journey.

    In the words of Sandy, God gets the glory, we share the story.  Listen as  Sandy shares her unfiltered journey from a 26-hour ER wait and a lymphoma diagnosis to months of failed chemo, hospice care, a second baptism, and a scan with no evidence of disease. The through line is time—how faith reshapes minutes, choices, and what we hold onto when nothing else stands still. • background in rural nursing and Louisville, Georgia roots • what follicular lymphoma is and how it erodes immunity • early symptoms, misreads, and the sepsis scare • insurance denial tied to COVID vaccination and treatment access • failed chemo, brutal side effects, and daily losses • choosing to stop treatment and finding unexpected peace • hospice as structure, not surrender, amid unrelenting pain • family reconciliation and shared remission with her brother • baptism, overnight relief, and a clean PET scan • a skeptical oncologist’s perspective changed by outcomes • the clock vision and “While in the Waiting” message • practical encouragement for patients to keep faith and reorder priorities Send us Fan Mail

    1h 21m

  7. 1d ago

    Jesus' Prayer for Us in his Final Hour and the 3 Dimensions of Glory

    Glory extends far beyond the halos we see in medieval paintings of saints. After being repeatedly drawn to John 17, where "glory" appears eight times in Jesus's prayer for his disciples and future believers, I discovered deeper meanings that transform our understanding of God's presence. • Exploration of what "glory" truly means beyond simple visual representations • Detailed reading of John 17, Jesus's prayer before his betrayal and arrest • Reflection on Charlie Kirk's bold faith and commitment to biblical truth • Discussion of the challenge of being confrontational when necessary versus being "nice" • Three dimensions of glory: God sending His Holy Spirit, believers uniting with Jesus as one, and God's presence revealed • Understanding that only those who are children of God will ever experience this glory May we go out and live boldly for Christ and for country, leading as many people as we can to experience God's glory. Send us Fan Mail

    8 min

  8. 08/25/2025

    Steve and Tanya Share the Hope of Breaking Addiction through the Men's Hope Center Ministries in Maiden, NC

    Steve's journey from the depths of addiction to becoming a beacon of hope for others defies all expectations. After a decade-long battle with cocaine addiction that culminated in a near-fatal overdose in 2003, he found himself wrapped in a blanket on his floor for three days before being discovered by family members. Doctors grimly informed his loved ones that any longer would have meant planning a funeral. During his recovery, fate intervened when he met Tonya at a doctor's office in Taylorsville. Though she compassionately helped him seek medical care for lingering effects from his overdose, their relationship would face devastating challenges. Still in addiction's grip, Steve betrayed Tonya's trust by emptying her bank account, forcing her to relocate to Georgia to heal from the betrayal. The turning point came unexpectedly two years later when Tonya reached out simply to check if Steve was still alive. That single conversation sparked a profound realization that it was time to break free from drugs. Within six weeks of her return to North Carolina, they married – a decision Steve calls second only to giving his life to Christ thirteen years ago. Their spiritual journey took an unexpected turn when they felt called to mission work after hearing a missionary speak at their church. This calling eventually manifested in an opportunity much closer to home – the directorship of the Hope Center in Maiden, North Carolina, a faith-based recovery program for men struggling with addiction. Today, Steve leads a structured, Christ-centered recovery program that boasts a remarkable 61% success rate, far exceeding the national average of 18% for rehabilitation centers. The program focuses not just on sobriety but on restoring lives and rebuilding family relationships through spiritual guidance, vocational training, and accountability. Most remarkably, about 80% of Hope Centers nationwide are now run by program graduates who found purpose through their own recovery journey. Have you witnessed how faith can transform even the most broken lives? Join us for this powerful conversation about addiction, forgiveness, and how one couple's redemption story is creating ripples of hope throughout their community and beyond. Send us Fan Mail

    1h 23m
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

Has life's struggles left you feeling like you were going through your days "just existing?" In this podcast you will hear stories/testimonies from myself and others who have dealt with the struggles life has to offer and getting to that place in which life is being lived "beyond existing."  I appreciate all of those who have been willing to "put themselves out there" to open up and share personal information for the betterment of others.  

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