The Grandpa Channel: What Life Reveals About What Matters

with Steve Harris (Rivers)
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Personal Journals
  • Updated Biweekly

What is the meaning to life? The Grandpa Channel shares real conversations and life stories that explore purpose, why you matter, and how, looking back, we begin to see the connection points in our lives. If you’ve ever wondered what is the meaning to life in the middle of something hard, these episodes offer grounded reflections from people who’ve lived through it and found a reason to keep going. The beauty of listening to others’ life experiences is that you start to discover the meaning to life in your own. 

  1. 1h ago ·  Video

    078 What Looked Like Fear Was Really a Question of Worthiness with Mike Allen

    Finding purpose in life through an unexpected setback. What do you do when life suddenly stops going according to plan? For Mike Allen, a difficult season at work sparked a deeper conversation about purpose, self-worth, family, and what really matters. What initially felt like fear turned out to be something else entirely: a question of worthiness. In this thoughtful and deeply personal conversation, Mike shares how uncertainty became an unexpected invitation to step back, reevaluate, and ask bigger questions about the life he was building. Together, we explore what it means to find purpose in life when the future feels unclear, why life's setbacks often teach us the most important lessons, and how some of our deepest beliefs remain hidden until circumstances bring them to the surface. In this episode: What looked like fear was really a question of worthiness How a career setback became an opportunity for reflection Why self-worth quietly shapes the decisions we make How to find purpose in your life during uncertain seasons The importance of asking, What really matters? What difficult moments can teach us about family, identity, and meaning Why some of life's most important lessons arrive disguised as setbacks Questions We Explore What is the purpose in life? How do you find purpose in your life when everything feels uncertain? Why is life so hard sometimes? How does self-worth affect the choices we make? What can setbacks teach us about what matters most? How do difficult seasons help us discover meaning in life? If you've ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, uncertain about your direction, or questioned your worth, this conversation offers a thoughtful reminder that clarity often arrives in unexpected ways. Because sometimes what looks like fear on the surface is really a question of worthiness underneath. Connect with Mike Allen: https://www.thelightinus.org https://hearebros.com/ Grandpa Channel Capturing what life teaches the hard way - before it's too late.

    27 min

  2. May 27 ·  Video

    077 “It’s Better to Be Loving Than Right” | Jenny Richards on Grief, God, and the Meaning of Life

    Jenny Richards is a Juilliard-trained pianist, mother of four, and hospital chaplain whose life took an unexpected turn toward spiritual care after profound personal loss. In this conversation, Jenny reflects on what life taught her the hard way after losing her youngest sister to suicide, working with oncology patients, and learning that some of life’s deepest questions never fully resolve. Together, Rivers and Jenny explore: why this life is so hard sometimes what is the meaning to life when suffering interrupts everything how to find purpose in your life without having all the answers where can I find God in grief and uncertainty what it means to stay present with pain instead of trying to fix it faith, ambiguity, and learning to trust God without certainty why “it’s better to be loving than to be right” the sacred pause and what silence can teach us how suffering changes the way we see beauty, joy, and being alive Jenny also shares her experience working with cancer patients, the lessons chaplaincy has taught her about human connection, and the quiet realization that perhaps meaning is not something we fully solve, but something we live inside together. If you’ve ever wrestled with existential questions, grief, faith, purpose, or feeling overwhelmed by life, this conversation will likely stay with you. Subscribe to The Grandpa Channel for more conversations about what life teaches us the hard way.

    26 min

  3. May 22 ·  Video

    076 What Is the Meaning to Life? A Beggar, a Prompting, and “Thanks, Family.” with Steve Harris, aka Rivers

    What is the meaning to life? For Rivers, the answer showed up unexpectedly one Saturday morning on the way to his grandsons’ football games. A man sitting cross-legged on the side of the road. A cardboard sign that read: “Anything would help.” A quiet prompting that felt inconvenient to follow. And a simple phrase that turned a passing interaction into something difficult to forget: “Thanks, family.” In this reflective solo episode, Rivers wrestles honestly with hypocrisy, compassion, faith, and the tension many of us feel when confronted with human need. Not from a place of certainty or moral superiority, but from the perspective of someone still learning how to see people more clearly. This conversation explores: Why the small moments often reveal the biggest truths The quiet struggle between convenience and compassion What faith looks like in ordinary interruptions Why humility changes the way we see other people The idea that we may all be “fellow beggars” in one way or another How life’s meaning is often revealed through simple human encounters If you’ve ever wondered: What is the purpose in life? Why is life so hard? How does God speak to us? What does faith actually look like in everyday life? Where can meaning still be found in a noisy world? …this episode sits gently inside those questions instead of trying to rush past them. Memorable Line “We are family. He is my brother.” About Grandpa Channel Grandpa Channel is a storytelling podcast exploring one question: What did life teach you the hard way? Through reflective conversations and personal confessions, we gather the kind of wisdom that only time, loss, endurance, forgiveness, and faith can reveal. Because sometimes what a lifetime reveals can steady another.

    6 min

  4. May 20 ·  Video

    075 What is the Meaning to Life? | Why Taking the Easy Way Can Make Life Harder with Kimball DeLaMare

    If you’ve ever found yourself asking what is the meaning to life—especially after things didn’t go the way you expected—this conversation with Kimball DeLaMare is one to sit with. Kimball shares what decades of experience have taught him about life, relationships, and the lessons that only come from living through hard things. There’s a moment where he reflects: “Taking the easy way has propelled me into the hard way… several different times.” And from there, the conversation opens up into something deeper. This episode explores: why is this life so hard sometimes how to find purpose in your life through experience what is the purpose in life when things don’t go as planned how the hard way can shape empathy, growth, and perspective over time This isn’t a conversation about having everything figured out. It’s about what begins to make sense after you’ve lived through enough to see things differently. If you’ve ever asked: what is the meaning to life how can I find purpose in life or why life feels harder than expected this is a conversation that stays with you. 🎧 Listen and reflect. Here's the next episode to listen to {Journal Link}

    34 min

  5. May 15 ·  Video

    074 Life Has Taught Me I’m Valued | What is the Meaning to Life with Wayne Allred

    In this episode: Wayne Allred reflects on a lifetime of experiences that changed how he sees himself, his purpose, and his relationship with God. What started as a quiet question—what is the meaning to life—became something more personal. Through failure, faith, and moments of clarity, he came to a realization that shaped everything that followed: That he matters. This conversation explores: what it means to feel seen by God how people wrestle with questions like will God love me where people begin when asking where can I find God how to find purpose in your life through lived experience what it looks like to trust there is a purpose of God for your life Continue the conversation: 📓 Until It Starts to Speak Back (Journal) 👉 [Link] 🎧 I Would Have Walked Right Past Him with Glen Nelson

    28 min

  6. May 12 ·  Video

    073 I Thought I Needed Control | How to Let Go of Control and Figure Life Out with Emily Orton

    Moments where you feel like you’re feeling stuck in life… or even feeling trapped by life you didn’t choose. And yet, something shifts when you realize: You don’t have to have everything figured out in advance. You can move forward anyway. This episode explores: what it means to loosen your grip when life feels uncertain how people learn to move through fear instead of waiting for it to disappear why some of the most meaningful changes come from things you never would have chosen and how to keep going when you don’t feel ready It’s not about pushing through meaning. It’s about discovering it—sometimes on the other side of the thing you were trying to avoid. If you want to sit with this a little longer… there’s a place to take it: 👉 [Journal Link] If this conversation stayed with you… there’s another one that continues it: 👉 Erin Allen Episode    More from Emily Orton: Try Living on a Sailboat for a Week *No experience required—and yes, you’ll take the helm. *Not a party charter. Not a certification course. *Small-group, hands-on sailing experience that’s been called the “unicorn of sailing trips.” See if it’s your kind of adventure:   https://www.theawesomefactory.nyc/sailing Book: Seven At Sea

    30 min

  7. May 5 ·  Video

    072 You Thought You Were Doing It Right, How to Change Your Perspective on What Really Matters | John Brasher

    There are moments where nothing feels obviously wrong… until something shifts how you see it. In this conversation, John Brasher reflects on the kind of experiences that don’t seem big at the time—but end up changing your perspective years later. A small decision as a kid. A moment where trust was broken. A realization that integrity might be broader than you thought. These are the kinds of life lessons that don’t come from being told what to do. They come from living long enough to see things differently. And over time, they start to shape bigger questions: What makes relationships successful? Why is family important in ways you don’t always notice at first? How do you become a better person without even realizing it’s happening? What does it actually look like to be honest with yourself? This isn’t a conversation that tries to answer those directly. But it might leave you seeing your own life a little differently. If you want to stay with this a little longer… there’s a place to take it: 👉 [Journal Link – Until It Starts to Speak Back] If this made you think differently about how people change… there’s another conversation that continues that idea: 👉 Glenn Nelson Episode

    19 min

  8. Apr 24 ·  Video

    071 Why Is Life So Hard? When Life Almost Breaks You | Donovan Taylor

    What does life teach you the hard way about suffering… and about hope? Why is life so hard sometimes—and what does it actually mean? In this episode of The Grandpa Channel, Rivers sits down with musician and artist Donovan Taylor to talk about mental health, resilience, and how people begin to find meaning in life through lived experience. Donovan shares his journey through years of severe mental illness, including a suicide attempt that became a defining turning point in his life. What followed wasn’t a quick recovery, but a long and difficult process of rebuilding—through therapy, faith, creativity, and the support of others. At the center of this conversation is a powerful idea: that some of the most painful experiences in life can expand our capacity for empathy, connection, and purpose in ways nothing else can. For anyone who has ever wondered what is the meaning of life, how to find your purpose in life, or how to keep going when life feels overwhelming—this conversation offers something more grounded than answers. It offers perspective. In this episode: • What mental illness taught him about pain, identity, and healing • Why suffering can create a deeper capacity to understand others • The idea of becoming “unbreakable” — and what that really means • How creativity became a pathway to healing and expression • The role of faith, humility, and guidance in rebuilding a life • Why hope — even a small amount — can change everything • The story behind the George Washington Bridge as a symbol of transformation A few moments that stay: “you’ve kind of been to hell and back… and it changes how you see people” “there is absolutely hope… even if it’s just a small light” “the word that keeps coming back is… unbreakable” About The Grandpa Channel: Stories about what life teaches the hard way—exploring what is the meaning of life through real conversations, lived experience, and the quiet process of making sense of it all over time. Where to find Donovan: Instagram: @donovantaylormusic Album: Beatitude (available on all streaming platforms)

    35 min
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What is the meaning to life? The Grandpa Channel shares real conversations and life stories that explore purpose, why you matter, and how, looking back, we begin to see the connection points in our lives. If you’ve ever wondered what is the meaning to life in the middle of something hard, these episodes offer grounded reflections from people who’ve lived through it and found a reason to keep going. The beauty of listening to others’ life experiences is that you start to discover the meaning to life in your own. 

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