Military Wellness Collective

Military Wellness Collective
  • 5.0 (8)
  • Christianity

Military Wellness Collective is made up of four friends — two retired Marines (Joshua and Brian) turned church planters and their wives (Brittany and Kelli)— who have lived life both in uniform and on the home front. Together, we share real stories, hard-earned wisdom, and practical, biblical encouragement to help military members, and their families thrive in every season. Whether you’re navigating deployments, adjusting to life in a new town, or simply seeking hope in the middle of your military journey, our mission is to equip you with truth from God’s Word and tools for a healthy, resilient life. 

  1. 3d ago

    EP 60: Can We Adopt on Active Duty?

    They were told they would never have biological children and then life moved fast in a completely different direction. Brian and Kelli O’Dale share what happened after the diagnosis, how they grieved infertility while still living the demands of military service, and how a single message rooted in Isaiah 6 pushed them to put every plan on the table and hold it with open hands. We get practical about the options military families actually face: domestic infant adoption that can run $20,000 to $30,000, the emotional pressure of being “chosen,” and the discernment to stop a process even after you’ve started spending money. Then Kelli finds AdoptUSKids and sees page after page of children waiting for adoption in the foster system, especially sibling groups and older kids. That discovery turns into action: walking into the DHS office, completing foster parent licensing and a home study, and navigating the matching process with both excitement and heartbreak. We also talk directly about the question we hear all the time: can you adopt while on active duty? Brian and Kelli explain what helped, what concerns social workers may raise about stability and PCS moves, and why foster care adoption can sometimes move faster than people expect. Their timeline goes from licensing to being matched to meeting their kids within the same year, and they describe the real-life shift of going from zero kids to three siblings at once. If you’ve never considered foster care or adoption, don’t tune out. This story might change how you see your community, your calling, and the people around you who are quietly walking through infertility or the foster system. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review so more military families can find it. Have a topic you want us to chat about? Connect with us at hello@militarywellnesscollective.com SHOW NOTES: 1. Amazon.com : dark clouds deep mercy (Book that is highly recommended by our team) 2. Suffering Is not for Nothing · Elisabeth Elliot (This is a wonderful compilation of Elisabeth Elliots talks on suffering) 3. Benefiting from Life's Trials (A tremendous sermon series by the late, Pastor John McArthur) 4. Amazon.com: Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption: 8601405162168: Katie Davis Majors, Clark, Beth: Books (A must read biography) 5. Daring to Hope: Finding God's Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful: Davis Majors, Katie, Voskamp, Ann: 9780735290600: Amazon.com: Books (A follow up book to the biography: Kisses from Katie) 6. Song: Ruin Me (Isaiah 6) 7. AdoptUSKids (Adoption website mentioned by Kelli in this episode) Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

  2. Oct 5

    EP 59: Grieving Infertility in the Military Life

    The question “When are you having kids?” can sound harmless until you are the couple going home to cry. Today we sit down with Brian and Kelli O’Day for a real, raw conversation about infertility in military life, where deployments, field exercises, and nonstop schedule changes can turn family planning into years of waiting, confusion, and quiet grief. We talk about what infertility actually costs beyond the medical side: the loss of control, the strain of timing everything, and the way intimacy can start to feel like a monthly performance review instead of a gift. Kelli shares what it’s like to be surrounded by pregnancy announcements while holding both joy for others and heartbreak for yourself, and Brian names the social pressure that comes from people’s well-meaning but painful comments. If you have ever wondered what to say or what not to say to a friend dealing with infertility or miscarriage, this will help you show up with more wisdom and care. We also get practical about the military system: how tempo affects testing, why consistent appointments can be difficult, and what it looks like to find the right support at the right time. Most importantly, we emphasize the order that protects your heart and your relationships: grieve first, then prayerfully ask what comes next, so the next step doesn’t become a band-aid. Subscribe for next week’s continuation of their story, share this with a friend who needs language for their pain, and leave a review so more military families can find these conversations. Do you have questions? Do you have a topic recommendation for an episode? We would love to hear from you. Send us an email at hello@militarywellnesscollective.com SHOW NOTES: 1. Amazon.com : dark clouds deep mercy (Book that is highly recommended by our team) 2. Suffering Is not for Nothing · Elisabeth Elliot (This is a wonderful compilation of Elisabeth Elliots talks on suffering) 3. Benefiting from Life's Trials (A tremendous sermon series by the late, Pastor John McArthur) 4. Amazon.com: Kisses from Katie: A Story of Relentless Love and Redemption: 8601405162168: Katie Davis Majors, Clark, Beth: Books (A must read biography) 5. Daring to Hope: Finding God's Goodness in the Broken and the Beautiful: Davis Majors, Katie, Voskamp, Ann: 9780735290600: Amazon.com: Books (A follow up book to the biography: Kisses From Katie) Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

  3. Sep 28

    EP 58: Money Stress to Money Peace, Budgeting, Economic and Societal Pressures on the Military Family

    Money can be the loudest stressor in a military home, even when the paycheck is steady. We sit down as two Marine couples and get brutally practical about what “barely getting by” really looks like: waiting for payday, juggling bills, and watching one car repair or home issue turn into a credit card snowball. If you’ve felt that pressure, you’re not alone, and you’re not stuck. We talk about the turning point that changes everything: building margin. That includes a real emergency fund (so the dishwasher or alternator becomes a non-event), understanding insurance deductibles, and making choices that reduce chaos instead of feeding it. We also dig into the heart side of military personal finance: how money stress spills into marriage, why “we” language matters, and how honest conversations can be the start of real stability. Then we lay out simple, repeatable steps for financial literacy: print your last few bank and credit card statements, find the leaks (restaurants, delivery, subscriptions), calculate your net worth, and build a budget or spending plan where every dollar has a job. We also discuss stewardship, generosity, and what to do when spouses disagree about tithing, including when to seek counsel and bring in trusted help. If this helped you, share it with your spouse or a friend, and please subscribe, leave a review, and pass the episode along. Connect with us hello@militarywellnesscollective.com SHOW NOTES: 1. Redeeming Money: How God Reveals and Reorients Our Hearts - PaulTripp.com - Paul David Tripp – Paul Tripp Ministries, Inc. 2. The Total Money Makeover Updated and Expanded: A Proven Plan for Financial Peace: Ramsey, Dave: 9781400342525: Amazon.com: Books 3. The Treasure Principle, Revised and Updated: Unlocking the Secret of Joyful Giving: Alcorn, Randy: 9780735290327: Amazon.com: Books 4. Free Budget Template: Free and Easy Budget Template - Ramsey 5. Free version of Every Dollar; Dave Ramsey Budgeting app- EveryDollar Budget App: Plan, Track, Find More Margin - Ramsey Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

  4. Sep 21

    EP 57: Reintegration After a Combat Deployment and Helpful Tips for Any Homecoming

    You can leave a two-way rifle range and be back in your own bed with your spouse and kids in a matter of days and that whiplash has a cost. We sit down as Brittany and Joshua Brown with our friends Kelli and Brian O’Day to talk honestly about reintegration after a combat deployment, starting with the hardest version of deployment life and then pulling out lessons that apply to any return home. We unpack what makes this era so challenging: constant overseas operations, irregular deployment schedules, and almost no public awareness when service members come and go. That silence can make a veteran feel unseen and can leave a military spouse without context for the sensory and emotional load their partner is carrying. We talk culture shock, why bright colors and busy rooms can feel like “too much,” and how hypervigilance in restaurants or church can be a normal post-deployment transition response, not a label you have to slap on yourself on day one. From there, we get practical about expectations. What do the first 24 to 48 hours look like, do you want to be around people, and how do you avoid piling on pressure with well-meant plans like surprise parties? We also address the parts many couples feel but rarely say out loud: sleep disruption, nightmares, and the awkwardness of intimacy after a long separation. Finally, we share next steps that can help you heal and reconnect, including giving yourself time before big moves or separation, leaning into a local church community, and using trusted resources like Mighty Oaks and The Cove military marriage retreats. If this helped, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s navigating reintegration, and leave a review so more military families can find support. Are you looking for support for your family as you traverse this military life? Are you connected to a local church? If you are needing help, we'd love to help- reach out to us at hello@militarywellnesscollective.com SHOW NOTES: 1. Mighty Oaks: Mighty Oaks | Veteran & First Responder Recovery Programs 2. Process Your Military Deployment – Brian O'Day 3. The Cove: Military Marriage Retreat—Powerless or Powerful | September 4-6, 2026   See the Cove website for a complete list of dates, they hold multiple military marriage retreats a year! Both Joshua and Brittany, along with Kelli and Brian have personally attended the military marriage retreat! Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

  5. Sep 14

    EP 56: Making Decisions Well: Heavy Weighted Pros and Cons List and More

    Your brain isn’t broken. It’s overloaded. When you’re staring down reenlistment, separation, moving, school choices, spouse employment, parenting decisions, and a thousand “best practices” online, decision fatigue is almost guaranteed. We sit down as the Military Wellness Collective team to name what’s really happening underneath the stress: too many options, fear of failure, and a culture of optimization that makes you second guess everything five minutes later. We talk about why limiting your options is not settling, it’s wisdom, and why social media can quietly sabotage clear thinking by keeping you in comparison mode. We also share two anchors we repeat in our own home: you can only choose with the information you have right now, and you can’t steer a boat that isn’t moving. If you’re stuck in analysis paralysis, forward motion with humility beats perfect certainty every time. Then we get practical with a tool we’ve used in our family and with people in our church: the weighted pros and cons list. It’s more than listing pros and cons. You write your reasons before God, then weight them with percentages that add to 100% so the real drivers rise to the surface and the “1% reasons” stop running your life. We close with a powerful story about choosing to foster and adopt again, and why “decide” means letting other paths die so you can live the one you chose. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s stuck, and leave a review so more military families can find practical decision-making tools. Connect with us hello@militarywellnesscollective.com SHOW NOTES: 1. Genesis 1-3 2. Example shared by Brian- Journal entry from 2017... on our Instagram page you can find us at Military Wellness Collective. Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

  6. Sep 7

    EP 55: You Labor is Not in Vain; Finding Your Purpose While Living the Military Life

    Some days in the military feel like you’re giving your best years to work that doesn’t even matter. You’re deployed but underused, stuck in “hurry up and wait,” grinding through staff tasks that get scrapped, or holding down the home front with a thousand repetitive needs and no applause. That quiet question shows up fast: what is my purpose, and is any of this worth it? We sit down as friends and talk through purpose in military life with honesty and hope. We explore why the military can provide an incredibly important temporary purpose, yet still leave you hungry for something deeper and eternal. We share stories from the mundane, including the frustration of work that seems wasted, and the practical mindset shift of connecting your small piece to the bigger mission. For military spouses, we unpack the whiplash of moves, short schools, interrupted careers, and the pressure to “figure it all out” quickly. We also challenge the constant comparison of social media and the obsession with optimizing everything. Instead, we encourage finding real-life mentors, investing in church community, and learning to value ordinary faithfulness. Purpose often looks less like a spotlight and more like a lamp for the next step. If you’re craving meaning, steadiness, and a better compass for your work and your life, press play, then subscribe, share with a friend, and leave a review so more military families can find the show. How do you think about purpose? Did this show challenge you in any way? Leave us some feedback, we would love to hear from you. You can connect with us at hello@militarywellnesscollective.com SHOW NOTES: 1. Amazon.com : don't waste your life john piper 2. In His Image: 10 Ways God Calls Us to Reflect His Character: Wilkin, Jen: 9781433549878: Amazon.com: Books Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

  7. Aug 31

    EP 54: Life After the Uniform: With Special Guest John Rudd

    The day you take off the uniform can feel like winning your freedom and losing your map at the same time. We sit down with John Rudd, a newly retired Marine, to get honest about what the first few months after military retirement actually feel like, not the highlight reel. Yes, there’s joy: family travel, fresh air, and finally doing normal things without asking permission. But there’s also a quiet whiplash when the structure that shaped your whole adult life suddenly disappears. We dig into the hard emotional layer that rarely gets said out loud: the shift from being needed every day to feeling like an echo. John shares how mastering a technical craft, mentoring younger Marines, and carrying responsibility created real purpose, and how that purpose can vanish overnight in civilian life. We talk about identity after the military, the “need behind the need” that drives people to join, and how the military’s binary mindset can condition us to see ourselves as useful or irrelevant. Because we’re a faith-forward show, we also wrestle with what a Christian does with that discomfort. We connect purpose, stewardship, and sanctification, and we name the stakes for veteran mental health when meaning collapses. Brittany adds the spouse perspective and why families should start processing identity and purpose long before separation day. If you or someone you love is transitioning out of the military, share this conversation, subscribe for more practical veteran wellness and spiritual health conversations, and leave a review so more service members and families can find it. Do you have something you would like us to tackle on the show? send us an email hello@militarywellnesscollective.com SHOW NOTES: 1. Amazon.com : lost in the middle paul tripp Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

  8. Aug 24

    EP 53: What Do I Do When... Practical Takeaways from Joshua's IED Attack, from the Homefront; Part 2

    A war story doesn’t end when the deployment ends, and sometimes the hardest part is realizing you’re still learning what really happened. We sit down with Joshua Brown and Brittany Brown to tell the IED story from the side that often stays quiet: the spouse at home, pregnant, holding a toddler, trying to decode a confusing satellite phone call while the official details lag behind. Even 20 years later, Brittany is still hearing pieces for the first time, and that honesty opens up a bigger conversation about trauma, memory, and what military families actually carry. We talk about the reality of deployment communication and notification, especially in the early 2000s before today’s systems were common. Brittany shares how “no news is good news” becomes a survival rule in base housing, what it’s like to keep serving other spouses while fearing for your own home, and why community support matters when your body is stuck in fight-or-flight. Joshua adds the longer arc: how that moment reshaped his patience in everyday life, even something as simple as a traffic jam, because you never know what’s happening up ahead. From there we zoom out to military wellness and resilience. We wrestle with the idea that you don’t rise to the occasion in crisis, you default to your training and your habits, whether that means faith practices, friendships, counseling, or isolation. We also name the ongoing risks beyond combat, including training accidents, addiction, and suicide, and why that should move us toward stronger support systems, not more fear. If this conversation helps you, subscribe so you don’t miss Monday releases, share it with a military spouse or veteran who needs it, and leave a review to help more families find the show.  What’s one “default” you want to build before the next hard moment hits? SHOW NOTES: What questions or topics do you want us to discuss on the podcast? Email your ideas to hello@militarywellnesscollective.com Looking for a local church? Check out these helpful websites: 1. Home - 9Marks 2. The Gospel Coalition (TGC) Connect with our hosts: Brian O'Day at Brian O'Day – The Christian Life, Military Service, and Adoptive Families all in one place. Brittany Brown at Blog | brittanybrown Pillar of Jacksonville Pillar Church of Topsail - Home Support the show http://instagram.com/militarywellnesscollective

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Military Wellness Collective is made up of four friends — two retired Marines (Joshua and Brian) turned church planters and their wives (Brittany and Kelli)— who have lived life both in uniform and on the home front. Together, we share real stories, hard-earned wisdom, and practical, biblical encouragement to help military members, and their families thrive in every season. Whether you’re navigating deployments, adjusting to life in a new town, or simply seeking hope in the middle of your military journey, our mission is to equip you with truth from God’s Word and tools for a healthy, resilient life. 

Information

  • Creator
    Military Wellness Collective
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    60
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Military Wellness Collective
  • Show Website
    Military Wellness Collective

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