What happens when you return to the places that once held some of your deepest shame? What if the parking lots, buildings, and memories connected to addiction didn’t have to own your story forever? And what could it look like to go back—not as the person you were then, but as someone who has found freedom? On our 13th wedding anniversary, we did something we never imagined we would do: we went back together to some of the places Clint’s addiction had taken him. Places connected to secrecy, acting out, betrayal, and memories we both wished had never become part of our story. But this time, we weren’t there to relive the past. We went to pray, to reclaim ground, and to ask God to use the very places that once represented captivity for something redemptive. Clint describes his addiction like being a prisoner of war—trapped, starving for something real, and being taken farther than he ever thought he would go. But Jesus brought him out. And years later, standing in those same places with his wife beside him felt completely different. He wasn’t returning as a prisoner. He was returning free—and wanting to help someone else find the way out. In this episode, we talk honestly about the grief that can still surface years into recovery, the difference between grief and condemnation, the false promises of fantasy, and what happened when old memories were replaced with new ones. We share what it was like to pray for the men walking into these establishments, the women working inside them, and the marriages and families represented by every car in those parking lots. We also unpack something that became incredibly clear to us that day: if we want to fight pornography, exploitation, and sexual brokenness, we can’t only address the supply. We have to help heal the hearts creating the demand. This episode isn’t about telling couples to physically revisit places connected to betrayal. That was a deeply personal decision we prayerfully made in our own story. It’s about something much bigger: What if the places that once represented your greatest defeat could someday become evidence of how far God has brought you? The past doesn’t disappear. But through Jesus, it doesn’t have to get the final word. If you’ve ever wondered whether real freedom from pornography and sexual addiction is possible, whether shame can actually lose its grip, or whether God can redeem even the darkest parts of your story, we hope this conversation reminds you: There is still freedom. There is still healing. And no part of your story is beyond redemption. Thanks for listening! We hope this episode brings perspective, and hope right where you are! Instagram Give to empower more marriages and families to experience hope and the tools.
