Your Other Family

Just listened to yob:108. It is good to have you back. I like the topics but also the lighthearted banter between the guys.

I just learned about this community on Thursday (3/2) after many long, lonely years as a Side B Christian man in a mixed orientation marriage. I have a small but mighty band of men in my life who know my story and love me, but they can't relate to this part of me. In these few brief days, I have been so flooded with hope and gratitude to Jesus for the prospect of knowing and being known by others like me. I've been drinking from the firehose of these podcasts over the last few days and am beyond grateful to this brave community for existing and being open to me. Listening to the podcasts feels like sitting around a circle with friends I've always longed deeply for, but for whom I had pretty much all but given up hope of ever finding. Thank you, God, I've found them now! Keep up the amazing work, brothers. Your playfulness, transparency, and courage to go where few others dare to go - and with such compassion and honesty - are nothing short of a miraculous rescue beyond what I thought was possible.

I’ve listened to YOB podcasts and read its blogs for years. I have watched Tom as he matures in wisdom and openness. Side B folks are a minority within a minority, so it’s comforting to know that YOB offers a place for them to gather; to share their thoughts, feelings and woes; and to grow in strength and wisdom together. One suggestion for improvement: The content seems to have become light on spiritual content, mutual encouragement in faith, and deeper men’s work. Something to consider. Nevertheless, the work done is wonderful and keep it up!

I’m probably not in the category of people that Tom or any of the other hosts would consider “the target audience”. Nevertheless, I listen to the show regularly and always come away having learned something new or feeling rejuvenated in my faith. YOB presents real people with real struggles and questions trying to navigate their lives with their faith. Anyone with any amount of humiliation revolving around some social aspect that the Christian church has deemed shameful will find refuge in the musings and thoughtful dialogue of these guys. A big recommend for anyone with any amount of history or interest in following Jesus in the 21st century.