Sabrina Fears comes from a military family. In some way, when she enlisted, she knew what to expect. 

But, then again, you can’t always know, can you? 

Here are three takeaways from the talk with Sabrina— 

  It changes you. 

Don’t expect to be the “same person” coming out of the military as went in. The changes aren’t all bad, either. In fact, some are quite good and will carry you well into your future. 

  It’s OK to adapt after. 

You might respond to sights and seasons and smells and situations differently post-deployment than you did before. 

Give yourself permission to adjust. 

  Get some tools that work for you.

And, don’t go at it alone. In the same way you wouldn’t try to build a house— or a car— or even cook a meal— with your bare hands— don’t endeavor to build a life without the right tools, either. 

Find some resources— in the form of groups, books, processes— that have worked for others and give them a try.

In the end, it’s OK if it’s hard making the transition back home. Think about it logically. It was an adjustment went you left, wasn’t it? 

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

The post It’s OK if it’s hard to make the transition home (Sabrina Fears) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

Rex Parvin has two son-in-laws who’ve served. In fact, one serves now.

Furthermore, Rex leads a group for veterans. 

From the unique perspective of a father, he shares what to do— and what not to do— when it comes to helping your loved ones walk through the healing process. 

He says this— 

  Repeat the things that help— 

Don’t assume that everything you do (that works) is a “one and done.” Repeat them.

(By the way, the things that help could be different for different people. So don’t presume there’s a formula.)

  Expect it to be hard. 

Change is difficult. If you go into it expecting there to be challenges, you’ll realize that what you’re enduring is normal and common.

If you think transition will be easy, you’ll feel whammies.

  Listen to it, but don’t try to “fix it.”

Talking helps.

But don’t talk to anticipate what you’re going to say next and then dispense advice. Talk to listen… to be a sounding board.

And remember… it all comes down to relationships. Those require time and investment… but, like most long-term investments, the payoff is always worth it.

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

The post Helping veterans in your family (w/ Rex Parvin) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

Rock Hobbs has been a fighter pilot, a commercial airline pilot, an addict… and now leads a ministry that helps people— from all walks of life— find inner healing. He teaches from an overflow of what he’s learned the hard way.

In this podcast we talk about his story— and some of the events that led him to continue turning from one chapter to the next, until he found himself healed, healing, and helping others heal.

He says this… 

  You probably “stuffed” some things inside when you were deployed— by necessity. Now, it’s time to “un-stuff” them. 

Think about that statement. 

There’s no time— when you’re flying 500+ mph OR even during deployment— to heal. By necessity, you push the pain to the side, be it physical or emotional. You press on.

But, later, you MUST unpack the hurt and get help.

  It’s normal to be affected by what you experienced. 

Many warriors think they’re flawed when they sense they have an issue. The opposite is true, however. The things you endure during deployment aren’t “normal.” As such, it would NOT be normal to be unaffected by them….

  Don’t just cover it up and “keep yourself busy.” Heal the hurt.

Rather than burying it, deal with it. Then move one.

There’s still a next mission for you.

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

Learn more about Rock’s ministry at https://trministries.org 

The post Everybody hurts, everyone can heal, everyone can find a next mission (w/ Rock Hobbs) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

Scott Landreth is no stranger to the Warrior Hope podcast (season 1, episode 16). We pulled him back into the convo because— for the past year— Scott has been leading a “Centers of Hope” group.

This is a HUGE step, because Scott was initially hesitant about even attending a group (just as our guest in episode 6, Andrea Melcher) was.

I asked Scott, “What would you say to someone who’s thinking about leading one…?”

Here’s what he said…

  You can do it— you’ve done hard things before… 

It’s odd that a lot of men and women will jump out of planes, run INTO enemy fire, and serve our country valiantly— but then they’re nervous about leading a group.

Let’s be real. You’ve got the skills. Yo’ve done tough stuff before; you can do this!

  Two factors are consistent— healing and the mission. 

Scott mentioned that, post-deployment, veterans need healing. Deployment is a life-changing event. 

They also need a “next mission” to give their life to. 

Leading a group— like Centers of Hope— counters both fronts at the same time. It helps you walk in healing AND it actually IS a mission. 

  Two big things you learned in the military that you can apply to your life now = camaraderie and connection.

Finally, Scott reminds us that everything is about relationships. It always was— and always will be.

By the way, that’s Scott’s new service dog, Thor, on the pic.

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

The post You’ve done hard(er) things before (w/ Scott Landreth) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

Dani Rocco is an author, a podcaster, and the mother of a soldier. So, she brings a unique perspective to the Warrior Hope podcast— a view we haven’t heard before. 

Here’s what to listen for— 

If the solider is deployed the entire family is deployed.

Think about it like this— what happens to one person in the family affects EVERYONE in the family. Whether it’s schooling, a hospital stay, a new relationship… or deployment, if one person faces a life-changing event (in any area of life), the entire family does.

Whereas soldiers need support when they return from deployment, families need it while the soldier is away.

Notice that the family’s needs come at a different time. 

While the solider is deployed, the men and women they work with ARE their support system. They’re involved— close and personally— in the grind.

But the family now lacks a family member. And an essential component in their daily flow. 

Create a support system that’s bigger than what you think you need.

We often need the support system and then begin to build it. But, once you need it, you may not have time to build exactly what you need. 

So, go ahead now and over-estimate your need…

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

About Dani’s book = 

Developing a strong relationship within yourself and then as a family unit is one of the many secrets to all successful relationships. The purpose of this book is to give tools and skills to implement in your own life. 

First through true stories and then through practical skill development from the workbook. 

Devoted to a Soldier = 4 pillars to strengthen the family unit:

1.Develop Your Family Mission Statement

2.Learn how your ego prevents you from manifesting the life you desire

3.Understanding the power of your subconscious

4.Use the strength of your mind

Paperback = 

Kindle = 

The post Lead with Love (w/ Dani Rocco)  appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

Chris Turner is back on the Warrior Hope podcast, sharing a significant chapter of his story…

In this show, Chris talks about the time a fellow Marine stood with them— in the barracks— celebrating, only to take his life just a few hours later.

No one understand.

There were no warning signs.

Nothing was ever said beforehand.

Everyone just assumed the man had been OK.

Until he wasn’t.

That leads us to one of our first observations.

Your hurt(s) may seem obvious to you— but they MAY NOT be to everyone else. You’ve got to say something. 

Here’s the follow-up. We oren assume our story is unique. And it is.

Kinda.

But, and this is important…

Your story isn’t that unique.

I mean, sure, the details are different. And you’re certainly one of a kind. But, there hurts you feel are common to MANY people.

That means you’re not abnormal. 

And it means you’re certainly not alone. 

Finally, there’s this…

The biggest breakthroughs happen in the connection, that is, when we come together— even at those pain points— and push forward. 

By the way, Chris talks about his song, “If You Drink,” which features MMA Fighter Randy Couture. And, he spells out what it means.

Plus, wait until the end of the episode and you can see the video (if you’re watching) or hear the song (if you’re listening).

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www.freedomtournation.com = the home page for all things Freedom Tour

Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/ 

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

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Learn more about Chris at  www.christurnermusic.com

Or … 

Instagram – @christurnermusic

Facebook – @cturner96

Twitter – @christurner96

TikTok – @christurnermusic

The post You’re Not the Only One (w/ Chris Turner) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

In this episode of the Warrior Hope podcast, we talk with Don Malin, a retired chaplain. 

(Incidentally, Don is the soldier who first mentioned that PTSD would be a major issue of concern— almost a decade ago— when Crosswinds first began searching for a topic for the first feature film.)

Here are a few takeaways from the talk with this spiritual leader / solider…. 

You must mourn in order to receive comfort.

In the Beatitudes, Jesus actually promised, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will receive comfort.”

It’s almost like MOURNING is the door, the entry point we must pass through, to get to the place of comfort. 

Of course, we tend to squash our feelings— especially any that smack of weakness or seem “bad.” But, we must own WHERE we are, so we can move forward to where we want to be.

If we’re in a place of sadness— because of a deployment situation, because of an altered family dynamic— it’s OK to mourn.

In fact, it’s encouraged. 

It IS the way forward. 

  Families in deployment face different schedules, different needs… and need communication. 

I asked Don what chaplains did— especially in war zones.

Surprisingly, they help warriors sort the trauma of the battle field, but they also help them clear their minds about the home front, too. It’s almost like the warrior lives in two parallel worlds at once.

Murder is not the same as killing, and killing is not the same as murder…

(The soul often “keeps the score,” regardless of how we’re able to mentally order this, but— listen in— and Don will outline what this means. If you need additional help, go back to the previous episode, where we discuss the topic of Moral Injury in details.)

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/ 

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

The post Is War Justifiable? (w/ Don Malin) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

In this talk we take you straight to the Warrior Hope curriculum, to the lesson where we discuss Moral Injury.

Whereas PTSD takes the form of “fight vs flight” and is a response to an external threat, Moral Injury most often looks like guilt and/or shame… and is a response to internal threats.

With Moral Injury, you feel like YOU are the problem.

(Or, more accurately, what you have seen, experienced, done, or not done creates that problem.)

Our best guess it that of the 22 warriors who fall victim to suicide each day, most struggled with Moral Injury morseso than PTSD.

That said, here are the three takeaways to listen for— 

Moral Injury is different than PTSD (and must be seen as such).

We’ll outline the differences in more detail in this talk.

You just address the hurt you want to heal.

If you break your right arm, placing your left in a cast won’t heal it. The same is true with Moral Injury and PTSD— you must “cast” the “broken bone” you want to heal.

Freedom is STILL found when you gain courage and step into the light. 

The way forward— especially for Moral Injury— is heading straight into the light (of course, guilt and shame HATE the light and contend for you to stay in the dark). 

When you walk into the light, though, freedom comes almost naturally… 

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/ 

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

The post The Bigger Pain Point than PTSD + the Suprising Cure (Moral Injury) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

Eugene finished shooting the film for the upcoming Crosswinds documentary, loosely titled “When Trauma Comes Home,” this past fall. Right now, the team is in post-production / full edit mode.

Over the past few years, Eugene has gotten to be an expert in the area of post-deployment issues…

… released two feature length documentaries AND shooting the third (which is almost ready to release) tends to provide you with a unique skillset and wisdom-base.

In our talk, he mentioned this…

Veterans have many resources available— but what of the family? 

This is one of my top takeaways from our chat, and it makes all the sense in the world. Families are units. Teams. At the most intimate level.

And that leads us to our second observations.

If one family member is affected, everyone is affected…

This is essential to recognize. 

Think about it. You wouldn’t doubt for a second that a kid going to college, a mother or father enduring surgery, or someone in the family moving out doesn’t change everyone in some way…

… yet we rarely apply the same logic to military matters.

If one person is changed— in any way— everyone is.

Furthermore…

You might be more affected than you think— and that’s OK.

Really. Give yourself space to heal.

What you’ve been through— in any form of deployment and being separated from family (particular if there are injuries, deaths, and other changes) is a life-changing event. 

Don’t presume that you can just “flip the page” and move to the next chapter of life.

Pause.

Connect with others.

Do the deeper work.

And give it time….

Stay ’til the end— you can watch some of the footage from the upcoming feature-length film.

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Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…

Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org 

The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org 

Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/ 

Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/ 

Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/ 

The post When Trauma Comes Home (w/ Eugene Cuevas) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.

Teaming with Crosswinds and the efforts of Warriors on Mission was a perfectly natural fit. For years, Staff and the warriors he worked with relied on the help of military contractors like the company he retired from the second time around.
While working at TekSouth, he realized he had a unique opportunity to serve the soldiers whom he had been— in the same way he had been served.
“It’s all give and take,” he says. “We always help everyone in any way we can.”

On this podcast, we talk a lot about several themes…

• Serving others
• Finding your own health + healing in the process of serving others
• Sometimes your biggest breakthroughs happen as you help others break through for themselves

It’s all part of how Staff has lived for the past 60+ years. And, it’s how he intends to keep moving forward. 

He reminds us that “You never know who you’re helping when you serve someone.”
And, “A lot of people are looking for a mission. You don’t have to look far. There’s always someone right in front of you whom you can serve.”
Those two points comprise some of my top takeaways from this talk… 

++++++++
Warriors on Mission = connect veterans to their next mission. The most common obstacles we see are 1) isolation and 2) unresolved hurts / unprocessed pain of the past. Finding that next mission matters because 1) you have a purpose, and 2) there are people who are going the affected (for the good!) by you living that mission. Those people include your family, your friends, and fellow service members…
Learn more at http://Warriorsonmission.org
Warrior Hope book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/warrior-hope-basic-training-for-living-on-mission/
Warrior Hope online course = https://thecentersofhope.org/online-courses/

Hope for the Warrior Family book = https://thecentersofhope.org/product/hope-for-the-warrior-family/
The Centers of Hope = https://thecentersofhope.org
Stream Invisible Scars (PTSD) or Honoring the Code (Moral Injury) here: https://thecentersofhope.org/films/

The post Your Next Mission is Staring You in the Face (w/ Staff Ouderkirk) appeared first on Centers Of Hope.