PODCAST

In this special Valentine’s Day edition of the R+E podcast, Craig and special co-host Roane Hunter of LifeWorks Counseling have a conversation with married couple Mark and Ellen, who vulnerably share their journey through addiction and codependency on the road to eventual marital restoration.  Mark and Ellen tell our listeners that wise counsel not only saved their marriage, it probably saved their lives.

Join Craig and Matt as they meet with top rated criminal defense attorney, Cynthia Speetjens, to uncover what it was like breaking into a male-dominated industry in the 1980’s.  Speetjens, one of a handful of females admitted to The University of Mississippi School of Law at the time, explains how her upbringing on the Mississippi Gulf Coast impacted her professional future.  With her father working as a prosecutor and then later a judge, she was exposed to the intrigue of the legal world at an early age.  Cynthia’s exciting journey from budding, new prosecutor to experienced, award-winning defense attorney is a testament to the importance of hard work and perseverance.  Listen in as Craig and Matt talk to Speetjens about the impact she has made to not only her clients, but to the judicial system as a whole.  She is a true pioneer who paved the way for other female attorneys who followed her trailblazing path.

In this last podcast episode of 2020, divorce attorneys Matt Easterling and Craig Robertson continue the conversation with marriage therapists Roane and Eva Hunter about marriage and divorce during the holiday season. Roane and Eva reflect on their personal journey through divorce and the lessons they learned through the reunification of their family. They also explain how rigorous honesty is necessary to protect an individual from the busyness which often surrounds the holiday season. The conversation finally touches on concepts of codependency, leaving the listener with practical tools about simplicity, connection, asking for help and limit setting.

In the first of R+E’s two-part holiday episode, divorce attorneys Matt Easterling and Craig Robertson have a conversation with marriage therapists Roane and Eva Hunter about the holiday season and navigating the often difficult family dynamics. You will enjoy this lively discussion filled with practical advice about protecting time and space with immediate family, the necessity to voice appropriate boundaries, and how people often revert to the roles they play in their families of origin when everyone gets together for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

After 16 years of practicing law, Troy Odom decided it was time to make a career change. A man of conviction and goals, he set his sights on the bench, and when long time Chancellor John Grant announced his retirement, he was elected by the citizens of Rankin County, bringing his dream to fruition. You will hear about Judge Odom’s mentality of hard work, determination, steadfast resolve, and ability to remove emotions from his decisions. Please join our hosts Craig and Matt who visited Judge Odom in his chambers and talked about his experiences as one of the newer Judges in the Mississippi Chancery Court system. In his jurisdiction, honesty, grace and respect are the foundations of the proceedings over which he presides.

He spent part of his developmental years during the transition from communist Czechoslovakia to the Central European country now known as the Czech Republic, this future professional dancer left home at the age of 15 to pursue dance full time in the capital city of Prague.  During his time in Prague, he became a Christian, and later found Mississippi’s own ballet company, Ballet Magnificat!, which he later traveled across the Atlantic Ocean to join.  While dancing for Ballet Magnificat!, he met a fellow dancer, who later became his wife.  After ten years of happy marriage, the couple began to struggle to hold on to their individual identity separate and apart from their families of origin, and they divorced.  In this episode, you will hear a transparent, thoughtful, beautifully articulated story of one artist’s journey of life and love.  You will hear him speak hopefully about the future as he reflects on the community he has found a long way from his former home.

Join attorneys Matt Easterling and Caylan Dunnells as they go behind the scenes with seasoned private investigator, Mike Byrd. With 20+ years experience, Mike sheds light on what it takes to put together a solid case. He also delves into the warning signs one may observe when dealing with a cheating spouse, and the listener will learn how patience and perseverance are key in order to successfully deliver the money shot.

Craig and guest host Cassie Dedmon spend time with their former client Heike, who is originally from Germany. Heike tells a great american survivor story… and she would do it all over again. After falling in love with a United States service member, she left her family and way of life to travel to American and become a military wife and mom. One day she went to the mailbox, found a letter, and her life has never been the same again. Instead of becoming a victim of her relationship breakdown and life circumstances, Heike found a mentor, a part time job, and enrolled in junior college. She also educated herself about the benefits for which she was eligible, even teaching her attorneys about certain military nuances in the law. You will hear Heike bravely talk about living with a combat veteran and how PTSD impacted their life. Finally, learn how Heike’s grit, determination and selfless willingness to move heaven and earth for her children is serving their family today.

Enhanced Wellness Living is Mississippi’s leading functional medicine clinic.  Craig and Matt have a conversation with its founder, Kelly Engelmann, FNP in this episode.  You will enjoy this fun, fast paced discussion about health, happiness and vitality through the lense of Kelly’s “Food First” approach to wellness.  Many Mississippians suffer from fatigue, sleep deprivation, malnourishment and low sexual function, and Kelly gives practical first steps for a healthier lifestyle like hydration, movement and intentional quiet time to decrease the cascading negative effects of stress and inflammation.  Kelly will inspire the listener to think about a pantry detox, while Matt and Craig raise questions about toxic relationships.

In this powerfully thought provoking episode, Craig and Matt sit down with Scott, a music minister who has always felt “different.”  Being raised in the deep south by conservative parents, he struggled over his sexual orientation, although he married a woman in hopes to sustain a heterosexual lifestyle.  Scott’s efforts failed, and he became depressed to the point of suicide.  After finally coming out, he was divorced, separated from his son and believed he would lose everything important, especially his ministry.  Walking in his truth, he finally found freedom through the love and acceptance of an understanding church and through the blessing of his step father.  Now comfortable with his identity, Scott reflects on his journey from captivity to freedom.