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Before the city knew his name, before the title, before the office, there was just a kid from Worthington, Minnesota.

In this conversation, we didn’t ask Mayor Paul TenHaken about policy. We didn’t ask about budgets or elections or what comes next in his career.

We asked the question most people never get to ask a leader they admire:
Who are you when no one’s watching?
What does your faith actually look like on the hard days, not the public ones?
What does “finishing well” mean in your soul, not on your resume?

Paul sat with us for this one. No script. No talking points. Just a man talking honestly about the God who shaped him before the world tried to define him.
This is Part 1. Just Paul. 34 minutes that might change how you think about leadership, faith, and what it means to be a godly man before you’re anything else.

Part 2 with Paul and Jill drops Tuesday, and that conversation about marriage, covenant, and oneness will wreck you in the best way.

If you know a man who needs to hear this, a husband, a dad, a leader who’s carrying more than he lets on, send it to him.

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As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

Send a text

Our newest episode is live, and this one is deeply personal.

So many of you have heard my story.

My healing.

My journey.

My voice.

Today, you get to hear from the man who lived it with me.

Amos steps into the guest seat for a raw and honest conversation about marriage, healing, addiction, faith, leadership, and what it looks like to stay when life gets hard.

Behind so much of my story is the man who chose to stay and still chooses to stay.

A man who kept showing up.

A man who kept leading.

A man who held steady when life felt anything but.

In this episode, we talk about the things people usually carry in silence.

What it feels like to walk into a house and know within a couple syllables that the night is going to be hard.

What it means to love without enabling.

What happens when pain changes the whole atmosphere of a home.

And what healing starts to look like when two people are willing to keep growing, keep telling the truth, and keep coming back to the table.

Amos shares some of the deepest wisdom he has carried in our home for years:

Proximity shapes perspective.

Perspective shapes decisions.

Decisions shape your life.

He also says something that made me laugh and then made me think:

“Screw the series.”

Because sometimes the very thing keeping us stuck is not some giant crisis.

It is the small distraction, the avoidance, the numbing, the thing we keep turning to instead of facing what really needs healing.

This episode is tender, real, and full of the kind of truth people do not always say out loud.

It is for the ones who have loved someone through pain.

The ones who stayed strong because they had to.

The ones who kept praying when nothing made sense.

The ones who never really got asked how they were doing.

I am really honored to share Amos with all of you.

Resources:
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/episodes/broadcast/
https://www.jeffersonfisher.com/podcast
https://www.trinitychurch.com/sermons
Live Free with Josh Howerton

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As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

Send a text

We’re live right now.

Episode 68 just dropped, and I’m saying this clearly: this one is for the person who’s been trying to stay strong while quietly falling apart.

Today’s conversation is with Laura Pedersen. She doesn’t give you a polished testimony. She gives you the real version. Loss, heartbreak, and the long road of choosing joy when life hurts.

And that’s the point.

Sometimes “choose joy” gets used like a cute quote. But real joy is not denial. It’s a decision you make while you’re still healing. It’s faith in motion, not faith as a performance.

If you’ve ever asked:

• How do I keep going after loss?
• How do I trust God when life doesn’t make sense?
• How do I stop pretending I’m okay?
• How do I find joy without minimizing my pain?

This episode is for you.

We talk about resilience, grief, faith, and what it actually looks like to let God rebuild you from the inside out. This conversation goes deeper than inspiration. It’s honest. It’s tender. And it’s the kind of episode that helps you breathe again.

Fortitude is about this.
One story at a time.
Hope through the hard parts.
Not skipping the pain. Not rushing the healing. Just walking it through together.

So here’s what I’m asking today:

1. If you have been asking, “How do I keep going?” this conversation is for you.
   
   Watch and listen:
   YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
   Support Fortitude:
   Patreon: https://patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
   Give (Stripe): https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
   Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10
   Connect:
   X: https://x.com/FortitudePod
   Courses: https://fortitudellc.myKajabi.com
2. Comment one word that describes what you’re carrying in this season
3. Share this with one person you care about who needs hope but won’t say it out loud

🔴 We’re live. Come in the room.
Drop a comment and tell us where you’re tuning in from and what you’re believing God for right now.

And if someone came to mind while reading this, tag them. You might be the reminder they needed today.

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As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

Send a text

Christmas Day Episode!

In this Christmas Day conversation, we sit down with Jill Miller. Jill is a singer-songwriter and speaker who has lived a lot of life, and she tells the truth with so much grace.

We talk about the kind of seasons that don’t get wrapped up in a tidy bow.
Infertility. Adoption. Divorce. Loss. The moments that make you wrestle with God, not perform for Him.

Jill also shares what she calls “sacred silence,” that season where God slows you down, not to punish you, but to heal you. And she reminds us that being real with God is not disrespect. Its relationship.

One line that stayed with us:
“Leave all your cares and anxieties at the feet of the Lord, and measureless grace will strengthen you.”

If Christmas feels joyful for you, this episode will deepen it.
If Christmas feels heavy, this episode will hold you.

🎧 Listen now

If you want to help us keep the Fortitude Podcast growing, here are the ways to support and connect:

Give

• Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
• Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
  
  
• Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10
  
  

Grow

• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
  
  
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/FortitudePod
  
  
• Courses: https://fortitudellc.mykajabi.com
  
  

Merry Christmas, and thank you for being part of this family. 🎧❤️

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As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

Send a text

🎙️ Episode 66 — Turning Grief into Grace

Guest: Deb Hadley, Founder of KT Humble Hearts

When unimaginable loss struck, Deb Hadley faced the kind of heartbreak no parent should ever endure. Within months, she lost both of her children, Kaylie and Tyler. Her world shattered, but her faith refused to die.

In this powerful conversation, Deb shares how she turned grief into grace and pain into purpose. Through tears, prayer, and perseverance, she founded KT Humble Hearts, a nonprofit that helps grieving families find light in the darkest seasons.

This episode explores the deep intersection of faith, healing, and legacy and what it means to hold on to hope when everything seems lost, and how love can become a movement that outlives tragedy.

💛 Key Themes:
•Faith after loss
•Turning personal pain into community purpose
•Living with legacy and intention
•Healing through remembrance and service

Heather Kittelson -“Deb Hadley story reminds us that faith doesn’t take the pain away, it transforms it. What she’s built through KT Humble Hearts isn’t just a response to loss; it’s a living testimony that love never ends.”

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
#FortitudePodcast #TurningGriefIntoGrace #KTHumbleHearts #FaithInMotion #PurposeThroughPain #HopeAfterLoss



Give:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

Grow:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod
- Courses: https://fortitudellc.mykajabi.com

*****************************************************************************************
As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

Send a text

🌟 Episode 65 is LIVE! 🌟

Today, we are honored to host a global voice of resilience—Amberly Lago—on the Fortitude Ministries Podcast.

This is not just another survival story. It’s a story of transformation. After a devastating motorcycle accident, Amberly could have stopped at her pain. But she refused. She chose purpose. She chose faith. She chose joy.

In Episode 65: Joy Through the Journey, Heather and Amos sit down with Amberly to talk about healing, grit, and the grace that carries us through our darkest seasons. From pain to purpose, from breakdown to breakthrough—this episode reminds us that no matter how dark it gets, God can still bring light through our stories.

📖 In her book Joy Through the Journey, Amberly writes: “Joy is not a byproduct of ease—it’s what grows in the soil of the storm.” Her journey teaches us that our scars hold stories, and our faith can turn that story into a testimony.

✨ Her message rings loud: Joy isn’t found in what’s easy. It’s found in what we overcome.

🎧 Listen now—available wherever you get your podcasts.

💬 Tag someone who needs this reminder: healing is possible, faith still works, and joy can live even in the struggle.

#FortitudeMinistries #AmberlyLago #Episode65 #JoyThroughTheJourney #FaithAndResilience #IAmFortified #PurposeInPain #FortitudePodcast #HealingThroughFaith #FaithOverFear #ResilientWomen

Give:

- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast

- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate

- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

Grow:

- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod

- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

- Courses: https://fortitudellc.mykajabi.com

*****************************************************************************************
As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

Send a text

✨ Episode 64 is Live! ✨

We are honored to kick off Season 4 by sitting down with an incredible woman, Chantelle—a daughter, wife, and leader whose story carries both depth and hope.

In this episode, Heather and Amos talk with Chantelle about:

• The beauty and challenges of living out your faith in everyday life
• What it means to lead with both strength and humility
• How to rise through family, marriage, and community dynamics while keeping God at the center
• Why sharing our stories matters for the next generation

Chantelle’s journey reminds us that God calls us to live beyond ourselves—to be faithful in the small moments and courageous in the big ones.

This conversation is real, inspiring, and full of gratitude for what God is doing through families who choose His mission above all.

*****************************************************************************************
As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod

Send a text

🌟 Season 4 of the Fortitude Podcast is Here 🌟

This isn’t just the start of a new season—it’s the testimony of what God can do when a couple chooses to say yes to His calling, even through the hardest seasons.

Heather and Amos open Season 4 by sharing the real journey behind Fortitude: the valleys, the rebuilding of trust, the sacrifices of motherhood and leadership, and the courage to keep showing up for each other, their children, and their community.

They talk about what it means to carry God’s mission together—navigating family dynamics, shifting roles, and the weight of responsibility—yet still finding joy, purpose, and healing in the process. They don’t stand here today on their own. They stand because of the countless prayers, the love of family and friends, the Fortitude community, and the powerful moments shared at conferences and gatherings that reminded them: this calling is bigger than them.

This season opener is raw, emotional, and full of gratitude. It’s a reminder that God doesn’t call the equipped—He equips the called. And with His strength, we can rise, rebuild, and walk boldly into our purpose.

➡️ Next week, we continue this momentum with a special conversation featuring Chantelle—a story you won’t want to miss.

*****************************************************************************************
As a fan of our podcast and mission to spread Hope and Healing through the message of Jesus Christ - We would appreciate your financial support!
We are 100% listener supported!

TO GIVE TO FORTITUDE:
- Patreon: patreon.com/FortitudePodcast
- Stripe: https://bit.ly/fortitudedonate
- Venmo: https://www.venmo.com/u/fortitude10

PERSONAL GROWTH OPPORTUNITIES:
- Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@FortitudePod
- Twitter: https://x.com/FortitudePod