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Michael Smolders - President of Smolders Management Group, and Founder and Host of The Collar podcast shares his faith, his story, and his mission including being baptized into the Catholic faith as a child; having an exploratory agnostic phase in high school; moving to Taiwan and studying Buddhism; the importance of Matthew 16:18; the relationship with Jesus in the Catholic Church; the role “feelings” play in faith; the importance of Psalms; a spiritual experience that rocked him at the end of college; how his love of baseball and a Malcolm Gladwell book came together and sparked the idea for a training centre; going to church daily for three years and a deep dive into reading to understand the “why” behind his faith; how a pivot back into baseball steered him into the automotive industry; a purposeful change of career that allows him to give back directly to the Church; how a shortage of priests guided his next move; creating The Collar podcast; why there is a shortage of priests; how Messenger Eagle reaches potential priests where they are in this social media/YouTube culture; being scandalous with your faith; how advertising a Christian message actually helps the faith standout in today’s culture; the “three promises” for priests; how COVID brought people to the Lord; and so much more!

https://thecollar.org/

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Jim Schneider - Co-Founder of Eyes of Faith eyewear company - shares his faith discovery journey and his purpose including how a divorce had him searching for a faith of some kind; how a church men’s event to “go shoot some things” and a book set him on his path of discovering a relationship with Jesus; growing up Catholic but never having a relationship; his pursuit to get answers to the resurrection of Jesus; the importance of purposely getting “filled up”; the difference it makes in having a physical Bible in your hands; a desire to go into sales and a family history in the insurance business led to a pre-eyewear career; going all in when he came to Christ including cutting out all sexual activity with his then girlfriend (later his wife); how his desire to find his purpose led to the pivot into eyewear; how Eyes of Faith was born in “sin city”; determining of this was a “God idea”; navigating the challenges of the eyewear industry as the only Christian eyewear company in the world; the Eyes of Hope Vision Center in Ghana, West Africa; pairing frame style with scripture on the frames; downsizing in a difficult season; how the year 2020, ironically, did not bring clarity to the company; focusing on what was the next best thing to do; having to trust that God’s got them; fasting complaining; and so much more!

https://ecp.eofoptical.com/

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Greg Csefko - Guitar and Drama Teacher, Co-Director of Plays and Musicals, and Co-Director of Chapel Worship Team at Foundation Academy - invites us into his story of faith and how it influences his work including growing up Catholic in Canada and having an “unspiritual” experience with the Church; how his girlfriend’s - now wife’s - faith journey influenced his own; a four and a half hour drive to church; how a silent prayer in his head and an unexpected hand on his backed transformed his life; growing up an only child and suddenly being surrounded by brothers and sisters in Christ; serving for 18 years in Canada before moving to Florida to help plant a second campus; making church a priority; the backstory to God calling Greg and his family to Florida; how God opened a door for Greg to use his gifts; working at Starbucks after two decades of teaching; maintaining an attitude of gratitude; how his spirit of excellence and desire to serve, as a substitute teacher, led to a full-time teaching role; how his faith informs how he reaches, encourages, and teaches students; using whatever tool God has placed in your hand with excellence; leaning on his faith in his workplace; and so much more!

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