Marine veteran Aaron “Sergeant Q” Quinonez shares how combat trauma, PTSD, depression, and suicidal darkness nearly took him out, and how God met him at rock bottom with a new path forward. He unpacks the moment that changed everything: serving others, not as a one-time trip, but as a lifestyle that rebuilt his mind, restored his faith, and gave purpose to his pain.
Together, Tom and Aaron connect Scripture, brain science, and daily discipline, breaking down what Aaron calls a “daily dose” of mental health: dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins, and why service, community, and consistency matter when the enemy’s strategy is isolation. Aaron also shares the “slag” metaphor from metallurgy: trials heat you up, impurities surface, and God refines you into something useful when you stay in the process instead of running from it.
This conversation is a direct call to action for anyone stuck in shame, addiction, anxiety, or burnout: stop healing in isolation, build your squad, and start small daily practices that rewire your mind and strengthen your walk with God. If your pain is trying to define you, what would it look like to let God turn it into a mission?
Recordings
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43:585 months ago
Ep.13 - How God Healed My Heart with ...
5 months ago
Kameron Burgess grew up as a missionary kid overseas, lived in constant transition, and eventually stepped into ministry full-time in Spain, carrying major responsibility while trying to build a marriage in an intense environment. Then COVID hit, isolation set in, and behind the scenes his marria...
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46:485 months ago
Ep.12 - Discovering Purpose & Unlocki...
5 months ago
Tom sits down in-studio with his new friend Al Herrera for an unscripted, real conversation about identity, purpose, and the stories we’re tempted to hide. Al shares how early wounds and harsh words shaped “fake IDs” he carried for years: unworthy, dumb, and convicted felon, and how those labels ...
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40:565 months ago
Ep.11 - How to Stay Persistent When L...
5 months ago
Ian Bowen was 32, healthy, and training for a race when a rare diagnosis and spinal cord surgery left him paralyzed from the chest down. Doctors told him he might walk with assistance, but would never run again, and that his recovery would eventually plateau.
Ian refused to let that prognosis bec...
