Hello, Mighty Men of God. Joe Martin here, man builder, award-winning speaker, author, and Tanya's

husband and Kendall and Faith's dad. Welcome to the Real Men Connect podcast where we help good men become

great men God's way. Every Wednesday we interview some of the nation's most respected and

accomplished men of faith to find out what it really takes to become the kind of husband,

father, and spiritual leader God called and created us to be. Today is the real men check-in. The real men check-in is

just a quick way to help you start your week on the right foot in the right way. Every Monday,

I share personal insights, encouragement, and support that will move you beyond church to real change.

I keep it short, I make it fun, and then I'm done. So let's get

started. A real man reveals an order to heal. Let me say that again. A real man reveals

an order to heal. Now the real man check-in is usually very practical, light and kind of laid back,

but this week I have to tackle a very tough and sensitive topic. See, when my son, Kimmelah was about 13 or 14 years old, and he asked me a very interesting question. He asked me, he says, Dad, if you can go back and change one thing in your life, what would it be? If you can go back and change one thing in your life, what would it be? Now I got to tell you, knowing working with men and ministering to men all the time, usually men come out with that default answer. Well, I wouldn't change the thing because I wouldn't be the person I am today if that thing never happened. Now, I get all that. But come on, let's be honest. If you can go back and change some of the stupid bonehead of mistakes that you made, wouldn't

you go back and change it? At least I would. Now, not only was that an interesting question for my son,

it was a very challenging one. You see, at that time in my life, I had achieved a lot what the

world would consider success, meaning that I was an award-winning professional speaker, an author, an educator,

a consultant, an entrepreneur, business coach, and a pretty decent parent. But none of that

came without a price. It literally cost me everything. Now, see, I had also ruined a 16-year

marriage, destroyed my family, battle an addiction, wasted my wealth, and almost risked my health.

The fact that my son was even talking to me was a miracle from God because I was solely

responsible for the destruction of the family he once knew as his mom and his dad.

So when Kenlow asked me that question, I had to really think about the answer.

He later told me that he asked because he thought he knew what the answer would be, but he was totally wrong. See, he thought I was going to say, cheating on his mom

repeatedly and destroying our family would be the thing that I would go back and change, because that

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