Hey, everyone. This is Heidi St. John. Thanks for tuning in today. I'm glad you guys are here because I think you're going to be really

encouraged and inspired by my guest. We're going to spend some time today and tomorrow, hopefully talking about the importance of adoption and the foster care system, which really is broken.

I have a new guest on the show I told him before we started. He's going to be my off the bench here over this week. His name is Glenn Harwood. We're going to have a fantastic conversation. Stick around. I think you're going to be encouraged.

Well, for those of you who are newer or new ish, I should say to the show. I want to say welcome to you. If you have been listening for a while, we would love it. If you'd

leave reviews for this show over at iTunes and let other people know about the off the bench podcast. We recently passed 15 million downloads since we started using the new platform anchor. And so we're

excited to see that grow also want to let you know that we've got a new study we're working on at mom strong international and for the month of October. I will be returning to my role as the primary teacher and writer for mom strung international. We're going to be studying about identity. God has a lot to say about our identity and him who we are. We're confused in the church right now. The culture certainly on its head in a lot of ways. I think it's because the church has forgotten its role in the culture. It's one of the reasons I'm

excited to have to have my guest on today. Glenn Harwood is with me today after 22 year career as an army officer. He moved his family of four to Midland Texas and began a second career as an assistant US attorney. In other words, a federal prosecutor after six and a half years as a federal prosecutor. He decided to run for district attorney. So he's going to have a big fight ahead of him. That primary election is going to come up in March of 2024. Something I know a few little things about.

During his time in Midland, he and his wife have fostered six children and adopted two of those children through child protective services. And now is a 53 year old ish couple in addition to their mostly grown kids. They're raising a five year old girl and a 10 year old boy. Glenn, I'm pleased to have you. Welcome to the show.

Thanks so much for having me.

So I want to start today by just talking about your where you where you started and story where you came and how you got to where you are because there's a lot of people listening to this. You know the theme of the show and for it's been I don't know eight or nine years that I've been talking about getting off the bench.

I'm trying to get people to figure out what it is that God would have them use what's in your hand, you know, whether it's a position, its opportunity, you know, for you guys you've gotten involved in the foster care system and through adoption.

But you started out as a career military person and officer right in the military. And so I'm curious. Tell us a little bit about that and then sort of how you got from there to here.

Well, my wife and I were married in 1991 in 1993. I enlisted in the army and I went to officer candidate school and I started as an infantry officer.

So we got to travel the world a little bit a few years later after an assignment in Germany. I got a scholarship to go to law school. So the army sent me to law school.

So I went to William and Mary law school in Virginia.

Hey, they're about as woke as a school can get.

Well, they weren't then. I was going to say you survived. You came out and you're OK.

I did. They were they were the more conservative school in Virginia.

Wow. They have they have gotten a little bit more liberal. There's there's a there's little specks of conservatism that's still, you know, that you can still find there.

It's a good school. What a beautiful campus to my goodness.

It's gorgeous. In fact, my my oldest son ended up going and getting his undergraduate degree there just a few years ago.

Wow. But yes, I was often told the tales of the various, you know, liberal events happening on campus and things like that.

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