How unpretending can open the door to real healing, radical grace, and renewed purpose for the misfits among us. Mike and Andy sit down with speaker and founder of Freedom Movement, Carrie Garcia, for a raw and powerful conversation about faith, addiction, ministry, mental health, and the cost of pretending in church culture. Carrie shares her heart-wrenching and hope-filled journey—from growing up as a pastor's kid in dysfunction, surviving years of drug use, trauma, and church shame, to rediscovering herself and creating a movement where authenticity and healing take center stage. This episode boldly disrupts the narrative of performance-based faith and invites listeners into something deeper, messier, and more beautiful.

Key Takeaways: • Freedom in Unpretending – How transparency and truth-telling are vital spiritual disciplines for a church obsessed with appearances. • Church Culture & Shame – Discussing the damaging effects of performative Christianity and how the pressure to "keep it together" contributes to spiritual and emotional isolation. • From Meth to Ministry – Carrie's gripping testimony of addiction, recovery, and reclaiming her identity in Jesus—without needing to hide her story. • The Gospel for the Misfits – Why Jesus chooses misfits, and how that truth is reshaping conferences, ministries, and church partnerships across the country. • Restoration After Brokenness – Exploring the difference between behaving and becoming in the aftermath of failure, and how experiencing God's love in the pit can lead to real transformation. • Women in Leadership – Carrie shares her thoughtful, bridge-building perspective on female preachers in a church culture slowly shifting from exclusion to empowerment.

Guest Highlights: Carrie Garcia – Pastor's kid turned meth addict turned founder of the Freedom Movement, Carrie is a speaker, ministry leader, and advocate for honest faith. Known for her gripping storytelling and fierce authenticity, Carrie is pioneering events and partnerships aimed at helping people—especially women—know they aren't alone and that Jesus meets them right where they are, not just where they pretend to be.

Resources Mentioned: • Freedom Movement events and info – freedommovement.us • Follow Carrie on Instagram – @carriegarcia1 • Upcoming Freedom Movement LA Event – March 24 at Rocky Peak Church • Vox Live Show – March 9 at the Monkey Business Café in Fullerton. Sign up and more info at voxpodcast.com

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