Come Towards Delight

Curtis Lamb has been through more serious health problems and diseases in his young life than anyone I have ever met, yet he remains a man full of joy, hope, purpose, and faith. This man is Incredible!

Upon meeting Curtis a few short years ago, I new right away that he had a quite a story. It's not everyday you meet people who love life so much that you can see it in their countenance and in their eyes. I saw exactly that the first time I met Curtis at a networking event, and felt of his passionate and kind spirit immediately. We connected on social media after meeting, and as I paid attention to his posts, which always had uplifting and inspiring content, I dug a little deeper to see if I could get a glimpse of who he really is and what his past was like. It didn't take long, Facebook "stalking", to find pictures of Curtis riding in Cancer charity events which of course peaked my interest. Shortly after that I saw pictures of him in a hospital, laying on a hospital bed with tubes attached to his body. It was obvious that Curtis had experience some traumatic health issues in his life, but the thing that stood out to me the most was not the tubes or the bandages, it was the smile he seemed to always have in his pictures. As I read about his experiences I realized that he had been through multiple challenges and traumatic health diagnoses, and when I started this podcast I knew that I needed him to come share his story.

Living with Lymphoma for over 20 years of his life is a crazy story in and of itself, but that is just the beginning for Curtis. He shares with us experiences surrounding being diagnosed with Liver Disease, and the overwhelming odds of surviving it. Instead of accepting the Doctors approach to "managing" this disease in hopes to beat it, Curtis held onto hope which lead to faith and action. He took it to God and with faith moved forward with an alternate form of healing after many hours of prayer and research. He talks about the miracle that occurred for him during this process and how the Doctors responded with much surprise each time he would come for follow up check ups. He shares that his two boys and the idea of getting married again and having an eternal family kept him going and focused on hope for a full recovery.

Shortly after his health came back he met his now wife and talks about his gratitude not only for her but for everything that had happened, trauma and all, to get him to the point of meeting her. He shares of his Trust in God's plan for our lives and perfect timing. Sounds like a happy ending right? Psych!!

A small lump on his arm, that wouldn't go away, caused him to question it and fortunately his wife, who works in the medical field, was smart enough to put the right amount of pressure on him to have it looked at. The Doctors decided to do a cat scan and when the called him to tell him the results, he was informed that he needed to get to an Oncology specialist immediately. Come to find out he had an Aneurysm that needed immediate attention! While he was getting ready to go under for surgery, he received a phone call from the same Doctor who preformed the cat scan who informed him that he had cancer... As Curtis shares his feelings during this experience, he talks about Miracles, and that he was grateful for Cancer because it was the motivation that took him to the Doctors who were alerted to the Aneurysm. He shares his witness of God's awareness of us all individually, of the importance of holding onto Hope, and the very real effect that occurs when we, in faith, Act and take steps forward to meet our overwhelming challenges head on.

What an amazing story, that has shaped an incredible human! Trials can and do lead to our greatest blessings in life and Curtis is a shinning example of that. Curtis, thank you for your courage to share, your passion and gratitude for life, and the faith that you live by. You are a light in this world my friend. What an incredible story!

If you would like to follow Curtis' story or reach out to him with any questions you can find him on Instagram, handle @curtislamb33 or on Facebook under his name Curtis Lamb.

Chad Rawlings is a Husband, Father, and Son of God with a lot of faith and courage. Chad definitely rolls up his sleeves and courageously share's his experience coming home early from a full time Mission with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints early not only once but twice. Young Men and Women that grow up in The Church of Jesus Christ are taught from the time they can say their first words that they should serve a full time mission if at all possible.

For young men The Church teaches it is a commandment from God and for young women it is not a commandment but it is highly recommended if they feel prompted to go. At times there are young men and young women that choose not to go and as a result they feel ashamed of themselves, have feelings that they are not worthy, and face judgement by others that belong to the faith. This is not due to any doctrinal teaching from the Church itself, rather it stems as a result from Members of the Church being so close in association and proximity to each other. Each year some young men and women disengage from activity in the Church because of this, and they struggle with feelings of shame, guilt, and self worth to the point that some want nothing to do with the Church ever again so they don't have to feel those feelings anymore. These are a few of the reasons that Chad's story and courage to share is so important.

Chad grew up talking about serving, wanting to serve, and eager for the day he turned 19. When it came he explains that he felt ready and excited, but as he entered the Missionary Training Center (MTC) as a 19 year old young man, he was engulfed with anxiety and fear. Unable to eat, sleep, focus in training classes he began to doubt himself and his ability as he saw the other young men and women surrounding him happy, engaged, and able to learn a new language with what seemed at the time ease. The first time he decided to return home early he made it about 2 days, he was no longer able to work through feeling overwhelmed and like he wasn't good enough so he called home to his Mom and Dad and begged them to come pick him up. His parents were frustrated but they loved him and although they didn't know how to process Chad's decision they wanted their son to feel love and value. One or two weeks after Chad left his mission, he still felt like he really wanted to serve God on a mission. After meeting with his religious leader, the decision was made to try again but this time in hopes that Chad could serve somewhere in the United States and not a foreign land speaking another language. Chad was called to Florida, and was again ready to go feeling passionate again about the opportunity to serve God, but as soon as he stepped into the gates of the MTC and parted with his family, all of the feelings rushed back. He stayed as patient as he could but couldn't sleep, eat, or focus in class and was once again overwhelmed with feelings of inadequacy. Chad, again packed up and left the MTC.

Chad shares some very insightful and helpful principles that can help us understand how to show up for people when they feel lost in failure. He talks about the ways God continued to show up for him to help him gain confidence in himself and belief that he could have a successful life full of love, faith, and service to God.

Chad lost no value to God because he didn't stay but he did grow in self confidence because he stayed engaged and faithful to God. Chad is a close acquaintance of mine and I have seen him show up over and over again for people who are lost and feeling worthless. Because of what he has faced in his life I have witnessed his ability to recognize people who need to feel loved and then he shows up for them. Chad, your mission may not be the typical mission, but you have served your mission faithfully. I know that God is pleased with you and you are a hero of mine.

Jake is one of those guys you meet and immediately you recognize that there is something special about him. His smile and energy are contagious and you feel like he is your best friend after a few short minutes with him.

From the beginning of Jake's life "all odds were against him". His birth Mother and Father never married and separated before he was born. His mom was an alcoholic and Jake had to grow up fast, remembering many nights that he had to put her to bed. At 8 years old Jake watched his mother be handcuffed and hauled of to jail which left him feeling all alone in a big scary world. He went to live with his recovering Alcoholic Dad and Step Mom, and at first it was a stable home which Jake flourished in and got a taste a Happy Life.

In his Teenage years Jake's Step Mother committed Suicide without warning, which wrecked Jake because they became very close. Jake talks about how the community rallied around him at this point. He had friends reach out to him in love who helped him learn about God and his value as God's Son.

Faith entered Jake's life and as it did Doors opened for him to serve a two year Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which changed him. When he came home he had some "demons of the past" that he had to face.

Through the Power of Prayer and with his amazing wife, right by his side, he faced those demons head on and experienced a lot of growth as a result.

Jake is brilliant, and his life is absolutely inspiring! No matter how many times life knocks you down... Get Back Up and Never Quit. Put your Faith in God, Pray and ask for guidance, and He will take you by the hand and lead you to light, love, and joy!

A proud Alum of Michigan State University, Anthony Ianni, is one of the most sought after motivational speakers in the country. At the age of 4 Anthony was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD), which is on the Autism Spectrum (ASD). Doctors and specialists told Anthony’s parents that he would barely graduate from high school, would never graduate from college, would never have a shot at being an athlete and would likely live in a group institution with other Autistic kids for his adult life. His family was devastated but pledged they would help Anthony be successful no matter what. Anthony graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in sociology in 2012 and was a winner of various awards during his time as a basketball player. He was a two-time Big Ten Champion, a Big Ten Tournament Champion, and a member of the 2010 Final Four team. He won the 2011 Tim Bograkos Walk On award and the 2012 Unsung Player award.

During his senior season at Michigan State University, like any other student, Anthony was at a crossroads, unsure of what he wanted to do with his life after college. It was then that Michigan’s former Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley gave him an opportunity that made him realize his story had the power to inspire others. Before his final basketball season had ended, Mr. Calley asked Anthony if he was interested in giving the keynote address at an autism gala in Detroit hosted by the Autism Alliance of Michigan. He delivered a ten-minute speech and received a great reaction and ovation from the crowd. Driving home, he looked at his wife Kelly and said, “I think I found my life’s calling. Other than Temple Grandin, what voice does the autism community have to look to for hope and inspiration?” He knew then that he wanted to be the person whose voice the autism community and others could look to and be inspired by.

Two months after that speech, the Autism Alliance of Michigan hired Anthony to do motivational speaking engagements for the organization. At that time, he was also appointed to the Governor’s Autism Council—a seat he holds to this day. In the fall of 2012, Anthony heard a CNN report about how individuals with autism are the number-one targets for bullies in schools across the country.

His own experience with bullies and this startling statistic led him to expand his presentations to include both a motivational and an anti-bullying message. Soon after, Anthony launched his own anti-bullying initiative called The Relentless Tour, sharing his life stories of being bullied because of his autism and height and all the ways he was different to show kids who have been the target of bullies that they’re not alone, and to encourage them to go out and not only be the change, but to make that change in life as well.

As a speaker, Anthony has won a number of awards for his work. In 2013, he was a finalist for the Detroit Pistons Game Changer award and won the 2014 Epling Agent of Change Award. He was one of Autism Speaks’ “10 Individuals who Inspired in 2014,” and named to the CBS News national list of “Inspiring People on the Autism Spectrum.” He also received the 2015 BOOM Athlete of the Year Award and the 2016 Autism Support of West Shore “You Make a Difference” Award. In his five-year speaking career, Anthony has built relationships with political and civic leaders throughout the state and school administrators from around the country, as well national autism advocates, sports figures, and a long list of media professionals. These relationships have helped Anthony build a large and loyal following and have taken his career and his life story to heights he never could have anticipated.

Anthony, you are a great man! Thank you for shinning your light bright so that the rest of us can see that when we are willing to do hard things doors open and Miracles Happen.

Check out Anythony's new book, 'Centered' where he shares his experiences with Basketball, Autism, and Bullying. https://www.amazon.com/Centered-Autism-Basketball-Athletes-Dreams/dp/1684351537