In this episode of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy Melrose sits down with Christian Struthers for a steady and hope-filled conversation about addiction, identity, survival, and the mercy of God that meets us even at our lowest point.

Christian’s story begins long before the accident that changed everything. A gifted athlete, he played baseball throughout high school and into college, with a promising future ahead of him. But what began as social partying gradually became addiction. The discipline required to sustain his dream gave way to impulsive choices, and slowly, he watched the life he once envisioned unravel. The very confidence and charisma that energized crowds during his work as a hype man at large events became difficult to turn off, spilling into destructive patterns off the field.

On August 3, 2016, at age 25, everything shifted. After a night of drinking, Christian was the passenger in a car traveling at high speed when it crashed. He does not remember the impact. He woke up a week later from a coma with 17 major injuries, including a broken neck, internal bleeding, a collapsed lung, multiple fractures, and two strokes. He was told he might never walk again. He lost vision in his right eye. His body had to relearn how to sit, how to stand, how to function.

And yet, woven throughout the trauma were moments Christian cannot explain apart from God’s intervention. A stranger cut his seatbelt after the crash and disappeared into the crowd. His bleeding stopped on the final available bag of his blood type. Churches and individuals across communities began praying. Cards arrived from missionaries and strangers alike. While Christian did not experience dramatic visions in his coma, he experienced something equally powerful—evidence of prayer and the steady faithfulness of God through unexplainable provision and protection.

Recovery was long and humbling. He had to relearn basic movements. He wrestled with the loss of his former life. But into that fragile season came an unexpected gift: a German Shepherd named Millie. Promised to him while he was still unconscious, Millie became a daily companion in his healing. She motivated him to stand, to move, to try again. Through caring for her, he found purpose in the middle of physical and emotional rehabilitation.

What began as gratitude for one dog eventually grew into something larger. Christian created Dog Dash, an event celebrating dogs and raising funds for animal shelters, donating 100% of profits to support adoption and connection. Through these events—and through speaking at schools and communities—he shares the message that has become central to his life: you are one decision away from a completely different future.

Christian speaks candidly about the importance of discipline, pausing before choices, and listening to that inner prompting he now recognizes as God’s voice. He reflects on the night of the crash, remembering a quiet unease he ignored. Today, he teaches young people to stop and think, to weigh risk and reward, and to anchor their decisions to the life they truly desire.

The story does not end in tragedy. It ends in calling.

Christian now lives with clarity that his survival was not accidental. What once felt like the end became the doorway to purpose. He describes his former lifestyle as empty compared to the fulfillment he now experiences in giving back, sharing hope, and reminding others that prayer changes things.

For the listener who feels stuck in addiction, regret, or shame, this episode offers a grounded truth: your story is not over. One prayer. One pause. One decision can redirect the course of your life. God is not absent in your darkness, and redemption is never out of reach.

How to Connect With the Guest

Website:
https://christianstruthers.com

Dog Dash Website:
https://dog-3k.com

Social Media:
Christian Struthers is active on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube: realliferamble

If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.

The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.

You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.

Your story is not an accident.
You are healed.
You are whole.
You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

After producing many episodes of Healed. Whole. Called., Wendy realized something important — the greatest impact wasn’t coming from perfect production, but from real conversations happening in real time.

In this short update, Wendy shares why the podcast is evolving from traditional recorded episodes into live conversations with resilience leaders, overcomers, and faith-driven storytellers.

While the format is changing, the mission remains the same:
Helping people steward their story, walk in healing, and step into their calling.

You can now join these conversations live on:

Facebook: Wendy C. Melrose
LinkedIn: Wendy Melrose
YouTube: Healed. Whole. Called.

The mission hasn't changed. Only the method.

Stay healed.
Stay whole.
Stay called.

If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.

The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.

You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.

Your story is not an accident.
You are healed.
You are whole.
You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.

Teri Houghton’s story is one of quiet strength and steady faithfulness. An accountant by training, ballet teacher by passion, and mother of five—two biological and three adopted—Teri once envisioned a life that would follow a predictable arc. After a 20-year marriage, that vision shifted dramatically when her husband chose a different path, and she found herself navigating divorce as a single mother with children ranging from teens to elementary school.

Divorce brought grief that felt like death—the loss of shared dreams, memories, and a future once assumed. Teri describes the early days not as a collapse of faith, but as a clinging to Jesus for survival. The trust she had known became a daily dependence. Who was she now? How would she support her family? What parts of herself had been buried beneath years of motherhood, medical appointments, activities, and responsibility?

Instead of shrinking back, Teri leaned in. She returned to accounting work, said yes to opportunities she didn’t fully understand, and trusted her ability to learn. Slowly, a new chapter unfolded—one built on operations, systems, and helping female entrepreneurs build sustainable businesses with intention rather than overwhelm. What began as necessity became calling.

At home, healing required equal courage. Teri openly shares how divorce is a grief the world often underestimates. It is not only the death of a marriage but the reshaping of identity and family structure. There were seasons of unhealthy coping, particularly in leaning too heavily on her oldest child during the transition. But as she grew healthier, so did her children.

One of her highest values became peaceful co-parenting. Not because it was easy—but because it mattered. Choosing kindness, even when pain lingered, became a spiritual discipline. She reframed her vision of what life “should” have looked like and embraced what God was shaping instead. The relationship with her ex-husband evolved into something different: not a marriage, but a shared commitment to raising children in stability and love.

Teri speaks candidly about adoption adding another layer of complexity. For adopted children, divorce can feel like a second loss layered over an earlier one. Yet even in that complexity, she sees resilience forming in her children—and in herself.

Professionally, Teri now works primarily with female entrepreneurs, particularly coaches and creatives. While her work centers on systems and operations, she recognizes that ministry often unfolds in those spaces. Conversations about business frequently open doors for deeper conversations about identity, transition, divorce, and faith. God, she reflects, rarely separates vocation from calling. The ministry is often right in front of us.

As her children grow and begin leaving home, Teri is also navigating another transition: rediscovering herself outside of constant caregiving. She speaks to the importance of carving out ten intentional minutes a day—not for trendy self-care, but for honest reflection. Who are you, beyond what everyone needs from you? Because eventually, she says, you will return to yourself.

Her encouragement to women walking through divorce or transition is simple but profound: resilience is built by leaning into God daily. You already carry what you need because He placed it inside you. The story is not over, even when the chapter closes differently than you expected.

Teri’s life is a reminder that structure and soul can coexist. That grief can birth clarity. And that love—quiet, steady, faithful love—is still the strongest legacy we leave our children.

How to Connect With the Guest

Connection details were not mentioned in this episode. Please check the show notes or Wendy Melrose’s social platforms for updates.

If you’re carrying a story or testimony and sense a quiet stirring to do something more with it, but you’re unsure what that next step should be, I’ve created a resource to help you discern that.

The Story Discernment Guide is a reflective guide designed to help you pause, pray, and gain clarity around the story you’re stewarding — before you write, publish, or share it publicly.

You can explore the Story Discernment Guide at storycalling.info.

Your story is not an accident.
You are healed.
You are whole.
You are called — and stewarding your story well matters.