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Let’s just state the obvious. Runners are weird people. We know it and we embrace it. But if running is not your thing, please don’t skip this conversation. There’s something here for you.

Cary and Micah Morgan are pillars of the Birmingham AL running community. More than that, they’re wonderful people who genuinely care about others and love well.

Cary is a physical therapist and owner/lead coach of Cadence Run Coaching, a business that helps runners achieve their goals. Micah is a nurse practitioner who also happens to be one of the world’s most elite ultra-runners. For about the last ten years, Micah has been crossing one challenge after another off her list, including the Badwater 135 ultramarathon, which is considered the toughest road race in the world. In fact, on July 27, 2026 Micah will compete in her third Badwater 135. You can track her progress using the link below.

In our conversation, we definitely talked about running. But more than that, we talked about the community and connection that comes from a shared passion. No matter what you love to do, when you find others who love it like you do, there’s a special connection available.

Cary and Micah are faithful friends and companions to so many, and more recently have walked through shared grief as well. In December 2025, the Birmingham running community lost a good friend when Christina Chambers’ life was suddenly cut short. We talk about that pain, as well as how many people Christina touched by her friendship. For those of you listening when the episode comes out, please check out the Christina Chambers Twilight 5K, coming August 7th. Link to register or donate is below.

Have fun listening to three obsessed runners (Cary, Micah, Greg) and one sane non-runner (Stacey) talk about passion, friendship, and great connection.

#carymorgan #micahmorgan #caryandmicahmorgan #beatsandfeetswithmicah #runhardandcaryon #running #cadenceruncoaching #marathon #ultramarathon #badwater135 #connection #community #vulnerability #grace #gospel #transformation #healing

Cadence Run Coaching website
Badwater135 website
Christina Chambers Twilight 5K race page (run or donate)
Micah on Instagram

Support the show

Awaken website
Roots Retreat Men's Intensive
Roots Retreat Women's Workshop
Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

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Why do people often feel more "churched" and cared for in recovery meetings than they do in their actual churches? What is present at those meetings, and/or missing from those churches? And what can we do about it?

Zac Hicks thinks these are important questions to consider. Zac is the lead pastor of Church of the Cross, a church plant in Birmingham AL. Over the past 20+ years, his extensive ministry experience has also included worship leading, songwriting, seminary teaching, and authoring books.

Zac is a contemplative thinker and it was really fulfilling to have a deep dive conversation that delved into multiple topics, including pastoral vulnerability, empathy, how we scrutinize song lyrics in worship, Family Systems theory, you name it and we talked about it.

Whether you're a pastor/ministry leader, someone in recovery, or just anyone interested in being a safe person for others, there's a lot of helpful stuff here. We hope you enjoy the conversation!

#zachicks #zachicksmusic #churchofthecross #pastor #empathy #traumainformed #pain #suffering #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation #healing

Zac's personal website
Church of the Cross (Birmingham AL)
Zac's books (Amazon)
Zac on Instagram

Support the show

Awaken website
Roots Retreat Men's Intensive
Roots Retreat Women's Workshop
Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)

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Conversations that don't feel rushed can feel pretty rare, but they're special when they happen. That's what it was like talking to our new friend, singer/songwriter Jason Gray.

Jason has been around Christian music for a long time, writing and releasing music that connects deeply with the heart. He's a man who has been through a lot of pain in his life, including parental abandonment, divorce, a speech handicap, and an adult child with a life-threatening illness.

Throughout all that, Jason has channeled his pain, his anger, his curiosity, and his hope into his music (you'll hear clips of several songs as you listen). This is, for sure, a conversation worth staying for...all the way to the end.

Song clips in this episode:
(2:44) Death Without a Funeral
(11:52) Remind Me Who I Am
(13:26) Why You Brought Me Here
(29:07) Worth Staying For
(43:23) Honesty

#jasongray #jasongraymusic #singer #songwriter #singersongwriter #pain #suffering #connection #vulnerability #recovery #grace #gospel #transformation #healing

Jason's website
Jason on Instagram
Jason on Facebook
Jason's music on Spotify
Jason's music on Apple Music
Jacob Gray's GoFundMe page

Support the show

Awaken website
Roots Retreat Men's Intensive
Roots Retreat Women's Workshop
Awaken Men & Women's support meeting info (including virtual)