What if the life you’re trying to protect is the very thing standing in the way of the life God wants to build?

In this episode of In The Black Podcast, host Aracelli Kenyon sits down with John Hill for an honest conversation about surrender, what it really means to let go of the old version of yourself and trust God with who you’re becoming.

John shares how releasing control, identity, and expectations opened the door for a life more aligned, more grounded, and more meaningful than the one he was trying to force. This conversation isn’t about perfection or instant transformation, it’s about obedience, trust, and allowing growth to happen even when clarity feels distant.

This episode is for anyone who:
– Feels stuck between who they were and who they’re becoming
– Is struggling to release old patterns, identities, or expectations
– Is learning to trust God in seasons of uncertainty
– Wants to redefine what it means to be “in the black” spiritually and emotionally

Being “in the black” doesn’t always mean gaining more.
Sometimes it means surrendering first.

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https://thegoodcontractorslist.com/

@intheblackpassionproject

This Christmas Day episode of In The Black is a pause, a breath, a moment of reflection.

Through an original spoken-word poem titled “Let’s Jump,” this episode explores heartbreak, letting go, surrender, and the quiet trust that comes when we stop fighting the current and allow God to hold us.

This is a story about jumping together… and learning how to float when someone lets go. About trusting the water beneath you when you don’t know how to swim or where the shore is. And about discovering that peace can exist even in the unknown.

If you’re ending the year feeling tender, uncertain, or quietly hopeful, this episode is for you.

In The Black will return in the new year.
For now, may you rest. May you trust. May you float. Cheers.

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@intheblackpassionproject

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After being diagnosed with a life-changing brain tumor, Risa August was told to slow down and play it safe. Instead, she got on her bike and rode 1,845 miles from Canada to Mexico, redefining what strength, healing, and resilience could look like.

In this episode, Risa shares the story behind her award-winning memoir The Road Unpaved, how she turned one of the hardest seasons of her life into a journey of freedom, and what pushed her to become a TEDx speaker, Gestalt practitioner, and advocate for pituitary tumor awareness.

We talk about:
• Navigating a major diagnosis
• Rewriting your identity after crisis
• Choosing courage over limitations
• Her solo ride across northern Spain
• Living boldly while managing ongoing medical challenges

If you need a reminder that your story isn’t over and that you can still build a life that feels true and aligned, this conversation is for you.

Connect with Risa: risaaugust.com
Follow @intheblackpassionproject for more stories of purpose, resilience, and transformation.

Family court is not built for the faint of heart, especially when you’re fighting a narcissistic or abusive ex who knows exactly how to twist the truth. Many moms walk into court terrified, unheard, and unsupported… until they meet someone like Reneé Rodriguez.

In this episode, we go far beyond “custody tips.”
This is about the emotional, psychological, and spiritual war protective mothers face, and the strategy it takes to win.

Reneé shares:

✨ The moment she realized she was raising a child with a diagnosed narcissist
✨ Why high-conflict parents seem so “convincing” in court
✨ The shame and fear most mothers never admit out loud
✨ How mindset becomes your strongest weapon when everything feels stacked against you
✨ The exact framework she created after surviving her own custody nightmare
✨ What judges actually pay attention to (that nobody tells you)
✨ How women can begin to feel safe, grounded, and powerful again

This conversation is for you if:
✔️ You’re co-parenting with someone who manipulates, gaslights, or intimidates
✔️ You’ve felt dismissed by the legal system
✔️ You’re trying to protect your child while carrying trauma of your own
✔️ You’re tired of fighting alone
✔️ You want to understand how narcissistic abuse impacts the courtroom

Reneé’s wisdom is part strategy, part survival, part divine assignment. Her journey didn’t just change her life, it’s changing the lives of mothers everywhere.

If you’ve been searching for clarity, validation, or a path forward, this episode is the one you listen to first.

Connect with Reneé:
bestfootforwardllc.com
@bestfootforwardllc

Follow @intheblackpassionproject for Guest Spotlights and behind the scenes content.

I sit down with artist and American Ninja Warrior athlete Jenedy Paige for a powerful conversation about resilience, faith, creativity, and the courage to keep moving forward through life’s hardest moments.

Jenedy shares the story of losing her young son, how her unwavering faith in God carried her through grief, and how painting became a sacred outlet for healing and expression. We dive into the heart behind her artwork, her journey into American Ninja Warrior, and the lessons she’s learned about strength: physical, spiritual, and emotional.

At the end of the episode, Jenedy shares her beautiful answers to our signature “In The Black” questions:
• What it means to live in the black , free from the weight of the past and walking in God-given abundance
• What to do when you feel in the red , and how prayer, reflection, and God’s presence can guide you forward

This episode is for anyone seeking hope, purpose, and the reminder that grace is present even in our deepest challenges.

Explore Jenedy’s artwork and story at jenedypaige.com.

& follow her @jenedypaige

Follow for guest spotlights and previews:

@intheblackpassionproject

I sit down with Det. Heidi Chance, a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 27 years of service and a nationally recognized expert in combating sex trafficking.

Unlike many episodes where we focus on personal stories of overcoming trauma, this conversation takes a different path into the world of undercover investigations, landmark trafficking cases, and the deep resilience it takes to confront trauma in real time.

Heidi shares her journey from working undercover to securing a record-breaking 493.5-year prison sentence for a trafficker guilty of 101 child sex trafficking charges.

She also discusses her work featured in the PBS Frontline documentary Sex Trafficking in America, her role as an Executive Contributor for BRAINZ Magazine, and her platform, A Chance for Awareness, where she trains law enforcement and communities to fight trafficking.

We dive into her new book, Talk to Them: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Youth in the Digital Age, a must-read resource for parents and mentors to help protect children online.

This episode is both eye-opening and empowering, reminding us that living In The Black is about purpose, resilience, and making an impact for others.

✨ Connect with Heidi Chance:
Website: achanceforawareness.com
Book: Talk To Them
A Chance for Awareness Training
Instagram: @a_chance_for_awareness
LinkedIn: Heidi Chance

Follow @intheblackpassionproject for guest spotlights

In this episode of In The Black Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Liz, adoptee, writer, performer, and creator of Migrating Toward Wholeness©, a trauma-informed framework using expressive writing and poetry to guide healing.

Dr. Liz opens up about what it was like to face the pain of maternal separation and how she found her way back to herself through healing, creativity, and purpose. She talks about reclaiming her story in the face of closed records and cultural silence and how that journey shaped the way she now teaches, performs, and helps others find wholeness. Dr. Liz also shares some real, practical tools for anyone working through unprocessed pain, learning to trust their voice again, and rewriting their own story.

✨Discover how to rise from adversity, find your voice again, and step fully into the purpose that’s been waiting for you.

📲 Connect with Dr. Liz:

https://www.lizdebetta.com/

https://www.facebook.com

https://www.instagram.com/dr.liz.debetta/

https://linkedin.com/in/liz-debetta-ph-d-7b4ba953

https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.liz.debetta

@Intheblackpassionproject

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Today on In The Black Podcast, we’re joined by Talia, a survivor whose story is nothing short of miraculous. After a routine prescription of Ciprofloxacin for a simple UTI, she lost more than half her body weight, entered hospice care, and was told her life was nearing its end. Against all odds, Talia fought her way back and now uses her second chance at life to advocate for fluoroquinolone toxicity awareness. From her hospital bed, she’s changing lives and shining light on a drug most of us know nothing about. Please share Talia's incredible story of survival, resilience, and advocacy. Together we can help spread awareness.

🔗 Hear Talia's Full Story: In The Black Podcast

🔗 YouTube: In The Black Podcast

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Learn more about Talia & Fluoroquinolone Toxicity

In The Black Passion Project