“I've been to the light and I'm back to show the unconditional love.”

What happens when a near-death experience completely changes the way you think about love, forgiveness, faith and your own life? In the first guest episode of A Podcast by Joe Louis, Glenda Oden shares how surviving a stroke and what she describes as an encounter with “the light” became a turning point in a life shaped by difficult relationships, loss, spirituality and a search for peace.

After years of feeling that she wasn't always loved in the ways she needed, Glenda explains why she made a conscious decision to start putting the love into the world that she wanted to receive herself. The conversation explores her relationship with God outside of organized religion, learning to forgive even when forgiveness isn't returned, finding peace in being alone, leaving toxic relationships behind and realizing that loving other people doesn't have to mean sacrificing yourself.

The conversation eventually turns toward self-love and healing. What does it actually mean to make yourself whole? Can you give someone your whole heart without becoming empty when they don't give the same thing back? From relationship advice and generational perspectives on love to learning how to enjoy her own company, Glenda's story is ultimately about choosing peace, giving love freely and discovering that healing has to include learning how to love yourself.

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Key Discussion Points

(00:00) - “I've Been to the Light”: Glenda's Story Begins

(00:56) - Why Glenda Became the Podcast's First Guest

(05:53) - How Life Changed the Way Glenda Understands Love

(07:10) - Choosing Peace After Years of Dysfunction

(10:03) - Losing Faith in Church Without Losing Faith in God

(12:27) - Finding Purpose Through Giving Love to Other People

(16:09) - Why Glenda Tells People She Loves Them

(17:48) - Giving Love When It Isn't Given Back

(20:26) - Putting Out the Love You Want to Receive

(22:26) - How a Stroke Changed Glenda's Life

(23:42) - Why She Stopped Giving People Half of Her Heart

(25:27) - The Near-Death Experience That Changed Everything

(27:12) - Meeting “The Light” and Not Wanting to Come Back

(29:31) - Why Asking for Forgiveness Doesn't Require Being Forgiven

(32:45) - Faith, God and the Spiritual Side of Her Near-Death Experience

(33:15) - Losing Her Mother and Learning How to Grieve

(36:50) - How to Keep Going When Life Feels Like Too Much

(38:43) - Why You Should Tell People You Love Them While They're Here

(42:08) - Relationship Advice: Never Get Too Comfortable in Love

(44:22) - Has Modern Dating Made Romance More Difficult?

(47:44) - Love, Relationships and Younger Generations

(52:26) - Choosing Happiness, Peace and Acceptance

(53:46) - How Different Generations Learned to Love

(57:08) - Love, War and Why Older Relationships Lasted

(1:02:03) - What Does It Mean to Feel Whole?

(1:03:52) - Learning to Love Yourself for the First Time

(1:04:40) - Is Self-Love the First Step to Healing?

(1:07:24) - Healing After Toxic Relationships Starts With Yourself

(1:09:23) - How to Give Love Without Losing Yourself

(1:11:17) - Glenda's Final Message

(1:12:00) - Why Glenda Has Been So Important to Joe's Journey