When was the last time you saw a GoFundMe on social media?

It’s probably more often than you realize.

Every 8 seconds, a new campaign begins on Go Fund Me for all sorts of needs, such as medical, rent, or even generalized support.

Around 140 million dollars are raised every month through the platform

That’s almost 40 dollars per second.

However, for us, there’s a real danger of over-saturation

So many stories, all of them valid, many heartbreaking, with real financial burden.

It can overwhelm anyone

How can we help all of these people who need it?

How do we choose who gets money, a message, or simply, a quick prayer and a scroll down to the next post on Facebook or Instagram?

This is a real struggle I deal with, and I have not really learned a great method to process it if I’m honest.

However there are a few stories which have remained with me over the years.

This episodes guest is from one of these stories.

Eric Trinidad is a man who I worked with for a few years at a previous company. He was a few levels above me, knew a lot more than me, and always struck me as a patient and caring person. I’d love it when he answered the phone when I needed to escalate a call, because I knew not only was I going to receive quick help, he was also going to be patient and willing to teach me what I didn’t know after the call.

After I left that company I lost touch with him, but then I saw this on Facebook about a year later, shared by his wife.

“4th of July we were in the hospital getting ready for Lily’s little sister to arrive. Viviana Eleanor Trinidad was born on July 5th at 6lbs 11oz. There were some complications when she was born and a week later we find ourselves in Houston working on a plan with some of the best doctors to get her healthy and home as soon as possible. We were hesitant to post but we have a difficult road ahead of us and we need prayers from our family and friends.”

The next post, this time by Eric’s sister:

“On July 4th, my beautiful niece Viviana was born Unfortunately, Vivi was born with a tumor at the roof of her mouth going up to her brain. She was flown from San Antonio to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. My sister-in-law Gaby and brother Eric are still working through being away from home during this time, as there is such a long road ahead of Viviana. Gaby’s sister Alicia and I have set up a GoFundMe for Vivy if y’all could please share and keep my family and Vivy in your prayers Thank you so much to everyone that has sent such amazing vibes and thoughts our way”

I do not want to make this about me, but something in these two post moved me. I read every update after, prayed for them, and genuinely wanted to see their little daughter make it through. Maybe it was because Winter was only about 1 year old at this time, maybe it was just God’s timing, I do not know.

Time passed, there were updates but they became less and less as Viviana grew and grew into a wonderful little girl, and admittedly both time and algorithms separated them from my thoughts.

That was until I recently met up with Eric again at a birthday party for one of our mutual friends. I asked him about his story, and was blown away at his journey. It was right as I was preparing for season 2, and I am thankful he was all in on recording it with me.

I do not do this to benefit from his pain. His struggle isn’t my gain, and this isn’t something I’m trying to use to build up this podcast. My goal here is to share a man’s story, and his real walk through something heartbreaking, for us all to see that if we hold on, and celebrate the little things, there is a way through, no matter what happens.

With that said, I am honored to present to you, my conversation, with Eric Trinidad.

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What does faith look like to you?

I’m not necessarily talking about any specific way, because in truth we all carry faith in something.

Sometimes, yes, it is a faith in God or a higher power.

Other times it’s faith in our family, faith in our friends.

It’s faith in our abilities, and our beliefs.

it’s faith that our marriage will last, and when we both said I Do we meant it.

it’s faith that when we swipe our cards at the store, money will be there to pay.

It’s faith that we can get through the valley we are in, and faith that believes there is a mountain top on the other side.

Faith, pushes us forward.

Websters dictionary says it is the “complete trust or confidence in someone or something”

When carrying faith, we are putting our absolute trust that what we think will happen, will come to pass.

However, are we getting faith wrong?

Many times, it can be easy to carry the faith that our situations will turn around.

It’s tempting to carry this belief that the trajectory we are on is heading toward a positive outcome, not a negative one.

Verse after verse taken out of context makes it sound like God will show up when we need him to, to make our lives better.

Sounds great right?

But is that really the case? Is real faith believing life will get better, or is real faith believing that no matter what happens, what we place our faith in is still worth it.

Yes, God can take us from glory to glory, but he can also guide us through loss to loss.

Hi, my name is Ryan Guerra, and this is a Father’s Voice. Today we talk with Cody Criddle. Cody and his wife Sarah have become some of my favorite people. I find myself constantly playing the role of cheerleader in their journey, and I’m thankful to call them friends.

Everyone needs people like the Criddles in their lives. As a family they have gone through much, and yet they carry themselves with a joy and passion that is contagious. They are clear leaders to anyone in their circle, setting an example for what a life of faith and integrity look like.

This year Cody helped me through one of the hardest and most stressful times of my life when my mother’s house burned down. He was a wealth of experience and information, a helpful guide in the early stages of figuring things out, and in truth, a calming voice who could speak into my situation. He is the real deal, the kind of man anyone would want in their corner, and the kind of man I think many fathers will be able to learn from.

Today we talk through his fatherhood story, and how his and Sarah’s faith is what has been a foundational pillar of their journey. This conversation challenged me, and has caused me to rethink my own relationship with my personal faith. Though I don’t like picking favorites, and I believe there is great value in every episode released on this show, this is a very special conversation for me. I pray it helps and encourages you as it did me.

And so with that said, I present to you, my conversation with Cody Criddle.

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When is the last time you looked at old photos of your children?

How does it make you feel?

Nostalgic?

Joyful?

Sad?

These photos are proof that time never stops.

They are like little fossils. Reminders of what life used to be. Of who we used to be.

The kids we see in those photos, are no longer around.

We will never meet them again.

This is the sad reality of parenthood. The child we have in front of us today is temporary, soon to be replaced with an older, more mature version. The travesty of this is we don’t even see it until it’s over.

Photos, reminding us of what’s lost.

But the truth is we cannot stay looking at these photos, because just as much as our kids are no longer aged 1, 2, or 3, we are no longer parents of 1, 2 or 3 year olds.

No, it’s not just the kids who are growing, to be effective parents in their new stages, we have to grow too.

Hi, my is Ryan Guerra, and this is A Father’s Voice, and today I welcome Pastor Chris Martinez onto the show. Simply put, Pastor Chris is a man I look up to. Though we are close in age, I have learned and grown as a man just by watching him. He lives a life of integrity, loves his family, works hard, and has many accomplishments in both his professional career and ministry.

He is someone who is doing a lot of this parenting gig right, and deserves the praise because he also has the humility to admit he has some areas he still needs to grow in, and even some areas he’s stagnated in. I appreciate this, because it reminds me even the best of men still have room to improve.

Throughout this talk we cover a wide range of topics, and each one I believe can challenge or encourage every father that listens. I loved this discussion with Pastor Chris, and I’m excited to share it with you on this episode.

So with that, I present to you, my conversation with Pastor Chris Martinez.

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