Well, the unthinkable has happened and we were unable to record a show this week. In our absence, go back to some of your favorites, send us some suggestions for topics and guests, and enjoy the short explanation about what happened. Listen to it. It's not a good one, but it is short.

Matt Stephens was in and out of prison, but it wasn't until he served 14 consecutive years that he got the message society was trying to tell him and got his act together. Now, he's working as a counselor and change agent hoping to prevent others from going down the path he did, and causing the destruction he caused along the way. In this episode, Matt and Brentt Tumey discuss their descent into depravity and their journeys toward redemption. Give it a listen. It's a good one.

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By the time he was 13 years old, Matt Stephens was already slinging dope. Fast cars, stacks of cash, women - he had it all. But soon, the police started coming around more and stacks of charges replaced the stacks of cash. By the time he was rehabilitated, Matt had spent 18 years of his life in prison, including 14 consecutive years in federal prison. Listen to him discuss how he ended up a felon and how he's now working to prevent others from following in his footsteps in this episode. It's a good one.

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From puncher to security agent overseeing inaugurations and the pope, Richard Nevels has always been on the move. Because of that, he didn't stop once he retired from the TSA and ended up in Northwest Arkansas, instead setting his sights on a different type of safety than that he oversaw when protecting all manner of citizen. In this installment, listen to him discuss divine innovation and how he's working to protect children from backyard accidents. It's a good one.

Richard Nevels always knew he wanted to be a cowboy and when he finished high school, he did exactly that. While he was never one for the wild lifestyle, he was nonetheless a rock 'n' roller. He was also, and remains, a man of deep faith with an immense work ethic. That combination of traits led Richard on a wild ride through life. In part one, listen to him discuss just part of that life, with plenty of stories and jokes to keep you entertained. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

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#richardnevels #rodeo #cowboy #bullriding #tsa #security #pope

In part two of our look back on the show from start to its current state, we get into a couple of loaves of homemade bread Justin's wife made, holistic medicine, taking care of yourself, and Wilson's future in television. Give it a listen. It's a good one.

On May 3, 2022, Cookin' Up a Story launched. Initially, it was just Aaron and Joe, though the guests soon started arriving. Two of those guests, Redwords, who was interviewed in July of that year, and Martinez, who came on to help interview Gary P. Nunn in August, would become full time hosts of the show. Rich came along a few years later, also first as a guest.

Today, we've given the listeners hundreds of hours of entertainment, with no plans to stop. In this episode, though, we look back at the evolution of the show and dig into some highlights, aided by listeners Justin Cavanaugh and Landon Rowe, as well as going down a few rabbit holes. Give it a listen, it's a good one.

Wine is often associated with high culture whereas beer with low. Inmates in prisons only make one of the two, though, because the art of making beer is much more intense than that of wine. In part two of our discussion with Florian, we get into the nuts and bolts of brewing as well as discussing more of what made him love living in America. Give it a listen. It's a good one.