“There isn't a place for you here.”

Those words were spoken to Robby Tremble by a pastor at a time when he was trying to find his way back to faith. After sharing that he was gay and had a longtime partner, Robby was told there was no place for him in that church. He walked out devastated, and the impact of that moment would follow him for years.

After experiencing deep rejection from the church and people he loved, Robby spent more than 20 years wanting little to do with faith.

In this episode, Robby shares his journey back to Jesus with remarkable honesty and grace. He talks about church hurt, learning to have compassion even for those who had hurt him, the unexpected road that led him back to the calling he thought he'd lost, and what he describes as discovering “the Jesus I was never introduced to.”

And perhaps most beautifully, Robby shares what it meant to finally believe something Jesus had known all along:

He was worthy.

This is a story of rejection, redemption, belonging, and a God whose love remained present even through the years Robby wanted nothing to do with Him.

Robby's Resource Corner

• Substack
• Instagram
• Facebook

Brandon Poe shares his journey through addiction, recovery, entrepreneurship, and rebuilding a meaningful life after years of struggle. With honesty, humor, and hard-earned wisdom, Brandon talks about sobriety, ADHD, fear, discipline, confidence, and the small choices that slowly change everything.

This episode is full of practical insight and powerful reminders that healing doesn’t happen overnight—and that failure is often part of becoming who we were meant to be.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, behind, overwhelmed, or unsure if change is possible for you, this conversation will remind you that your story is not over.

Join us for a heartfelt conversation about resilience, recovery, purpose, and why no matter how worn you feel… you are still worthy.

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Brandons Resources Center

Alcoholics Anonymous has a solution. That isn't an empty promise. A.A. has been helping alcoholics recover for more than 80 years. A.A.'s program of recovery is built on the simple foundation of one alcoholic sharing with another. If your drinking is out of control, A.A. can help.

For more than a year, every episode of Worn But Worthy has passed through Nikola Nenin's hands before reaching yours. He has carefully edited every story we've shared, but until now, you've never had the chance to meet him.

In this episode, we sit down with our friend and editor to hear the story behind the headphones. Nikola shares what it was like growing up in Serbia, discovering his love for music, navigating an overwhelming season of anxiety, and learning to understand himself in the middle of it all.

This conversation is honest, thoughtful, surprisingly funny, and full of hope. More than anything, it's a reminder that some of the people making the biggest impact on our lives are often the ones working quietly behind the scenes.

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Nikola's Resource Corner

Upwork Profile: Professional Musician & Audio Specialist

Email: n.nenin@gmail.com

China Darrington is a person in long-term recovery from substance use disorders, mental health challenges, complex trauma, and human trafficking. She is the CEO of Summit Recovery Hub and serves as Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for Thrive Peer Recovery Services.

In this episode, China shares her journey through addiction, recovery, trauma-informed care, and the work she now does helping others find hope and healing. We talk about community, harm reduction, advocacy, family systems, and why recovery is about so much more than simply not using substances.

This conversation is honest, thought-provoking, and filled with practical wisdom for anyone navigating recovery, loving someone who is, or simply trying to build a healthier life.

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China's Resource Center

Recovery Support

• Summit Recovery HubRecovery meetings, peer support, family support, advocacy, and community resources.330-871-9702

• Thrive Peer Recovery ServicesPeer recovery support, advocacy, and education.

• SMART Recovery Family & FriendsSupport and tools for those who love someone living with addiction.

• Al-Anon Family GroupsSupport for families and friends affected by someone else's drinking.

• Recovery DharmaA peer-led recovery program using Buddhist principles and practices.

• Refuge RecoveryThe recovery program and book that China shared played an important role in her own recovery journey.

Books

• Dharma Punx by Noah Levine
• Recovery Dharma

• 
  

Some stories don’t fit into one sentence, and Tara’s is one of them. Her journey holds layers of heartbreak, resilience, and redemption.

From early dreams of motherhood, to walking through trauma, to raising a blended family and navigating her son’s medical challenges, her life has been shaped in ways she never would have chosen.

And yet, what stands out most isn’t just what she’s been through, but who she’s become. Today, Tara is a nurse, a mom, and a steady, compassionate presence in the lives of others, helping people in both the beginning and the ending of life feel seen, cared for, and not alone.

This conversation is honest, grounded, and full of hope, for anyone who has ever wondered if they are enough.

Tara's Resource Corner

• Cornerstone Church
• Embrace Clinic & Care Center

Connect with Tara

• Facebook

Some stories stay with you… this is one of them.In this episode, we sit down with our friend Tatiana, whose life has been shaped by chronic pain since she was young.

With honesty, humor, and incredible depth, she shares what it has looked like to walk with God in the middle of suffering, not trying to rush past it, but learning to slow down enough to recognize His presence within it.

Tatiana brings a perspective that is both thoughtful and deeply personal, weaving together faith, theology, and lived experience in a way that feels grounding and real.

She gently challenges the idea that pain is something to fix or escape, and instead opens up a different way of seeing it, as a place where God can meet us.

There is so much wisdom in this conversation, but more than anything, there is an invitation… to slow down, to listen, and to recognize that you are not alone.If you are walking through something hard, or simply feeling tired, we hope this conversation meets you right where you are.

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Tatiana's Resource Corner

Books

• Confessions by Saint Augustine
• City of God by Saint Augustine
• Introduction to Christianity by Joseph Ratzinger
• The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis

Music

• "In the Night" by Andrew Peterson

Connect with Tatiana

• Instagram

We're back!

Before introducing this season's incredible guests, Debbie and Danielle pull up a couple chairs and catch up on everything that's happened since Season One.

Danielle shares what it was like returning to college nearly twenty years after leaving school, building Velvet Rabbit into an official nonprofit, and learning leadership lessons she never expected.

Debbie reflects on a season of personal growth, ministry, and discovering that we never outgrow the opportunity to learn, change, and grow.

With honesty, humor, and a few behind-the-scenes podcast mishaps, this conversation sets the stage for a season full of stories about resilience, healing, and hope.

No matter where you've been or what you're carrying, we're glad you're here.

Resource Corner

• Season One | Episode 11 with Elyse Etapa

The Velvet Rabbit

• Rubber Ducks Community Night!

• Website
• Facebook Page
• Instagram
• Donation/Support Page
• Lost Sheep Facebook Page

We made it to the end of Season One, and it still feels surreal. What started as “Danielle and Debbie yapping” turned into something much deeper. In this finale, we look back on eleven interviews filled with laughter, tears, and stories that changed us.

We share how “Worn but Worthy” got its name, the learning curve of recording in the Akron Public Library’s Tech Zone, and the moments with each guest that stayed with us long after the microphones turned off.

We talk about the courage, honesty, and faith we saw in every story, how much we’ve grown and what it has meant to walk through this together as a mother-daughter team.

We also take a minute to thank Nikola, our editor from Serbia, who has been such a gift, and we celebrate the numbers that amazed us this season: more than 1,050 streams, 60 Spotify followers, and listeners from Serbia, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Belgium, Australia, and across the US.

Thank you for listening, sharing, commenting, and showing up for these conversations. This community is such a blessing.

Season Two is coming, and we would love your feedback as we grow and expand the conversations, please take a look at our poll to help us plan.

Worn but Worthy. Brokenness isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of something beautiful.

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Connect with our Editor, Nikola on Upwork!