Best Marcus Spaur Podcasts (2025)

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112 - How to Handle Resistance 23:43

Play Pause

32m ago23:43

23:43

Let's talk about how we can handle resistance in our lives. Have you ever found yourself doing something that you believe in your heart you should do and that's when the world seems to come against you as if you are trying to get a wedding cake for a gay wedding from a Christian baker? Bad analogies aside, resistance is a natural part of life, and …

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111 - Hero Study: David Tennant 23:04

1d ago23:04

23:04

For this month's hero's study, I take a look at David Tennant. I wish I could get him as a guest on the podcast, but let's be real with the expectations...for now. David Tennant is a phenomenal actor from Doctor Who and Harry Potter, among others that I haven't seen, and he is also a stalwart ally to transgender and LGBTQAI+ individuals, going so f…

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110 - Create a New Story 26:38

7d ago26:38

26:38

Let's talk about how we can create a new story for ourselves. If you're like me, and hopefully you're not, you can have a running dialogue offering colorful dialogue as to why life is the way that it is. Many of these come from past experiences and influences from others in our past and present. The important thing is that we can change it if we ch…

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109 - Trauma Revisited 22:39

15d ago22:39

22:39

Let's talk about trauma once more. As my understanding of trauma grows, we can expect more expansions on this topic. Last time I shared about trauma through the lens of "little t" and "big T" traumas. Some experts in the field still use this language, and others aren't fans and prefer to use post-traumatic stress (PTS) trauma and complex post-traum…

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108 - Adverse Experiences 22:46

28d ago22:46

22:46

Sorry again for the bad audio. I swear we're almost done with these. I'm not too sure how many of these I recorded with my earbud, but there shouldn't be much more if this isn't the last one. Let's talk about adverse experiences. Have you ever heard of ACEs? When I worked at becoming a coach, I learned about ACEs for the first time, and they are ad…

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107 - Speak Your Truth 25:07

1M ago25:07

25:07

Apologies once again for the terrible audio. I'm almost through the batch I recorded with this bad microphone. Thanks for hanging in there with me. Let's talk about speaking your truth. In my journey to become the hero in my story, speaking my truth has been an important aspect of my walk. A couple of mentors of mine described it with this simple c…

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106 - Hero Study: Brandon Shobe 1:28:47

1M ago1:28:47

1:28:47

For this month's hero study, I brought on my friend Brandon to share his story. He's a Christian, an engineer, pilot, a member of the Mid-Columbia Master Singers, and published author! We met through our gaming group and our friendship has grown since. Part of his story involves being ostracized by his friend group and finding acceptance from his m…

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105 - Impact of Words 23:57

2M ago23:57

23:57

Sorry again for the poor audio on this one. I recorded a couple of episodes before discovering how bad the headphones mic sounded. Today, let's talk about the power that our words can have. Similar to my sticks and stones episode I released much earlier, our words have the power to destroy or build up. With some recent familial troubles, I experien…

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104 - Masculinity & Femininity 28:13

2M ago28:13

28:13

Let's talk about the stories we are hearing, or even telling ourselves, about what's masculine and what's feminine. I grew up hearing that it's masculine to not cry or show emotions, to disregard the emotions of others, and if I showed anything that is considered feminine, then there's something wrong with me as a man. Have you experienced similar …

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103 - Reserve Judgement 26:41

2M ago26:41

26:41

Today let's talk about reserving judgement. This come from the handiwork of the excellent podcast, White Homework, where Tori Williams and Benjamin Faye talk about the nature of being unhoused. Benji shared his story of how he found himself without a house and unable to find a job for reasons completely out of his control. This is something that I'…

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102 - Hero Study: John Estey 55:59

2M ago55:59

55:59

I tried a new microphone for this and a couple of other recordings and it turns out that it's not a great one! My apologies for the terrible audio quality from me and I'll make sure to use my original microphone in the future. For this month's hero's study, I interview my friend John Estey. He's another friend from our gaming group who is a teacher…

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101 - It Only Takes One 21:21

3M ago21:21

21:21

Let's talk about a way we can find hope. Thanks to White Homework for providing another inspiring quote! Today's episode comes from the quote, "I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel, but I can see the light in all of you." This has been helpful since the time of the recording and now with the looming Big Beautiful Bill making it's way thro…

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100 - Violence is Rarely the Answer 17:50

3M ago17:50

17:50

Today we have a hard topic. With the recent violent acts that continue to escalate in the U.S., I believe it's important to discuss that violence is rarely the answer to a given situation. The one exception for me is in self-defense. If you are taking a gun to counter protest others, you're not there to defend yourself. If the intrusive thoughts ar…

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99 - Curiosity Over Shame 21:59

3M ago21:59

21:59

Let's talk about using our creativity to change use instead of shame. If you're like me, then you have a lot of experience with shaming yourself or being shamed by others in order to get us to change. It doesn't work. In fact, I would go so far as to say it never works. If it did, we wouldn't be here having this conversation because we'd have it fi…

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98 - Hero Study: Katie Shobe 1:22:52

3M ago1:22:52

1:22:52

For this month's hero's study I continue my interviews with my friends. Today, it's Katie Shobe, a pet and book lover, gamer, and all around great person who has so many different interests and hobbies. You'll have to hear from her mouth what it is that she enjoys. Katie has overcome some challenges in the last few years that I've been able to supp…

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97 - Reach Out 28:04

4M ago28:04

28:04

Let's talk about reaching out. It's something that's come up many times from myself and others in previous episodes, and yet it's more important than many people give it credit. Knowing that we're not alone and there are others supporting us in whatever our endeavor is helps us reach the fullness of our purpose, yet there's a siren song of independ…

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96 - Finding Your Purpose 25:05

4M ago25:05

25:05

Let's talk about finding your purpose. Have you ever felt like you're wandering without direction in life? Just making it by without much of a goal? I've had many conversations in the past about our purpose and it's something that is important for us to determine for direction in our lives. Let's look at some ways that we can find our purpose and h…

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95 - Power of Creativity 26:34

4M ago26:34

26:34

Let's talk about the power of our creativity. This is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal. It can do wonders to create our future, whether that's for our benefit or detriment. Here we'll discuss what it can do and how we can use it to help us become more the heroes of our stories. Please rate and review the podcast on Apple podca…

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94 - Use Your Voice 30:01

4M ago30:01

30:01

Let's talk about using our voices. It's been quite the journey for me to get to a place where I'm comfortable to use my voice. How easy is it for you to speak up for your needs, wants, and desires? Do you find your words getting stuck in your throat before you can even speak them? As someone who has wrestled with the value of his voice, I want to a…

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93 - Hero Study: Ben Gibson 1:07:19

4M ago1:07:19

1:07:19

For this month's hero's study, I interview my good friend Ben Gibson! He's the one who introduced me to Dungeons and Dragons, created a safe space for me to ask questions during my faith deconstruction, and is a devout Christian who loves people, play, and laughter! He has some great nuggets to share in this interview. Please rate and review the po…

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92 - Hypocrisy 34:16

5M ago34:16

34:16

Let's talk about hypocrisy. I grew up hearing this term a lot in my Christian upbringing and it's something that is showing up more and more these days with the rise of white Christian nationalism. What is hypocrisy? According to Jesus, it's focusing on cleaning the outside than the inside, or making ourselves look good when our character doesn't m…

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91 - Things I Learned from Corner Gas 33:53

5M ago33:53

33:53

Let's talk about one of my all time favorite TV shows: Corner Gas. It's a Canadian sitcom that takes place in the fictional, rural town of Dog River, Saskatchewan. Zaniness ensues, I laugh a lot, and many of the characters have qualities that resonate with me. We're going to look at what some of the quirks are, how they resonate with me, and hopefu…

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90 - Guilty Pleasures 27:48

5M ago27:48

27:48

Let's talk about guilty pleasures. Actually, let's talk about pleasure in general. Namely, why does pleasure need to be guilty? Do you have something (or multiple things) that you would define as a guilty pleasure? Why is that? Turns out, many of us have been raised with societal norms that pleasure is a bad thing, maybe even sinful if you grew up …

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89 - Hero Study: Dan Fredrickson 1:16:09

5M ago1:16:09

1:16:09

Let's talk about another hero. This one is a friend of mine, Dan Fredrickson. A nerdy guy, happily homosexual and engaged to his partner, John. He struggles with imposter syndrome and low self-esteem. He's one of my dear gay friends who manages a movie theater chain and I've had the pleasure of getting to know him since 2020 in our D&D group. We ta…

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88 - Empathy as a Sin Fallacy 34:40

6M ago34:40

34:40

Let's talk about empathy and how many powerful and vocal people are calling it a sin these days. As an empath, I disagree with this sentiment. The biggest thing for me is that being empathetic is something that has helped me change my views. It helps me connect with other people. It opens my eyes to the plights of others. It's something that makes …

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87 - Appearance 33:26

6M ago33:26

33:26

Let's talk about our appearance and how we often want to control our appearance to others. Thanks to Benji Faye and Tori Douglass of the White Homework podcast for inspiring this idea in their work sharing about their struggles with racial justice. We do A LOT to appear a specific way to others and often are trying to hide the suffering we're going…

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86 - Make Your Own Decisions 25:03

6M ago25:03

25:03

Let's talk about making our own decisions. With so many influences on what we should do, say, believe, and how to live our lives, it's more important than ever for us to make the best decisions for ourselves. I have conversations with people often where they are asking me for advice on how to handle certain life decisions and the best thing I can d…

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85 - Hero Study: Raisa ana'Marianna 31:55

6M ago31:55

31:55

For this month's hero's study we are looking at one of the protagonists in the book series The Seven Realms: Princess Raisa ana'Marianna of Fellsmarch. I love how this character is one who displays dogged determination, grit, and wrestles with the complexities of court decorum and political intrigue, while also allowing herself to be the badass pri…

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84 - Focus On Yourself 25:03

7M ago25:03

25:03

Let's talk about focusing on ourselves. With many conversations I have with family, friends, and even clients, many of us are raised to focus on others and to give of ourselves. Naturally, we're raised to share toys and space with others, yet there's also a deeper, more nefarious teaching at play that it's selfish to invest in ourselves. Where do w…

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83 - Garbage In, Garbage Out 28:51

7M ago28:51

28:51

Today, let's talk about the concept of garbage in, garbage out. It's something I've heard from both the mental and physical health departments of this concept. We are capable of producing what we put in. Want to get healthier physically? Eating overly processed foods isn't going to help with that. Finding yourself in a negative mindset all the time…

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82 - React vs Respond 24:30

7M ago24:30

24:30

Let's talk about the difference between reacting and responding. They are synonymous if you look at the definitions of them, yet I want to hypothesize that there is a difference between them. The key difference, reacting is unconscious where responding is conscious. I explore this concept based on my experiences and conversations I've had with othe…

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81 - Hero Study: Libby Spaur 1:43:31

7M ago1:43:31

1:43:31

For this month's hero's study, I bring on a very special guest: my partner! I mention her so much in previous episodes. Once I decided to interview people for these episodes, I wanted to bring her on to share her story. She's been through so much and tells about her struggles with mental health and the support she's found. I hope you find inspirati…

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80 - Believe In Yourself 23:35

7M ago23:35

23:35

Let's talk about believing in ourselves. I don't know about you, but this is something that I wrestled with all the time. I have more thoughts about how I'm failing in life than pointing out the good I'm doing. This is because I've struggled to believe in myself for years. It's not something I can point my finger at and blame a few key people. This…

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79 - Insecurity 27:22

8M ago27:22

27:22

Let's talk about insecurity, a very old friend of mine. I could even go so far as to say it's a bedfellow since I was a child. There isn't anyone I know who doesn't struggle insecurity in some form or fashion. Whether we're talking with our bodies or image, intellect or knowledge, work experience, parenting, the myriad hobbies out there...need I go…

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78 - Purity Culture 31:48

8M ago31:48

31:48

Let's talk about purity culture today. This is something that I grew up when it was thriving, and it's still around today, but it's name has changed. If you experienced abstinence only sex education, are familiar with promise rings, have heard that men are more sexually active than women, that men are more visually stimulated than women, that you m…

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77 - Don't Yuck Someone Else's Yum 28:39

8M ago28:39

28:39

Let's talk about one of my favorite philosophies on life: don't yuck someone else's yum. It's something I've heard from several sources now, but my first experience was around 2010 when I was working through the backlog of Stuff You Should Know episodes where the podcast hosts Josh and Chuck shared this idea. This is a life philosophy that I operat…

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76 - Hero Study: Himura Kenshin 25:58

8M ago25:58

25:58

Let's talk about another hero! This time, it's one of my favorite: Himura Kenshin. He's t he protagonist in the Rurouni Kenshin manga and anime and has been a favorite character of mine since I learned about him. What makes him an iconic hero in my eyes? Listen in to find out! Please rate and review the podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify, or your fa…

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75 - Hope 24:26

9M ago24:26

24:26

Let's talk about hope this week. After the downer of an episode last week as I processed my fears for 2025, there's also hope to be found in everything that's going on. It's important that we don't succumb to fear and undermine opportunities to push forward. Hope can still be found even in the darkest of times. A large part of becoming the heroes o…

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74 - Why I'm Afraid of 2025 25:47

9M ago25:47

25:47

Another year is coming to an end. If only I could be more thrilled about the prospect of another year. This episode was recorded not long after the elections in November and I had some difficult thoughts and feelings. Part of that is what I'm afraid of for the coming year. Don't worry, though. There will be some hope. I fully expect to receive some…

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73 - Protagonists vs Antagonist 25:32

9M ago25:32

25:32

Let's talk about the difference between protagonists and antagonists. If you're like me, then you see protagonists as the heroes and antagonists as the villains. It's actually much more nuanced than that. Let's look at what they are and how we can relate to them. Please rate and review the podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcast…

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72 - Hero Study: Mike Chapman 1:02:28

9M ago1:02:28

1:02:28

*Content warning: this episode discusses childhood sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress. For this month's hero study, we're interviewing a friend of mine who fitting for the holiday season is a professional Santa portrayal artist. Mike Chapman is also a Christian recovery coach who works with men who have been sexually abused. He shares his story…

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71 - Rest 26:10

10M ago26:10

26:10

Let's talk about rest today. During this busy season for many with holidays and family gatherings taking place, maybe even some vacations, shopping, and keeping with traditions, it's important for us to give ourselves time to rest. Regardless of what you're December looks like, make sure you are intentional about setting time aside every week or ev…

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70 - Things I Learned from Soulsborne Games 30:09

10M ago30:09

30:09

Let's talk about more things I've learned from some of my favorite things! This time, we're talking about the video game franchise made by FromSoftware, the studio behind the Demons/Dark Souls and Bloodborne games. What have I learned? Let's dive in! Please rate and review the podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Website…

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69 - Take Care of Yourself 26:09

10M ago26:09

26:09

Let's talk about taking care of ourselves. It's something that's important, has already been discussed in this space, and this likely won't be the last time. The most important things to remember are: Your care is worth investing time and energy into. You need to feel safe and secure to thrive. While others can help you, no one is going to advocate…

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68 - Hero Study: Zelda 26:37

10M ago26:37

26:37

Let's talk about this month's hero: Zelda from the Legend of Zelda franchise. Considering the franchise is named after her, she's often been more of a backseat character in the stories. One of the things I've enjoyed about seeing her grow is how she steps out from the shadow of the protagonist, Link, in order to be a hero in her own right. Please r…

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67 - My Story: Growing Up 52:37

11M ago52:37

52:37

Today I finish telling my story. There is absolutely more to say than what's been in these last four episodes, but it's a pretty succinct telling of the key events. This is also the one where I share the story of how my partner and I met and the almost romcom nature it details. Seriously. It could almost be a Hallmark movie. Please rate and review …

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66 - My Story: The Dark Years 1:07:26

11M ago1:07:26

1:07:26

*Content Warning* This episodes mentions thoughts of suicide and death. If you are uncomfortable with these topics, then skip this podcast. If you are prepared to listen to these stories, then take care of yourself if you ever do get triggered by what is discussed in this episode. US National Suicide Hotline: 988 or visit https://www.nimh.nih.gov/h…

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65 - My Story: School Years 28:31

11M ago28:31

28:31

*Content Warning* This episodes mentions actions of self-harm and bullying. If you are uncomfortable with this topic, then skip this podcast. If you are prepared to listen to these stories, then take care of yourself if you ever do get triggered by what is discussed in this episode. I continue my story this week, discussing how I lost my voice and …

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64 - My Story: Early Childhood 22:08

11M ago22:08

22:08

It's story time! I've mentioned my story off and on for over sixty episodes, but I think it's time to actually tell my story. This is part one focusing on my early childhood up to my years in school. Please rate and review the podcast on Apple podcast, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. Website: https://www.betweenthecoverscoaching.com/ Interes…

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63 Hero Study: James Earl Jones 23:57

11M ago23:57

23:57

Let's talk about this months hero, James Earl Jones. For me, the voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa, he has quite the legacy and story of overcoming his own trials in order to become the man that we knew. From Shakespeare to voice overs to recording the New Testament in the Bible, there are many who have heard his iconic voice and seen him perform, an…