Built For Love: We Held Strong (Part IV)

In 2019, PJ Morton released his most personal album yet, PAUL — a body of work that felt like a journal set to soul. On his duet with Jazmine Sullivan, "Built For Love," he sings,
"It's not worth keepin' if it's not worth fightin' for..."
That lyric could've been the soundtrack to our story.
This episode is our purest duet — raw, real, and full of grace. Because when we look back, one thing is clear: we were built for this. The first time around taught us lessons, but the second time? That was the blessing we didn't see coming.
From our very first outing, to the "just in case" agreement that revealed more about our fears than our future, our union has been shaped by storms, laughter, hard conversations, and quiet faith. And through it all, we held strong.
In this episode of The Second Time Around Podcast, we open up about:
The defining moments that deepened our friendship
How struggle became the foundation for trust
What it means to fight for love when others don't fully understand it
If you're navigating a second chance at love — or just trying to hold onto the one you've got — this one's for you.
🎙️ Press play and find strength in the stories of love that bends, but doesn't break.

Closer Than Friends: A Faith Leap into Love (Part III)

In 1988, Surface gave us that unforgettable R&B anthem: "Closer Than Friends"
"Right now, we're just friends... But I pray someday you'll surrender...To love so tender I won't push you... As long as you know that my love is true..."
But what happens when "just friends" starts to feel like something divinely deeper?
In this episode of The Second Time Around, we share our journey of discovering love in a place we never expected—within our friendship. When you're both prayer partners and pew buddies, serving in God's house together, crossing the friendship line isn't always easy. Between side-eyes from the sanctuary and the questions from well-meaning saints, there's a lot to navigate before love even gets a chance to bloom.
This one's for you if:💬 You're wondering what it looks like when God answers your prayer with someone already in your circle💬 You're thinking about becoming prayer partners with a friend and need a little clarity💬 You want to hear how we kept Christ at the center while feelings were growing
Come sit with us as we tell the story of how we moved from "Amen" to "I do" — with friendship, faith, and a whole lot of intentionality.

Come Go With Me: From Fellowship to Forever (Part II)

Want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans. That’s exactly what we did—and He had something better in mind.
In this heartfelt episode of The Second Time Around Podcast, we share how our paths, full of detours, doubts, and divine delays, unexpectedly led us to one another. Neither of us saw this second chance at love coming, but it was exactly what we both needed.
We open up about our past: former engagements, the strength of friendship, and the value of wise, honest counsel. From a man’s perspective, you'll hear the moment he knew her fiancé wasn’t the one, and what happened next.
We also dive into real conversations around:● The unique challenges women in ministry face when dating● The stereotypes and assumptions about single men in ministry● Our intentional commitment to a truly platonic friendship
This episode is for anyone wondering if real love can happen after heartbreak. SPOILER ALERT: It can! Join us for an intimate, honest conversation full of faith, friendship, and a love story only God could write.

Written All Over My Faith: Our Story (Part I)

Disciples, buckle up! This episode is a grown-up, faith-filled conversation about dating while serving in ministry—and it’s one you don’t want to miss.
We’re taking you back to the beginning of our love story: the friendship, the courtship, and eventually, the engagement. We revisit those early days with honesty and laughter, sharing the real joys and challenges of building a relationship while navigating our callings.
You’ll hear where we each were in our faith journeys and romantic lives when we met, the unexpected (and hilarious!) story of our first encounter, and how God used fellowship to form the foundation of our bond.
This episode also starts a four-part series exploring how we grew together in love, trust, and purpose. And if you’ve ever been knocked down by a “Love TKO,” we’ve got a word of hope just for you before you decide to give up on love, press play, and join us on The Second Time Around Podcast.

The Miseducation of Love: Rewriting My Story (Makela's Story, Part II)

"Bag lady... you gone miss your bus, dragging all those bags like that."
We told you guys we LOVE music, as song lyrics have a way of simplifying complex relationships and social issues. This lyric from Erykah Badu's Bag Lady is a metaphor for unprocessed emotional baggage we carry in our relationships, often without fully understanding why.
In this episode of The Second Time Around Podcast, we're back to explore the origin stories of our familial relationships and understand how embracing and accepting them can lead to a healthier connection with yourself and your partner.
In this episode, we're exchanging baggage for acceptance. Makela's story is an example of the power of understanding your parents' origin story and the importance of learning what baggage your partner is carrying so that you can lighten their load by understanding the weight of their story.

From Loneliness To Love: Makela's Story

Who didn't love the popular family sitcom The Brady Bunch? A tale of a lovely...who met a fellow...and had a hunch...and formed a family. Millions of boys and girls growing up in single-family households looked to The Brady Bunch to give them an idea of what a blended family could look like.
In this episode of The Second Time Around Podcast, you'll hear a slightly different story; It includes some lovely ladies... a few hunches...and a whole lotta character-building experiences!
In this candid conversation, we explore her struggles in her early years growing up with step-siblings and navigating a home life without her biological father being present. And yet, despite the complexities and loneliness of her childhood, it's evident from our discussion that Makela was able to take away important life lessons from these experiences and use them to shape her character and raise her children more consciously.
Today, it's time to go behind the scenes to meet the lady of this dynamic duo, Makela Mims, and learn how her blended family experience shaped her character and the parenting style she chose for her children. Makela shares candidly about her parents' relationship and how her experiences shaped her into the woman, mother, and wife she is today.

The Power Of Understanding Your Parent's Origin Story (Part II)

Do you know how your partner's origin story impacted their views on family and relationships?
In the second episode of "The Second Time Around Podcast," we are diving deeper into LaShan's story to help us all discover how our childhoods shape our perspectives on relationships.
LaShan shares intimate stories from his childhood and reveals how he never saw his parents disagree and how that experience colored his expectations on what it takes to REALLY make a marriage work.
Together, we unpack the importance of communication, trust, respect, and long-term commitment when re-navigating marriage the second time.
Marriage is difficult even when we have examples of solid unions. Together, LaShan and I take an honest look at all couples' struggles and discuss topics such as.
-The relationship between father and son-
-Our experience into what is the foundation of a strong union
-The one lesson LaShan wished his parents had prepared him for when he entered matrimony.
 
Join us for this episode of The Second Time Around Podcast!

The Power Of Understanding Your Parent’s Origin Story

All music tells a story, so when Shalamar sang the words of their 1970s hit "Second Time Around," they already seemed to know our union's story. The Second Time Around Podcast is a testament to God's grace, mercy, and second chances at love. From blending our families to learning from each other's experiences to create our family. We've learned how to make it work by laughing and loving our way through it all. But we've learned from Act II that faith, patience, and grace can make all the difference in marriage. In this first episode, LaShan shares his origin story and how, as a pastor and marriage counselor, he draws on his unique life experiences to offer perspective on longevity in marriage. We'll look at how LaShan's experience of growing up in the Bay Area in the late 70s and 80s shaped his view of the world while sharing how his family offered beautiful examples of life and marriage that have served us on this journey.