JD here. Just click this link to get a message to me. Peace

How do you stay motivated when you might still have decades left behind bars?

In Part 2 of my conversation with Shawn Johnson, we go straight to the heart of what kept him moving forward while facing a 60-year sentence. Shawn shares how his relationship with God became the foundation for endurance, how he learned to pray with honesty (not performance), and why being “used” by God mattered as much as being set free.

We talk about praying through disappointment, what it means to be “ready” for the next chapter, and how encouragement often comes from realizing your gifts can strengthen someone else—even in the darkest environment.

This episode is for anyone who feels stuck, exhausted, or like the timeline isn’t moving. Shawn’s message is simple and powerful: it’s not about being perfect—it’s about staying faithful.

JD here. Just click this link to get a message to me. Peace

In Episode 5 of this limited solo series, JD explores peace not as a feeling, but as a discipline. Drawing from lived experience, he explains why peace doesn’t automatically appear in unsettled seasons—and why waiting to “feel peaceful” often keeps people stuck.

This episode breaks down how peace quietly erodes through uncertainty, shifting schedules, financial pressure, and the need for control. JD clearly distinguishes peace from denial, passivity, and avoidance, showing instead how peace functions as regulation—of thoughts, reactions, and decisions. He also outlines practical ways to practice peace through pausing, simplifying routines, writing things down, and resisting the urge to react to false urgency.

If life feels unsettled and clarity feels partial, this conversation reframes peace as something you actively protect and practice. Unsettled seasons aren’t failure—they’re part of the process, and peace can still be cultivated within them.

JD here. Just click this link to get a message to me. Peace

In this powerful episode, JD reconnects with Shawn Johnson, a man he first interviewed while Shawn was still incarcerated and serving what was effectively a life sentence. Nearly two years later, Shawn is home—his entire sentence commuted through executive clemency.

Shawn shares the extraordinary journey that led to his release: the reality of being sentenced to 60 years for a self-defense case, the long road of incarceration, and the unexpected opportunity created by New Jersey’s clemency process. He opens up about the discipline of praying every night at the same time with a small group of men inside the prison, the unwavering expectation that God would answer, and the transformation that happened along the way.

This conversation goes deeper than a legal victory. Shawn talks about choosing to grow instead of giving up, helping change the culture inside a maximum-security prison through faith, leadership, and service, and how one committed group of men can shift an entire environment.

This episode kicks off a multi-part series catching up with Shawn and exploring what life looks like after freedom, faith under pressure, and the power of consistency, community, and hope when the odds are stacked against you.