Today, we're diving into the journey of resilience and transformation with our special guest, Mark Foster. He shares his experiences of navigating personal struggles and how they shaped his calling to help others find hope and healing.

Mark opens up about his upbringing in Maine, the impact of his father's ministry, and the importance of community in fostering a sense of belonging. We also explore the idea that hope can often stem from a sense of agency, emphasizing that every choice we make can create ripples in our lives and others'.

As we discuss his storytelling workshops and the power of narrative in healing, Mark's perspective reminds us that life is about embracing our stories, learning, and continuously evolving.

Join us as we uncover how living authentically can inspire not only ourselves but also those around us.

Mark's story is one of resilience and transformation, as he shares his journey from a challenging childhood to finding purpose in ministry and storytelling. Growing up in a small town in Maine, he describes a lively household that fostered a sense of community and support.

His father's role as a preacher significantly influenced his upbringing, instilling values of compassion and responsibility. Mark reflects on the tight-knit relationships he formed within his church community, which provided a stable foundation during a time when many families were dispersing due to economic decline. These experiences shaped his desire to create similar supportive environments in his own life, particularly for his family.

The conversation takes a deeper turn as Mark discusses the complexities of faith and the evolution of his beliefs. He acknowledges that many individuals raised in religious households often grapple with their faith, oscillating between rebellion and acceptance.

However, for Mark, the church has always been a source of inspiration, guiding him toward a path that felt authentic and meaningful. He reveals how storytelling became a crucial component of his ministry, enabling him to connect with others on a deeper level. Mark shares that stories have the power to heal and inspire, allowing individuals to find hope amidst their struggles and challenges.

As the episode progresses, the focus shifts to the themes of hope and agency, particularly in today's world where individuals often feel overwhelmed and powerless. Mark emphasizes the importance of recognizing one's ability to create change, no matter how small. He candidly shares his own experiences with anger and frustration, illustrating the necessity of vulnerability in the healing process.

The discussion encourages listeners to embrace their narratives and recognize the power they hold in shaping their lives and the lives of those around them. Ultimately, this episode serves as a powerful reminder that our stories, no matter how difficult, can lead to transformation and connection with others.

Takeaways:

• The journey of personal growth often begins with recognizing one's own vulnerabilities and taking responsibility for them.
• Building a community is essential, and it's important to create spaces where people feel safe and can heal together.
• We have the power to change our present and future through our choices, which can inspire hope in ourselves and others.
• Storytelling can be a powerful tool for connection and healing, allowing individuals to share their experiences in meaningful ways.

You can connect with Mark on his website at: https://www.masterstorycraft.com

 & on his social platforms at:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/markfoster80

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/markfosterhope

Instagram: @strenthenedByHope

Substack: masterstorycraft.substack.com

The music in this video is copyrighted and used with permission from Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved.  All rights to the music are owned by Raquel & The Joshua 1:8 project © 2025 All Rights Reserved. You can contact Raquel at https://YourGPSForSuccess.Net

I've walked through fire with shadows on my heels Scars turn to stories that taught me to feel lost in the silence Found in the flame now wear my battle cry without shame this isn't the the end it's where I begin A soul that remembers the fire within.

Welcome back to another episode of A Warrior Spirit, brought to you by Praxis33.

I'm your host, Darrell Snow.

Let's dive in.

Today we have a few technical challenges, so we're going to pivot, but with me is a friend of mine.

He is a master storyteller who has a lot to share and someone I'm just really excited to have on.

So, Mark, thank you for helping me with all the technical issues and, and thank you for joining me today.

Yeah, you're welcome, Daryl.

It's great to be here.

I've never been called a technical difficulty before, but I accept that label.

Yeah.

I'm not sure you were the technical difficulty.

We were the technical difficulty.

Yeah.

Our other, our other platform that we normally record on was having issues today.

I don't know if Mercury is still in retrograde or, you know, the.

I, I feel when stuff like that happens, it's because my guest has a lot of important stuff to share and they're trying to be prevented from sharing it.

So where are you joining us from today?

I, Southern Maine.

I live in Lebanon, Maine, right on the main New Hampshire border.

So you don't, you always have to clarify that because you, you don't just say, I live in Lebanon.

I mean, that's Right.

Right.

Well, there's a Lebanon, New Hampshire, an hour from where here, too.

Plus, you know, the whole country of Lebanon.

But no, nothing so exotic.

Yeah.

Lebanon, Maine.

Is that where you grew up?

Did you grow up in the upper Northeast?

I grew up in, in Maine.

Farther, farther towards, farther north central Maine in a little town called Skowhegan.

Okay, so you're, you grew up kind of small town.

Are you a, did you have siblings or was it just you only child?

I know I have six brothers.

Okay, so that's a hectic house.

It was, it was a house in small rural America.

Having grown up in a small town myself, I, and only having one brother, I can imagine what that house was, was like.

So what was it?

What was the childhood like having that many siblings in a small town where not a lot usually happens unless you create it to happen?

Well, I, it was, it was pretty good.

I mean, they spread us out enough that I was, I was, my older, I'm the.

So my Older brother and I were kind of leaving home while some of the youngest ones were still pretty young.

So I don't know that I was ever.

We didn't have very many years where all seven of us were there at one time.

So it's kind of spread out.

It was good.

It was great growing up in Maine in a small town.

We had, you know, a small community, great church family.

I was a great childhood.

Yeah, I absolutely loved it.

That's awesome.

Now, you.

I know off camera, you said that your friend, your father was a preacher.

Yes, he was, yes.

He pastored in Skowhegan, where.

Where I grew up.

So was it.

Was it a.

A set church, or was he more of an evangelical Baptist?

Okay, so as a Baptist child, what.

What did you witness in the church that kind of set the tone of who Mark is today?

I think the best thing about the church my dad pastored is, man, we were just like a family and a community.

Really serious.

You know, that was before the mills really shut down in Maine.

People didn't move around a lot.

So I had the privilege of growing up with the same friend group for years and years.

And it was just.

It was something unique and special.

Now almost all of those families have dispersed and gone around the country.

And whenever we talk, we still remember how great that was.

And I think, for me, I've always tried to recreate that feeling in any community that I've been involved in because I saw a really healthy and good one.

I've always kind of looked for that and tried to be a part of creating that kind of community.

Yeah.

When, you know, I look back at some of my friends that I know, and they had childhood friends, I was more nomadic.

I couldn't wait to get out of my.

You know, I had a very traumatized childhood.

I didn't have that, you know, leave it to Beaver memory.

I had the leave it memory, like.

Yeah.

So.

So I couldn't wait to get out of my.

My.

My little town.

And.

And.

But I look back at some of the.

The people who I know, and they had, you know, high school friends that they're 30, 40 years later, still buddies with, and.

And, you know, families that kind of grew up together.

And I always, you know, thought, man, that's really a.

That's a part of life I really wish I could have experienced.

So you have family now as far as.

I mean, I have a wife and I have children.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So you're trying to still instill that same, you know, values back into.

Absolutely.

Now you also Then decided to follow your father's footsteps into ministry.

What led you to that direction?

Because, and before I answer that, my experience with people.

And I've, I've dealt with people for 40 plus years because I travel and been in sales.

But the, the people who grew up in a religious household either are really rebellious against it or really embracing it.

So what led you to embrace it and follow the footsteps?

Well, I mean, I guess, you know, we could say I felt the call.

I don't think that as much anymore as I would have years ago interpreted it that way.

I think just it was such a healthy experience and some of my giftings lent naturally in that direction and my choices of vocation were rather small.

So I think all of that kind of, that confluence kind of led to this.

This feels like a natural choice.

I'm the only one of the seven brothers who pursued that as a career path.

So it certainly wasn't like we were pressured.

In fact, my father never pressured us to go into the ministry.

He just wanted us to be good men and raise good families.

So I just, I think just a confluence of a lot of things and then once you get in, in a line of work, it can be not always easy to get out.

Oh, for sure.

What, what age were you when you started feeling like you kind of knew this was the direction my life was going to take?

Probably in my teen years, 13, 14, 15, I started noticing just things that would consistently happen with people, you know, day in and day out.

A real burden to share important things with people.

I've always kind of felt things really, really deeply and people shared things with me.

Like people, even adults would just talk to me about things.

I'm like, why are they talking to me about those things?

And again, in my world that meant maybe you should be a pastor.

So but that started becoming obvious to me early on in my teen years.

And did you, when did you go to college?

I went to a small Bible institute in East Texas.

Okay, so you actually went into a college that's going to help your vocation?

Yes.

When, when you got out of college and you started your own ministry, did you do like your father, a one location brick and mortar place or did you travel?

No, that's what I, that's what I knew.

That was even the training I got in Bible institute.

So I worked for a couple of years as an associate in San Antonio at a single location church and then moved to North Carolina where I pastored a small church for 11 years before moving here.

And now we've been here, almost 10.

Okay, so in your experience as a pastor, what are you.

I know a pastor wants to grow their church, you know, and it's very difficult in organized religion to.

Did you take over a church or did you plant a church?

What was your.

I've never done the church planting.

I have a lot of respect for people who can do that.

It's something I've thought about doing.

I've never.

I never have.

The churches that.

Both churches that I've pastored have been in decline.

When I1 was a young church, in fact, the first church was the same age I was.

You know, it was only 25 years of age, but it was in decline.

And then the church that I'm now pastoring is almost 200 years old, but also it was in decline.

So that's kind of been a theme in ministry, is revitalization and renewal.

And what is your technique to bring, you know, the fresh bodies to the seats, to, you know, your congregation?

What do you try to embrace?

I think I try to embrace that spirit of rest and renewal.

In our background, it was really.

People were overworked, as in many cases, that's, you know, ministry burnout and.

And member burnout is a pretty common thing.

So we've embraced that.

Like, here's a place where you can rest.

Here's a place where you can be renewed.

Here's a place where maybe you can discover a relationship with God the Father in a way that maybe you haven't had the time to.

So a lot of people come to us hurt, bruised and tired.

And then I try to teach and preach in a way that doesn't increase that burden, but helps them to heal.

And as a result, many of them, after they are recovered, move on to a place where they can get busy again.

But, but, but.

So we see a steady stream of people that are from that background.

It's interesting.

I was talking to a gentleman several months ago who came from a religious background.

Their family was very Catholic, and he's a little older than I am.

I'm 60.

And he was a few years older than I am.

So.

But he was.

He was talking about how back when he was a youngster, the preacher would actually set, like, an appointment to annually come to their house and discuss the amount of contribution they were going to give to the church that year.

And I'm like, wow, the.

The preacher scheduled your investment, huh?

Yeah.

Wow.

I can't even imagine.

Like, we, you know, our church still takes up an offering every week, and I actually, it's my least Favorite part of the service.

Sometimes the, the deacons and trustees are like, you're so apologetic.

Like, I'm sorry, but it's my least.

I know money makes the world go around, but man, it's.

Yeah, I can't imagine doing that.

That.

Yeah, that'd be terrifying for me as the minister.

He said, he, he said his mom would always make tea and like biscuits or whatever and then he was required to just remain silent and kind of out of the way.

Yeah.

And they would, back in the day, they had their suit and their nice dress on and the preacher would come and they'd be all dressed up to have this annual conversation.

And I'm like, yeah, wow.

Talk about your ultimate door knocking.

That is something else.

Yeah.

So as you look back on, on your childhood, and I know you said you had a pretty good childhood, what do you think other than the ministry?

Because if your other brothers didn't follow, obviously there was things that your parents did that, that allowed diversity and your own kind of path to be forged.

What, what do you think was in you or what do you think the, the, the setting was that just put this in your heart and said, you know, this is who I should be and this is what I, you know, especially for a 13 year old.

I'm rambling a little bit, but I remember When I was 11, my mom took us to a, this is back in the day when you could actually drop your kids off at the theater, you know, and she, she dropped us off at the theater and, and it was, it was a movie plane that we didn't realize it was one of those Christian based spiritual movies.

Yeah.

When we went in, but me and my friends, we went in and, and this movie, it was an awesome movie.

And I wish I could remember the, the title of the movie because it really was a powerful, one of those really great inspirational movies.

But at the end of it, Billy Graham came back from behind the screen and, and out on the stage and he did his worship call.

Anyone who wants to call Now, I had been raised in the Catholic Church.

Catholicism was deep in my mother's side, so it was ingrained in, in my side.

And then when she married my stepdad, his family was evangelical.

So we went to mass on Saturday and evangelical church on Sunday.

And I just had this mix of, of religion.

So I understand my relationship with, with God and all that.

But at that moment when Billy Graham did his altar call, that's when I, at 11 or 12, somewhere in there, really chose for me that this was going to be the Path that I wanted.

Wanted to walk.

Yeah.

So what, what, what was it in you or when was it in you that really.

And I.

You made the choice that I'm going to follow God and I'm going to do it in this fashion.

Do you, can you recall what kind of was in that childhood of yours that, that brought that to you?

Were there some experiences that just happened or was it just the fact that people came to you and told you stuff and, you know, shared things with you?

That's a great question, and I wish I had a powerful answer to it.

I mean, from, from an early age, I feel like I was aware of and wanted to know more about who God was as, as a person.

I spent time praying, even as a boy, trying to connect with, with God.

You know, I made what's common in, in Protestant and evangelical circles.

I made a profession of faith early and then as a teenager, young teenager, you know, kind of renewed.

Renewed that again to the best of my ability in the environment that I was, that I was in.

But it's really hard to put into words other than I feel like healing and redemption has always been something that I wanted to be a part of.

I'm drawn to broken things, always have been.

And as far back as I can remember, whether it was a broken down dog or cat or a broken person, I would see it, I would be aware of it, and I would want to help with that.

And so somewhere along the line I just said, I just saw Jesus as a healer and as the ability to try to follow him and his example in doing that.

And I was just, it was compelling to me.

And if I, I used to say if I could have found a better way to do that.

Not that there wasn't one, but if I had found a better way, I would have done that instead.

But that seemed to be the best way to follow him, is to, is to do this work.

I don't.

Does that answer?

Oh, absolutely.

Yeah.

Okay.

For sure.

You, you know, you talk about things that are a little deeper than surface level religion.

You know, it's, it's a, it's a calling within you to help those in need, whether it be animal person, whatever, you know, and, and that, that is a, that's an energy thing to me.

It's a connection where we connect with those pieces and we know that we have some way of helping them.

Then sometimes that way is just being someone who will listen.

That's right.

You know, that's right.

And as you've moved through your pastoral experience, where is God calling you to go now because I know that you're doing more than just preaching.

What is your.

What is your arc?

Where are you headed?

I want to.

I want to continue to.

I want to continue to help people, but in ways that I don't think the church is structured to do.

So I'm still currently, you know, actively pastoring and ministering and within, within the framework that exists there, we're doing all that we can.

But there is a segment of people, a large segment of the population that, that might not be a good fit for seems more and more so all the time.

So I'm seeking to take some of the skills and the giftings that I have outside of the, of that position out into the marketplace.

So I've done that in a couple of ways.

You know, I started a handyman business, which gets me more out into the community, working with my hands in people's homes.

But more than more than that, I started leaning into public speaking, which is something I already do.

With the focus on storytelling, I have a real emphasis and a desire to instill hope in people.

And hope means something specific to me, but as one person told me, it's kind of a Disney ified word.

So when you say like, I want and I, not that long ago, I was like, this is my thing.

Like, I'm a hope dealer.

This is what I want to do.

But I kept running up into that same problem, right?

Nobody quite knew what I meant by that, so I spent more time explaining it, only to have them say, eh, I think hope is something else.

Like, well, this isn't working.

So.

So I started leaning into storytelling because people can understand stories in a way that they don't understand data, right?

So instead of giving, instead of delivering a lecture or PowerPoint, I can craft a story and maybe not even get to the more, you know, overtly get to the moral, but actually embed that within the story in a way that people see themselves there.

They pick up, you know, what you're laying down.

I see that really fire people's imagination and resonate with people.

So that's where I'm leaning into.

As I eventually transition out of pastoral ministry, I'm looking to transition full time into teaching and demonstrating the power of storytelling, whether it's in business or in personal life.

What struck me as you were speaking is you said the handyman thing and I'm like, okay, Jesus was a carpenter, Mark's a carpenter.

Ish.

Handyman.

You know, the Bible is literally parables and stories, and you're trying to minister in a direct way, indirect way through stories.

Yes.

When I do my one on one coaching, when I talk to my clients, I talk a lot in pictures or ex, you know, examples of illustration, you know, so it's sort of a storytelling.

But I find that the way they can understand it is better in an illustration than just saying, you know, green is green.

Right.

If you can show them a turtle is green, you know, they can relate to that.

So I think the storytelling definitely is a skill.

Yeah.

And it's something that people, whether they're in business or not in business, whether they're just sitting around a campfire with a friend, you know, the person that people are tuning into is a person with a good story.

That's right.

And, and you have to be able to share those experiences through your word, which if you do it in story form now, it doesn't have to be War and Peace.

Long story.

Right.

Probably shouldn't be.

Probably shouldn't be.

So.

But to learn how to craft your message and get it out there, I think is an important skill that everyone should actually embrace.

I think so.

And you talked about hope.

As a two time suicide survivor, I don't wear that as a badge of honor.

It's just a fact of my life.

If it wasn't for hope, I still wouldn't be here.

And it's in my personal journey and from what I've seen from others, it's when we lose that hope, however they want to define it, when they lose that hope, that's when getting out becomes their main solution.

Or was mine.

But something in that moment regained a moment of hope.

And it was only that moment that took to bring me back from, from the edge.

What do you feel is driving people to lack that hope these days?

Really good questions.

There are a few avenues that this is delivered.

It almost all springs from the same source, which is a lack of agency.

And that agency is taken from people in or that the sense of agency is taken from people in multiple ways.

Some of it in the form of fatalism in a non religious context, you.

Know.

Everything happens for a reason.

You know, whatever will be, will be.

You know, that kind of thing.

Like in some sense we're just living out a play, a script.

And it could be in a non religious context, but that attitude exists within the church as well.

And this puts me squarely outside of most of what I see on social media when it comes to Christianity is my views on both the nature of God and how he acts in the world.

But even amongst Christians, when I talk to Christians about that lack of hope and lack of agency.

It's that sense that God has this ultimate will, this ultimate decree that everything is part of some grand plan and I have no ability on my own.

He has all of the ability.

And so to think that I can do anything is just, you know, that's something wrong with that.

And so you rob people of the, of the sense of the ability to actually do something in their life, ironically.

And we don't have to turn it into a discussion about suicide, but there's a psychologist and author, Chris Schneider, who says.

And he talks about the psychology of hope, and he says that suicide for many is the last.

Is the last act of hope in an otherwise desperate soul.

Because hope is.

Is tied to your perception of your ability to do things that, that do things that.

Changing your present and maybe your future in some way.

So if there's nothing else I can do, here's one thing I can do that will change things.

And so that's actually an act of hope, you know, to do that.

We call it despair, but it's actually the last act of hope.

So whether it's telling stories or whether it's in preaching or whether it's in counseling and coaching, trying to help people find that sense of agency again, even in the smallest of ways, rather than pursuing hope as the end, pursue agency as a goal, and hope naturally rises.

You can't stop it from rising once you see your ability to do things, to change things.

I'm a Christian, but I, I don't just have to accept the way things are is some grand plan in my life.

Yeah, I love that.

And a couple things.

The gentleman I was talking to last week, he helps a lot of individuals through this process as well.

And, you know, he, he said.

And I think I've heard it before, but he said it.

So it reminded me suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

Yeah.

And most of us who get to that point don't view our problem as being temporary.

Correct.

Yeah, I, I don't really like that phrase for that reason, because it doesn't feel temporary when you're in that place.

Yeah, that, that despair just doesn't feel temporary at all.

And the, the hope part of it, I think, you know, those of us who believe in God and who have a, A walk with God, we also should, by this time in our life have an understanding that God also gave us free will.

So there's a, there is a, There is a battle within the Christian mind of what you said of God.

Being, you know, all powerful in the only way.

But then we wrestle with the free will.

So how do they merge?

And you know, I'm sure you've counseled some people with that.

How do, how do you, how do you bridge that gap?

Because it is a gap in most Christians mind.

Absolutely omnipotent free will.

Where's the, where's the bridge?

Yeah, well, so that would be a whole nother long discussion to go into everything there.

But I am, I would consider myself in the camp of broad, camp of open theism, but in a, but in a, but in a aspect of it called dynamic omniscience.

So the future doesn't exist as a settled reality either in, either in, in the.

I'm a presentist, so I don't, I'm not, I don't fall into the idea that, well, I'm not going to say all of those things here.

We'll just get on rabbit trails.

When I counsel people, I tell them, you don't know what exactly God is doing.

You don't even know if he did this.

Why did God take my father?

Who said he did?

You're assuming he did because of a presupposition or a theological belief.

But people die.

And I believe that God redeems evil, redeems bad things, especially when we invite him into those things and work with him as agents of redemption.

So I said to a lady not long ago, she said, I just wish I knew what the purpose for my dad's death is.

I said, maybe there was no purpose in his death other than what you choose to give it from this point forward.

Like you get to be a part of, of giving your dad's life and death purpose rather than, you know, beating yourself up and tormenting yourself up because you can't seem to figure out why this happened.

It happened because we live in a world where bad things happen because people die.

All people die.

And so the, it's actually Christians that I struggle with this with more than anyone than anyone else because they keep wanting to.

Even ones who believe in free will want to fall back ultimately on everything happens for a reason.

To make it a little bit lighter.

You see this in the political realm, right?

Like right before an election, you know, pray that, you know, get out and vote.

We got to get out and vote and pray.

And then after the election, if it doesn't go your way, then we console ourselves by saying God is on the throne.

And, you know, so.

But wait a second.

Two days ago you were acting like we really needed to do something Here, now you're saying that this was all part of God's plan.

So we console ourselves.

We have pacifiers, anything to avoid facing the reality that actions do have consequences.

We're not the only agents in the world.

So I can't do everything I want to do or anything I want to do, but that doesn't mean I can't do some things.

God may not be doing everything that's done.

That doesn't mean he's not doing anything.

But we're made in the image of God.

And as image bearers, have creative ability and determination ability.

And that means there are some things that won't happen if I don't do other things.

Literally, there is a future that will not materialize if I don't make this decision today.

But it also means that that future doesn't already exist.

So I'm not living towards an inevitable future.

What is happening today is a result of decisions and actions of me and others in the past.

And what my future looks like is going to be a result of the decisions I'm making today.

And that's what I mean by agency can't fix everything because you're not the only agent.

But you can fix some things, and that's all it takes to generate a little bit of hope.

No, I think that's a fantastic outlook on it.

And it really, I, I believe that there are.

I mean, what you said can explain why a multiverse can happen.

Sure.

Because every choice that a person makes has a butterfly effect on the future.

And so if they make a different choice, it has a different effect.

Right.

You know, I, I used to tell my kids, you know, everything you do has consequences.

Some are good, some are bad.

Depends on you and your action.

And I think that really can explain how a multiverse can, can exist in, in, in someone's brain, because what we do does matter.

And, you know, the, the things that you have done in your life have effects on generations.

You'll never know.

You know, I look at my stepdad and all the wisdom and teachings, you know, he was my only hero in my entire life.

And all the things that he instilled in me that I've been able to pass on to hundreds of different people who have now multiplied that out to thousands because they carry that same message.

And he was a blue collar guy from the Midwest who wasn't his goal to change the world.

His goal was to improve his son.

Yeah.

And through improving his son, he helps change the world.

Right.

You know, so.

And I think that's the Same way with God.

You know, he sent his son to improve the world and change the world.

And that's the ripple effect that's.

That's happening.

If we.

If we take a look at Mark's life and your message, what is it?

What is your story that you want to convey?

What.

What do you want to have people know or understand about your own story?

So my story could be illustrated by this story.

A few years ago, I was.

I was in a really, really angry and dark place where I had even considered checking out because I didn't have.

I didn't feel like I had any options other than to do what I was doing, where I was doing it.

But I didn't realize how angry I had become and how it was affecting other people.

One night, my wife let me know that our dryer was on the fritz.

And I way overreacted.

Like, I just.

I just blew up.

And, you know, why do things always have to break down?

You know, it's going to cost me money.

I.

Every time I turn around, I'm hemorrhaging cash and this.

And my wife is a very even keel woman.

But she looked at me and she said, this is why I hate telling you, when something breaks, you're so angry.

She said, I don't know what is wrong, but you need to get a handle on it.

And it stopped me in my tracks because that's not how she talks.

She.

She just doesn't ever break, push back like that.

And so I took a step back and I took a walk.

Took several days to think, and I didn't realize how angry I had become.

Thinking about why I was so angry, trying to figure out where that anger was rooted.

It was rooted in the feeling that I was trapped.

But I realized after I talked to some friends, I spent some time talking to God.

And I realized maybe I wasn't as trapped as I thought I was.

Maybe it was just fear.

I was afraid.

I wanted to blame other people.

I was saying all the things I can't because they won't.

Nobody will let me.

You know, all those things we say.

And so I decided to try one thing.

I'll just try this one thing.

And I did it.

And nothing bad happened.

I remember sitting and talking with our deacon board and saying, look, I want to do this in our church.

And they're like, we brought you here to help to lead us do it.

I'm like, I've been sitting.

I've been spending the last 18 months thinking I'm stuck thinking that they would never.

Because I never bothered to vocalize what I wanted to do.

And it was.

I'm not going to tell you, like, it was an.

It was a Damascus Road experience and the sun shone and everything was great.

Anger becomes habitual.

So I still struggled with anger flaring up at times when I didn't want it to.

But learning that I could take responsibility for those actions, stemming from that conversation about a dryer, that.

That was on the fritz, that was the turning point for me to of.

I mean, our life today is 180 degrees.

Is that what you say if something is exactly the opposite?

It's 180 degrees different.

Maybe it's like 165.

We're close to 180.

We're getting there.

It's a lot different than it.

Than it was.

And I'm not that same angry person.

I don't have that constriction in my throat and that weight on my chest, always the tears right behind my eyes just because of that constant anger.

And that stemmed from the.

From the recognition that I have permission as a child of God to do things in the world and I am free to create.

I am free to be that person that started me on the mission to do what I'm doing now.

Everything from the storytelling to the coaching to the content creation is to try to find people that are in those moments and help them to find that path out of that difficult place.

In fact, I'm working right now to go to a hospital here locally to do a storytelling workshop in their substance use recovery floor and program.

And because I think storytelling and learning how to do that will help these people that are in that position, feeling helpless, feeling hopeless, trying to figure out where to go.

Everybody's story arc is different, but that's what I would want people to know about me and to.

And to remember about me is I've been at a place where I felt I was trapped and stuck, had missed the train, that everything was over, but it wasn't.

And it took some people that I love to brace me, but it also took responsibility on my part to say, dude, you got to do something about this and stop making, you know, stop making those excuses.

So it's a journey that I'm still on, but that's what I want.

I want my kids to see that.

That their dad didn't just lay down and give up, that you can change your life in some meaningful ways by taking those actions.

Yeah, I think that's a huge importance for many and, you know, those who have listened to my journey and my story, they know that of my 60 years, I've only been alive 58 or two of those.

For 58 years, I lived nothing but anger.

It was the only emotion that I embraced.

I didn't know how to put any other emotion in me, you know, And I lived in a lot of places in this United States over those years, but I never lived in any of those.

I just existed in them.

And until I was able to do the inner work and release my own anger.

Yeah.

Life was not life at all.

It was.

It was a constricting thing that I had to fight every day.

And I'm very lucky that my wife stuck with me for the years that she has, because I gave her every reason not to.

And, you know, her.

Her grace for me helped me eventually find my grace for myself.

And, you know, those.

And I think it's an important message for everybody but men in particular.

You have to learn vulnerability.

You have to learn how to open up and.

And.

And be anything other than angry.

Yes.

You know, it was funny.

We were sitting in a church service, and John Maxwell was a guest speaker that day.

This was.

I don't know, shortly after I had, you know, recovered from my trauma and started my new life.

And John was, you know, doing his altar call, and I was watching these people come up and give their life to Christ.

And.

And for no reason, I really.

I started just crying.

Right.

And.

And, you know, I looked over to my wife, and I'm like, if I'd known I was gonna, you know, shower my shirt, I would have wore a different one, you know?

And.

And she's like, no, honey, it's okay to cry.

You're.

You're.

Yeah, you're evolving.

Like, it's.

It's okay, you know, So I think that's an important thing.

And.

And we want to.

We want to show our children our vulnerabilities, to know that they don't have to be perfect either.

Yes.

You know, that they can be who they need to be, regardless of what that looks like.

If you were to take the person that Mark is today and introduce him to the mark who was 15 years ago, what would people say about each of you?

I don't know.

Are they the same?

In some ways, the mark of 15 years ago was very sure of himself when he probably shouldn't have been.

He was trapped in a system that.

That he thought was virtue.

So maintaining a system, reading the script, doing all the things, and hurting people in the process, but sincere.

Super sincere.

Right.

So I think the mark of today Is less.

In spite of how I may have presented myself here, I don't know, but less certain about a lot of things, More certain about some, but less certain about a lot.

And the number of things that matter to me is much smaller today than it.

Than it was 15 years ago.

So I actually had someone say recently, you're so much more chill now than you were when you were younger.

So maybe that's what they would say is the mark today is more chill than the mark 15 years ago.

Isn't that great?

I'm gonna.

Speaking of chill, I'm gonna try to bring up a couple things.

I know that we're not on my normal platform, so this may or may not work, but let's give it a shot.

I'm gonna bring up a couple elements and have you talk about them.

First one I want to bring up, though, is is this.

Yeah.

You have a.

Anyone who watches anything you do can see you have a.

An affinity for Bigfoot.

Absolutely.

And I love that.

I love your wheel cover.

Bigfoot doesn't believe in you either.

Yeah.

What is.

What brought you to an affinity with Bigfoot?

I think.

I think nobody has always done anything, but for as long as I can remember, I've loved the idea of Bigfoot.

I don't know.

I don't have.

You know, I'm not a. I don't go hunting Bigfoot.

I don't have trail cameras in the woods.

For me, Bigfoot is.

Represents the idea that there are things in the world that we haven't discovered yet.

I don't want to live in a world where everything's known and everything's discovered.

I don't want to live.

I don't want to live in a doctrinal statement world where someone else a long time ago already decided all the things that you're supposed to believe, and all you get to do now is just take those things and pass them on like there's still things to learn.

So for me, that's what Bigfoot represents, is that idea that there's adventure out there and there are some big things we still don't know.

I love that.

That's a really great.

That's a deeper answer than I was expecting from you.

I love that.

I love when people can surprise me.

I mean, I've been doing this for.

For three years now, and I love when people can still surprise me.

Then.

We also have your storytelling online workshop.

Can you explain this to the audience?

Yeah.

So I started this year teaching storytelling workshops.

They're 90 minutes.

I have a framework that I use.

Whether if you watch a story or read a story that I use on social media or you listen to me on the platform, I'm going to use the same framework.

I call it the vowel framework.

A, E, I, O, U.

So there are five steps, five fingers to help you find, craft, and then deliver a good story in whatever format you're wanting to do it in.

And so in that nine, in that introductory 90 minute workshop, I teach that framework, give some examples, and then help the people in the workshop start the process of crafting maybe one of their own.

That would be the goal when they leave, is to actually have at least one story or know how to go find it in their own life that they can, that they can craft and share with other people.

And the framework lets them do that an infinite number of times.

I love that.

And I really think that you have some awesome things going on in your world and it's a pleasure that you're coming here to share them.

I'm going to ask you a final question that I ask all my guests first.

I guess I lied.

Two questions.

What do you want?

You said you wanted to build legacy.

And I heard someone's child say this to their father.

You know, instead of worrying about building a legacy, why don't you live a legacy?

And that struck me on how I think of that question, but I still ask it anyway.

Yeah, what do you want your legacy to be?

What do you want to be remembered for or about?

I want to be remembered as someone who never stopped living until he died.

So always learning, always pursuing, whether that's in the things that I believe, the skills that I'm developing, the adventures that I'm having.

I don't want to.

I don't want to stop living before I die.

And that's what I model for my children.

And that's what I'd like to be remembered as, is someone who lived until he died.

I love that.

Now, the final question.

What does a warrior spirit or having a warrior spirit mean to Mark Foster?

Hmm, that's a good question.

I wouldn't have considered myself as having a warrior spirit other than the refusal, the refusal to, the refusal to surrender.

Whether you're, you know, I think a warrior spirit, that would mean to me whether you're imprisoned, you're free no matter where you are.

Because that's, it's, it's internal.

You continue to fight, you continue to push, you continue to strive, you just don't surrender.

Yeah, I think that's what it would mean to me.

I think that's awesome, and I think you embody that immensely.

I'm going to screen share this again to get this on for the audience.

I have to get this.

If you would like to connect with Mark, you can do so through his masterystorycraft.com and on his social platforms, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and also his substack.

And as always, we want to thank you for joining us on this edition of A Warrior Spirit.

We're now on all the major platforms, as well as on Wednesday evenings at 8pm Eastern on Roku via the Prospera TV app.

But wherever you find us, be sure to like or subscribe.

So you catch all the episode.

And as always, the journey is sacred.

The warrior is you.

So remember, be inspired, be empowered, and embrace the warrior within.

It's not just about the fight.

It'S how we rise from it.

Sam.