MiU S437 - DivulgeMiU S437 - Divulge
Mess It Up Podcast
After almost a week in bed sick with "flu like s…
31:43•20 Aug 2026
Mess It Up: Pivoting Through Setbacks and Staying in Motion
Episode Overview
- Having a plan to pivot turns crises into manageable course changes instead of full-blown derailments.
- Staying in motion, even with small steps, makes it easier to adjust direction in recovery than starting from a standstill.
- A supportive team and clear roles in ministry or recovery groups allow for healthy responses instead of panicked reactions.
- Faith in Jesus as a constant, loving presence can anchor people during illness, relapse risks, and emotional turmoil.
- Long-term sobriety grows stronger when people keep showing up, sharing their experience, and offering hope to those coming behind them.
“We pivot or we die. We pivot or we stop. We don’t want to lose our momentum.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This episode of Mess It Up finds the Bow Tie Guy recording late, fresh out of bed after nearly a week of "flu like symptoms", and using that disruption as a springboard to talk about pivoting in life and recovery.
You’ll hear him joke about having the “medelo virus”, apologise for the delayed show, and then roll straight into this week’s Word of the Week: *divulge* – sharing information people didn’t previously know. That idea of sharing sets the tone as he opens up about illness derailing his plans for ministry, Celebrate Recovery, and prison visits, and how having a backup plan – and a strong team like Pastor Kevin – lets him respond instead of just react.
For anyone in recovery, his key image is simple: keep moving. A body in motion is easier to steer than one that’s stuck, and he compares life and sobriety to pushing a car or steering a boat in rough water. You don’t stop; you pivot, adjust course, and keep going. The episode also brings in faith and music.
A listener-submitted Song of the Week, “Rescue Me” by We The Kingdom, sparks a reflection on God as a “faithful companion” who never abandons. This flows into a powerful story about Charlie Sheen, his addiction struggles, and his father Martin Sheen’s three-word parenting philosophy: “I love you.” That steady love, he says, mirrors the way Jesus sticks with people through their mess.
Recovery veterans will recognise the 12th-step spirit here: staying in the rooms, sharing experience, and showing others that long-term sobriety is possible by modelling honest pivots instead of dramatic crashes. If your plans, health, or emotions have gone off-script lately, this episode might get you asking: what small pivot could keep your momentum going today?
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