Conversations with Buddy

40 Episodes
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By: Buddy Puckett

Welcome to Conversations with Buddy, where you will hear the stories of everyday people fighting through life’s challenges for meaning and purpose. From fear to faith, struggles to success, trials, and tribulations to triumph and victory. Where did they muster the courage to overcome and where does their hope come from? What is the lesson life has taught each of these people who share their stories and then be willing to share it with the world?

Ep. 142 Mark Charlton - Strength in vulnerability!
#142
05/02/2025

Mark shares his life from really bad decisions that left him feeling empty! The world promises much, but always delivers less than what God promises! 

We are all ONE decision away from doing something that isn’t God’s best! But, thankful for the grace of God that is always available to each one of us! 

Listen to Mark’s transparent and authentic story that causes him to make some drastic changes in his life! 

We all have something that needs to be shared and redeemed… To be set free by addiction we must bring...


Ep. 141 Mike Adams - Feed My People!
#141
04/25/2025

Great podcast with Mike! Anyone who has lived long enough knows that life will have its challenges, which he shares in this episode! 

Mike had a great upbringing with wonderful parents and siblings, but that does not translate into smooth sailing with no problems in life! 

He is transparent and authentic and shares the ups and downs he has faced and remains positive about where God has him at… 🙏🙏🙏

“Feed My People” is something Mike heard early on from the Lord and he has since opened up several restaurants and catering food trucks to obviously make...


Ep. 140 Craig Holt - Not Worthy but thankful, grace based Christianity!
#140
04/18/2025

Craig and I have a great friendship and it was awesome to have him on the podcast to share his journey of faith, marriage, kids, grandkids and discipleship!

He’s an all in kind of guy! 

If you want to be challenged, meet up with Craig! He will encourage you in ways you may not have thought of and there will also be some Biblical exhortation! 

Through our bi-weekly coffee meetings at Starbucks over the past couple of years, I have learned that we can mentor guys to be better husbands, fathers and disc...


Ep. 139 Phillip Wade - An interview with an Oregon Filmmaker
#139
04/11/2025

Phillip and I had a great conversation and I really appreciate his transparency!  His conviction about his faith, family, filmmaking and more were the topics we covered!

His main passion is filmmaking and he is the co-founder/producer at Ambition Pictures.  Mt. Adam’s is a sci-fi film he was a part of a few years ago and they have a new film that is close to being done.  Check out the full podcast episode to hear more!

Reach out to him if you want to learn more about filmmaking… His contact info is:
971-273-91...


Ep. 138 Rian Rasubala - Enjoying Sabbath and Blessing Your Kids!
#138
04/04/2025

Rian is a long time Jesus follower, but is vulnerable enough in this episode to share an addiction he had and how he overcame it.  Listen to the podcast to hear the full story!

He’s also a husband and a father with a deep conviction to love his wife and bless his children!

His passion is around men’s ministry.  He works for Salem Leadership Foundation and also involved in several Bible studies.

To connect with Rian, go to: https://www.salemlf.org/staff/

#Jesusfollower #faith #familyman #SLF #rainfest #mensdiscipleship

...


Ep. 137 David Brown - Men! Pay Attention!
#137
03/28/2025

David Brown in not just a guy I know, but a longtime friend of 45+ years!  He shares his upbringing, growing up Catholic… and the feeling something was missing as a young man!  But in 1984, he gave his life to Jesus Christ!

“Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

As David talks about in the podcast, knowing and accepting Jesus as your Savior, does not mean you never sin anymore… but it does mean you can humbly come to the throne of Grace and confess your sins and thank God for HIS forgiveness and incredible...


Ep. 136 Jaffet Jefferson (Part 2) - Three sentences to reframe reality!
#136
03/21/2025

Jaffet and I have enjoyed deep conversations and this episode will prove to be no different.  He’s a deep thinker, similar to Jordan Peterson, with lots of questions about life, consciousness and walking in God’s truth!  

He admits that he struggles with this stuff… just like the rest of us!  🙏

The hope is that this will encourage you, the listener, to walk through Jaffet’s “Three sentence framework” to simply get you back on track to following God and being an obedient Christ follower that benefits you, your family, your community and the world! 

1. F...


Ep. 135 Arjay Mendiola - You belong!
#135
03/14/2025

Arjay talks about life… being adopted, his track and field identity and his view of God before and after accepting Jesus Christ as his Savior!

Life without Christ and feeling like he did not belong led to confusion and ultimately an attempt at suicide. 

Arjay was very open and transparent about his personal life…  reach out to him through social media and hear his story!

The Good News… God continues to pursue each one of us, not wanting anyone to perish, but to have eternal life with Him in heaven!

The encourag...


Ep. 134 Matt Miller (Part 2) - Listen to the Spirit!
#134
03/07/2025

This is a great podcast with Matthew!  This is part 2 of his journey in this life!  Make sure and go back to also listen to our first conversation in Episode 97.

Learning to lean on the Holy Spirit who desires to produce fruit in each of our lives is the topic of our conversation!

Question….
• How is God working in your life?
• Have you accepted the free gift of
   ETERNAL LIFE that only Jesus Christ
   can provide? 
• Will you trust in HIM today and begin to
   follow HIM for the rest of your life...


Ep. 133 Zak Stone - Never give up even if your arm is almost ripped off!
#133
02/28/2025

Zak shares his life growing up with awesome parents, his amazing marriage, awesome kids, outdoors, hunting, wakeboarding, photography and so much more!

Referred by a mutual friend, Billy Botieff…. 🙌

A near death experience while down in Florida became a wake up call for Zak…

Make every day count! You never know when it’s your last one!!!

Reach out to Zak and consider hiring him for your photography needs… go to:  http://www.zakstonephotography.com/

For more Zak Stone YouTube footage:
https://youtube.com/@zakstone9821?si=ahhc-NISE9YdmVOM

Wake sk...


Ep. 132 Gary Wallace - Concern for the body of Christ!
#132
02/21/2025

Gary shares his life, marriage, kids, ministry and being semi-retired… 

Concern for the body of Christ:
Easy believism
False teaching
Lack of discernment
Lack of knowledge. 

Romans 6:6-11 dead to sin, alive to God

2 Corinthians 5:17-21 reconciled to be ambassadors Christ... 

Colossians 2:6-9 firmly rooted with gratitude

Ephesians 4:11-16 no longer children tossed by false doctrine, Christian maturity, building up of the body.

Interests: 
Gospel Music
Jesus movement era or what some would call early Christian rock
Classic Rock. 
Most an...


Ep. 131 Brandon McElroy - Unfortunate beginnings don’t define you!
#131
02/14/2025

Great conversation with Brandon!  Growing up without his real dad in the house and his deep desire to have a father figure in his life… he did grow up with a younger brother and a loving mom! Thank God for moms!

God does provide opportunities and in this episode you will hear how his Grandpa also played a major role in his life!

I appreciate the transparency Brandon has in this episode.  Though it all, he’s not bitter or angry, but grateful…  Maybe God was the Father figure all along?

Brandon is a husband...


Ep. 130 Cary Solmi - To Lean on God!
#130
02/07/2025

Cary shares his life growing up with a great family in Southern Oregon and without the hope of Jesus… but God was calling him all along like He does all of us and eventually came to faith in his late 20’s!

His story is profound because God is always putting someone in our life to share the Good News of Jesus!  Listen to Cary’s story to hear who God was using to lead him to a relationship with Christ.

(Who is God using in your life to share the Good News?)

Connect with Ca...


Bonus Episode: Chris Harper - Unleashing a Better Manhood!
02/01/2025

Special Event: The 3rd Annual Pacific Northwest Men’s Conference “Unleashing a Better Manhood” is coming to Salem, Oregon on Feb. 22, 2025 at the Salem Convention Center!

If you could figure out how to improve your walk with Jesus, your marriage and all that life throws at you, would you come to a ONE day event to learn what those principles are?   

The Challenge: click on the link below and sign up for a full day with Chris Harper and the BetterMan crew… Godly men who are “Disciple-Makers”!  Bring a friend with you!

http://pnwconference.c...


Ep. 129 Spenser EvanKo - Beyond the bars!
#129
01/31/2025

Spenser shares his life growing up in a Mormon home and what he eventually came to believe at 8 years old!

“Beyond The Bars” is his life after leaving a career as a correctional officer…  but, it’s actually more of a metaphor for life before accepting Christ as his personal Savior and what life is like now as a Christ follower and the freedom he now has!

“It was for freedom that Christ set us free.” Galatians 5:1

We all want this thing called freedom, but it’s only found in a relationship with Christ!

...


Ep. 128 David Korniyenko - Entrepreneurship Leads to Opportunities in Life!
#128
01/24/2025

David shares his personal story, from learning how to begin making money at 8 years old to becoming a full blown entrepreneur… Real Estate career started at 18, while becoming a 2nd Generation Builder, Coach, Mentor and much more!

Most importantly, he is a follower of Jesus, married to a wonderful wife and they have 4 kids… Family is his driving force!

Get to know David! You can connect with David by going to: https://poweredbyground.com/

#Jesusfollower #builder #poweredbyground #realestate

_ _ _

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@Budd...


Ep. 127 Will Cabanilla - My GOD is real and I can feel HIM in my soul! 🙏
#127
01/17/2025

I love having conversations like I had with my Filipino brother, Will… fully transparent with all of life’s challenges, mistakes, but also the victory he has through his Savior, Jesus Christ! 🙏

Will is a father, general contractor, golfer, fisherman, cook, evangelist, brother and so many other cool things!  He’s a one of a kind guy that you will love!

Will’s quote, “HE came to my rescue!”

If you want to connect with Will, text or call him on his cell at 503-979-2605!  He goes by Will, William or his close friends mig...


Ep. 126 Sadie and Melissa - Sweet and Sour with Sadie!
#126
01/10/2025

Sadie and Melissa (daughter and mom) bring a lot of joy to this podcast!

We get to uncover what a 10 year perspective looks like in the modern world...

Sadie’s relationship with her mom and how they communicate with open conversation.

From private school to public school, social media, YouTube, podcasts and friends who are a part of her life!

You will enjoy seeing life from Sadie’s viewpoint!

She has a new podcast coming out soon called “Sweet and Sour”, so be on the lookout!

_ _ _

For mo...


Ep. 125 Chris Mckeown - The Quali-T difference with TRT!
#125
01/03/2025

Happy New Years!!! 🎆

The podcast with Chris is all about men’s health, specifically, TRT (testosterone replacement therapy)!

Chris does a great job explaining the challenges men face in the area of low testosterone as well as how to improve the levels for optimal health and life benefits!

Side note, Chris is a married man, outdoor enthusiast who also loves to archery hunt and also shared that he and his wife have a baby on the way… congrats!

For more info about TRT (testosterone replacement therapy), go to:
https://quali-tmenshealth.com/trt...


Ep. 124 Kevin Coriano - Rivers and Deserts… God is with us!
#124
12/27/2024

Kevin is a really cool guy… great family man, kind, caring and is a believer in Jesus!

He grew up in Alaska, graduated college from Corban (undergrad) and George Fox (PT school), has been married for 10 years, has 3 boys and is an Orthopedic PT!

He is a guy who loves to challenge himself through endurance running.  If you want a challenge, follow Kevin on social media to see what he is up to!

Check out Isaiah 43 to learn more about rivers and deserts!

“The comfort crisis”
“Milestone moments”
“Counting your blessing...


Ep. 123 John Werst - Transformed by the Gospel!
#123
12/20/2024

John is a man of God who has a heart for sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ and then discipling men! He’s been married for a long time and is a family man!

Goes along with these two Bible verses:

“And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’.” Mark 16:15

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things that I have command...


Ep. 122 Rob Saffeels - Meant to live!
#122
12/13/2024

The conversation with Rob was great!  Learning about how life, marriage and fatherhood has positively impacted his life!

I saw him get really emotional when sharing parts of his testimony! Understand that God allows us FREE WILL to make our own decisions, which most often brings unwanted pain… 

These challenging and painful times in our life are often the catalyst of CHANGE! 

Pain can be a great teacher and can usher in some much needed humility! 

Humility has a purpose… to bring us to a point where we realize our need for a Sa...


Ep. 121 Conner Locke - No Dead Ends!
#121
12/06/2024

Conversations with Buddy is an opportunity for people to share their story, the trials and tribulations along with the victories and how God is winning in their life!

If you want to share your story or refer someone to share theirs, text me at 503-851-8031

_ _ _

Conner shares his life as a husband, a parent, along with his work and ministry!

One thing we need to learn about marriage is that, marriage is designed to keep us humble and fully dependent upon the Lord! Which is why Conner says.. “A Conner ne...


Ep. 120 Madiba Thompson - The abundance of God is more than just money!
#120
11/29/2024

Conversations with Buddy is an opportunity for people to share their story, the trials and tribulations along with the victories and how God is winning in their life!

If you want to share your story or refer someone to share theirs, text me at 503-851-8031

_ _ _

The conversation with Madiba was deep! The scope and the meaning of life… Knowing God and living for God! 

We all have specific gifts given by God Himself and the question Madiba unpacks is… how are you allowing God to be in your life and to us...


Ep. 119 Jeremiah Anderson - What really matters…
#119
11/22/2024

Conversations with Buddy is an opportunity for people to share their story, the trials and tribulations along with the victories and how God is winning in their life!

If you want to share your story or refer someone to share theirs, text me at 503-851-8031

_ _ _

Jeremiah and I had a fantastic conversation! We have a lot in common, so we talked about those things…

Mortgage, Goals and dreams, Pushups
and most importantly… HOPE!

What really matters is that you understand what hope is and Who it’s in.


Ep. 118 Rick Herrmann - The Unknown Road!
#118
11/15/2024

Rick and I had a great conversation…. From marriage, careers, identity, Jiu Jitsu, real estate, faith and everything else!

You never really know where life will take you, but the question is… will we trust God?

The hope is that you listen to Rick’s testimony and realize you are not alone in this world!

God has a plan for your life and He is calling you by name… do you hear Him?

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@BuddyJamesPuckett

If you or someone you know...


Ep. 117 Jacob Klindtworth - Freedom and Confession!
#117
11/08/2024

Jacob and I had a great conversation about life and the challenges and joy in marriage, raising kids, entrepreneurship and the freedom of confessing sin in our lives…. Not only to God, but also our spouse.

He owns many businesses from roofing to video production. 

To learn more about him, you can find him on Facebook or go to his website at: https://www.dakotaroofingnw.com/about-us

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@BuddyJamesPuckett

If you or someone you know want to be on the podcast, ple...


Ep. 116 Rick Saffeels (Part 2) - Thankful Time!
#116
11/01/2024

Rick and I have a great conversation.  This is part 2 as we have done one before. Go back and listen to his first one if you have not yet done so (Episode 21).

Things we talked about…
• Election Time - make sure and vote…
• Thankful Time
• Gratitude Time
• Joy Time in the good times and also hard times

To learn more about Rick or to connect with him, you can find him on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/ricksaffeels or go to: https://www.businesskardz.com/ to learn about a new type of cool b...


Ep. 115 David Prosser (Part 2) - Do you see your field? Because it’s ready for harvest!
#115
10/25/2024

David and I do a second podcast episode here to get an update on his life, marriage, kids and his ministry with Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

I recommend going back and listening to his first podcast if you have not heard his testimony!

“Then He (Jesus) said to His disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few…’.” Matthew 9:37

John 4:35 talks about the why behind “Fields” of Faith!  🙏🙏🙏

To learn more about David or to connect with him, you can find him on Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/davidprosser20?mibex...


Ep. 114 Josh Parker - His Grace is sufficient!
#114
10/18/2024

Josh and I had a great conversation! He is a dad of 3 boys (now young men) married, a business owner of Oregon Valley Farm and part of the men's ministry at Jefferson Baptist Church!

He is very open and transparent about life and marriage.  What does God want to teach each one of us?

Buy local… grass fed beef, lamb, pig and more!

To learn more about Josh or to connect with him, you can find him on Facebook and also his website: https://oregonvalleyfarm.com/contact-us

For more stories like thi...


Ep. 113 Angel Marin - Fathered by God!
#113
10/11/2024

Having Angel on the podcast was amazing!

Ten years ago (age 17), Angel agreed and committed to be mentored and ultimately discipled by a few guys!

Now, at age 27, Angel is leading younger people in mentorship and discipleship at his church and also at the YMCA.

Discipleship changes lives and Angel has been impacted by this unconditional love!

Tribute to a few guys who have impacted Angel in a positive way…
Sven Anderson, Tim Davis, Josh Garcia & Jeremiah Anderson

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.co...


Ep. 112 Kurt Faville - The parallels of golf and faith!
#112
10/04/2024

Kurt shares his life and uses the game of golf as a parallel to his faith walk.  Humility is a big part of his walk with Jesus!

While striving to follow Jesus and to be perfect as He is, we all fall short of perfection according to Romans 3:23.   

Kurt is an open, honest and transparent brother and I think his life is evident of his faith in Christ! 

One of the best quotes from the movie and book (Seven Days in Utopia) is… “Spend seven days with me in Utopia and you’ll find your...


Ep. 111 Kevin Dial - Find Your Purpose!
#111
09/27/2024

Kevin shares his amazing life and losing his dad at the age of 10, marriage, kids, military life and his walk with Jesus!

Resilience, discipline and faith are some words that come to mind when I think of Kevin! He’s a man of his word!

If you or someone you know want to be on the podcast, reach out to me at buddyp7@gmail.com.

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@BuddyJamesPuckett

#conversationswithbuddy 
#Jesusfollower #embracethesuck #responsibility 


Ep. 110 Jerry “Rosy” Rose - Not ashamed of the Gospel!
#110
09/20/2024

Jerry, or as his friends, students and players call him… “Rosy”! 🏀

Rosy is a fantastic husband, dad, coach and Jesus follower!

Jerry asks the question, “who is Jesus”…. In the words of CS Lewis, Jesus is either a Liar, a Lunitic or He is Lord”.  Which one is He to you?

If you or someone you know want to be on the podcast, reach out to me at buddyp7@gmail.com.

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@BuddyJamesPuckett

#conversationswithbuddy #coach
#Jesusfollower #CSLewis #notashamedoftheGospel #homecourtadvantage


Ep. 109 George Gulstrom - Keep Dreaming!
#109
09/13/2024

George is a husband, father, follower of Jesus, contractor, coffee connoisseur, musician, gun enthusiast and much more!

We drank Black Rifle Coffee that he made the morning of our podcast, which was awesome!

One of his favorite quotes is: “The best things in life are on the other side of what we fear most.” - Unknown

If you or someone you know want to be on the podcast, reach out to me at buddyp7@gmail.com.

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@BuddyJamesPuckett

#conversationswithbuddy #lost...


Ep. 108 Ken Puttman - From Home Builder to Faith Builder: a man's journey of Stillness and Purpose
#108
09/06/2024

Ken Puttman has a great testimony!  He shares the married life, being a father, turning “50”, starting his own business and how God has showed up in his life! 

The verse for him is: “Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

If you or someone you know want to be on the podcast, reach out to me at buddyp7@gmail.com.

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@BuddyJamesPuckett

#conversationswithbuddy #greenwayhomeservices


Ep. 107 T.G. Brown - Every day is a test!
#107
08/30/2024

T.G. Brown is a guy who is focused on being his best!

Husband, dad, police officer, CrossFit competitor, mixed martial arts, author of 2 books and much more!

Hearing a story from a guy like T.G. is super inspiring and motivational! I hope you really enjoy this episode and share it with your friends and family!

If you or someone you know want to be on the podcast, reach out to me at buddyp7@gmail.com

For more stories like this, go to: https://www.youtube.com/@BuddyJamesPuckett


Ep. 106 Joseph Hunt - Rise Up!
#106
08/23/2024

Joseph Hunt is an amazing guy who loves the Lord! 🙏

He has not always been a follower of Jesus and shares his struggles, BUT he also shares what changed in his life to begin a new life in Christ! 

He’s an “all in” guy and he is absolutely committed to following Jesus! 

It’s time to “Rise Up” and go all in on your faith!

#RiseUp #RiseLifeAcademy #TheRiseUp #ministrythroughbusiness #highperformancecoach #conversationswithbuddy

If you or someone you know want to be on the podcast, reach out to me at buddyp7@gmail.com...


Ep. 105 Cody Cox - Following your path to your purpose!
#105
08/16/2024

Cody shares about his 42 years in the mortgage industry and what drives him.

He is an entrepreneur at heart and has a couple businesses that he does outside of his mortgage career. 

Lastly, he talks what retirement looks like to him and how his belief in Jesus Christ impacts all of his decisions. 

If you'd like to reach out about being a guest or suggesting a guest, email me at buddyp7@gmail.com.

For more stories like this, go to:
https://youtube.com/@buddyjamespuckett


Ep. 104 Nick McWilliams - Under control!
#104
08/09/2024

Nick shares his life and what it means to be “under control” as a Christ follower, husband, father, teacher, coach and much more!

There are a lot of lessons in this podcast episode.

Please share this with your friends and family and anyone who might know Nick! Wisdom comes from life experiences and Nick has lived a lot of life and has lots to share!

For more stories like Nick’s, go to:
https://youtube.com/@buddyjamespuckett