Episode 13: Juni Felix, Trauma to Neurotheologian

Juni Felix harnessed her past hurt to help others in their own healing. Raised in a broken home and forced to take on more than a child should to keep her family afloat, Juni felt far away from the God of the universe.

When a co-worker gave her a Bible, she started to see that God is big enough for her trauma, and was there all along. On this week's episode of One80, you'll hear her incredible story of transformation. As God and others walked with her through trauma recovery, she started to make connections between the God of the Bible and the human brain, using neuroscience to help others through trauma.

Juni is a national speaker, national radio personality and national best-selling author of You Are Worth the Work. Hear her back story of how God intervened in her life, bringing her from trauma victim to neurotheologian.
You are Worth the Work, Juni's best-selling book on trauma recovery
Get a free resource here, The Gift of Sorrow, by messaging us "Juni."
Stanford Behavior Design here.
BJ Fogg's Tiny Habits here.
Jim Wilder, Phd, Neurotheology here.
Steve Jobs, The Lost Interview, here.
Oregon Trail Generation, Exennials, here.
Who you are in Christ, Bible reading plan here.
Who you are in Christ, helpful affirmations here. From Raiseyoursword.com.
Sendoff featuring Michael Thompson of OneWay here. "Doxology," Surrender, 2010, OneWay Ministries.
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OneWay Ministries

Transcript

One80 Podcast, Juni Felix

Episode 13, From Trauma to Neurotheologian 

This interview transcript may have errors that veer from the accuracy found in the show.

Ryan Henry:  So much was asked of Juni Felix at a young age. The second oldest of seven children with a mentally ill mom, unable to raise them, Juni took on more than a child should to keep her family afloat and stay above the water herself. But when Juni met Jesus, she found true healing and she turned her trauma into a teaching tool to help others overcome now serving as a Negro theologian.

Welcome to June’s One80.

Juni, welcome to the show. I'm so happy to have you on One80.

Juni Felix: It's an honor to be here. Thank you for inviting me. 

Ryan Henry: Oh my gosh. Absolutely. I have to say I absolutely love your name.

Juni Felix: That means so much to me for so many reasons. 

I'm curious, does Juni have a meaning that you know about?

Juni Felix: Well, Juni actually means child of truth. And one of the parts of my story is that when I was born, I wasn't given my own name. 

Ryan Henry: Hmm.

Juni Felix: We landed at Juni. My Auntie chose the spelling and my friends and family call me Juni, but I have a radio name too, because I have 18 years of broadcasting experience.

And so it was June, it keeps you sane when you're a professional broadcaster to have your stage name. 

So some people will know me well by June because of my years on the air. But Juni, the fact that it's my name means a lot to me because I wasn't given my own name when I was born. 

Ryan Henry: Wow. So I do have a random question for you when people find out what you do for a living, what is the typical question that people ask?

Juni Felix: As an author at this assignment that I'm on in my journey as an author, folks want to hear about it. They want to know how I was signed and how I was chosen by my publisher. And I have a pretty unique story. That goes with that. That's frustrating to some, because I don't know if you know any authors, but it's usually a 10 to 15 year journey from the time you feel called to be an author to the time you get signed, if you get signed.

But for me, it was totally different. I wasn't seeking to become an author. It was just a door that got opened and I walked. So as a broadcaster, I was speaking and teaching a lot and I was doing my thing, just, I was teaching at the DuPage county prayer breakfast, and a few weeks later, I got a call from my publisher NAV Press.

Juni Felix: And they said, Hey, a little birdie told me about your talk you gave at the prayer breakfast. I'll be in town in Chicago, in February. Would you like to have lunch? And I said, sure. Free food. So, I went to lunch with the acquisitions editor of my publisher NAV press.

And by the end of our meal, he said, so are you writing anything? And I said, no, not really. He said, well, send me what you send me, what you got. And I did. And a few months later I was signed. I wasn't, Yeah. I wasn't seeking it. It was something that. God wanted for me. And I just walked through. 

Ryan Henry: Wow, that's cool. That's amazing. I like, child of truth, speaking that like it is free food. Sign me up.

Juni Felix: Yeah. I ate most of his food. Cause what I ordered, I didn't like, but Yeah, 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Wow. You know, that's awesome. Well, as a neurotheologian, is that how you 

Juni Felix: Yes. Neuro theologian. 

Ryan Henry: Juni talk to me about what a neuro theologian is.

Juni Felix: I'll be glad to, well, the term was actually coined by Dr. Jim Wilder and he is an author and he teaches on brain science and theology. So he created the term. And the simple way to understand it is that the God of the Bible, inspired the scriptures is also the same God who invented our brain, our mind and the way that it works.

And so neurotheology allows us to take the science, the brain science. You know, there's a lot of research out there for brain scans and, and the works, but those brain science that can help us in our discipleship journey. When we understand the ways that our minds were designed to work 

Ryan Henry: Wow. Interesting. That just kind of makes you want to learn a whole lot.

Juni Felix: Well, it's comprehensive and it's holistic. You don't want to leave out those physiological components of our design. We are fearfully and wonderfully made as an entire being, including the way that our neurology and our brain processes information. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah, it blows my mind just to think about, just the, yeah, the intricacies of our, of our whole bodies. It's amazing. So, as a neurotheologian, that's gotta be really interesting, 

Juni Felix: Yeah, 

Ryan Henry: Friends, our listeners, you might know Juni as a radio host. You might know her as a speaker at a major event, a podcaster, an author of the new bestselling book. You are worth the work.

You might even know that she's a C.S. Lewis Institute fellow, but did you know that she's also a member of the teaching team of Dr. BJ Fogg's Stanford? behavior design lab, and it did not come easy for Juni. She is a survivor , of profound childhood trauma. And her coming to Jesus story is what we're all about sharing today at One80.

And we just really hope that it encourages you as much as it does me. So Juni let's get into your story. We'd like to start all of our guestimonies, at the BC, the, before Christ part.

Would you help our listeners, kind of understand , what life was like as young Juni?

Talk to us about maybe, where you grew up.

Juni Felix: Sure. I was born into a whirlwind of chaos and trauma and drama. My mother was sick for as long as I knew her. She passed in 2015 and my childhood was just an ongoing series of chaotic events.

I mean, if you've ever seen Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, I can really relate to those kids.

Ryan Henry: oh my 

Juni Felix: Yeah.

Just one thing after the next, I mean, there was so much. There was physical and emotional abuse and severe, severe neglect. And I know, and I, I can vividly remember what it's like to be hungry, to be homeless, to wake up every day, you know, not knowing what frightening and confusing thing would happen.

And I actually started trauma therapy. My medical records show I'm a researcher. And so one of the things that I did in my journey was I researched as far as I could, as much as I could about my, my upbringing, because I knew I was fighting back this darkness and I needed all the tools that I could get to do.

So when I started trauma therapy, when I was just four years old and,I have second degree burns on my body from as early as six months old. And so.

Ryan Henry: goodness.

Juni Felix: When you're born into that kind of chaos and trauma and darkness, you know, it's not something that you like to talk about or revisit, but I do know and have seen how sharing my story for the first time in my journey, in the last, since my book launched, I mean, moving forward from trauma to faith, since my book launch, I've been sharing my story more than I have ever with anyone, besides my parade of therapists and God. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Yeah. Well, and you know, I think, I can't even imagine, and I would say probably a lot of us, most of us even, to the degree of trauma that you're talking about, can't even begin to understand or fathom what that is like. It’s just like when I think about, when Paul would revisit and he would think about how he was before Christ and, just elevates the grace of God,. And as hard as it is, going back and remembering where you were and seeing what God has done now, it's a beautiful thing.

It just shows how much of a trophy of his grace.

Juni Felix: Oh, well, thank you for that. And it's true. And every time I share parts of my story, I feel braver. And when I, I said kind of in a joking way, my parade of therapists, but no, these are the heroes in my journey. I always have a , PTSD trained trauma therapist in my life because some of us go through the echoes of, of that trauma.

They, you know, they last, unless the Lord decides to heal me overnight, which I always ask him to do, you know, you wake up with a broken heart and you could give into that despair. Or you could remember with God's help with the help of the Holy Spirit, that there is another way. And it's a way of peace and joy and living out the love of Christ instead of living out from your trauma. 

Ryan Henry: Right, right. Absolutely. I was wondering, so Juni, as you know, let's say maybe elementary school student do, do I, am I correct in saying that you moved a lot?

Juni Felix: Oh, yes. That's like the understatement of the universe. Yeah. we moved a lot. About 13 times before 18, we moved all the time and you know, when you're, when you're poor and you're homeless And you're in transition and you've got a parent, who's really just trying to figure things out. You find yourself in a lot of places and spaces.

As I said, my mom, she wasn't well with multiple diagnoses and there were times where she would disappear for months at a time and she would just drop us off. She dropped us off at my adoptive grandfather's house and she didn't come back for many months. And so there was just a lot of moving and uncertainty.

Juni Felix: The only thing I could count on as a child was that there's nothing that you can count on. The only thing you can count on is chaos. 

Ryan Henry: Right? And that that's so hard, especially in those formative years.

Juni Felix: Yeah. Yeah. And there were times where we were homeless and I vividly remember we were living in a garage at one point, this woman's garage. And we were just surrounded by garbage, my mom and my two sisters and I were sleeping on a mattress in her garage. And I can remember being, you know, eight and a half years old, looking around at all that trash and 

thinking, okay, is this life, is this what I am? Who I am surrounded by garbage? Just feeling really worthless for all those years when I should have been learning about value in love and life, but it was just normal for us.

Ryan Henry: yeah. Yeah. Oh my gosh. Now, Juni, did you have a positive school experience where it was maybe an escape for you ever, or was that not really?

Juni Felix: Oh, well, you know, school is awesome because, that I get, I'd give my mom credit for many things, but she did keep us in school. You know, school is where you go in kindergarten and you learned that, okay, the adults that you've been exposed to up until age five are like this, but there are other adults in the world who are like this.

So there's a different way to be. 

Ryan Henry: And there's hope. There's 

Juni Felix: Yes. Yes. And I do remember, when we were living in the homeless shelter, there were sometimes people who would come and they would read stories to us from the Bible about this person named Jesus. And I was a little sassy thing at age nine, and I can remember her looking up from the Bible storybook and saying, Juni don't, you know that your life is a gift?

And I quickly responded, well, did God keep the receipt? Because Yeah.

Ryan Henry: oh Ms. Sass!

Juni Felix: Yeah. because when life is hard and it continues to be hard, it's just hard, you know, it's just your normal.

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Wow. Wow. That really helps us understand, just the depth of what you were, maybe dealing with there, but I mean, wow. How awesome too, for that person who, who said that to you? You know, we can never underestimate those little things that those little promptings that we may have when we're with people.

 Cause you never know what they're going to.

Juni Felix: Oh, Yeah, I don't know where I'd be without the loving volunteers. during those times of homelessness, without guidance counselors at my schools, who would wonder why a child would sit in class and cry through the whole class, you know, so thank God for all the teachers and guidance counselors out there who take the time to notice and care.

I'm living proof. I'm living proof that it matters that that kindness really matters.

Ryan Henry: Yeah, absolutely. Wow. That's that's really encouraging. 

Juni Felix: I, well, I'm thankful because. The guidance counselors and the doctors that, made the suggestion. I can remember vividly my sessions. I can remember beginning at age nine because I can remember we would meet in this dark room and she would show me pictures of children.

And she would say, is this how you feel? And then I would respond. And, you know, so I vividly remember some of those sessions, but Yeah.

it's just, I have appreciation for mental health and for, All that goes into helping people who have these traumatic experiences. I'm a complex trauma survivor, which is a term that describes those of us who have multiple layers of trauma.

And trauma is a wound of your soul that affects and hurts every part of your life. And so I'm just really thankful that I was exposed to mental health and, psychotherapy and, at an early age, because I knew that if there was another way and there's another path, I can take it toward wellness. I don't have to give up on that if I don't want to. 

Ryan Henry: yeah, yeah, absolutely. In this time of your life, these formative years in, in, in the chaos, did you have any belief or understanding or question even about a God

Juni Felix: Well, as I mentioned, there were the volunteers, that would read us the Bible stories and come over sometimes. And, tell us about this Jesus, but the resources that they left me with made me feel lower than dirt. I mean, I didn't have a desire to get to. This God, cause he was just this, this thing that I could never please or be close to.

And obviously he liked a lot of other kids more than me because they had running water and they had food, , they had things I didn't have. So this God was very selective and I was just missing the mark or he would care for me the way I saw him caring for others. I can remember even one time, one of the Bible study teachers came and if you look back here, I've got my Ninja Turtle back there. The Ninja Turtles are super important to me. I mean, all four of them, because I could really relate. I mean, come on, they were homeless. They lived in the sewers, but they still, you know, they went out there and they, you know, so I can remember one of those Bible teachers seeing my ninja turtles and saying violent.

Is not something the Lord would approve of. And I'm like, well, I don't approve of you. So when are you leaving? I thought it I didn't say it. 

Ryan Henry: That's right. 

Juni Felix: Yeah. So it's hard to, get to know God for who He is. even though people are well-intentioned, I'm thankful because I learned those Bible stories at an early age, even though at the time, I couldn't appreciate them or understand them. 

Yeah, absolutely. Those little seeds. so, Juni, was there something that helped you through this time?

Juni Felix: oh, yes. Okay. So when we were living in Italy, my mom was pregnant with my little sister Marico and she took me with her on one of her well-baby visits. Of course. I know how to describe all this stuff now, but not when I was five, but there was, we went into the waiting room and there's this little stuffed raccoon.

He's gray. And I still have him. He's at my bedside in the other room. Still have him.. 

I won't tell you how old he is, but I found him when I was five years old and it was really something because there was. I can't say recovering because you can't recover from something that's still going on, but there I was a child not knowing anything about this life in this world, except for that it was hard and heartbreaking and painful. And so I have this little raccoon that I see him and he sees me and I just adopted him and he became a part of my life and I would talk to him. I would have these deep conversations with him and I would look into his eyes. He's got these really deep eyes and I would talk to him and no matter what.

Whether we were homeless or not, Radar was a part of my journey, a consistent part of my journey because I would talk to him and he would respond to me and he was always so wise and so kind and so loving. And when radar was with me, I knew that everything was going to be okay. So yeah, Radar was a real important part of my journey and a very important part of my story leading up to when I met Jesus. 

Ryan Henry: wow. Wow. Thank you so much. 

Okay. So we'd love to hear, about the people or circumstances that, pointed you to Christ. so what, what was the first thing that you can remember?

I mean, I know you mentioned, about the Bible stories and people telling you, you know, reading, reading to you about this Jesus, but was there anybody who stood out or a situation that, that stood out to you as kind of like really starting the process?

Juni Felix: There's so many moments leading up now, but I think the most profound moment happened when I was in high school. I've always worked. My first job, I was 13 years old. I've always worked and I didn't work to buy lip gloss and things. I worked to pay bills and help feed my siblings.

And so I, was working in high school, I went to high school, half. The other half of the day, I commuted via carpool to a data entry company where I met a very kind woman who was the one who drove in the carpool and her name was Linda. And as you can see, I remember her first and last name. I even remember the smell of her perfume and she was always so kind. And so there was one day we were coming back from the insurance company, late afternoon, you know, five 30 going on 6:00 PM. And she said, Judy, I know you like to read, and I have a book for you that I think will help you to understand the truth about what You're worth.

And at the time I believed I had absolutely, no worth and she hands me this NIV study Bible. And, it was different from any other Bible I'd ever had or seen. And I took it home and I started reading and I couldn't put it down. And they're in the pages of what I now know to be God's word.

I met the most kind and compassionate and loving human being who had ever lived. It was through the pages of God's word that I met Jesus and I recognized a familiar voice as I was reading through the scriptures and hearing what I now know to be hearing from almighty God, it was the same voice that my raccoon, Radar, spoke to me. He was loving, compassionate kind.

And so I'll vividly remember looking up from the pages I was reading in the gospels, I looked up and I said, oh, it's you!

Ryan Henry: oh, oh my gosh. Wow.

Juni Felix: All along God had been a part of my journey and was speaking to me and encouraging me. And it was a very familiar voice. And I know sometimes people will say, you know, you hear God. And I say, yes, I do. And they say, well, what is he sound like? And I say, he sounds like my Papa. He sounds like my daddy, you know?

And it was. Is really unclear. And so I'll never forget, Ms. Linda Jarvis has kindness to meet, to bless me with my first Bible. That didn't make me feel condemned for not being perfect there. Cause there, I met Jesus and , God just discipled me through his word. I love the word of God. I am. I know.

No there's a term for it. I'm a literalist. So when Jesus says my sheep hear my voice and they will not follow another, I thought, all right, great. I'm. So it was just this pure, childlike faith that God blessed me with. And to this day, I'm that way speak, Lord, I'm listening. And when I hear I go, because I know he's with me, no matter what. 

Ryan Henry: Wow.

Wow. Oh my gosh. That's amazing. So beautiful. I just can't get past the fact that the same voice that you heard, the same character that you felt when you read the word was your raccoon. 

One of my friends says, they referr to God as Jehovah Sneaky, you know, cause sometimes He'll get you in ways you didn't realize, you know, but the whole time man, He was there, He was present, even in a stuffed animal.

Juni Felix: You cannot limit the Lord. I mean, and I know that, you know, and your team knows that. Hundreds of stories, people who meet Jesus while praying in a mosque, people who meet Jesus behind bars, and you just can't put any limits on him. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's just amazing. When you were reading, I mean, I can only imagine that you're, coming to this book with all this history of stuff. Right. 

When you realize that voice was wait a second. Okay. God, you've been talking to me all along. Did, did you have a new sense of, whether it be love or worth, or could you talk a little bit about the way that you felt.

Juni Felix: Oh, I felt just joy. I felt joy and I felt confidence in the love of almighty God. The one who spun the stars and made the multi-verse,

and I just felt loved and valued and worthy because in the scriptures. Okay. So when you're a trauma survivor, there are lies that your trauma teaches you. There are lies that your trauma tempts you to believe, but as you read through the scriptures, you see there's like a truth about who you are that you're fearfully and wonderfully made, that you are adored, that you're so valuable to almighty God that he came himself and died for you.

There's a sharp contrast between what my trauma teaches me and what God says about me. And when we come into that realization, then we always have a choice that we can make in that moment. And when I was a new believer, I would take Sharpies and I would write on my hands and on my arms. So I wouldn't forget.

I am beloved. I am loved, I am valued. I am precious. I am cared for God has a plan for my life. I put it where I would never miss it. I'd sticky notes everywhere, you know, so I just, I felt so confident that I was loved and valued and that there was a plan for my life that I just kept experiencing God's peace and his joy in my journey, even when things were still. 

Ryan Henry: Wow. Yeah. That's yeah, that's amazing. so Juni, you're reading the Word and you're starting to learn about this God. Did you have a specific moment where it was like, yes. Or do you feel like it was gradual because it's very different for different, you know, for everyone?

Juni Felix: . The best way I can describe it. As you know, when you go to adopt a child, you don't ask them, do you want to come with me? You just take them home and you love them and you care for them. Well, so there was no moment where I was just like, yes, Lord, I'm following you. It was, I'm with you. it was, it was like being adopted and going home with your new Papa. 

Ryan Henry: bam.

Juni Felix: You're here. You're here for me. And I'm I'm with you.

Ryan Henry: That's so beautiful. Wow. so good Juni, so good. So, so what happened after afterward? What, how did life progress? 

Juni Felix: Well, I am a researcher. And so I would walk to the church down the street and I would go to Bible study and I would go to church and I started learning at that church. And I'd be the one asking all the questions and Bible study class. Cause I was doing research, you know, Jesus and God are one. What does that mean?

And so I just asked a lot of questions and then I would always go back to scripture, very prayerful. Just I call it prayer now, but in the past it was just when I was a teenager, it was just conversation I was having with God now instead of Radar. And of course, Radar is with me too, but we're both enjoying it.

So, Yeah. just talking with God and growing in faith step-by-step because I understand, the way our minds work. When I was nine years old, you know, homelessness and all the, poverty and abuse and hunger, wasn't the only part of my story. That was the year that I sat in front of the Apple IIe computer for the first time and loaded up my wagon to conquer the quest of the Oregon Trail.

That was the year that I fell in love with the way things work. I can remember being a child and going, I have to know how this works. The more I learned about programming and coding and systems design. And the more I learned about the way our minds work, the more I couldn't ignore the similarities and the parallels.

And so I thought, okay, I came to this conclusion. Because of neuroplasticity and neurogenesis, which basically means that contrary to what was believed for a long time, our brains can change and grow. You know, they're not this, this static solid thing we can change and grow like building a muscle.

And so it happens through the tiny little things that we do just like every stroke of code. In the programs that run our technology, they're just too many parallels. Even Steve jobs. If you ever watched the last interview, he says, every child should learn computer programming because, it's an art more than a science and it teaches you how your mind works.

And so I just saw in the scriptures and in life and what I know about programming and coding and systems design, that God is about systems design. And if we follow His system, then we can walk in victory, even over the toughest of circumstances, trials and trauma. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Yeah. Could you, could you talk about that special generation that's called the Oregon trail generation? 

Juni Felix: Oh my pleasure. Yes. I'm actually more tech savvy than my kids and my kids are gen Z. So. 

Ryan Henry: Wow.

Juni Felix: Yeah, and I like that name for us. The center for generational kinetics would call us Exennials because we're tech savvy and. You know, technology is just a part of our journey, video gamers. My husband and I are both console, video gamers, role-playing games, RPG games. We still play video games every night together as a couple, I feel like a happy marriage requires video games.

I had a cell phone in the 11th grade, you know, so technology is such a big part of my journey and because of my studies and programming and systems design, I mean, that was my first college major before I changed it to communications and broadcasting. And then, wound up going to Bible college to finish up.

But yeah, I, this is one of the reasons why I say in my work that trauma is bad code because every one of those bad events and traumatic experiences have placed these lines of, I call code, in our brains that are running along familiar paths, caught in a loop. That's one of the terms that we use in programming.

It's a loop that runs in your brain until you know that you have the ability to recode one tiny decision after the next to make another path. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah, that's so interesting. I just took course recently. And one of the biggest things that I took away was understanding that. My reactions to my students are based off of triggers or what they call scripts, where you have scripted responses based on your previous experiences.

And it was very eye opening to realize, oh my gosh, yes. So much of your behavior. You think that you have the freedom to just kind of do this or that. And we do, but there's a lot of power in understanding why you behave the way you do. Like why does something bother you? 

Juni Felix: Yeah.

So true. And it has to do with that line of code that was written through that experience in your formative years. But the great thing about it is that we're all in our formative years now, if we want to be. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Right. Absolutely. If you, wow, that's powerful. If you want to be! 

Juni Felix: Change is a skill and because change is a skill we can all become better and even masters. 

Ryan Henry: Yes. Yeah. Amen. Could you, could you talk to us, what do you love so much about what you get to do now? I know you're passionate about your work. could you just talk to our listeners. What do you love about right now? 

Juni Felix: I love that God is so true to his word. He doesn't waste our pain and he doesn't waste anything that we've been through or what we've experienced or what we've learned. And for the first time in my journey, I feel like all of my gifts are coming together in one place. As I mentioned, I didn't plan on becoming an author, a writer that was a door that got opened and I walked through, but in broadcasting and discipleship, I love helping people to know how they can know God.

I mean, Jesus was very clear about this. Remember I said, I'm a literalist. So when Jesus said in John 17, this is eternal to know you and the one that you've sent, I read that literally like a line of code. This is eternal life to know you and the one who you've sent. So if this is eternal life, then I already have my reward.

God is my reward. That's right there in Hebrews 12. And so I love teaching the simplicity of the gospel, the love of God, and that knowing him is our reward and inviting others into that. And one of the things that I really tripped over a lot when I was a young Christian, didn't start going to church really until like my early twenties as a teenager, I went just to ask questions and be the annoying teenage skeptic.

But when I was in my twenties and I went to church, I started hearing things like God wants to use you. And I would cringe and kind of like, feel very uncomfortable about that. I heard it all the time. God wants to use you. And I thought, well, abusers use you. Tell him to take a number and get in line.

And so what God showed me along the way is that. It's not about use. Abusive parents, use their children and treat them like some sort of extension of themselves to make them look good. But loving parents invite their children. They invite them into the journey of life in such a way that their children feel free to go out and make their own journey, their own adventure.

In the story of the prodigal son, the dad didn't make it about himself. He let the child have the journey because he understood that a loving father, like God is, you know, he invites us to share in the adventure of loving him and overflowing his love to others. And so that's something that I never say. God invites you and you always have the opportunity to say yes or no, but it's always a loving invitation.

And so I just really appreciate the fact that God has brought my love of systems design programming. I was working at a startup in 2019 and 2020 called Code Verse on a mission to teach a billion kids to code. And that was one of the things I love to teach them. Just like with coding, you have the ability to make a tiny choice that leads to the next tiny choice that can lead you to something really great.

Or something else? Not so great. You know, so it's just really cool that God has allowed me to take my tech expertise and my love of the Lord and discipleship and inviting others to see that there is another way and that they don't have to let their trauma be their identity. They don't have to live from their trauma identity because God has so many other better ways for us to draw strength and inspiration than from our trauma. 

Ryan Henry: Wow. Amazing. So, when you're helping people rewrite this bad code, can you just give us an example of how someone might do this?

Juni Felix: Oh, Yeah. of course. Well, one of the methods that we teach and behavior design now, behavior design is a comprehensive system for thinking clearly about human behavior and for designing simple ways to transform lives. And so one of the methods that we teach the models or new ways of thinking about behavior, but the methods or new ways of designing for desired behave.

And so one of the methods that I love to teach is called Tiny Habits. Now my mentor, Dr. BJ Fogg, Right, behind me, let me see if I can lean this way. [Dr. BJ Fogg’s Book Called Tiny Habits] You see Tiny Habits there in the back. I know that this is audio, but my mentor, Dr. BJ Fogg, taught me my first Tiny Habit that really brought me some breakthrough is called the Maui Habit.

And it's because he created it when he was in Maui at the time. And it's so simple because designing habits is as simple as ABC, you have your Anchor Moment, which is a part of your existing routine. You have your Tiny Behavior, which is performed immediately after the Anchor Moment. And then you have a Tiny Celebration and the Tiny Celebration is what wires, the new habit into your mind.

So the Maui Habit is this, your Anchor Moment is so easy. It has to be simple, and it has to be a part of your existing routine. It's just waking up. So you wake up, that's your Anchor Moment now for Christians? It's a, win-win: we either don't wake up and we see the face of Jesus or we wake up, right?

So there's your anchor moment immediately followed by the tiny behavior, which is to say out loud, or even just say in your spirit, it's going to be a great day. And when you're going through something really hard, say you wake up with a broken heart. Just say, it's going to be a great day. Somehow notice the quick, deep calming breath there.

It's going to be a great day. Somehow. that's the tiny behavior. And then your tiny celebration, just smile and do another deep calming breath or give yourself a big morning. Do something that gives you here's the neuroscience part, what we call the dopamine spark, your tiny celebration feels good and it tells your brain do that again.

Now we can create our own dopamine sparks. We don't have to go for bubble gum, ice cream , you can create your own dopamine sparks by doing that tiny celebrate. For some, you just open your palms, raise your head to the heavens and just smile.

And then you get the dopamine spark that says, do that again. And so Tiny Habits are a way for you to recode your mind one tiny step after the next, in ways that are positive and that help you to build that skill of change because success leads to success and change leads to change. And the more you celebrate these tiny victories, the more aligned you are with the heart of God, because that's how He celebrates you and me every tiny time we choose to believe and walk by faith.

Ryan Henry: That's amazing. It sounds so practical. And helpful. 

Juni Felix: Thank you. It has been, we call it a global intervention, Tiny Habits because across cultures across the globe, this ABC, creating your Tiny Habits doing your own dopamine spark is bringing people a breakthrough incrementally because God is a systems guy. It's all about the journey. It's all about the baby steps.

It's the tiny, incremental choices that we make that lead to that peace and joy that Jesus promised so many times in the gospels. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. That's amazing. And I know that so many people, are looking for that peace and that joy. Juni, what would you say to a listener right now, who is in that place of maybe where you were, where there's just so much pain, so much brokenness and just don't even know where to begin?

What would you say to them right now?

Juni Felix: I would say, spend time getting to know who you are in Christ. That is the most important thing, because your trauma has taught you so many lies especially if you're still in it. If you're still going through it and somebody is telling you that you're worthless, you're ugly. You're stupid. You've got all these lies.

They're being spoken over you, but God has. And his truth is powerful. So begin learning who you are in Christ. I mean, you are able to do all things. The scripture says in Philippians four, you are accepted, that's there in Romans five. I mean, all throughout the scriptures, you will see who you are in Christ.

There's many resources that you can find quick and easy online, who I am in Christ and just make it your business. 

Juni Felix: One of the most important things you can do is commit to your healing journey, unapologetically 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Amen. Amen. Wow. It's been so good talking to you, Juni. I just so appreciate your time. And for you to share your passion with us. And, when you come on and you start talking about this Jesus, it's evidence of a big impact in your life and especially knowing where you come from, it's just, it's amazing.

Juni Felix: There's one thing that I'd like to add, I'm often asked now as an author, do I believe that God allowed me to go through all of that trauma, chaos, hunger, abuse, homelessness did I do I believe that God allowed all that trauma to lead me to my calling and my immediate answer is always absolutely.

God doesn't need to use evil to bring about good. And I don't need my trauma because if we think we need something, we're going to try to find a way to hold onto it. I don't need my trauma. And it's the love of God that has led me to this assignment 

 We all have the same calling to love the Lord with heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love our neighbors. this assignment. What led me here was the love of God, his love for me and my love for Him. And the overflow of that love to others. We do not need our trauma to lead us to our calling or our assignment, whatever you want to call it. God's love is enough. 

Ryan Henry: Yeah. Amen. More than enough. That's beautiful. . So thank you so much for your time. 

Juni Felix: Thank you. 

Ryan Henry: Amazing.

Find the link to Juni Felix’ book, You are Worth the Work, here.

To get a free resource from Juni, called The Gift of Sorrow, write us here and say “Juni” in the memo.

Listen to One80 here.