049 - Overcoming the Haze: How Faith Led to Freedom from Marijuana with Erik Roush

In this episode, Erik Roush shares his transformative journey from a professional photographer focused on personal success to a devoted follower of Jesus who seeks to glorify God through his work. He discusses his life in Maui, his love for nature and national parks, and how he connects with God through the beauty of creation. Erik opens up about his struggles with addiction, the pivotal moment that led him to break free, and the importance of community and faith in his life. He emphasizes the need for surrendering to God and seeking His presence in all aspects of life, offering practical advice for listeners to connect with God, regardless of their environment.

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Chapters

• 14:04 [Ad] The Balance of Gray
• 14:54 (Cont.) 049 - Overcoming the Haze: How Faith Led to Freedom from Marijuana with Erik Roush
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• 23:42 (Cont.) 049 - Overcoming the Haze: How Faith Led to Freedom from Marijuana with Erik Roush

Transcript

McKenzie Smith (00:01)
On today's episode of My Valley, His Victory, we have Eric Rousch. He is a 38 year old adventurer, storyteller, and devoted follower of Jesus. Eric's journey took a transformative turn in 2019 when he gave his life to Christ. And since then, his mission has been to share faith, inspiration, and the beauty of God's creation with others. A professional photographer by trade, having explored over 25 national parks and countless landscapes, he finds passion for

He finds passion for capturing God's creation is the fuel to his fire for his photography inspiration. Originally from Oakland County, Michigan, Eric now calls the stunning island of Maui home. Thanks so much for being with us today, Eric.

Erik Roush (00:47)
Yeah, thanks for having me. I'm excited to just share more about my story and hopefully people find it encouraging and inspiring.

McKenzie Smith (00:58)
Yeah, absolutely. I am already just visually intrigued by your background. He is in Maui, guys, and it looks warm and looks beautiful there. It is snowy and 45 degrees here in Utah today. And so I am living vicariously through you, even just on this video chat. But talk to the listeners a little bit about just a little bit more about who you are and what you do.

Erik Roush (01:24)
Yeah, so I'm a photographer. So a lot of the shoots I'm getting here in Maui are like beach photography. So right around sunset, you show up, kick your sandals off and I'll work with families or couples or weddings. And that's kind of what I do day to day for work here.

And then I also love to capture God's creation. That's definitely where my passion is. And so hiking up trails or just waiting for a sunset or sunrise here in Maui has been super beautiful just to capture God's creation and share that with others. So one of the things God put on my heart in 2022 was to stop focusing so much on like the ego pursuit

of my career, which used to be my last name, Rausch Photography. Like that was the brand, that was what I was building, and God put it on my heart to glorify him instead. So I was sitting in church one day and I just had that revelation that everything I capture, he created. So it was changing that pursuit of it's all about me, like my work, everything I'm doing,

McKenzie Smith (02:36)
Mm.

Erik Roush (02:43)
how can I use this to glorify God? So that was like a huge shift in my world and it was exciting because now it was about glorifying Him. So that's kind of been the last couple years and it's been really special to see how God is working in my life and that's kind of where that shift happened was less of me more of Him.

McKenzie Smith (03:09)
Yeah, that's so good. How long had you been doing photography before then?

Erik Roush (03:17)
I started my company in 2011, so I guess it'd be like 13 years ago, yeah.

McKenzie Smith (03:23)
Wow.

Wow. So talk to us a little bit about that shift and how it has changed your business if it has. And because that's a long time to be doing something. And then, you know, people would think, yeah, I'm a pro now. Like, I know what I'm doing. I've got my feet wet. I'm, you know, all things. So, yeah, just share with us a little bit about what changed in that process or. Yeah.

Erik Roush (03:49)
Yeah, I think a lot of what I feel like God is teaching me and I'm seeing play out in other people's lives is humility and like humbling ourselves before God. The word says, you know, I can do nothing without.

without God, right? Or I am nothing. I forget paraphrasing that obviously, but that's kind of what I realized is I am so reliant on him. All the blessings, all the gifts, all the finances has been a blessing from him. So it was definitely like, yeah, I guess just inspiring that.

that I felt like he spoke that to me directly. Like, it's not about you anymore, it's about glorifying me. So it was cool just to hear from God and then to put that into practice. So that looked like starting a new Instagram, starting a new website, kind of rebranding everything. So felt like a fresh start and it took some of the pressure off.

everything, like all eyes on me, to now it's like, okay, this is about God, like how can I use this platform to glorify him? And at first it started with posting a picture of like a beautiful landscape and then just putting like a scripture verse, like the simplicity of his creation and a scripture verse is just kind of like the birthplace for this idea.

And then from there, I realized like God created people too. So anything I do with people or families and capturing the joy of a family on the beach is still the same. Like it's glorifying God. It's showing the joy and the love of family and relationships and just like the special moments of time, right? Like kids grow up so quick.

McKenzie Smith (05:40)
Yeah.

Erik Roush (05:42)
you know, parents get older. So the fact that I'm able to bless families with these special moments and memories is just as good as capturing like an incredible landscape in like Yosemite National Park. Like it's all God, it's all for his glory. And I think people just need that daily reminder that that we can humble ourselves before him, use our lives to glorify him. And then that takes a lot of

of

this like ego pursuit of my career, my life, my choices, and starting to ask God, like, how can I use what I'm doing now in this season to point people to him?

McKenzie Smith (06:26)
Yeah. Yeah, that's so good. So outside of photography, you live in Maui, an absolutely beautiful place. I would assume I've never been. I'm supposed to go actually about the time that this podcast will come out. I will be visiting. But what do you do in Maui outside of work? What do you like to do outside? Are you a are you a surfer kind of? Yeah. Talk to us about that.

Erik Roush (06:51)
Yeah, so growing up in Michigan, we don't really have waves. A lot of people have like wakeboarding boats and wake surfing. So I got a taste of like water sports in Michigan. then moving, excuse me, and then moving to Maui, one of the first things I did is I bought a stand up paddle surfboard.

a paddle and I just started to go out to the ocean, found some smaller waves to learn how to surf and and they kind of incorporated a couple things that I'd already done, paddleboarding and surfing in one and so that was super fun just to learn that I was more so used to lakes and rivers in Michigan so now coming out to the ocean it was a bit of a learning curve you see the power of water and the waves and

You know seeing the beautiful fish when I've gone snorkeling and the reef here is just amazing

Hawaii is one of the most remote island chains in the world, like 2000 plus miles from any major continent. that just being in the middle of the ocean has been a really unique experience. You can kind of see the ocean from so many different vantage points on Maui. So hiking is always super fun.

There's a national park here. You can drive up about 10,000 feet above sea level so you can surf and then drive up to the summit of a mountain and watch sunset up there. It's super gorgeous. So yeah, I just feel blessed to be here. The weather is incredible. It feels like summer every day. So that's that's new for me coming from Michigan. I'm used to the winter. I've lived in Aspen, Colorado before for a couple of years, so

McKenzie Smith (08:35)
You

Erik Roush (08:44)
I do miss the snow and snowboarding and but it is really special to to be in a place that's like paradise.

McKenzie Smith (08:54)
Yeah,

it just looks incredible and I'm super excited to visit. But, you know, I feel like people always ask, do you like the beach or the mountains? It's like in Hawaii, you don't have to choose. You have both. But you don't get the snow with the mountains. And so that is that you got to give up, give up the snow sports, but at least you have both the beach and the mountains. Very cool. I'm super excited. You'll have to ask you after we get done all your recommendations.

Erik Roush (09:04)
Yes, exactly.

That's right.

Yeah. Yep.

Of

course, I have plenty.

McKenzie Smith (09:24)
So you also mentioned that you've been to 25 plus national parks. Do you have a favorite or a certain area of the continental or the what is it the the lower 48?

Erik Roush (09:43)
Yeah, so 2021 I went through a breakup which led me to go to visit a friend in Sedona who had just gone through a divorce.

And so I felt like it would be a really good time for us to connect and heal and just kind of we had a similar place in our life and we both love to hike. so Sedona was kind of the landing spot for me, which has so many beautiful national parks in that southwest region. So all the hikes in Sedona were incredible. And then we went to Joshua Tree in California, went to Zion, went to Grand Canyon, Arches and got

to hit a lot of those parks right in that area and that kind of like sparked this passion for like connecting hiking with my photography and exploration. So that year that was the end of 2021 and then in 2022 that's when I went to 18 national parks that year.

I had a van that I just drove around the country and got to see so much of God's beauty at these national parks. And I feel so blessed that we live in a country that has so many national parks and all you need is the I think it's like 80 dollars for the year pass and you can just go to all of them. So it is incredible that these are protected lands that we get to enjoy and just experience God in such a like tangible

way, like to see how much he loves beauty in his creation and that it's for our enjoyment. So that's been super powerful. Last night I saw some of the questions that you had shared and one of them about like how God has revealed himself to me in the outdoors and I was thinking about that and I kind of had a revelation about in Genesis where he says like his spirit was hovering over the waters and

And I was thinking like, yeah, he created like from our vantage point, like his spirit was here on earth. And so he got to see things the way we were gonna see them. And he created it like from our vantage point, which I think is so cool.

And the other day I was on a hike, it's called the Road to Hana, and it's this beautiful area, it's kind of jungle, like waterfalls, and so much beauty. And I was on this hike and it was a little bit wet, it had rained earlier, so some of the rocks were slippery. Like everywhere where I thought like, I'm not going to be able to make it up this spot, there was like a root or a rock to grab onto, and it's like he made these areas like perfect for exploration.

adventure.

Going from waterfall to waterfall and and everywhere that there was a step or like a place to grab on to To be able to get to see these amazing places. So that was just another Like thing I was thinking about how he made it so we can explore it You know even rock climbers that climb up 3,000 foot walls There's always a place for them to put their hand to their foot so they can do these incredible climbs and just explore in such a

a unique way.

McKenzie Smith (13:11)
Yeah. And as you say that I've been thinking a lot about something recently. I was in the desert a few weeks ago and just looking at everything in the way in which everything that we also are looking at or that we're touching has been affected by brokenness or erosion, know, or water, wind, weather, you know, you name it. It's been affected, but yet there is still

all of these things in that erosion process as well, which just, you know, is a beautiful picture of like, God has a plan from start to start to end. there's no part of it that he didn't didn't have a plan for and that he's been able to, as things have been, quote unquote, destroyed, they've also, you know, become more

in some opinions, know, like more beautiful and there's still a way up these mountains and up, you know, these waterfalls even through that process. And so I think it's cool that he has even used like the...

erosion process and that that somehow is beautiful and is still making a way for us and So I know I was thinking about that is that we were in the desert a few weekends ago We saw these arches and it's like these are so beautiful, but they're they're result of rocks breaking off, you know And so I just think that's really cool So you

obviously live in Maui, in Hawaii, one of, you know, people consider one of the most beautiful places and you you've kind of called it paradise. But for someone who maybe doesn't live in paradise, but lives in a more urban environment, do you have any practical ways that you could share that they can start connecting with God through nature just in their everyday life?

Erik Roush (15:04)
Yeah, one of the things I used to do, I lived near Detroit and so like even just going to the top of a building like a parking structure where you can see the sunset or

you know, kind of see things from a higher vantage point. I always thought that was really cool and a unique way to explore the city. And I know a lot of cities have like those scooters or bikes you can rent. And there's something about like just movement to like you're going faster through a city on a bike or one of those scooters and just exploring. And I think the other thing I would say is just to be like praying.

praying to God, whether you're alone or with friends, maybe having worship music on. And it's just a way to like honor God and invite him into it. Because if you're just listening to the chaos of the cars and the horns beeping, like that's going to distract you away from feeling his presence. So I think it is a little bit of intentionality of like inviting him in. And then also.

like exploring the city to see if maybe there's little parks, you know, like even Central Park in New York is this like protected area where there's trees and grass and hiking paths. And so, yeah, sometimes you got to search it out. Might be the top of a parking garage where you get a nice view of sunset or, yeah, biking through the city and just like feeling the joy of the Lord as you're kind of cruising around.

McKenzie Smith (16:42)
Yeah. Yeah. I like that. I've never thought about like getting up on top of a building and like even just changing your perspective of the, of a city can, can be, be a good idea. So that's helpful. Thank you so much for that. Okay. Well, switching gears into the title of this podcast, my Valley, his victory would love for you to share a Valley or a season of wilderness that you experienced and just what God maybe taught you or prepared you for in that season.

Erik Roush (16:55)
Yeah.

Yeah, definitely. I was praying about that because I'm sure as a lot of people we have different valleys that we go through in life. Sometimes it could be a relationship, could be the loss of a partner or something like that, job loss, whatever that is. So I had a few different ones I was wrestling with about like which one to share.

but I felt like God wanted me to share one that was very subtle early on, and then it led to being an addiction. for about 10 years, I was addicted to marijuana. And it started when I was 17, so pretty much senior year.

you kind of one of those things where like other friends are doing it. So you you partake and and then the next thing I know, I'm like buying it myself and it's this slippery slope, but very subtle. And I think it's one of the marijuana in particular is something that grows from the ground. So a lot of people argue that like, God made it. And so it's fine to use.

But I truly believe it's like the devil wants to use anything in our life to keep us from our destiny, like to keep us from truly connecting with God, following our path, following like our highest calling in life to sidetrack us, distract us and keep us from like our highest call. And so with marijuana, it's really subtle. Like it creeps in, it will rob you of your motivation.

you'll

have this kind of false contentment in your life that you feel like, you know, everything's good. You know, you have this kind of cheap dopamine that you're getting or serotonin or whatever these chemicals are in the brain that it's releasing through smoking it. So you believe like everything's good. You're feeling kind of high, euphoric.

But in reality, like you're not actually pursuing like your dreams. You're not really going for life. And I know some people are different. Like they're able to say like, I'm a high functioning, you know, marijuana smoker. And I would have even argued that myself. Like, it's from the earth. It's all good. I started my business even while I was using. I never did it like at work, but would be doing it throughout the week and everything. So that's, think this, like I said,

this false contentment that is just slowly robbing you of your true destiny and calling. And so...

You know, it was a season that my life like revolved around it. All my friends used it. All my choices of, you know, throughout my day revolved around it. And so it was this really subtle thing that ended up being like a 10 year addiction. And it kind of like blinds you to the effects that it's having in your life. Like I said, taking away your motivation, not really going for your dreams or like seeking your highest potential.

you're

just kind of coasting and so that would be my kind of...

Advice to people to really like reflect on on their life if they are stuck in some sort of addiction whether it's marijuana or alcohol or Whatever like these coping mechanisms are like if you were to surrender that and just seek the lord And and truly try and go like after your highest calling in your dreams You know would that thing actually be beneficial to you or would it be something that you would leave behind and? And kind of grow

without it.

McKenzie Smith (21:08)
Yeah. Would you talk to us a little bit more about the... you said this went on for 10 years, the end to that. So like, what was it that, you know, you... Let me go back. What was it that made you say, like, I'm done with this? What happened, you know, how did you walk through that season of getting out of this addiction?

Erik Roush (21:37)
Yeah, so I bought my house in 2018.

and I was working on it one day and I went to go sit in the hammock to just take a rest and the hammock wasn't hooked right and I fell like right onto my tailbone and I was basically like bedridden for like a month and a half of just in super bad pain and one of the back treatments that I found it had to do with like injecting plasma from your blood and like stem or oxygen into your

like

affected area. And after I got that treatment, the doctor said, you know, don't smoke for 72 hours. And I asked him, said, what about marijuana? And he was like, well, why would you want to put anything in your body that your body doesn't want? Like, it's not natural to your body. Why would you do it anyways? And it just kind of was like a eye opening moment. And I was like, okay, I can go 72 hours without it. No big deal.

And so at the end of those 72 hours, I grabbed some marijuana, smoked it, and I felt the pain go immediately back to that area. So it was something that I started to notice this like mind-body connection and that this was just something that my body was not wanting anymore. And so I finally had the courage to just like get rid of it.

Get rid of it out of my life. And so I gave it up And it felt like it was something that God was trying to wake me up to for a long time Like I always knew like something didn't feel right about it. Like I said, it was that like subtle deception of the enemy to keep me stuck

So finally, once I got free, started to feel more clear-headed, starting to have dreams again. My memory was better. And so it took letting it go for a long enough period to feel that clarity, to feel like joy start to come back into my life.

And so that was just an area of my life that God was working on that I needed to make that decision for myself. Like he was nudging me along the way, but it wasn't until I actually decided, okay, it's time to give this up, that then I experienced freedom.

McKenzie Smith (24:08)
Wow, that's wild that you went to the doctor, got this treatment and they're like, hey, don't do this. And you're like, okay, I'll give it a shot. And then that is what kicked a 10 year addiction. Like, you know, I think so often we, and I'm not saying that.

Erik Roush (24:24)
Yeah.

McKenzie Smith (24:28)
all addictions are that easy, sometimes they are. You know, it's making a decision and sticking with it and being able to see clearly what that addiction has done. And I think that's really cool that you were even able to see some of those things come back even in just those three days.

And you know continuing on like seeing hey, this is actually affecting way more than I even began to comprehend in the first place because I think so often we We don't realize we're like, it's just this one little area of my life and we don't realize how much it plays a role into everything that we do and especially, you know, you said your whole life revolved around it you were

you know, kind of always waiting for that time of when you could when you could have it. And it's like, that's consuming you, you know. I think you said so many good things like things like that are a slippery slope and we can become.

numb is probably the right word I want to use to to the effects and the consequences like because at first it's just it's just one and then it's one a week and then it's one a day you know and then and it is that slippery slope and I think when we start it we never have the intention to become addicted or you know to let things like this happen but

but it does it does rob you of so much. love that you love that you use that word. So you talked about that your kind of friend groups are involved around this, your life revolved around this. Talk to us a little bit about how ending this maybe changed your relationships or changed your daily habits. Like what were what were the changes that this snowball effect caused in your life?

Erik Roush (26:23)
Yeah, so it's amazing. I grew up in a Christian home. I was actually baptized as a baby in the Catholic tradition.

So I would consider myself like a believer like all throughout my life, but I never was like following Jesus So once I gave up this addiction, I knew I needed community and I wanted to Go back to church and see like what church had to offer So that was one of the first thoughts that came to mind as that friend group kind of fell away You know, I decided to kind of take a step back from those relationships and and just seek

people that were really trying to work on themselves and better themselves and that kind of like-minded community of growing into just a better person, a more loving person. so church was like one of the first things I was like, I should go back to church and see what that's like. And so I remember a friend, had planted a seed a few times over the last couple of years, like, come check out my church.

So I finally decided to go. They met on Monday nights and it was like 45 minutes from where I lived in Michigan in Ann Arbor.

And so I show up, it's a small little building. I walk in, there's maybe like 40 to 50 people and immediately felt welcomed. People were super friendly. the worship service was amazing. The message was super good. like one of the best pastors I had ever heard, speak. And so was like, wow, this immediately feels like home. And so every week for the next like four years, I was going every Monday and

it was not even a year into going when I had like my first encounter with Jesus which I would say was like my salvation moment of like coming to to true faith in Jesus and giving my heart to him in my life and so that was 2019. Got baptized that year I just wanted like that outward proclamation of my faith and so yeah that was kind of the turning point was stepping foot back into church and finding

like true community. Every Monday after service we'd all like go out to dinner and yeah it was just like a beautiful time of connecting with like-minded people, pure-hearted, living pure lives.

And we all have flaws and sins, but just to be around people who are giving their life to Jesus and truly seeking God was such a refreshing thing. Like coming from a place of what I consider darkness now and being blinded and deceived by that kind of lifestyle to then following Christ was life-changing.

McKenzie Smith (29:22)
Yeah,

I'm so inspired by your story just because I think that so often we put these, I'll say, stereotypes around certain things. And so it's like, if you're addicted to something, like you're going to go through all of these, you know, withdrawals and it's going to change your whole life and it's going to be miserable and, you know, yada, yada, yada. And it's not to say that there's not some truth to that, but

I think we think, you you got to go through rehab and you got to do all these things. it's like, God can open your eyes and you can just, you can just make a change. Sometimes, like I said, I'm not saying that that's how it always works, but I think your story is just so inspiring because you, you were able to get freedom from it, which then caused you to.

God put on your heart to go back to church, which then has like completely changed your life. it's like obedience and two, two steps can change the trajectory of your whole life. And, you know, I think sometimes we, we overcomplicate things and things are complicated sometimes, but sometimes they are simple. And sometimes it's truly just saying yes to taking the 72 hours, you know?

Erik Roush (30:41)
You

McKenzie Smith (30:43)
to not to not smoke weed and then having the clarity then say, know, what else do I need to do in my life? And, you know, you took took some space from your friends and then you went to a church and, you know, that has that has drastically changed your life. I'm a little interested in the part of your story of so you said you found a super awesome community in Michigan. You found, you know, this really awesome pastor community, so on and so forth.

what happened when you went to Maui? Because it sounds like this was all in Michigan. So, you know, did you go through a time and a struggle of community there or in Maui when you moved or was that transition easy? I just would love to hear you talk a little bit about making a transition out of a really awesome community into somewhere new.

Erik Roush (31:34)
Yeah.

Yeah, one more one last thing on that that I wanted to share just as like an encouragement to people is there's probably like if you're not experiencing freedom, there's probably an area of your life that you're not willing to like fully surrender to Jesus. You know, you're holding on to something, whether it's a toxic relationship, could be an addiction, you know, some area that you're not experiencing true freedom like Jesus wants to meet you in that place and heal that part

McKenzie Smith (31:52)
Mmm.

Erik Roush (32:06)
of your heart.

And so just to encourage anyone listening, like that area takes humility and surrender to just like lay that at the foot, the foot of the cross and trust God with it. And it might, might be uncomfortable. Like for me, that was a tough season to just walk away from those friends and marijuana and everything. But all of that kind of false contentment and things that I let go of God restored in

McKenzie Smith (32:20)
So good.

Erik Roush (32:37)
a much better way. So yeah, I just wanted to kind of share that last little piece. And then as far as leaving that community, in 2020, there was like a big disruption with COVID where the church actually shut down for almost a year. And then when we did come back, there was like social distancing and wearing masks. So that definitely disrupted like the amazing unity that we had.

McKenzie Smith (32:39)
So good.

Yeah.

Erik Roush (33:07)
prior to that. So that was really tough. So I'd already experienced some like separation during that time. So I guess I started to learn to hold things like a little more loosely. And then as I was doing all that traveling in 2022, I felt like God was teaching me that you can meet people everywhere you go. Like even when I was alone in a national park, I'd bump into someone who

I offered to take their picture or whatever and then they invited me to stay at their campsite, you know, and just that hospitality and like the desire to be open to things happening and just seeing how God was gonna move instead of having like rigid plans everywhere I went I kind of held it loosely and was open to being flexible. So I think that carried over into my life.

when it came to church or community or friend groups or relationships that I was just more trusting with God in his direction. So after that major trip in 2022 where I went to 18 national parks, a friend of mine had just moved to Maui.

and he invited me to come stay with him. He said he had a room for me to stay for two weeks for $400. And I had a bunch of Delta miles that I could use to fly over for basically free.

So they, okay, this is gonna be amazing. I'm gonna go check out Maui. Never been to Hawaii before. And I think it was like the first night I was staying with him, his roommate learned that I was Christian and he was an atheist. But he was like, my friend goes to New Hope in Maui. You should check it out. She really loves it. So, okay. So each Sunday that I was there, I went to visit that church. And immediately I just felt the presence of the Holy Spirit.

and again they had super powerful worship, really great community and so I felt that same kind of feeling that I had in Michigan. It's like, this feels like home. And at the end of that two week trip, I extended my stay two weeks and it was the very last night of my trip.

And I met a girl that we ended up staying in touch with, kind of keeping in touch long distance as I went back to Michigan. And it kind of became clear that we were interested in each other. And so I was praying to God. was like, well, like, I can't do this long distance thing. This isn't going to work. So if we're going to try this relationship, I got to move there. So this ended up being another valley when when we broke up that God did a lot of things.

in my heart, but I did move to Maui to pursue that relationship and it got me over here. So I think there is like a lot of beauty in just taking these big steps of faith in our life that.

God will open doors, He'll close doors, but ultimately that trust in Him and His plan will almost always lead to more growth, more deeper relationship with God, and like lessons that you learn along the way that are going to be so valuable for your life moving forward. So that was something that I feel like I really learned here was

Like even though you're going through a valley to just keep seeking the Lord. And one of my favorite verses is, seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all else will be added unto you.

And so during that breakup, that was like my life verse during that season was like, okay, I'm just going to keep seeking God, keep connecting with people. ended up joining like four Bible studies, a few different men's groups and just really pressing in. And I had an experience with the Holy Spirit. Some people call it the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And it was through that, like humility and just seeking him that I feel like

He showed up in my life and blessed me with his presence and an encounter with the Holy Spirit that was just deeper and more profound than I had ever felt.

And it's like, wow, like this is so real. Like the Bible is coming to life. Like in front of me, we're praying for people, seeing people get set free at these men's groups from addictions, pornography, all this stuff. And so it was like the book of Acts was like coming to life before me. The word of God was just so strong and just that like genuine pursuit of the Lord.

is what carried me through that valley season and I'm still here so.

McKenzie Smith (38:06)
Yeah, I'm so perplexed by the part that an atheist told you about the church that you started going to. that's wild. This is just a testament that God can use anybody.

Erik Roush (38:16)
Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely. And

it shows that like her willingness to share her faith with this atheist, like he remembered that. Like that stood out to him that she loved this place so much and was so strong in her faith that he wanted to share that with me.

McKenzie Smith (38:41)
Yeah, that's wild. Won't he do it? That's wild. I love the part that as you were sharing about losing your community or kind of going through COVID and holding things loosely and your travel plans and all of that. I think that's something I definitely need to be better at.

Erik Roush (38:45)
Right.

McKenzie Smith (39:08)
I'm reminded of it every time I open the Bible and I read anything in the New Testament about Jesus being on earth because he was so interruptible. Like he was always headed somewhere, but then someone would ask him to do something and he's like, yeah, sure. And I'm like, no, I'm going to this place, you know? And so, I think that's, that's a really good word to be.

to be interruptible, one, because you never know how God is gonna work through that, and just to hold plans loosely and be open to what might be happening around you, because you might be missing something if you don't. Well, I appreciate you sharing all of that. And for...

Erik Roush (39:43)
Yes.

McKenzie Smith (39:51)
giving us some scripture and giving us some words of encouragement for any listener out there who's struggling with either part of these seasons. Any last things you want to leave the listeners with or any last things you want to share.

Erik Roush (40:08)
Yeah, I guess just kind of doubling down on these lessons that I learned is that like our culture and what we kind of grow up with is trying to chase after these things that we think are going to fill our heart. Like whether it's a job, a relationship, know, car, money, whatever it is, maybe it is drugs or, you know.

unhealthy relationships like none of these things actually fill your heart that you're longing for connection you're longing for love and our main source our only true source is God and So I think that reminder It might be daily for a lot of people that you're gonna need that because we will go back to our old patterns our old ways So that that verse still like seek first the kingdom of God for whether that means

first thing in the morning for you, first priority, like however you need to structure that into your life, it needs to truly be like the main thing that you're pursuing. And that alone will bring so much freedom to the other areas of your life. Like when you're filled up on God's presence, His love, His grace, His kindness, all the other things in life seem to kind of...

like settle, like there is that peace that surpasses your understanding. And that's the power of the Holy Spirit. So to, like I said earlier, to invite the Holy Spirit into those areas that you haven't surrendered, areas that you need to repent or humble yourself before God is that's like step number one. I feel like is genuine repentance and humility saying, God, I need you. I tried it my way.

and it doesn't work. And so that's like the best place to start and then open the word and start to read and learn. that's the renewing of your mind. Your mind is patterned to think the old thoughts of yesterday and the past and to renew the mind, you need the Holy Spirit and the word of God.

McKenzie Smith (42:21)
Yeah, so

good. I know I for sure need that reminder. I think so often I can just like, I'm gonna try it and then, you know, I'm gonna pray later about it. And it's like, no, first, first, first, first, first, first, first, always like reflex before you make any move, before you, you know, do anything, pray about it. Take it to the Lord. Not after you've tried and failed. I need that reminder sometimes.

Erik Roush (42:36)
Yes.

Yes.

McKenzie Smith (42:50)
Sometimes

it's okay to just pause. Take five, 10, 15 seconds, however your situation allows. An hour a day, you have a pause that you can take. And we just need to make that our reflex. I know I need to definitely take this piece of advice. Well, thank you so much, Eric, for sharing a little bit about your story and just your journey and...

Erik Roush (42:52)
Mm-hmm.

Yes.

McKenzie Smith (43:18)
this topic. We've never had this topic on this podcast before, so I appreciate your willingness to be vulnerable and to share about this subject that, you know, is definitely prevalent in society and can be a very slippery slope that people can get entangled in. And so I appreciate the encouragement for those listening who maybe want to find you or find out more about your photography business. Where can they find you?

Erik Roush (43:46)
Yeah, so the new brand that I kinda came up with...

that church had a slogan, God is an artist. And I think that is so true. Like we're talking about his creation. There's just so much beauty in all of it. And so that was kind of the branding that I decided I asked them if I could use that for my branding. And they said, yeah, sure. So it's God is an artist gallery on Instagram. I do have a website currently, God is an artist dot co. And then I also

have my company here in Maui for like the beach portraits and things. It's Faith Maui Photo. So those are the spots. Yep.

McKenzie Smith (44:30)
Awesome.

Cool. Well, y'all go check it out. Go check out his work and connect with Eric. And again, thank you so much for being here and sharing your story.

Erik Roush (44:40)
Yes, of course. Thank you so much.