Allen Jackson NOW

Allen Jackson: American Sniper | Allen Jackson Now

October 3, 2025 | 24:30

Taya Kyle joins Allen Jackson to discuss surviving tragedy.

#News #Media #Tragedy #Author #Military #Loss #Grief #Culture #Government #Politics #Humaninterest

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Allen Jackson NOW | Allen Jackson: American Sniper | Allen Jackson Now | October 3, 2025

Today, welcome to our podcast.
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Thank you. kyle.
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For those who don't know, you're
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Their surviving wife of chris kyle, the american sniper.
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Yes. yes.
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So, kind of an america and legend movie.
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The whole thing?
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Yeah.
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You've had to survive a lot of tragedy after that high
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Profile story. maybe we should start.
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You just tell us a bit of your story.
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Somebody may have missed the movie.
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There may be two people.
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Yeah. no, that's two people. yeah.
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You know what a fascinating world i met.
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Chris quickly fell in love and got married.
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He was in more consistently, which
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They even have rules against.
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But he was a very effective sniper, among other things.
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And so a lot of times
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People would say they know him as the american sniper.
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And so they would think, oh, you know, he's on a rooftop.
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It's like that was one of his jobs.
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You know, he also has
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An hand in the streets, bullets flying by,
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Serving with the marines,
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Going out by himself, not just with the seal team
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Or with, you know, attached to other units.
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And so it was a very combat intensive time.
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And he was there from the time the war kicked off.
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They were there right before it technically kicked off.
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And, and throughout our, our marriage and
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Did the needs of the navy was
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The term that they would use needs of the navy. meaning.
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Yeah, we know you're only supposed to
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Do two combat deployment and then have some time off,
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But we need your you know, you're good at what you do.
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And it was very taxing and wearing.
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And i did not understand what it would do to us.
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And i mean, really, when i was engaged to chris,
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We had a
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We dated for six months, got engaged, i proposed to him
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And not officially, but we made a joke.
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It was like i thought he already said
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He wanted to marry me, i really did.
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So i was like, well, let's just do it. and barely.
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I missed something there.
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So he he's like, no.
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Anyway, let me say this. okay.
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So he said to me,
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I can't imagine ever wanting to spend a day of my life
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Without you.
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And i thought that meant he wanted to marry me.
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But usually you guys were like,
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No, he actually didn't say that, though.
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He doesn't mean to say, you know, about men.
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Yeah. no.
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What are you gonna do? so anyway,
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But we got married six months later.
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I asked my dad, do you have any reservations about him?
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Because the set of a cowboy.
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Humble, kind animals loved him.
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Kids loved him is funny.
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You know,
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Just just really, this package i couldn't believe
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Existed in one person.
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Not all arrogant, super humble. and,
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You know, if you kill somebody and take care of business.
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And i was like, this is this is, go.
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And, and my dad
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Said, my only concern is that war changes people.
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And i thought, well, not this guy
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Because he does
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Stuff he's not wearing the trendy clothes,
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You know, he's wearing his cowboy stuff.
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Like, he's, not overtly cowboy.
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I'm just saying, like you,
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He just didn't follow trends
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Or nothing was going to change him. that's what i thought.
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And chris and i talked about that before he was killed.
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He was murdered in 2013.
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And i said, you know, my dad said that, and i
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He goes, well, he didn't know what he's talking about.
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Who have thought. right.
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And so even chris acknowledged, like, it does it
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It's going to change you. and,
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The military has a number they were comfortable
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Putting out for the number of, of kills. and it's nowhere
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Near the real, you know, deal.
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And, and when i think about it now,
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I think
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How did he come out of that
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As loving and kind as he did?
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Because it takes a tremendous toll. so
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To kind of wrap up, you ask, like for people who don't know
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The story, american sniper showed the toll that war takes.
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It was important to chris, actually
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To add the family element,
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And i wasn't sure that was a good idea.
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I just tell your story.
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It's fascinating, you know, and
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And he said, no,
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I think we need to tell the family story
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Because he didn't want it to be just about him,
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And he wanted it to represent all who served.
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And and
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I think they accomplished that with american sniper.
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And, and so right after the book, the book came out in 2012,
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Chris was doing speaking tours. and,
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Just so your
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Listeners, you don't know, i'm, i'm so
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Proud of him and also just intrigued
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At this person who you did a book signing the first night.
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There were three hours long line that at a barnes and noble.
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And so the staff at barnes
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And noble and i were both like, hey, you know, get a chair.
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And he said, no, if these people are
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Going to stand for me, i'll stand for them.
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I was like, you know, just what a, what a what a
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And aware and humble servant heart he had.
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And so that was the way that that he did things.
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People would talk about how he
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If chris was talking to you,
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Nobody else was going to interrupt.
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I was raised in the north, so i thought interrupting
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Was just part of the way people converse, you know?
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So, i mean,
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Even if i would go up and say, hey, honey, you know,
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Maybe somebody needs you over here or whatever.
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He didn't flinch, didn't bat an eye.
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You just stayed locked into whoever he was talking to.
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And as a sign of respect for them, not disrespect me, but.
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And so
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Then people started talking about doing a movie.
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Warner brothers approached him.
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And is he signed on?
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Bradley cooper was assigned to play chris.
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They had a conversation and they turned in the rough draft
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For the script to american sniper the day before.
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Chris was then murdered.
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The timing of it, you know,
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And chris hadn't even seen the script, so
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That threw me into a different place.
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He was working on a book called american gun, where he was
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Saying, look, the the technology.
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And i know,
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You know, the merits and the,
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The technology of the guns changed
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The way that we fight wars and the way that history,
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You know, from the civil war battles and its muskets
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And, you know, to these high tech weapons.
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So he did it,
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The history of the united states, looking
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Through the different weapons and how they reformed it.
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So he was working on that when he was killed.
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And he had a company
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That he was trying to help people be safer, protect schools
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From school shootings,
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And find out how to fortify their, perimeters.
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And so he invested in all these things.
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And the movie was one of those things.
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And then he was killed.
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And, i just immediately went into
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Not only, you know, i in deep pain and grief,
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But also this desperate
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Feeling of there's so much of chris
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They can't almost defiance.
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You can take his body, but you cannot take his work.
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You cannot take his spirit like we will carry the torch.
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We will do what we can do.
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And i don't think anyone can effectively do that
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Because god creates us so uniquely for our, you know.
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But he gave us a platform.
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So the kids and i have, courtney mckinnon and i have,
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Worked through grief and tried to finish.
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I tried to finish this project and did my own speaking,
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Engagements and tried to find the ways
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That i would plug into the world. and.
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And then here we are.
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My son colin's taking over the american sniper brand.
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He's 21 now.
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And like, a week or two,
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We've we've, by the grace of god, found our way.
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I'd say you've done more than found your way.
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But i want to come in.
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You had two small children? yes.
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When chris was killed.
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He's survived multiple deployments.
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I mean, there's a there's more than a cruel twist in there.
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Yeah, and he's home
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With all these positive things opening up.
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Yeah.
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And he's murdered cruelly.
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Yeah.
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How does that impact your faith?
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You know, it's a great question.
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And and if i was to say where was god in that?
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How do i make sense of that?
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I go, god knew this was going to happen.
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He saw, didn't like,
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But saw what was happening
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All along with the mom of the entitlement,
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The kid that he was going to murder.
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But what god did is he used the years
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Prior to that to start building my faith
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And to start showing me that he is.
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It gives me chills.
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And i'm talking about ever present
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That when i was afraid for chris's life,
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You know, if people have seen the movie,
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That was wonder, did you hear the gunshots
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In the background on the phone calls every once in a while?
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And so how did i say, okay, god, it's yours.
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And chris and i had the conversations
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When his friends would die.
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Some of them, like him, are in combat
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All this while, and they don't die.
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And then somebody else stepped
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Off the helicopter for the first, you know, deployment.
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And and dies.
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So we had time to process.
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There is no fair and that we can't it's not ours to question.
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I mean, we can question, but it's not like we can demand
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An answer, right? some of it. we just have to let be.
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And so there's not an answer. right.
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You know, and and i think so god had shown me all that.
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And then the other part of
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That is i had been a single mom many times in spurts.
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And so.
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And i was not always happy about that. right.
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It was hard.
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Sometimes i would feel like this is really a how do i do this?
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And it was before we had,
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You know, instacart delivering groceries or whatever.
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You know, my family wasn't around.
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Nobody's family was around.
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It was just me trying to take my kids and do everything.
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And thank you, god, for preparing me.
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And i see when i look back
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The finite ways were the big ways
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That he prepared me to survive and would allow me to thrive
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During, you know, not only the murder,
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But then i know i've talked to you, too.
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There were so many things afterward,
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So many betrayals and people taking advantage
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And family issues and things that i went.
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There's just no way, there's no way this is happening.
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I don't understand.
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And i always knew that i didn't have to understand
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For god to be working it out.
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For god to be working it out.
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I'm getting to know you in colton a little bit. yes.
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And if i had to choose a word, i think it would be overcomer.
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Thank you.
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Because there's there's been not an event.
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There's been this series of events. yeah.
00:09:49.007 --> 00:09:50.876
And i interact with a lot of people, and it's very tempting
00:09:50.876 --> 00:09:54.146
When tragedy touches one's own.
00:09:54.780 --> 00:09:56.315
When evil touches your life, it's unfair.
00:09:56.315 --> 00:09:58.784
It takes advantage.
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It doesn't play by the rules.
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That's why it's evil, right?
00:10:01.653 --> 00:10:04.123
And you can choose permanent victim status.
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You can stop trying.
00:10:07.493 --> 00:10:08.594
You know, there's a lot of ways we respond.
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And your family.
00:10:11.230 --> 00:10:11.864
You chose different responses.
00:10:11.864 --> 00:10:13.899
Your response is different
00:10:13.899 --> 00:10:14.967
Than your children's a little bit, yeah,
00:10:14.967 --> 00:10:16.902
But together you've been overcomers.
00:10:16.902 --> 00:10:20.439
But the disappointment doesn't stop with that.
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Yeah.
00:10:22.641 --> 00:10:23.809
You know, in i lived in israel and it's the secondary attacks
00:10:23.809 --> 00:10:27.246
That are the most dangerous
00:10:27.246 --> 00:10:28.814
When there's a terrorist attack,
00:10:28.814 --> 00:10:30.048
They wait for the first responders to show up
00:10:30.048 --> 00:10:32.584
And then they take them out. yeah.
00:10:32.584 --> 00:10:34.753
And as i listened to you, i was thinking of that imagery
00:10:34.753 --> 00:10:37.189
Because the secondary and the tertiary attacks
00:10:37.189 --> 00:10:40.993
Will crush your spirit if you let them.
00:10:40.993 --> 00:10:43.061
Because people that say they're coming to help.
00:10:43.061 --> 00:10:46.198
So maybe.
00:10:46.498 --> 00:10:47.332
Can you tell a little bit of that?
00:10:47.332 --> 00:10:48.467
I don't want to read anybody out.
00:10:48.467 --> 00:10:49.868
But no, it wasn't just like an event in your life, right?
00:10:49.868 --> 00:10:53.172
I started to figure out if i believe and i do,
00:10:53.172 --> 00:10:56.708
That god is
00:10:56.708 --> 00:10:57.810
Pursuing his children, that the holy spirit is pursuing
00:10:57.810 --> 00:11:01.346
The hearts of people, that that he wants to bring home.
00:11:01.346 --> 00:11:05.083
What makes me think i can reach them?
00:11:05.083 --> 00:11:06.785
If the holy spirit hasn't?
00:11:06.785 --> 00:11:07.953
If that opportunity isn't coming to me right now.
00:11:07.953 --> 00:11:10.122
I'm not saying be lazy, but i'm saying i can't write,
00:11:10.122 --> 00:11:13.192
I can't force it,
00:11:13.625 --> 00:11:14.893
And i have to get comfortable with everybody having their own
00:11:14.893 --> 00:11:19.231
Story.
00:11:19.431 --> 00:11:20.699
People need to believe what they need to believe.
00:11:20.699 --> 00:11:22.768
I had a hunger for dogged determination, for
00:11:22.768 --> 00:11:26.572
Truth at any cost.
00:11:26.572 --> 00:11:27.539
Figure it out and dive in for, you know,
00:11:27.539 --> 00:11:30.709
And and i thought, that's not everybody's style.
00:11:30.709 --> 00:11:33.712
And and if i do believe which i do,
00:11:33.712 --> 00:11:37.516
That god has the orchestra and it's a symphony he's writing.
00:11:37.516 --> 00:11:40.719
There are different instruments
00:11:41.353 --> 00:11:42.387
And they have perfect understanding.
00:11:42.387 --> 00:11:43.922
One day,
00:11:43.922 --> 00:11:44.489
If we all get
00:11:44.489 --> 00:11:45.324
To share information, i think, well,
00:11:45.324 --> 00:11:46.625
This person maybe has to understand this part.
00:11:46.625 --> 00:11:48.961
Maybe this is mine to understand.
00:11:48.961 --> 00:11:50.329
And they have that.
00:11:50.329 --> 00:11:51.363
And together the symphony in heaven plays out.
00:11:51.363 --> 00:11:54.266
You get.
00:11:54.533 --> 00:11:55.567
You shared an illustration in your imagination
00:11:55.567 --> 00:11:58.604
Because you said god keeps putting these challenges.
00:11:58.604 --> 00:12:01.273
These challenges keep presenting themselves. yes.
00:12:01.273 --> 00:12:04.009
And you've got,
00:12:04.009 --> 00:12:05.210
I think, a beautiful word picture of how you face that.
00:12:05.210 --> 00:12:08.680
Can you share it with the folks?
00:12:08.680 --> 00:12:09.815
Yes. i'd love to, because i imagine
00:12:09.815 --> 00:12:11.750
There's some of the others facing the same thing.
00:12:11.750 --> 00:12:13.485
And i was thinking, okay, god, you've told me, you've shown me.
00:12:13.485 --> 00:12:16.989
At this point, i would say you've shown me that
00:12:16.989 --> 00:12:18.557
It's not in my power or ability, and that i have to rely on you
00:12:18.557 --> 00:12:22.327
Because i was so overwhelmed, i couldn't.
00:12:22.327 --> 00:12:23.762
And then i would notice how things would fall in place.
00:12:23.762 --> 00:12:25.764
Only god could do it.
00:12:25.764 --> 00:12:26.732
I on many different levels,
00:12:26.732 --> 00:12:28.867
I thought, these are only things that god can do.
00:12:28.867 --> 00:12:31.503
And and by the way, also, i don't want to forget
00:12:31.503 --> 00:12:34.139
That there were tremendous kindnesses,
00:12:34.139 --> 00:12:35.974
You know, along the way to so.
00:12:35.974 --> 00:12:37.943
So i'm honored i pictured i'm on the edge of this cliff
00:12:37.943 --> 00:12:41.380
And god says, jump and i'll be the parachute.
00:12:41.380 --> 00:12:44.683
So i was telling a friend of mine,
00:12:44.683 --> 00:12:45.951
I said, i've had this visual.
00:12:45.951 --> 00:12:47.653
God has asked me to jump.
00:12:47.653 --> 00:12:48.854
I've stood at the edge of the cliff
00:12:48.854 --> 00:12:50.022
And jumped without the parachute.
00:12:50.022 --> 00:12:51.223
He's the parachute. done it.
00:12:51.223 --> 00:12:53.225
And he's asked me again and i've done it again.
00:12:53.225 --> 00:12:55.227
And how many times you ask me?
00:12:55.827 --> 00:12:57.529
Because i've proven i will.
00:12:57.529 --> 00:12:59.231
So i'm at this point asking, why are you asking me
00:12:59.231 --> 00:13:02.100
To keep doing this?
00:13:02.100 --> 00:13:03.235
God, why would you keep asking, thinking that the point
00:13:03.235 --> 00:13:06.471
Was for me to prove that i trusted him and i had.
00:13:06.471 --> 00:13:10.842
And it was days later where i felt like i got the answer.
00:13:10.842 --> 00:13:13.912
And karmically, to me, it was like,
00:13:13.912 --> 00:13:15.314
I feel like god, you know, he knows.
00:13:15.314 --> 00:13:17.316
I was like, she's mad.
00:13:17.316 --> 00:13:18.383
Just give her a couple days, you know?
00:13:18.383 --> 00:13:19.985
And then he said, until it's fun.
00:13:19.985 --> 00:13:23.655
And it just washed over me like, wow, okay,
00:13:23.655 --> 00:13:26.091
So i picture the girl jumping off the cliff
00:13:26.091 --> 00:13:28.393
And her dad is saying, like, how do you know why?
00:13:28.393 --> 00:13:30.662
Catch you? you know, like, i got you by the wrist.
00:13:30.662 --> 00:13:33.165
I got you by the ankle. who would you see?
00:13:33.165 --> 00:13:34.766
I let you do a little flip there, you know.
00:13:34.766 --> 00:13:36.201
But i feel god and i feel like in some ways is that.
00:13:36.201 --> 00:13:39.404
Treat your trials and tribulations with great joy.
00:13:39.404 --> 00:13:41.406
I used to be like, that's ridiculous.
00:13:41.406 --> 00:13:42.641
That's asking too much. and now i think
00:13:42.641 --> 00:13:45.610
If if we
00:13:45.877 --> 00:13:46.678
Live the way that i want to live,
00:13:46.678 --> 00:13:49.681
Which is i understand the bad things happen,
00:13:49.681 --> 00:13:52.017
There will continue to happen.
00:13:52.017 --> 00:13:53.986
And i want to be unafraid,
00:13:53.986 --> 00:13:55.320
Which is what i think god asks of us.
00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:57.756
The explanation for me is then.
00:13:57.756 --> 00:14:00.092
Then let me enjoy to see how you work at god,
00:14:00.092 --> 00:14:02.494
Because i know i'm not going to be expected to do
00:14:02.494 --> 00:14:04.696
All i need to show up.
00:14:04.696 --> 00:14:06.231
I need to learn.
00:14:06.231 --> 00:14:07.599
I need to pray that god weeds out the weeds
00:14:07.599 --> 00:14:09.801
In my mind and plants with flowers.
00:14:09.801 --> 00:14:11.970
Outside of that though, it's really him doing the gardening.
00:14:11.970 --> 00:14:14.473
So, that has been a tremendous gift.
00:14:14.473 --> 00:14:17.876
I would say the trials and tribulations have made me
00:14:17.876 --> 00:14:20.078
An incredibly different kind of christian, and i'm grateful
00:14:20.078 --> 00:14:24.783
And likely, i think it's fair to say i would not.
00:14:24.783 --> 00:14:28.420
I'd like to think my faith
00:14:28.987 --> 00:14:30.055
Would be the same without all of that.
00:14:30.055 --> 00:14:31.256
I just don't think it's possible.
00:14:31.256 --> 00:14:32.591
I think that he allowed it because he knew that he could.
00:14:32.591 --> 00:14:36.428
He could change my heart and my faith in a way
00:14:36.428 --> 00:14:38.630
That i would be extraordinarily grateful for. it.
00:14:38.630 --> 00:14:46.993
That i would be extraordinarily grateful for. it.
00:14:46.993 --> 00:14:50.981
I'm sure chris is smiling.
00:14:51.548 --> 00:14:53.383
I hope so when he sees the progress
00:14:53.383 --> 00:14:55.385
In what you've done, i think so, yeah, i, i do.
00:14:55.385 --> 00:14:58.589
I may have an unnatural amount of time that i spend
00:14:58.589 --> 00:15:02.493
Thinking about heaven and the afterlife, and,
00:15:02.493 --> 00:15:06.463
I do sometimes feel like i've got one foot here and just a toe
00:15:06.463 --> 00:15:09.666
That keeps trying for another for the tries
00:15:09.666 --> 00:15:11.235
To get over there and see, like, what's that like?
00:15:11.235 --> 00:15:13.103
But i feel like his humble heart and,
00:15:13.103 --> 00:15:17.841
Which, by the way, maybe it's a whole other podcast,
00:15:18.909 --> 00:15:20.544
But i realize we're not married in heaven.
00:15:20.544 --> 00:15:23.847
That's a hard one.
00:15:23.847 --> 00:15:25.082
I think it was a hard one for me to head around a little bit.
00:15:25.082 --> 00:15:26.850
And then and so to say, he's a a soul
00:15:26.850 --> 00:15:31.088
Who has happiness and joy, perfect understanding,
00:15:31.088 --> 00:15:34.057
And gets to see the result of his love
00:15:34.057 --> 00:15:38.228
And his efforts playing out
00:15:38.829 --> 00:15:42.332
In this fallen world in a way that still benefits
00:15:42.332 --> 00:15:44.835
The kingdom must, i hope, make him feel like,
00:15:44.835 --> 00:15:47.905
You know, that's all right.
00:15:47.905 --> 00:15:49.339
It's a you know, it's all right.
00:15:49.339 --> 00:15:51.775
You know, we're pretty limited on
00:15:52.509 --> 00:15:53.677
What the scripture tells us about
00:15:53.677 --> 00:15:56.980
The transition between now and next.
00:15:56.980 --> 00:15:58.715
Yeah,
00:15:58.715 --> 00:15:59.683
But it leads me to the conclusion that i think
00:15:59.683 --> 00:16:01.418
The people that have gone ahead of us
00:16:01.418 --> 00:16:02.819
Are aware of what's happening.
00:16:02.819 --> 00:16:04.188
I do i firmly believe that,
00:16:04.188 --> 00:16:05.756
You know, that hebrew scripture
00:16:05.756 --> 00:16:06.957
Verses were surrounded by this great cloud of witnesses, this
00:16:06.957 --> 00:16:09.226
The imagery of a stadium, yes, filled with people.
00:16:09.226 --> 00:16:12.196
But this is our time in the arena.
00:16:12.196 --> 00:16:13.897
Yes. yeah, but the rest of them are.
00:16:13.897 --> 00:16:15.766
They're watching us in the arena.
00:16:15.766 --> 00:16:17.601
Yeah. so yeah, i definitely think.
00:16:17.601 --> 00:16:20.103
Yeah, that's an important part of your story.
00:16:20.103 --> 00:16:21.838
You didn't just stop and cry and heal.
00:16:21.838 --> 00:16:23.807
You started a foundation.
00:16:23.807 --> 00:16:25.542
You're writing books. yeah. yeah.
00:16:25.542 --> 00:16:28.045
I mean, tell us a little bit about the foundation.
00:16:28.045 --> 00:16:30.480
So the foundation is something i'm, i am passionate about.
00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:34.318
And it's difficult.
00:16:34.318 --> 00:16:35.352
Work is difficult because we are with couples
00:16:35.352 --> 00:16:38.755
For a two year period of time. that's amazing to me.
00:16:38.755 --> 00:16:41.391
And i, they come to us, they apply.
00:16:41.391 --> 00:16:43.860
It's free to them.
00:16:43.860 --> 00:16:44.861
We work solely on donations and we come from
00:16:44.861 --> 00:16:48.365
A place of their strengths.
00:16:48.365 --> 00:16:49.533
So we welcome them in and we say, look,
00:16:49.533 --> 00:16:51.168
Your marriage is less than 1% of
00:16:51.168 --> 00:16:53.036
The population will understand their marriage
00:16:53.036 --> 00:16:54.972
And they are not going to go to their organizations for help.
00:16:54.972 --> 00:16:58.742
I think all the organizations want to offer help at this point
00:16:58.742 --> 00:17:01.812
Because they realize marriage for veterans in first.
00:17:01.812 --> 00:17:04.047
Sorry. yes. right.
00:17:04.047 --> 00:17:05.015
Yeah. they veterans and first responders,
00:17:05.015 --> 00:17:06.650
Active duty and retired.
00:17:06.650 --> 00:17:08.952
And they need a place where they can go where their career
00:17:08.952 --> 00:17:12.222
For sure won't be affected.
00:17:12.222 --> 00:17:13.724
And interestingly, we pair them across the country.
00:17:13.724 --> 00:17:16.226
So when we do small groups,
00:17:16.226 --> 00:17:17.894
There could be a firefighter
00:17:17.894 --> 00:17:19.096
Here in los angeles with a police officer in new york with,
00:17:19.096 --> 00:17:22.766
You know, a green beret and minnesota or whatever.
00:17:22.766 --> 00:17:25.369
You know, it's it's
00:17:25.369 --> 00:17:27.070
And when we do that and it's just we do small,
00:17:27.070 --> 00:17:30.073
Great men, small group women's couples
00:17:30.073 --> 00:17:32.209
And then a coach, one on one with with the, couple,
00:17:32.209 --> 00:17:35.746
They can get vulnerable really fast
00:17:35.746 --> 00:17:37.180
Because there's nothing to risk.
00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:39.349
They're not going to see him at the grocery store.
00:17:39.349 --> 00:17:40.651
And they're not
00:17:40.651 --> 00:17:41.551
You know, their career is not going to
00:17:41.551 --> 00:17:42.219
Be tanked or whatever they say.
00:17:42.219 --> 00:17:43.353
So that's been an incredible experience
00:17:43.353 --> 00:17:45.889
To be able to invest in their marriages, give them tools.
00:17:45.889 --> 00:17:48.659
But very few people have.
00:17:48.659 --> 00:17:50.193
I mean, my parents fought for their marriage
00:17:50.193 --> 00:17:51.628
And did a great job,
00:17:51.628 --> 00:17:53.363
But that didn't prepare me for a military marriage
00:17:53.363 --> 00:17:55.565
That prepared me for a civilian marriage,
00:17:55.565 --> 00:17:57.501
Which was different,
00:17:57.501 --> 00:17:58.268
You know, dinner at 6:00 or,
00:17:58.268 --> 00:18:00.270
You know, making time for each other that you could count on.
00:18:00.270 --> 00:18:02.472
You can't count on schedules.
00:18:02.472 --> 00:18:03.740
You don't know if they're going to live or die.
00:18:03.740 --> 00:18:05.075
You might say you might die this deployment.
00:18:05.075 --> 00:18:08.679
And i need to pull back emotionally to protect myself.
00:18:08.679 --> 00:18:10.947
I mean, there's all these nuances or,
00:18:10.947 --> 00:18:13.283
You know, you're
00:18:13.283 --> 00:18:14.084
The organization says for sure
00:18:14.084 --> 00:18:15.452
You'll be there for your kid's birthday party
00:18:15.452 --> 00:18:16.853
This year, you know, and then then they're not.
00:18:16.853 --> 00:18:18.622
And like it, you know, all of the,
00:18:18.622 --> 00:18:21.892
The ways
00:18:22.159 --> 00:18:23.260
That these marriages are taxed, we've been able to,
00:18:23.260 --> 00:18:25.796
By the grace of god, i truly believe, find the tools
00:18:25.796 --> 00:18:28.932
And the ways to help them from a strength based
00:18:28.932 --> 00:18:32.402
Method where we say, take a strings assessment.
00:18:32.402 --> 00:18:35.906
Now we're going to work on your strings
00:18:35.906 --> 00:18:37.341
In your marriage, and here's how it's
00:18:37.341 --> 00:18:38.775
Going to benefit your family.
00:18:38.775 --> 00:18:40.043
What's the name of the foundation is taya and chris.
00:18:40.043 --> 00:18:42.312
Kyle family service, marriage strong, which
00:18:42.312 --> 00:18:45.315
I know i laughed about with you earlier.
00:18:45.315 --> 00:18:46.683
It's a very long name, but tack f tack f
00:18:46.683 --> 00:18:50.253
Um.org that was that very long name.
00:18:50.253 --> 00:18:54.024
But but the work is is good and solid
00:18:54.024 --> 00:18:56.393
And we've been doing it for over a decade now.
00:18:56.393 --> 00:19:04.000
And we've been doing it for over a decade now.
00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:08.549
So we got people listening
00:19:09.117 --> 00:19:10.585
That life has not been fair, that circumstances suck.
00:19:10.585 --> 00:19:14.122
Yeah.
00:19:14.355 --> 00:19:14.956
What are you going to say to them today?
00:19:15.790 --> 00:19:17.525
It's a great question.
00:19:17.525 --> 00:19:19.994
The best thing i can offer, i believe, is one.
00:19:19.994 --> 00:19:24.365
Pour it out to god. i don't mean that in a cliche way.
00:19:24.365 --> 00:19:26.634
I mean, literally when you're mad, say i'm mad,
00:19:26.634 --> 00:19:30.004
You can be an overcomer and still have days
00:19:30.905 --> 00:19:33.841
Where you're just frustrated, sad, exhausted.
00:19:33.841 --> 00:19:37.412
And i hope that i can encourage people
00:19:37.412 --> 00:19:38.913
To give themselves space for that and space
00:19:38.913 --> 00:19:42.717
To to come in strong
00:19:42.717 --> 00:19:45.787
And truly.
00:19:45.787 --> 00:19:47.255
We can't compare
00:19:47.255 --> 00:19:48.356
Our lives to anyone else, and everyone does suffer
00:19:48.356 --> 00:19:50.525
Whether they want to say it or not.
00:19:50.525 --> 00:19:51.993
So i think we're fairly, fairly savvy knowing that
00:19:51.993 --> 00:19:55.596
Most people airbrush their lives on social media.
00:19:55.596 --> 00:19:57.498
But let's.
00:19:57.498 --> 00:19:57.932
The reality is,
00:19:57.932 --> 00:20:00.368
Everyone in the bible.
00:20:00.368 --> 00:20:01.702
I was thinking about this actually before
00:20:01.702 --> 00:20:03.004
I came here today.
00:20:03.004 --> 00:20:04.472
John the baptist, paul, daniel, jesus himself, their suffering
00:20:04.472 --> 00:20:09.110
And their story
00:20:09.477 --> 00:20:10.545
Would not be as impactful for the kingdom at all
00:20:10.545 --> 00:20:13.047
If they hadn't had the suffering and the recovery.
00:20:13.047 --> 00:20:16.117
And we have lamentations to show us that that's part of it.
00:20:16.117 --> 00:20:19.420
Right? so,
00:20:19.720 --> 00:20:21.422
That's one of the things i learned in the beginning.
00:20:21.422 --> 00:20:23.157
I just thought, i'm crying and i'm devastated.
00:20:23.157 --> 00:20:24.759
And i just have to keep going.
00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:25.760
And i've learned
00:20:25.760 --> 00:20:26.928
At this point, it's okay to stop and breathe in the pain
00:20:26.928 --> 00:20:30.298
And keep going.
00:20:30.665 --> 00:20:30.665

Allen Jackson: American Sniper | Allen Jackson Now

October 3, 2025 | 24:30

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