Some places leave marks on you. They don’t get to decide who you become.

What “bones” stay with you long after you leave a place?

In Episode 70, the first conversation of 2026, Will Abel and Michael Grier open the year with an honest reflection on identity, faith, and the internal battles that follow us into adulthood. The Bones of West Texas explores how environments shape us without giving them permission to define us.

This is not a glorification of hardship. It’s a conversation about clarity, stewardship, forgiveness, and the quiet decision to stop reliving old chapters. From oilfield life and fractured seasons to faith, fatherhood, and freedom, this episode invites listeners to face what lingers beneath the surface and choose how they move forward.

If you’re stepping into a new year ready to live free from what no longer serves you, this episode is for you.

Key Topics Covered:

• Facing internal battles with honesty

• How environments shape you without defining you

• Letting go of old identities and expectations

• Money as a mirror and the responsibility of stewardship

• Faith, forgiveness, and personal growth

• Childlike faith as strength, not immaturity

• Choosing intentional change instead of staying stuck

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Connect with the hosts:
Will Abel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/willabel
Michael Grier: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelgrier