For many, forgiveness may feel invalidating, a minimizing of our pain. Have you been hurt by someone? Do you struggle to forgive? God does not ignore our pain nor minimize our experiences. Forgiveness through Him is more than just letting go. Listen today and learn how God sees forgiveness and explore the powerful work only God can do in the lives …

Do you have questions about God? Are you interested in learning about Him? In 2017 I faced many challenges and felt the strain. Oddly, despite these difficulties, I was more at peace than I’d ever been. Do you desire peace? Do you need rest? Listen today and learn how you can begin today, through a saving relationship with Jesus Christ! TRANSCRIPT …

Discover extra content in the blog post “Passing” Summer! The summer of 2016 found me discovering God in a whole new way. Convicted of sins I’d thought nothing of in the past, I sought to surrender to God and experience victory over sin. This new path would take me through dangerous situations as well as improved relationships with others. This sur…

Discover extra content in the blog post Meeting Mr. Bot!! << List of Episodes >> Ever found yourself seeking one thing, yet finding another? Have you experienced unexpected connections in your life? It’s the spring of 2016, and I find myself at a crossroads, encountering someone who would profoundly impact my life. But along with this encounter com…

Discover extra content in the blog post – BEFORE << List of Episodes >> Before the confines of prison, I had an ordinary life, family, dreams. Before 2010, everything seemed on track. Life has a way of surprising us, doesn’t it? Before 2010, I didn’t see the tragic detour ahead, a journey that would challenge every belief, every idea of self. Then …

Discover extra content in the blog post Projecting Hope!! << List of Episodes >> This episode describes my emotional journey as a mother incarcerated while battling to maintain parental rights and find a suitable living arrangement for my son, Tim, who is in foster care. Throughout my efforts, I face disappointments, such as Tim’s failed reunificat…

Discover extra content in the blog post Love & Hate!! << List of Episodes >> In this episode, we explore the journey of healing and transformation through loving and serving others. Despite facing broken relationships and personal struggles, I discover the power of love and reconciliation guided by divine intervention. Delving into scripture and pr…

Discover extra content in the blog post Taste & See!! << List of Episodes >> From Surviving to Living: Transformation Through Faith In this episode of ‘From Surviving to Living,’ Holly Bot shares her remarkable journey of transformation from a felon and sex offender who endured hard time, to being deeply moved by faith and the power of change throu…

Discover extra content in the blog post Breaking Bias!! << List of Episodes >> In this episode of ‘From Surviving to Living,’ it’s the beginning of 2016, and I discuss the challenge of special occasions like birthdays behind bars, and my journey towards spiritual awakening through reading the Bible. I touch on the difficulties of sharing my newfoun…

Discover extra content in the blog post Surprised by Joy!! << List of Episodes >> This is the episode you’ve been waiting for – and you won’t be disappointed! It was October 2015 and my life was about to take a dramatic turn. Soon my life would be filled with wonder, excitement and peace! Life didn’t get easier, in fact my circumstances would becom…

Discover extra content in the blog post Where’s My Son? << List of Episodes >> Are you curious about the Holy Spirit’s power? Do you desire a deeper connection with spiritual strength in the midst of life’s challenges? Join me on a transformative journey as I navigate a challenging new job and fight for my parental rights, all while discovering the…

Discover extra content in the blog post Last Call!! << List of Episodes >> It was spring 2014 and I found myself trying to adjust to a new normal, again. My youngest son had been put in foster care the previous fall, taken from my husband due to neglect and abuse. I struggled to navigate the legal system and social services from inside prison walls…

Read the blog post for more content – Unintended Idle, Agency and Dehumanization!! << List of Episodes >> In November 2013, my world was shattered when I received the gut-wrenching news that my youngest son, Tim, had been rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. I wasn’t by his side to offer comfort and support. No, I was locked away in prison…

Discover extra content in the blog post Sex Offender (SO) Treatment!! << List of Episodes >> During my prison experience in 2012, I initially resisted a sex offender treatment program, feeling misunderstood and defensive. Embracing change, I pursued a new job and healthy lifestyle, losing weight and feeling better. I share difficult experiences suc…

Discover extra content in the blog post – No Pie & 6 Months No Shower!! << List of Episodes >> In 2012 I began my second year in prison. Facing another 7 years behind bars I wrestled with clinical depression as I struggled to maintain contact with my children while working a prison job. My oldest son, meanwhile, joined the Army and headed to boot c…

Discover extra content in the blog post – Ring Toss & Doppelgangers! << List of Episodes >> In November 2011 I was finishing my first year in prison. I had recently been on suicide watch in the prison’s segregation unit after my husband left the state with our children. A brief stay afterwards in the prison’s mental health program had brought me to…

“From Surviving to Living” is a both a serialized audiobook as well as a hybrid podcast, splitting out of its standard format monthly to interview guest in a studio setting. The serialized format uses the blog at www.hollybot.me for episode content, chronicling Holly Bot’s journey through prison and reentry in community. “From Surviving to Living” …

Discover extra content in the blog post – GENERAL ASSEMBLY! << List of Episodes >> Do you desire success, respect, love? Do you feel unconditionally respected and loved? Eight months into my prison sentence I faced uncertainty. While I waited for employment I considered my failures. I hoped for relief, a better future! Distraction from the truth wa…

Welcome everyone! I’m Holly Bot and This is From Surviving to Living, the podcast where raw stories of transformation are told. This is not just a podcast; it’s the power of change! God is interested in you! My story is not fiction. I am a woman, a felon, a sex offender; I did hard time. I am so awed by Jesus I will risk my reputation and talk abou…

Discover extra content in the blog post – WoW! << List of Episodes >> In October 2011 my definition of rock bottom was redefined when my husband left the state with our children. After 2 weeks on suicide watch the prison transferred me to a mental health program named Woman of Wellness. The social isolation of prison was made more complete by the d…

Discover extra content in the blog post – A PADDED ROOM! << List of Episodes >> In October 2011 everything I thought I knew was turned upside down. My husband fled the state with our children, and still facing 7 more years in prison, helpless, I threatened suicide. While I’d suffered serious depression for years, I became mentally fractured. I shar…

Discover extra content in the blog post – ORIENTATION! << List of Episodes >> In March 2011 I entered prison and was placed in an orientation class. After 2 weeks I was given a job and prison life began. Life outside of prison continued for my family as well, and as I sought to redefine my role as a mom of 5 children I would also experience the los…

Discover extra content in the blog post – BAIL, SENTENCING & PRISON INTAKE! << List of Episodes >> Imagine your life on hold for a year, every day another day closer to a prison sentence. I might get only probation. Or I could get a 12 or even 30 year prison sentence. I pled guilty. Sentencing was up to the judge. The wait was terrible; the outcome…

Discover extra content in the blog post – JAIL! << List of Episodes >> In 2010, I was arrested. I felt like the problem in my family, their strong beliefs made me feel like a failure. Have you ever disappointed someone? How did it make you feel? These are the questions I had as I went through the jail’s intake process. I felt really lonely and sad,…