All Pro Dad Podcast

Episode: Tim Timmons: I Can Only Imagine 2 and Fatherhood

Date: February 16, 2026
Guest: Tim Timmons (Singer/Songwriter, Co-writer of “Even If,” inspiration behind I Can Only Imagine 2, and author of Waking Up: A Journey of Grief and Gratitude)
Host: Ted Lowe

Overview

In this emotionally honest and uplifting episode, host Ted Lowe interviews Tim Timmons—a musician and central figure in the new film I Can Only Imagine 2—about the intersections of grief, gratitude, faith, and fatherhood. Together, they explore how profound life challenges, including living with incurable cancer, have shaped Tim’s approach to parenting, marriage, and his understanding of joy amidst hardship. The conversation blends humor with humility, tackling practical ways for dads to reconnect with their kids, own their shortcomings, and bless their families every day.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Weight and Wonder of Fatherhood

• [00:45] Ted shares how moved he was by seeing Tim’s story in the new movie, sparking a conversation about how adversity has reshaped Tim as a dad and husband.
  • Tim describes the lifelong journey of being a present, attentive father despite ongoing personal struggles.

2. Living Sober and Present in Life

• [01:39] Tim unpacks his routine of drawing an X on his wrist—a daily reminder of gratitude for life after being given five years to live with stage four cancer 25 years ago.
  • “The greatest gift of sorrow and pain and calamity and just stuff is sobriety. ... I can either embrace sobriety... just being sober in life. The most present to the possible moment.” – Tim ([01:58])
  • He distinguishes between being “drunk” on worry, scarcity, or performance, and striving instead for “sobriety” in giving his attention to what matters.

3. Embracing Reconnection

• [02:20]
  • Tim stresses the importance of owning mistakes and seeking reconnection—whether with God, spouse, or kids:
    • “My goal is reconnection. Reconnection, Reconnection, reconnection. Sever. Reconnection, reconnection. ... I hope my kids and my wife would say that Tim... he owns things, he will own his crap.” – Tim ([02:36])
  • Emphasis on journeying “with” family rather than making them do things “for” him.

4. Seeing Life on the Screen

• [04:49] Ted asks what it was like for Tim to see his life dramatized in a movie.

  • Tim shares the surreal and healing experience of watching his hardships from an outsider’s perspective, gaining newfound compassion for himself and appreciation for seeing his wife’s journey.

  • “To see yourself from outside of yourself was really profound. I think I gained a compassion for myself that I’ve never had before.” – Tim ([05:19])

5. Family Reflections on the Film

• [06:14] Tim talks about the impact on his wife and kids (including their insistence the movie not be “cheesy”) and the unique opportunity it presented for his children to see parts of his story firsthand.

6. On Milo Ventimiglia Portraying Tim

• [07:29] Tim’s daughters were starstruck by the casting, especially as Milo, known as "Jess" from Gilmore Girls, is a family favorite.
  • “I watch him [Milo]... and in the movie he does it. I’m like, Tim, you gotta stop being an idiot. ... He picked up all my dumb idiosyncrasies.” – Tim ([08:44])

7. Holding Hardship and Joy Together

• [09:24] The film shows the tension between hardship and joy, which Tim admits is a continuing struggle in his real life.
  • He advocates for “-ing” words (learning, figuring) to emphasize being in process.
  • “I’m still in the process of figuring out how to hold healthy grief and healthy gratitude at the same time.” – Tim ([09:45])
  • Warns against cheapening joy by rushing to positivity and calls for holding grief and gratitude simultaneously.

8. Faith and the “But God” Tendency

• [11:49] Ted probes why Christians often rush to “but God” after hardship.
  • Tim distinguishes honoring pain from dismissing it: “For me just to put blinders on to what’s hard is not, I don’t think, honoring. ... If we were better at [sitting with each other’s pain] than just throwing Bible verses at each other... maybe, but that’s really not helpful right now.” – Tim ([12:08])
  • References ancient practices of grief like sitting shiva and how Jesus modeled grieving with others.

9. The Honesty of “Even If”

• [13:49] The song resonates because it’s raw and real about suffering.
  • “Celebration without desperation is empty.” – (attribution to Stan Endicott, quoted by Tim, [14:05])
  • Tim maintains that joy is authentic only when it comes through despair, not by glossing over it.

10. Modeling Vulnerability and Reconnection with Kids

• [15:12] On apologizing and owning mistakes as a dad:
  • “Every time there’s some kind of winning I’m trying to do, I think I’ve just lost. ... I’m just admitting when I’m like, dude, I’m sorry. ... I didn’t need to say that.”
  • Tim practices pausing, breathing, and asking “Jesus, you have my attention” rather than reacting from anger or ego.

11. Talking to Kids About Hard Things

• [18:19] Tim describes his and his wife’s practice of praying for God to “open the door” for hard conversations, such as telling their children about his cancer, waiting for natural openings based on the child’s readiness.

12. About the Book: Waking Up Again

• [19:59] Written with his wife, the book is a mix of funny and difficult stories, practical faith practices, and what he hopes will help believers look more like Jesus, not just follow religious systems.
  • “What could happen if we looked like Jesus—not like a religious system, but like the person and the heart and the words of Jesus in this world?”

13. Pro Move for Dads: The Blessing Practice

• [21:19] Tim offers a practical exercise: Call out what already exists in your kids—bless them by naming their positives and God-given qualities.
  • “The word blessing, one of the definitions is to call out what already exists.” ([21:44])
  • “You’re giving identity statements to your kid. That’s a blessing...” ([23:18])
  • “Let’s start with our family as being the blessers of the world.” ([24:03])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Presence:

  “I get drunk on worry about my finances all the time. I get drunk on scarcity... I want to be more sober this year than I was last year.” – Tim ([02:02])

• On Making Amends:

  “If there’s anything that people will say... I hope my kids and my wife would say that Tim... will own his crap. ... My goal is reconnection.” – Tim ([02:36])

• On Compassion for Himself:

  “To see yourself from outside of yourself was really profound.” – Tim ([05:19])

• On Faith and Hardship:

  “Joy is never found on the mountaintops... Joy is only found through the crap. ... I’m in process of learning how to really hold these two tensions well, and put a big old ‘and’ there, not a ‘but’.” – Tim ([10:36])

• On Authenticity in Christian Music:

  “Celebration without desperation is empty.” (Stan Endicott, quoted by Tim, [14:05])

• On Parent-Child Reconnection:

  “When I win, I actually lose relational connection. ... I’m just admitting when I’m like, dude, I’m sorry.” – Tim ([17:12])

• On Blessing:

  “When I bless my kids, my blessing is saying, Son, I see this in you. You are— you look like God in this way, buddy. ... We get to start with our home.” – Tim ([22:12])

Important Timestamps

• 00:45 – How hardship redefined fatherhood for Tim
• 01:39 – The daily X, cancer, and practicing sobriety in life
• 02:36 – Owning mistakes and aiming for reconnection
• 05:19 – Compassion from seeing his life in film
• 06:14–07:29 – Family’s reactions to the movie and casting
• 09:45 – Balancing grief and gratitude; process-over-perfection
• 12:08 – Why Christians rush past pain
• 14:05 – The power of “Even If” and honest celebration
• 15:12 – Steps to reconnect after parenting missteps
• 18:39 – Talking to kids about hard things; waiting on natural cues
• 19:59 – Purpose of his book
• 21:44 – Practical “Pro Move”: Blessing your kids

Final Takeaways

• Tim’s journey is marked by daily intentionality: being present, owning mistakes, and seeking connection.
• Parenting is a continual process, not a destination—embrace humility and the ongoing nature of growth.
• Blessing your children is about identity, not material things: call out and affirm the good you see in them.
• Hold grief and joy together—don’t rush to fix hard feelings but trust that real joy comes through walking honestly with suffering.

This episode is a must-listen for dads (and anyone) seeking authenticity, hope, and actionable wisdom for the hardest and most meaningful job: loving your family well.