What's Your Turning Point?: A Story of Faith, Fatherhood, Service, and What Remains

What moments define a life? In What's Your Turning Point?, Julian M. Slocum Sr. shares a deeply personal story of faith, responsibility, service, loss, and resilience. From nearly drowning as a baby to later being baptized in the same water, Julian's life has been marked by moments that forced him to grow, adapt, and keep moving forward.Raised in a small Mississippi town by a single mother and surrounded by grandparents, uncles, aunts, sisters, and brothers who stepped in to support him, Julian learned early that responsibility and discipline shape character. Becoming a father at seventeen pushed him to mature quickly and begin building a future not only for himself, but for his child.After struggling through college while balancing work and family responsibilities, Julian made the decision that would change the trajectory of his life—joining the United States Army. Over the course of a twenty-year career, he served in multiple leadership roles, deployed in support of missions around the world, and advised senior leaders on complex Equal Opportunity issues affecting military formations. Along the way, he continued his education, earning multiple college degrees while serving, proving that growth does not stop when life becomes demanding.But some of life's greatest turning points came after the uniform came off. Following his retirement from the military, Julian faced one of the most difficult seasons of his life with the loss of his uncles, his mother, and his brother. Through grief, faith, family support, and reflection, he learned that healing does not mean forgetting—it means learning how to keep living while honoring the people who shaped you.Through powerful storytelling and honest reflection, What's Your Turning Point? explores themes of:faith and spiritual growthfatherhood and co-parentingleadership and serviceresilience through lossthe importance of family and community Read more