Illness, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Illness, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Walking with Your Loved One Through Chronic Pain and Illness

The title of Nate Brooks’ book, Disrupted Journey, Walking with Your Loved One Through Chronic Pain and Illness describes the transparent conversation he had with hosts Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist. The day he brought his wife home from the hospital, he was suddenly responsible for a whole new layer of living that included caring not only for his wife’s needs but taking care of three young children and all that means – piled on top of his…

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Faith, Relationships, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Faith, Relationships, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Desperate Woman Seek Friends

From the time you’re little, your experience with friendships can make or break your day – whether it’s a five-year-old who is left out of the game on the playground, or a thirty-year-old who sees pictures on social media of her friend group having fun without her, or facing the most hurtful season of your life completely alone –  friends or the lack of friends have power to help or hurt.  Sharon Betters and co-host Heidi Nequist discuss the topic of…

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Faith, Relationships, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Faith, Relationships, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Helping Others Go Through What We Went Through

1 in 8 couples have trouble getting pregnant. That's about 6.7 million people each year who have trouble conceiving. - 10—15% of women who know they are pregnant will experience a miscarriage. Some studies say it’s higher. - About 1 pregnancy in 100 at 20 weeks of pregnancy and later is affected by stillbirth, and each year about 24,000 babies are stillborn in the United States.1 - This doesn’t take into account the number of babies diagnosed in the womb with a terminal condition – meaning if they survive their birth, they will not live very long. Kathe Wunnenberg knows the sorrow of such losses. In this transparent conversation with Sharon Betters Kathe shares her own journey of grieving infertility, miscarriages and the loss of her

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Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Help for Parenting Children with Disabilities

In this conversation, Sharon Betters and Steph speak as two friends, as they talk about the fact that a child with disabilities might be different but is not “less than”. Sharon and Steph discuss how hurtful comments from others might be a reflection of their own hearts and the need for each of us to learn more about the lives of those parenting children with disabilities. Listen in as Steph challenges us to consider how we respond when around a child with disabilities. Do we recognize them as deserving of the same love and care as a child without disabilities? Does your church enfold such families into the body of Christ? Steph shares how a biblical worldview of disabilities, that is, God’s view, will transform your heart.

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Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Finding Joy In The Hard Places With Autism

Paul and Jill Miller welcomed their sixth child, daughter Kim, into their home in 1982. It became apparent at a young age that Kim was behind in her developmental milestones. Kim was diagnosed as having autism, a disorder that was just beginning to be recognized by doctors. Kim’s diagnosis not only created enormous stress on their family, but also isolated Jill as she learned how to parent their precious child. In this remarkable conversation Paul and Jill take us back to those early days and how Kim’s life has taught them life-changing spiritual truths and led them to fall deeper in love with Jesus.

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Caregiving, Illness MARKINC Ministries Caregiving, Illness MARKINC Ministries

The House of Hope

Cori Salchert, fosters and adopts “hospice babies” whose own families find it too hard to cope with their child’s terminal diagnosis. In this moving conversation, Cori shares with Sharon Betters how God used her years of undiagnosed pain and illness to help equip her to care for “hospice babies”. Cori’s story will inspire and encourage you to recognize you, too, have the privilege of offering help and hope through your everyday life.

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Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Adoption and Children with Special Needs: A Hard Calling Filled With Joy

In this transparent interview,  Jim and Karen share the highs and the lows of their international adoption journey, from how they began their adoption adventure, to the challenge of finding the new normal for their family. Listeners will get a glimpse into the reality of adoption and how it draws you closer to Jesus. 

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Faith, Caregiving, Parenting, Special Needs MARKINC Ministries Faith, Caregiving, Parenting, Special Needs MARKINC Ministries

Prayers for Your Baby or Child in a Medical Crisis

As a baby grows in the womb, we often hear, “I don’t care if it’s a boy or girl, as long as the baby is healthy.” Sadly, sometimes, frightened parents hear the words from their doctor, “I’m sorry, but your baby….” You fill in the blank. In this conversation with Jessika Sanders and Erik Schumacker, co-authors of In His Hands: Prayer for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis, we talk about how…

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Grief, Special Needs, Parenting, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Grief, Special Needs, Parenting, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Disability, Death, Guilt and Grief

In this moving and sometimes emotional conversation, Sharon Betters talks to Susanna Musser and her friend and counselor, Heidi Scott, about the sudden, accidental death of Susanna’s adopted son, Tommy. This conversation will not only encourage others in similar places, but will give listeners a renewed understanding of the burdens some parents bear and how to help them.

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Later Years of Life, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Later Years of Life, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Caring For My Husband With Alzheimer's

In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Pam describes how a diagnosis has changed the direction of their plans for retirement, how important it is to get an early diagnosis and the way the Lord has grown her faith. Pam’s children told her that in spite of a lifetime of ministry, this season of life is perhaps the most important as she models for them how to love their dad well in what many call the long goodbye.

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Later Years of Life, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Later Years of Life, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Caring for Aging Parents Part 2

Kathy Chapell and Elizabeth Turnage join Sharon Betters to talk about how to care for aging parents. We’re going to talk about the challenges of caring for elderly parents. Kathy and Elizabeth share lessons learned as frailty and illness required their parents to make major changes in their living arrangements. They admit they wish they had done some things differently and their transparency will help read more…

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Later Years of Life, Emotions, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Later Years of Life, Emotions, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Caregiver: Who Cares for You?

Marissa Bondurant joins Sharon Betters to share how her caregiving journey started when her family received a devastating diagnosis for her four-year-old daughter. Not only does she have comfort to offer caregivers, but her story through the land of childhood cancer will also encourage us. Marissa takes listeners deep into her journey of caring for not just one child but two children diagnosed read more…

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Faith, Caregiving, Illness MARKINC Ministries Faith, Caregiving, Illness MARKINC Ministries

Relentless Pain, Beauty Beyond the Thorns

In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Darci, and Mark freely answer questions about their struggle to find a “new normal” when Darci was incapable of caring for their girls or their home. Mark brings the unique perspective of a full-time caregiver and how Mark sometimes struggles with meeting all the needs of their children and his wife. They both share the spiritual challenges of understanding the sovereignty of God over what seem like set backs and unfair loss and how the Lord has met them in their most broken read more…

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Early Onset Dementia, A Mother’s Journey

What if your kind, gentle adult son started exhibiting bizarre behavior, so bizarre his wife got a restraining order and he ended up in prison? Our guest in this conversation, Robin, knows this terror as she lost her son little by little to an undiagnosed disease read more…

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Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Joy in Caring for a Child with Special Needs

Thousands of families quietly and lovingly care for children with special needs. Though the days are often long and hard, many find joy in their calling and would not trade their calling for anything. Kara Dedert and her family reflect this joy in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of caring for their son and brother, Calvin. In her introduction to her blog, Kara writes, “You’ll find me writing about the good, gritty, gracy parts of faith, family and home. I’m married to Darryl and we have five kids. One of our sons has severe disabilities from Zika. It’s broken our hearts and also filled us with hope – I write about that, too.

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Later Years of Life, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Later Years of Life, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

Dementia with Dr. John Dunlop

In this interview Sharon Betters asks Dr. John Dunlop, author of Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia, to define dementia, the stages of dementia, what it is like to care for a loved one with dementia, and more. He reminds us that every person is made in the image of God and that truth needs to be the grid through which we view those with dementia and the kind of care we give.

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Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries Parenting, Special Needs, Caregiving MARKINC Ministries

My Son with Down Syndrome & Brain Injury: Parenting Joseph

For over twenty plus years Sue and her husband have parented three sons, one of whom was born with Down Syndrome and a brain injury. Joseph will never care for himself in any way. He is totally dependent on his parents for his well being.  In this conversation, you will hear the story of a mother who is filled with the hope and leans into her Lord for wisdom and strength.

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The Grace Land Of Marriage And Disability: A Conversation With Joan And Jerry Borton

Jerry was born with Cerebral Palsy and Joan had worked with people who have disabilities throughout her life, so she thought she knew what she was signing up for when they were married. In this transparent interview,  Joan and Jerry share the challenges of marriage and disability. But you might be surprised at what they describe as some of their greatest challenges.  Listen as Joan and Jerry offer hope to people with disabilities, to the parents of children with disabilities, and to others as well.

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