Lisa Kowal heard the diagnosis of breast cancer and recognized she was about to begin a hard journey into the scary land of Cancer. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, also a breast cancer survivor, Lisa shares her journey in a way that will help equip those coming behind her to face this enemy with strength.
Read MoreMelanoma, the word strikes fear into the hearer, especially when it is a diagnosis for a loved one. Al Groves and his wife, Libbie, heard these words and knew life would never be the same. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Libbie shares the journey that her family experienced in the year after her husband Al’s diagnosis of terminal cancer. She offers her family’s story as a means of coming alongside of others who are struggling with cancer, God and grief.
Read MoreUnless we die young, each of us will experience aging. Is it possible to be “ever growing ever green” as we age? Is sixty really the new fifty? What does it mean to flourish in old age? What if we don’t have energy to do all those wonderful things we did when we were younger? When should we start preparing for old age? Is there anything glorious about growing old?
Read MoreIn this interview, one family describes their battle to find stability when their family life revolves around the insecurity of a wife and mother diagnosed with Bipolar illness. The purpose of these resources is to offer help and hope to those who struggle with “secret” pain, those difficult life crises that are hard to understand or discuss, harder still to experience.
Read MoreCorie Weathers shares her own marriage struggles as a the wife of a military chaplain in this conversation. She describes intimate, sacred moments where her understanding of how she realized that when she said goodbye to her husband when he was deployed to Afghanistan, she was actually saying goodbye to life as she knew it. Corie doesn’t leave listeners without hope or a path forward.
Read MoreLindsay’s story includes a painful childhood, drug addiction, and how getting caught while robbing a house landed her in prison. Yet all of these broken places led her to a life of freedom. Lindsay’s story helps listeners to understand that sometimes those most awful hurts are pathways to experiencing the very things for which we desperately long.
Read MorePastor Bob Allums, husband and father, learned at thirty-two years of age that he faced the battle of his life against throat and mouth cancer. The possibility that the disease and treatment would destroy his ability to speak, to preach and teach was real. Before the diagnosis, Bob struggled with overwhelming depression, a darkness whose roots he could not identify.
Read MoreFrom age 12 to 18, Doug began to experiment with any and all drugs that he could get his hands on. Over the course of the next few years, oxycodone became the dominant Idol that consumed him and eventually transitioned into a full blown heroin addiction. In this far reaching conversation, Doug touches on how parents should respond to the manipulation of the drug addict, why addicts are willing to destroy their lives and loved ones for that fix, and why addicts often go back to drugs after rehab.
Read MoreIn this free flowing conversation Stephanie Hubach’s joy in parenting son, twenty-five year old Tim, who has Down Syndrome shines through. Steph admits to a chronic grief that can pop up even in the middle of joyful fun with Tim. Steph speaks directly to those parents struggling to see any joy in their own parenting of a child with special needs and encourages them to freely determine the best way for them to function as a family.
Read MoreTom Stewart experienced a decade of sexual abuse throughout his childhood by his Scout leader. His story is not easy to hear, but he pulls back the shades on decades of the cover up of horrific sexual abuse in a highly respected organization: The Boy Scouts of America. Through Tom’s sometimes excruciating words, other victims of abuse will hear a resounding declaration of help and hope, no matter how shattered by the actions of another.
Read MoreFor 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.
Read MoreOn October 2, 2006, Marie Monville’s husband entered an Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and shot ten young girls, killing five of them, before turning the gun on himself. How does a person find hope in such darkness? How does the wife of the man who perpetrated such horror rebuild her life and the lives of her children? How could she ever forgive her husband?
Read More“I sat by myself on my living room couch. Alone. Scared. I tried to piece together what 13 years of sexual addiction had just torn apart. My life was unraveling and I couldn’t harness my out of control behaviors. I remember thinking I might be better off dead than alive,” said Johnathan Daugherty. Listen as Jonathan describes that downward spiral and what turned his heart toward healing and a redeemed marriage.
Read MoreHer oldest son’s battle with drug addiction ended when drug induced hypothermia took his life. Several years later, her youngest son made a decision that would forever change his life and resulted in imprisonment. How does a mother not just survive but find hope and joy when a tsunami of grief repeatedly slams her deeper into an abyss of sorrow?
Read MoreA courageous woman shares her lifelong struggle in the grip of the lies of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Though typically thought of as someone who washes their hands repetitively, some people struggling with OCD have other rituals and some merely struggle secretly in their thoughts. OCD is a debilitating disease that affects millions of Americans and it is believed less than 10% seek treatment. Here is a look at the many different faces of OCD and how Gail’s increasing knowledge of the disorder and her faith have helped her begin to heal.
Read MoreHow do you pursue your dreams when congenital muscular dystrophy threatens your independence? At fourteen years of age, Tim had a fourteen-hour surgery to straighten his spine. Tim describes how the post surgical excruciating pain led him to question God’s wisdom and love. He had to relearn to walk and cannot walk without assistance to this day. But instead of turning inward into a bitter, young man, Tim persevered through a year of pain and rehabilitation that helped him learn to walk with assistance. The recovery period gave him time to think through his goals of pursuing a life of purpose. In this transparent interview, Tim shares some of the ways he intentionally interacted with other students and school staff, as well as his own understanding of God’s purposes for his life.
Read MoreEdie’s father died when she was four years old so when her mother brought a new man into her home, she welcomed him as her father. When she was nine years old, this man began regularly raping her in her home. By the time she was twelve, he was taking her to hotel rooms where he trafficked her to men and women for the purpose of sex until she was seventeen. How does a child recover from such
Read MoreJerry 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.
Read MoreBob Petterson was abandoned by his mother, shifted from one abusive foster home to another, bullied not only by kids but by some of his foster parents, beaten and sexually assaulted by numerous people tasked with being his protectors. Is there any hope for such a child? Bob shares how he grew into a hope-filled man who learned to trust God.
Read MoreHer body was too fat and limiting her calories seemed like the right way to lose a little weight. Slowly, the weight melted away, but one day, this beautiful young woman realized that she had starved herself into a medical crisis. Rebecca shares her painful journey and how she found the pathway to recovery.
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