Ordinary on Purpose
Dr. Mikala Albertson aimed to be exemplary in all she did – marriage, motherhood, her career – but her seemingly picture-perfect life began crumbling when she realized her doctor husband was addicted to drugs and nothing was perfect after all. Listen in as Mikala shares her story of striving and suffering in the hunt for perfection and found that embracing her gritty, messy, complicated, tough ordinary life led her on read more…
Dealing with Unwanted Thoughts
Most of us can admit to seasons of struggling with unwanted thoughts, perhaps rooted in fear of the unknown, a broken relationship, a horrible past of abuse. For some people, unwanted thoughts are a nagging discomfort. Others experience them as a brutal and invisible form of torture. Thoughts spiraling out of control can lead to sleepless nights, uncomfortable relationships and wasted read more…
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…
Bipolar Mental Illness
Help! I’ve Been Diagnosed with a Mental Illness! The words, “You have a mental illness” bring fear, uncertainty, sometimes shame, loneliness, and even hopelessness. Christine Chappell heard those words as a young woman. They helped her understand many of her struggles with depression and self-harming behavior but also took her into a foreign land where she had no road map. Christine talks to Sharon Betters about how her journey began as a young adult until she knew if she didn’t get help, she might take her own life. While her diagnosis helped make sense of her disturbing emotions, it also confronted her with
Companionship in Suffering
Sometimes one of the hardest places in suffering is the isolation and loneliness of pain. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Wendy Alsup shares how suffering came in wave after wave, leaving her breathless and lonely. In one particularly dark and painful period after intense surgery for cancer, Wendy discovered she was not truly
Lou Gehrig's Disease and Loss
This thoughtful conversation between two men who share the grief of losing a child will challenge listeners with their responses to grief and Ellis’ response to the illness and death of his beloved Colleen.
Hope In The Hardest Places with Lynne Hartke
Against the backdrop of the Sonoran Desert, Lynne Hartke asks her own hard questions as cancer arrives like a thief. As Lynne wrestles with a tumble of tangled emotions, a shaken faith, and self-doubt cancer is now not only threatening her own life, but, in a surprising twist, the lives of both her parents as well.
Loving Your Friend Through Cancer with Marissa Henley
At age 34, Marissa Henley learned she had a rare form of a deadly, aggressive cancer. Her diagnosis sent her on a journey to find the best treatment which meant long separations from her family. Marissa weaves her story in the context of how to walk with a friend through the battle of her life. Marissa equips us to not only know how to respond practically but how to better understand the questions and fears of a cancer fighter.
Mental Illness & Suicide
In this conversation Judy Springer tells how she has lived with mental illness and continues to live with the aftermath of suicide. After a lifetime of the unrelenting pain of mental illness, Judy’s beloved husband, Scott, took his own life. Judy shares their story as a way to redeem some of the pain of Scott’s struggle to find healing and death.
Intentional Grieving
In this poignant conversation with Sharon Betters, a little over a year after the death of her beloved pastor husband, Sherry shares how Mike helped prepare her to be intentional in life after his absence. Her story will not only encourage widows but anyone who struggles with this foreign land of grief.
Hope in Waiting
Whether you are in a waiting room right now because of cancer, stroke, traumatic injury, a child struggling to hold on to life, a health crisis of any kind, you know the emotions of waiting – fear of the unknown, sadness over knowing life will never be the same, anger – you name it. Yet in the midst of it all, Elizabeth reminds us of the certain hope and peace of the gospel.
Blessings Through Storms
Sharon Betters interviews GRAMMY winner Laura Story who shares details of how her life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The fairytale life she had dreamed of was no longer possible, yet Laura found a "better broken' with Jesus. Laura's story will remind listeners while your situation might never change or get better, with Jesus YOU can.
When Life Unravels and It’s Good
Rachel’s Craddock’s mother died after a long battle with breast cancer. Rachel was fourteen years old. In this interview, Rachel answers some hard questions not just about her mother’s death but also her own decision to have a double radical mastectomy after she learned she had a high chance of getting the same kind of cancer as her mother.
Breast Cancer – My Journey
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.
Cancer & Grief: A Conversation with Elizabeth Groves
Melanoma, 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.
Bipolar Disorder: One Family's Journey Towards Hope
In 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.
OCD and the Search for Truth
A 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.
Standing with Hope: Through It All
How do you find purpose when you are in excruciating pain 24/7, survived 78 surgeries and most likely face more? Add to that your status as a double amputee. In this interview, Gracie Rosenberger, who was 17 when she was in an almost fatal car accident, shares what life and marriage is like with such challenges. Gracie’s story reveals a woman of strength and determination in the face of impossible obstacles.
Hope In Uncertain Days: A Young Woman's Story Of Overcoming
A young woman, beginning to see her career as a recording artist start to take off, hears the diagnosis no young person ever expects: “You have an inoperable brain tumor.” Listen as Caitlin describes her battle to find a cure and then just when life seemed to be turning around, the news that shook her world once
Raising Victoria – A Daughter With Down Syndrome And Life Threatening Cancer
Within hours after Victoria’s birth, Karen and her husband learned that their third daughter had Down Syndrome. Though initially frightened by this news, Karen and her family’s love for Victoria grew deeper as they recognized the awesome privilege of raising such a precious daughter.