Hope for the Parents of the Prodigal Child ~ from a Prodigal
Do these words haunt you: "Mom, Dad, I don't want your rules and morals. I don't want to act like a Christian anymore! And I'm not going to," Barbara Juliani (then Barbara Miller) made this declaration at the age 18. As her father desperately attempted to reason with her, Barbara grew more resentful, choosing a path of immorality that only deepened her parents' pain.
Such a declaration from a child, no matter their age, creates havoc and soul-searching in the hearts of their parents, who often ask, “What did I do wrong?”
When Your Son Commits Suicide - Grieving Moms Finding Hope
Jacke Rose, founder of Grieving Moms Finding Hope, joins Sharon Betters to talk about her journey to find hope and purpose after the death by suicide of her son, Randy. The loss of a child cannot be fathomed but Jacke’s son also unsuccessfully attempted read more…
Surviving A Tsunami of Grief: A Conversation with Andrea Maher
Her 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?
Depression in Motherhood
After trying everything she could to stop her slide into a dark depression, young mother Christine Chappell tearfully told her husband she needed help and admitted herself to a facility. In her book, Midnight Mercies, Walking with God through Depression in Motherhood, Christine describes read more…
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.
The Unexpected Treasures of Down Syndrome
When unexpected moments change life’s trajectory, we’re left with a choice: Do we overcome the unexpected, as the world recommends, or undergo it? In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Chuck L. Betters, Author Jillian Benfield says experiencing an unexpected season begins a transformation that deconstructs read more…
The Power of a Praying Grandmother
What is a grandmother’s role in the lives of her grandchildren? How can she pass on a legacy of faith? What if she is estranged from her grandchildren, or they don’t seem to be interested in having a relationship with her? What are some practical ways a grandmother can intentionally pursue a friendship with her grands and what if they don’t respond to her efforts? What about those envious feelings when a grandmother sees all the beautiful read more…
Parenting Like Our Father
Are you tired of all the parenting books full of strategic checklists, how-to advice and quick tips? While some of the books are actually really helpful, Christina Fox, Sharon Betters and young mom Melissa Weisenfels talk through what it means to parent through the grid of how our heavenly father parents us, His children. They touch on questions like: How can a better understanding of God’s character, i.e. His consistency, discipline, 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…
Mother-In-Law and Daughter-In-Law Relationships ~ Making Room For Her
In this conversation and in their book, Making Room for Her, Barbara and Stacy Reaoch jump headfirst into a topic sure to generate much discussion and maybe even confrontation: Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. Mother-in-law jokes are easy to find and most expect read more…
For Moms - Hope in the Trenches
While most do not experience motherhood as a crisis, every mother has experienced periods of weariness, frustration, regrets – and shame because we just don’t feel like we’re enough for the tasks at hand. In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Melissa Weisenfels, Christina Fox, a mother herself, encourages us that there is minute by minute help and hope for mothers, no matter what season of life. Christina has a special love for mothers struggling to find hope in those especially hard days and shares her love in her book Sufficient Hope, Gospel Meditations and Prayers for Moms.
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.
The Gift Of Tim, Parenting Our Adult Son With Down Syndrome
In 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.
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.
Finding Freedom In The Rough Pathways Of Life
Renee Dixon compares her life as a widow, single mom, and small business owner with mounting bills to climbing a hard, rocky pathway filled with gnarled roots. She describes how she learned to grasp those roots as a means to pull herself along the hard road of life that sometimes felt impossible to travel. Those gnarled roots along the pathway helped shape Renee into a woman whose own determination, endurance and grit encourages the very people she is called to serve.
Lost Hope: A Look At Teenage Depression And Suicide
The third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year olds is suicide and depression. This interview is an honest conversation with two professionals who have helped teens and families through these struggles. Parents and teens alike will benefit from strategies to help teens find hope in the darkness of depression.
Helping Your Teens With Same-Sex Attraction
How does a parent help a child navigate sexuality when so many forces come against a biblical worldview? This interview offers practical help so that parents can respond with confidence and wisdom as they help their children understand sexual integrity in a sexually broken world.
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.
Adoption: Acknowledging the Primal Wound
This resource will help adoptive families enjoy the blessings and struggles of adoption. This compelling interview is designed to equip adoptive parents and adopted children to better understand the “primal wound” that some adopted children experience.
Stillbirth: From Empty Arms to Hope and Healing
Days away from the joy of holding their first child, Bill and Michelle feel their world crumbling as the doctor’s words settle in to their souls, “There is no heartbeat.” Justin and Carrie look forward to welcoming their second child into their home when their doctor gives them the same horrific news. Two couples, two responses to loss that seems almost impossible to bear.