Help & Hope: Recent Episodes
MARKINC Ministries
The Help & Hope audio testimonies addresses life's darkest circumstances that are often difficult to discuss, yet need to be faced as we help one another walk by faith. These are the real-life testimonies of people who have walked through these experiences and have found their strength in Christ.
Having a long-term or chronic illness can disrupt your life in many ways. Managing your illness can be overwhelming as you try to understand what's happening in your body and how you can best use the energy you have each day. Chronic illnesses can be frightening, because you may not understand why this is happening to you. In this transparent interview, Sharon Betters leads the conversation with three women who share some of their daily challenges as they live with the impact of Multiple Sclerosis, recurring cancer and Heart Disease, Diabetes, Fibromyalgia, and multiple auto-immune diseases. You will be encouraged in your own life journey as Carol Marker, Sherry Bitler, and Debbie Kahler open up their hearts and share practical ways to make the most of each day, to live life with purpose, and to see God's gracious love in the pathways He has chosen for them.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Preparation for retirement requires more than just financial planning. For most people, and especially for Christians, it comes with a host of other considerations—when to retire, where to live, and how to spend one’s time. Many find themselves asking, "Is there a right way to retire?" And what about the cultural perspective, “I’ve worked hard all my life, this time it’s all about me!” Is it ok to pursue pleasure that was unattainable before retirement? And what if unexpected changes in our health make it impossible to do what we want. How do we deal with disappointment and discontentment? In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Dr. John Dunlop addresses these questions and shares practical strategies for Christians as they approach their retirement years. John encourages listeners to start thinking about retirement while they are young and shares suggestions for determining how to intentionally live with purpose in this last season of life.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Elyse Fitzpatrick, author of over twenty books, a frequent conference speaker, and counselor, joins hosts Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist to discuss aging and the second half of life. Rather than a question-and-answer format, listeners will feel like they are sitting around a table with three friends who are sharing their thoughts, concerns, and questions about what it means to age in this culture. For example, why is aging so hard? How does a sound theology help us age with grace in an anti-aging culture? Why is midlife difficult for women? How does aging affect marriages, and why do so many marriages break up about five years after children leave home? How can we prepare for this vacuum? What about children moving back home? What do we do with regrets? And so much more.
Grab your favorite drink, sit in your favorite chair, and be encouraged and challenged as you join Elyse, Sharon, and Heidi for a fun and deep conversation on aging.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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There are many blessings that come with age: retirement, grandchildren, travel, and life experience. Today’s culture, however, marginalizes old age, often portraying it as burdensome and hopeless. Many older women can feel like an encumbrance rather than a blessing to their friends and family members. In this conversation with Chuck L. Betters, while acknowledging aging can be hard and challenging, Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt encourage women to find hope through both real-life and biblical accounts of women who rediscovered gospel-rooted joy later in life. Listeners will be encouraged as they experience afresh a gospel that is big enough, good enough, and powerful enough to make every season of life significant and glorious.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19.
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
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Many people have experienced betrayal, someone violating your trust perhaps by lying, cheating, some kind of abuse, putting their own interests ahead of yours when they promised otherwise. Betrayal affects every part of our hearts, often in ways we don’t understand at first. Some hurts we carry with us to the day we die because they are so deep and seem impossible to resolve. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Wendy Alsup shares the impact of betrayal from her own life, not only through an unwanted divorce but also in her church life. But Wendy doesn’t leave us in the mud of betrayal. Instead, she speaks frankly about the power of forgiveness. Wendy’s view of forgiveness is not stereotypical. Pulling examples from her own life, Wendy talks about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation and how understanding ambiguous loss can help us as we grieve the losses of betrayal. Whether you are still gasping for air as the impact of betrayal hits you hard or you are carrying the wounds of broken relationships from years ago, this conversation will help guide you through the minefields of grief and loss.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19.
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This conversation is for pastors and ministry wives and those who love them. While there are occupational hazards in all lines of work, ministry families experience conflicts that sometimes not only result in broken relationships but the loss of their beloved church family. In most jobs, wives are not expected to be unpaid laborers, stand by their husband’s side every Sunday, remembering every name and something about the families, teach a class, play the piano, or host multiple gatherings for every age. What she considers deep friendships root and grow. Her children see the church as their second home. Imagine the trauma when conflict reveals that many view her only as a commodity, useful as long as her husband pleases the congregation. She learns that those for whom she has hurt the most are sometimes the ones who will hurt her deeply. In this conversation, two seasoned ministry wives, Karen Grant and Sharon Betters talk freely about these challenges and how to respond when trusted friends betray. Ministry wife, you are not alone.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19.
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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 talk with Kristen Strong about the topic of friendship. Kristen knows what it’s like to have to search for new friends, as she has relocated numerous times as the wife of an Air Force Veteran. Kristen, Sharon, and Heidi discuss the challenges of friendship, such as how a “desperate woman” can seek out friends, and breaking through closed friend groups – is it even worth trying? Dealing with unrealistic expectations, how to handle a friendship “break up”; learning how to trust after a friend break up; maintaining a friendship when you are divided on politics, culture, and maybe even faith?
Listeners can tell by the titles of some of Kristen’s books that she loves talking about friendships – titles like Friends are Family We Choose,Praying Through Loneliness, and her newest book, Desperate Woman Seeks Friends. You will feel like you are sitting with friends as you listen to this conversation.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
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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.
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 son. Her deep sorrow taught Kathe that God can transform anything you offer Him into hope to help others. Kathe Wunnenberg is a hopelifter. Her motto reflects the purpose of her own life: “We go through what we go through, to help others go through what we went through,” Kathe’s passion for offering others the help and hope of Jesus and to equip us to be the hands and feet of Jesus shines in this conversation where she offers suggestions for lifting the spirits of a hurting friend, telling us the daily opportunities to make a difference in hurting lives are limitless for a Hopelifter. (hopelifters.com)
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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From age 12 through the age of 18, Doug began to experiment with any and all drugs, from ecstasy to crystal meth, 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. Doug shares his journey into drug addiction including how being raised “in the church” left him so empty that he searched and found acceptance in the fans of a band called Insane Clown Posse. Their message of sex, drugs and violence filled the empty hole in his heart. In this far-reaching conversation, Doug touches on how parents should respond to the manipulation of the drug addict, whether coming off of drugs cold turkey as he did is always the best way, why addicts are willing to destroy their lives and loved ones for that fix, and why addicts often go back to drugs after rehab. Doug offers hope, not only to the person addicted to drugs but to the people who love them.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
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With the explosion of the technology age we are currently in, easily-accessed porn invades younger and younger hearts, often unbeknownst to parents. When encouraged to protect their children from tech invasions, many parents vehemently declare that their child is so innocent and so protected, they are not concerned for their welfare. Their relationship to their child is so secure, that their child would not secretly travel into such a dark world. Sadly, these parents are often in the dark when it comes to what their young children have already seen and experienced through innocent interaction in video games, research for reports, etc. In this interview, Cooper Pinson of HarvestUSA lays out practical ways that parents can use to put into place additional layers of protection, and how to talk to their children about the dangers of porn, and how to respond when they are exposed to inappropriate material.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
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Depression affects more than 15 million American adults – 6.7% of the population 18 or older. Twenty percent of teens experience depression before adulthood and 70% will have more than one episode of depression before adulthood. 8.3% of these teens suffer depression for at least a year.
Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression.
Untreated suicide is the leading cause of suicide, and suicide is the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 – 24.
These overwhelming statistics demonstrate that depression is a broad life crisis with many unique circumstances. Similarly, in this interview, Danielle’s story demonstrates that depression in young adults is often rooted in childhood. It’s easy to hide depression, and to slowly hide away rather than fight the dark feelings of sadness, loneliness and worthlessness. Danielle offers help and hope as she describes the steps she took to find her way back to a life of purpose.
For more help and hope about depression and counseling options visit The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation's page: https://www.ccef.org/topic/depression
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Thin. Fat. Thin again. Dieting. Binging. Starvation diets. Grapefruit Diets. Low Carb. Thin. Fat. Thin again. Constance Rhodes understands the obsession with body image. In this conversation, she shares her own roller coaster struggle with weight. Young people and adults alike will find a friend in Constance as she transparently tells her story of weight loss, weight gain, and the thin cage in which she found herself trapped.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
Support the show
Stephanie Hubach is no stranger to the challenges of raising a child with special needs as a researcher in disability ministry and the mother of a son with Down Syndrome. Stephanie has spoken to thousands of parents about the struggles and the blessings of children who might be seen by our culture as dispensable but in God’s world are indispensable. We lose many gifts and blessings when we do not recognize that what appears weak to us is actually the strong. Steph’s passion for families raising children with disabilities moved her to write Parenting and Disabilities – Abiding in God’s Presence as a daily devotional designed to turn hearts toward Jesus. 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.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
Support the show
In this interview, two sets of parents speak honestly about how their children with an autistic spectrum disorder impacted their dreams, challenged their marriages, and created chaos in their homes. They also describe their special joys in parenting their children. If you are parenting a child with special needs, you will relate to their transparent descriptions of parenting children with a form of autism. These interviews will also better equip friends and family to come alongside of parents of children with special needs. Included is an interview with Alex, a 16-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome. Alex hopes his words will help parents and children with autism alike to live with hope and strength as they travel this pathway.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
Support the show
Bryan and his wife Sharon say the diagnosis of severe autism for his son Matthew confronted them with the reality that the future they had planned would never come. In this transparent conversation Bryan touches on how he and his wife went into survival mode, how he initially thought he could “fix” his son, the spiritual struggles they experienced, and the impact of Matthew on their other children and their marriage. Though their journey has been challenging, Bryan offers help and hope to anyone experiencing upheaval through circumstances beyond their control.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
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Nearly aborted, graciously adopted, and later abandoned, Lori Sealy has traveled the road of atheism and lived a life of autism. Lori was diagnosed with Autism as an adult, and not long after that diagnosis, learned her son had autism as well. Lori is a classical pianist and songwriter whose music gives a transparent view into the intimate struggles of faith and life that she experiences.
In this interview, parents of a young man who has autism ask Lori the questions burning in the hearts of other parents with high-functioning children that struggle every day with the "thorn of autism."
This is a powerful and rich conversation that will help parents better understand their children, and how to help them find their way in a sometimes confusing and scary world.
Travel with Lori on our life journey through her blog or check out her website where you can also learn more about her music and contact information for booking Lori for an event.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
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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. She was also nonverbal. Kim was diagnosed as having autism, a diagnosis 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. Paul is author of numerous books, including A Praying Life and A Loving Life. He is Executive Director of seeJesus, a global discipleship ministry which he founded in 1999 to help Christians and non-Christians alike “see Jesus.” Since that time, Paul has taught more than 100 seminars, written a dozen interactive Bible studies, and released three books focused on seeJesus’ core themes: the person of Jesus, love, and prayer. Jill is Paul’s wife, and she has her own list of amazing accomplishments, including starting businesses and writing curriculum, and is known for her sense of humor and faith. With all of their amazing accomplishments that offer help and hope to hurting people, perhaps their most loved one is raising their six children and enjoying life as grandparents to 12 grandchildren.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
Support the show
Pornography – do you know someone who is struggling with this particular sin? Unfortunately, it’s likely that you do, but you may not know how to help. In these two conversations, host Dr. Chuck Betters, along with Rebekah Hannah (Director of Anchored Virtual.co, an online biblical counseling service), talk with counselors Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes, who provide biblical strategies for guiding a fellow believer toward recovery. This worldwide pornography crisis is destroying families, marriages and individuals. But what happens when it comes into your own home or the heart of someone you love? Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes have co-authored two books on pornography: Rescue Plan and Rescue Skills. They are both biblical counselors and draw on their own research and experience as biblical counselors to offer concrete information and guidance on how to help pornography users in diverse circumstances to overcome addiction. Be sure to listen to both Part 1 & Part 2.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Send us a text
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What happens when a four-year-old gets an unwanted education in the darker side of humanity and experiences sexual abuse at the hand of her father? In this powerful, sometimes difficult to hear interview, Dr. Terry Eccles takes the listener into the abyss of the sexual abuse she experienced beginning at the age of four. This interview gives hope to the abused but also gives a window into the soul of the abused in a way that will better equip the listener to walk alongside the victim of abuse.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Some stats state that 50% of married couples in churches have experienced sexual betrayal in their marriage. When a wife learns about her husband’s sexual betrayal, in the blink of an eye, a bomb detonates and blows up her marriage. The very foundations on which she built her home shatter, and she can barely breathe, let alone find her way out from under the rubble. Ellen Dykas has walked with hundreds, maybe even thousands of women as they have struggled with sexual betrayal and offers hope from years of helping these hurting women. In this conversation with co-hosts, Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson, Ellen’s tender heart and passion flow freely for offering hope to women whose husbands have betrayed them. She encourages listeners to know they are not responsible for their husband’s sin, and that they do not need to carry shame. She is particularly concerned that they understand the need for self-care. This topic is too deep for a half-hour conversation so we hope, whether you are fresh in facing sexual betrayal or have secretly carried this devastation for years, you will get Ellen’s FREE books: Jesus and Your Unwanted Journey: Wives Finding Comfort After Sexual Betrayal. One is a participant’s guide and the other is a Leader’s Guide. These resources are for women who need help applying the gospel to their marriage in response to their husband’s sexual sin. But they are also for those who love them and want to help. You may never have experienced sexual betrayal in your marriage. This conversation will equip you to walk with a friend who has. These books are resources for you and your friend.
Jesus and Your Unwanted Journey – Wives Finding Comfort After Sexual Betrayal
Participant’s Guide: https://harvest-usa.myshopify.com/collections/curriculum/products/jesus-and-your-unwanted-journey-wives-finding-comfort-after-sexual-betrayal-participants-guide-free-digital-download
Leader’s Guide: https://harvest-usa.myshopify.com/products/jesus-and-your-unwanted-journey-wives-finding-comfor-after-sexual-betrayal-leaders-guide-free-digital-download
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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"In August 1999 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. As I sat there I had a lot to consider. I was a sex addict." (From 2.bebroken.com) Exposure to pornography at the age of 12 was Jonathan’s first step downward into the abyss of sexual addiction. Listen as Jonathan describes that downward spiral and what turned his heart toward healing and a redeemed marriage.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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When a son, sister, or grandchild begins to behave in unexpected and disturbing ways, family members hope it is simply a phase. For some, it is instead a life-time illness – schizophrenia. The diagnosis of schizophrenia can bring shock, fear, and worry to everyone involved. But in the midst of the numerous challenges, hope doesn’t have to die. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Simonetta Carr shares the story of her beloved son, Jonathan, and her experience of caring for him as he struggled with schizophrenia. Simonetta doesn’t sugarcoat the enormous challenges and emotions that were non-stop. She talks about how she fervently prayed for Jonathan, the fears she had to confront, and how the church came alongside Jonathan and her in this battle. You may not have a loved one with schizophrenia, but Simonetta and Jonathan’s story will give you insight into the enormous battle facing families with such a diagnosis. You can learn more about schizophrenia and find numerous helpful resources in Simonetta’s book, Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them: Schizophrenia through a Mother's Eyes.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Pastor 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. In this rich conversation with Chuck Betters, Bob steps back into those frightening days and describes how that period transformed him and helped make him into the joyful man he is today. This far-reaching conversation touches on the heart of suffering and will touch your heart with the help and hope of Jesus.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Andrea Herzer, a woman well acquainted with long term debilitating health issues, having spent the last twenty years with multiple illnesses, including regional pain syndrome and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, joins Sharon Betters for this Help & Hope podcast. Numerous times Andrea experienced moments of hope only to have it dashed by another diagnosis, another setback. Certainly, her heart was a fertile place for bitterness and anger to grow. Yet, in Andrea, you are going to meet a woman who discovered incurable faith and a longing to share that pathway to life with others suffering from pain and life-debilitating diagnoses. Through her suffering, the Lord has brought a beautiful source of encouragement in her book, Incurable Faith, 120 Devotionals of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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How do you pursue your dreams when congenital muscular dystrophy threatens your independence? When you are born with muscular dystrophy, you face a life of muscles breaking down, and therefore being unable to keep up with growth spurts. During a normal growth spurt, Tim’s spine curved so rapidly, that without a full spinal fusion, he would die. At fourteen years of age, Tim had a fourteen-hour surgery to straighten his spine. Tim describes how the excruciating post-surgical 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 into a bitter young man inwardly, Tim persevered through a year of pain and eventually, 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. His dream to attend a university away from home seemed impossible, but Tim persevered and successfully learned how to navigate the streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while attending Drexel University. Tim successfully completed the “fast track” of earning two degrees during the same time period: a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering, and a Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. Rather than using his disability as an advantage, he was determined to help people know him as a person, not as the student with a disability. 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.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Almost 40% of young adults live with their parents or grandparents. This is the highest percentage in 70 years. The last time young adults did life in such proximity to their parents or grandparents was just before the Depression. Then it was out of financial need. Today it seems there is a whole different perspective on the part of the young adults. Dr. Chuck Betters talks to Jim Burns, author of Doing Life with Your Adult Children, about some of the challenges for parents as they transition from parenting children to parenting young adults. Jim gives practical advice and hopeful encouragement for this tough yet rewarding transition. If you have an adult child, you know that parenting doesn't stop when a child reaches the age of eighteen. In many ways, it gets more complicated. Both your heart and your head are as involved as ever, whether your child lives under your roof or rarely stays in contact. In this conversation and in his book, parenting expert Jim Burns helps us navigate one of the richest and most challenging seasons of parenting. Speaking from his own personal and professional experience, Burns offers practical answers to questions often asked by parents of adult children.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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When Lovette told her mother she was pregnant, her mother took her to an abortion clinic despite protests and tears. A few months later, Lovette was again pregnant, and though she cried, she followed the routine and returned to the abortion clinic. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Lovette shares her story with hope that her journey to healing will help other women avoid the pain and grief she experienced after her abortions. Not only will the woman struggling to recover from an abortion receive hope from Lovette’s words, listeners will be better equipped to help a friend who faces a crisis pregnancy.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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It's tougher than ever to be both a kid and a parent today. The world's culture is continually pushing an anything goes sexuality on our children. What’s a parent to do in order to help their children navigate their sexuality, social media, the ever-present temptation of pornography, the continuous bombardment of our sexually explicit culture. In this Help and Hope resource, Dr. Betters and Sharon interview Dave and Heather Wilson. Dave and Heather live with the daily challenges of raising their four children and transparently share how parents can have the “sex talk,” how to help your child when you catch them in sexual sin and practical ways to shepherd your child’s heart. Dave works for Harvest USA and is a seminar leader and counselor.
Please let us know how this resource has encouraged and equipped you!
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Barbara Juliani and Jane Anne Wilson join Sharon Betters to talk about those feelings every mother experiences at one time or another. This conversation follows an interview with Barbara about prodigal children. Barbara and her father Jack Miller co-authored Come Back, Barbara, a raw and transparent story of Barbara’s rebellion against her parents and their faith and her journey “back home”. Whenever a child rebels or disappoints parents, mothers often feel ashamed and as though their child’s behavior is a reflection on their parenting skills. “Was I too soft, too hard, spanked when I shouldn’t have, neglected a specific need in my child?” Where do moms go with these feelings? If you are that mother, this conversation will encourage you as you realize you are not alone and there is a way toward freedom. These are links to the books referenced by Barbara:
Instruments in the Redeemer's Hands
Shame Interrupted: How God Lifts the Pain of Worthlessness and Rejection
A Small Book about Why We Hide: How Jesus Rescues Us from Insecurity, Regret, Failure, and Shame
For more about Barbara’s journey as a prodigal child, check out Come Back, Barbara.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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If you’re a parent, it’s likely you have had more than one sleepless night reviewing the mistakes and perceived failures of that day. We resign ourselves to carry the emotions of fear, guilt, shame, and regret for the rest of our lives. But do we have to just let these emotions hang around and take over our thinking? The answer is no! Co-hosts Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist talk to Lauren Whitman, counselor, author, speaker, and mother about when parents feel like failures. But they don’t stop with the bad news. They also discuss how Jesus can quiet our distress. Friends, there is hope! Lauren is a mother, counselor, author, and speaker who writes from her experience in her book, When Parents Feel Like Failures, How Jesus Quiets Our Distress. Even if you’re not a parent, this conversation will help equip you to come alongside a friend who is struggling with these difficult emotions.
Learn more about Lauren: https://www.ccef.org/people/lauren-whitman
Join us to listen to a prior Help & Hope Story with Lauren: A Painful Past – Healing and Moving Forward — MARKINC.org
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Days, months, and years after the loss of her sister, Natasha Smith tried to hide the grief she carried. But the pandemic took away her ability to hide her sorrow and her five-year-old’s response to her unexpected tears gave her permission to grieve – not in a room by herself but with her daughter.
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Natasha shares how culture insists we “move on” from loss quickly and even how the church is often not equipped to handle sudden outbursts of tears or waves of sorrow. Natasha encourages us to take hope and instruction from Psalm 56:8, where we read that God keeps track of all of our sorrows and collects every one of our tears in a bottle.
If you are hiding your grief – maybe for years, you will resonate with Natasha’s conclusion that giving ourselves permission to grieve means coming to the realization that it’s okay to not be okay.
Author of: Can You Just Sit With Me? Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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How are you feeling today? Stressed, overwhelmed, drowning in too much to do, anxiety, the rubble of broken relationships – just life? Are these feelings seasonal or do you struggle with persistent gnawing anxiety? Sometimes, something happens that feels like the straw that breaks the camel’s back and we cry out, “I didn’t sign up for this!” Ann Swindell, author of The Path to Peace, Comfort When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed gets it! After repeated disappointments and hurts, one day Ann declared, “I didn’t sign up for this!” But that moment of hitting bottom was the beginning of seeking unshakable peace. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Ann will be sharing some of what she learned about genuine peace, not only through her own journey but the lives of men and women in scripture. You will be mentored and encouraged in your own search for the pathway to peace.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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It doesn’t take much research to realize anxiety is a primary emotion experienced not just by teens but also by adults. Our guest, Liz Edrington, is no stranger to anxiety. As a teenager, she felt overwhelmed by anxiety. Now, she is a mental health counselor and wants to pass on what she’s learned. She has written a 31 day devotional for teenagers called Anxiety, Finding the Better Story. In this conversation, Sharon Betters and Liz Edrington talk about how anxiety affects us negatively but how it can also be a gift, how to come alongside teens who are struggling to navigate this world that seems so out of control, and much more.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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“Edith, we urge you to learn Braille, train with a white cane, and learn to cook blindfolded...” These warnings from Doctors and a Rehab team along with major eye surgery and regular vision-loss monitoring by top specialists at Johns Hopkins University Hospital struck fear in Edith Yoder’s heart.. As a single Christian woman living alone in the mountains of Western Maryland she had already dealt with total vision loss in one eye. Now, the gravity of the possibility of total blindness was yet another blow as Edith felt even her “new normal” begin to crumble. In recent years her dream job as a CNA had already come to a screeching halt and it was obvious that not only physically but also spiritually, the decisions she would make in the following weeks would be crucial in this fight to retain her physical sight and her spiritual vision. In Christ, Edith has found purpose for her pain, strength sufficient for the struggles, and blessings beyond measure as she shares her message of hope to “Walk by faith, not by sight”!
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. These numbers have been rising steadily; between 2007 and 2012, anxiety disorders in children and teens went up 20%.
These stats, combined with the rate of hospital admissions for suicidal teenagers also doubling over the past decade, leaves us with many concerning questions. (source: https://www.childhealthdata.org/learn-about-the-nsch/NSCH)
In this Help & Hope interview, Jessica Thompson, author of How to Help Your Teens with Anxiety, talks to Sharon Betters about some of the root causes of anxiety and offers practical tips for how parents can get their kids talking about anxiety and how they come alongside of their children during their teen years.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Cori Salchert, fosters and adopts “hospice babies” whose own families find it too hard to cope with their child’s terminal diagnosis. She is the mother of over fifteen children, some of whom died in her care. Cori traveled a very painful pathway before she arrived at her calling to caring for and loving terminally ill children so that they will not die alone. Cori shares her journey into this calling in her book, I Will Love You Forever, A True Story about Finding Life, Hope & Healing While Caring for Hospice Babies. She calls her home a “house of hope” where she and her family dedicate their lives to providing dying children with loving hospice care until the end of their lives. In this moving conversation, Cori shares with Sharon Betters how God used her years of undiagnosed pain and illness help equip her to recognize the value of every human being, no matter how “unproductive” others might view them. Her first hospice baby was Emmalynn, a baby born missing part of her brain. Instead of dying in a hospital, during her last days of life, Emmalyn was surrounded and snuggled by people who loved her. Cori says, “Emmalyn didn’t suffer, she wasn’t in pain, and most certainly wasn’t alone…What a gift it is to be a part of these babies’ lives, to cherish and love them even though they aren’t able to give anything back."
No matter your season of life or daily responsibilities, 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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Jim and Karen Weaver’s international adoption journey led them to welcoming not one, but two boys into their family, making them parents of four daughters and two sons. In this transparent interview, Jim and Karen share the highs and the lows of their journey, from how they began their adoption adventure, to the realization that life would never go back to the normalcy of raising four daughters, to how the extreme emotional meltdowns created chaos in their home but also taught them about their own hearts. Through their story, listeners will get a glimpse into the reality of the hard places in adoption and also learn how they can come alongside of adoptive families. Listeners will recognize how adoption has transformed Jim and Karen and drew them into a deeper awareness of their need for Jesus, the power of prayer and how to look inward when hard times come.
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Darby Strickland’s children’s books, Something Sad Happened and Something Scary Happened are designed to not only help children deal with trauma but also equip their parents. In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist, Darby answers multiple questions about how to help a hurting child such as: A child suffers a deep loss or experiences a scary, traumatic event. How do you help that child? How is a child’s response different than an adult’s? What are signs your child is frightened or deeply grieving? How can we encourage children to share their feelings openly and seek God’s comfort without feeling like they need to hide or “be strong”? What are some of the common fears of children? What are some practical ways we can help a child grieve or overcome their fears? This conversation will help equip those who love children to help them process their fears and grief.
Contact Darby: www.darbystrickland.com
Something Scary Happened
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Happened-Children-Traumatic-Experiences/
Something Sad Happened
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Sad-Happened-Helping-Children/
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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“I end every day feeling defeated because I lost my temper with my kids, vowing tomorrow will be better, but it usually isn’t...I don’t want my kids to be 'less than' their friends. I also want them to stand out as college applicants. But I don’t think I can keep up with this schedule of activities. They are ages 5 & 9...Whenever my child fails at something, I’m the one who feels guilty and judged...When is it my turn? I look forward to an hour of quiet time after the kids are in bed and no matter how hard I try, something robs me of my time.” Christina Fox addresses these parenting concerns and much more in this conversation with Sharon Betters and Melissa Weisenfels. How can good parenting motives turn into idols? What should we do when we discover that our motives for doing good things for our kids just might be wrong? Christina is the author of Idols of a Mother’s Heart and numerous other books and articles. Connect with Christina at christinafox.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Have you ever thought about what your family will remember about you when you are gone? Have you considered intentionally leaving a legacy of faith? In this conversation, co-hosts Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist talk with Elizabeth Turnage, life and legacy coach, author, and speaker, about questions such as: What is a "spiritual legacy"? What types of legacies can we leave? What about stories? Which stories should we share? How do we share these stories? What if our family doesn’t want to hear our stories? What if we feel like our story is unremarkable? How do we share the ”broken places”? Should we share those “secrets” that have shamed us? How can processing our story help us in our own faith walk?
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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The fear of miscarriage is one of the biggest fears of a pregnant woman. Jessalyn Hutto, author of Inheritance of Tears, When Death Enters the Womb knows not only this fear but the reality of miscarriage and the accompanying grief. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Jessalyn brings hope to women who grieve the loss of their children through miscarriage. She offers a priceless gift to those women coming behind her who have experienced such deep loss. Jessalyn reminds listeners that Jesus cares very deeply about every child who is lost to miscarriage and He cares very deeply about every mother who is deprived of that life.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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As a baby is growing in the womb, we often hear the words, “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 Schumacher, co-authors of In His Hands: Prayer for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisis, we talk about how a medical crisis can leave a parent or grandparent speechless, even to the point of not knowing how to pray except, “Lord, please…..” Jessika is a mother who has experienced the frightening world of the NICU, and Eric is a dad who understands loss. They bring much wisdom and comfort to parents who are raising children with a medical crisis.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Relationships can be so hard and sometimes painful. Are they worth it? What are some of the pitfalls of relationships? How can our expectations of others sabotage our relationships? When someone we care about disappoints us, and they will, what questions should we be willing to ask ourselves to determine how to proceed? How can God use disappointments and broken relationships for our good? Is there ever a time to just walk away? Sharon Betters asks Ellen Dykas these questions and more. All of us struggle with relationships. We know this conversation will encourage and equip you to not only understand yourself better but how to navigate what can sometimes be a scary minefield.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Lucy Malmberg’s grand adventures in life began when her parents hid her in a blanket-covered box as waited in line to board a plane to America from Ukraine after World War II. Her parents passed on to her a legacy of not only love for America but a passionate love for Jesus.
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Lucy freely shares how her faith guided her beloved husband George and her in the co-founding of Wedgewood Pharmacy, now, the largest national specialized pharmacy in veterinary compounding and a leader in the animal health industry. Lucy describes the legal battle that took them all the way to the Supreme Court. She also shares treasured wisdom taught by her parents that influences her to this day.
Lucy’s intimacy with Jesus and passion for prayer is woven throughout this conversation, including her description of how she lamented before the Lord through four miscarriages and the loss of her stillborn son. Lucy’s love affair with her Savior will instill in listeners a longing for the same intimacy with Jesus.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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This was one of the first grief-stricken questions Sharon asked her husband, Chuck, hours after learning of the death of their sixteen-year-old son, Mark. In this poignant interview, Chuck and Sharon Betters speak candidly about how they approached their first Christmas without their youngest child. If you are struggling with grief in this season that is considered the happiest of all, listen, and be encouraged that there are treasures in the darkness designed to help turn your heart toward Jesus.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof, a young white man, attended the Wednesday evening Bible study at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. An hour later, Roof pulled a concealed weapon and killed nine African-Americans as they prayed, including Myra Thompson, the wife of Reverend Anthony Thompson. Myra's murder devastated Anthony, yet he chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter.
Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love.
In this candid conversation, Anthony Thompson candidly shares the details of that awful night, the grief he experienced, and the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Reverend Thompson shares a compelling vision of the power of forgiveness to transform our lives--personally, in our communities, and even in our nation.
Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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As stewards of the resources bestowed upon us by God, we have a responsibility to invest in His kingdom. By aligning our investments with the values and teachings of Scripture, we fulfill our role as faithful stewards. Chuck Betters talks with Doug MacGray, founder of Stonecrop Wealth Management, about the importance of stewarding our resources in a way that helps equip the next generation to walk by faith. Doug answers such questions as: What is faith-based giving? What are the different options for giving to faith-based charitable organizations during our lifetime as well as investing for eternity after our deaths? What do the scriptures say about stewarding well our resources? This informative and important conversation will give listeners a lot to consider about their own view of giving and investing.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Lucy Malmberg’s grand adventures in life began when her parents hid her in a blanket-covered box as waited in line to board a plane to America from Ukraine after World War II. Her parents passed on to her a legacy of not only love for America but a passionate love for Jesus. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Lucy freely shares how her faith guided her beloved husband George and her in the co-founding of Wedgewood Pharmacy, now, the largest national specialized pharmacy in veterinary compounding and a leader in the animal health industry. Lucy describes the legal battle that took them all the way to the Supreme Court. She also shares treasured wisdom taught by her parents that influences her to this day. Lucy’s intimacy with Jesus and passion for prayer is woven throughout this conversation, including her description of how she lamented before the Lord through four miscarriages and the loss of her stillborn son. Lucy’s love affair with her Savior will instill in listeners a longing for the same intimacy with Jesus.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
Be sure to connect with us on social media!
Support the show
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On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof, a young white man, attended the Wednesday evening Bible study at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. An hour later, Roof pulled a concealed weapon and killed nine African-Americans as they prayed, including Myra Thompson, the wife of Reverend Anthony Thompson. Myra's murder devastated Anthony, yet he chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter.
Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love.
In this candid conversation, Anthony Thompson candidly shares the details of that awful night, the grief he experienced, and the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Reverend Thompson shares a compelling vision of the power of forgiveness to transform our lives--personally, in our communities, and even in our nation.
Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Aging is a season of loss on many levels. Married women fear losing their spouse or outliving their children. In fact, today there are 13.6 million widows in America, and about 700,000 women become a widow in the U.S. each year. Single women who have never married can fear being alone in the last years of life. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, seventy-two-year old Jerdone Davis frankly shares some of the emotional challenges of anticipating aging alone, including addressing how we can prepare for this season while we are younger and how can we handle the fears of being alone, especially in the last season of our lives. No matter your marital status, Jerdone’s recommendations for preparing for the last season of life will encourage you to be intentional in taking steps to make things easier for loved ones after your death.
In the book co-authored by Susan Hunt and Sharon Betters, Aging with Grace, Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture, each chapter ends with a story-teller who is at least seventy years old. Each woman gives the readers a glimpse into what aging with grace looks like for her. One of those storytellers is Jerdone Davis. In a five-minute video for the companion series Aging with Grace, Ask an Older Woman, Jerdone answered the question:
How do you deal with loneliness and fear as an aging single woman?
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Google mother-in-law jokes and you can take your pick of numerous sites that offer laughter at the expense of the mother-in-law. Becoming a mother-in-law after pouring your life into your son might be one of the most difficult challenges some women face. Perhaps family conflict is one of the hardest places to experience help and hope. This conversation between Annie Chapman and Sharon Betters will help guide daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law through the sometimes difficult maze of “sharing” a man. Annie Chapman is the author of The Mother-In-Law Dance and knows from experience how challenging it can be to get along with your mother-in-law. She also has married sons so she brings great wisdom on family relationships that might be just what you need to find a bridge into your “in-law’s” heart or build an even stronger relationship. Can two women love the same man and still get along? Annie says yes! And she offers sound advice for those times when only one party wants to have that friendship.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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The phone rings. . .
A stranger says, “Mrs. Betters, your son has been in an accident. You must come immediately.” And you know in your heart that you have received the phone call every parent dreads. Your life will never be the same.
We received that phone call on July 6, 1993. We raced to the hospital to learn that our youngest child, Mark, and his friend, Kelly, had died in a car accident. Suddenly we belonged to a private club no one would ever willingly join. Since that horrific night, we have met many other parents who are struggling to find a new level of normal as they face each day without one of their children. Some were taken at birth or shortly after. Others were toddlers, pre-teens, or teens. Some were established with children of their own. Each child’s death, regardless of their age, ripped their parents’ hearts to shreds. In this message we share our story. We are honest about our struggle to not only face each day without Mark but also to reconcile the love of God with His sovereign care. How could God really love us when He allowed this to happen? Where is God? He seems so far away. Is He really holding us tightly in His grip?
Every time we share our story we have two people in mind. The first is the person who is holding onto life by fingernails and is desperate for a shred of hope. The second is the person who needs to walk in the darkness with a brokenhearted friend. It’s our prayer that it will fall into the hands of that brokenhearted Mom or Dad who needs just an inch of hope to hang on for the next few minutes, and that our message will help equip the one God is calling to walk alongside the shattered parents.
We pray that as you listen, you will conclude with us that God is faithful and you can trust Him.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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Did you know that every year about 100,000 men are widowed? Though a widow’s grief is just as deep as a widower, men often respond differently to the loss of their wives. In this moving conversation Dr. Chuck Betters talks with Dr. Jim Meyer who lost his first wife. Jim shares the story of his family’s sorrow and cautions listeners that though someone who is broken might look whole on the outside, grief and depression might be ever present companions. Jim describes the depression he experienced and how his journey produced in him a passion for offering help to others who are grieving. Jim also shares how the Lord is redeeming his pain through his marriage to Kathy.
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Christine Runge Weiss, Founder of Faith Wears Pink, an online support platform for women battling breast cancer, shares how she learned she had breast cancer at the age of forty-four. Her diagnosis followed wave after wave of personal crises. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, herself a breast cancer survivor, Christine offers hope and practical help to breast cancer warriors. One evening she realized she was helping over twenty women with their questions, fears, and the unknowns of their journeys. She decided they all needed a way to talk to each other so she started a “Breast Friends” Facebook page. She eventually changed the name to Faith Wears Pink and as of today over 1000 women have connected through this platform. Faith Wears Pink not only connects breast cancer warriors but also gives gifts to women just starting their journey and sponsors periodic gatherings. If you or a loved one is facing this battle, Christine’s joyful perspective will give you hope and ways to navigate what can be a most frightening pathway.
Learn more at faithwearspink.org
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How do you face each day after a diagnosis of ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, knowing you will not survive longer than eighteen months – two years? Pastor Dale Meador joins Sharon and Chuck Betters to answer this question and more as he describes how each day reminds him he cannot beat this disease. He knows his time on this earth is short. But, for Dale, this disease has renewed his confidence in heaven and God’s perfect love. In this conversation, Dale gives us a glimpse into how he is not only preparing himself but also his family for his absence and much more. Dale’s natural joyful perspective on life comes through but he wants all of us to know his perspective does not minimize the deep grief and fear ALS patients experience. His desire in sharing his story is for others to experience the same help and hope of Jesus he experiences every day. We are so grateful for Dale’s willingness to offer help and hope not only to the one diagnosed with ALS but also to those who love them.
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Long term illness has more than one victim. Naturally, the priority of energy and time must be the person who is ill. But what about the rest of the family, especially the spouse who walks beside the sick loved one? In this podcast, Jan Dravecky speaks candidly to Sharon Betters about how her husband Dave’s loss of his arm to cancer plunged her into a deep depression. Dave was a pitcher for the Giants when he received the diagnosis of cancer. Their journey captured the attention of the world when against all odds, Dave came back to the pitcher’s mound and then gasped in horror when his arm snapped while pitching. Cancer had returned. Living with cancer is painful, but even more painful on a world stage. Jan’s body, heart, and soul finally cried, “Enough” and Jan found herself on a long, hard journey to find her way out of deep depression. Jan and Dave share their journey through books, speaking, and established an outreach to hurting people called Endurance. Learn more about their ministry at Endurance.org.
The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.
For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.
Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!
Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!
We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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In this inspiring podcast former baseball star, Dave Dravecky and Dr. Chuck F. Betters talk about how cancer destroyed Dave’s successful baseball career and Dave’s struggle to deal with not only the loss of his career but understanding his true identity.
In the 1980s Dave Dravecky was a long-sought-after relief specialist. His pitching helped key the San Diego Padres' Word Series run. After a few years in San Diego, Dravecky moved on to San Francisco, where he was a key part of their World Series run.
However, things in 1989 would take a bitter turn for the Youngstown, Ohio native. Experiencing weakness in his pitching arm, he was examined by the Giants team doctor. The doctor noticed a lump in Dravecky's arm and sent him to a specialist in New York. It was there that Dravecky learned his pitching arm was ripe with cancer. Draveckey underwent treatment in hopes on returning to baseball.
In September of 1989, Dravecky returned to the pitching mound, mere months after under going treatment for cancer. In one appearance, Draveckey's arm, weakened from treatment, snapped and broke while he delivered a pitch. He would re-break the same arm weeks later celebrating his team's berth in the World Series.
Any full-time comeback for Dravecky would be forever denied when in 1991, in a surgery to save his life, his pitching arm was amputated above the elbow. Dave Draveckey's plight inspired the Giants, though they were unable to overcome an earthquake, and an ultra powerful Oakland A's line up. Dravecky retired officially from baseball after losing his arm. But his story was just beginning.
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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19
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On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men. About 2 in 4 women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors (e.g. slapping, shoving, pushing) and in some cases might not be considered "domestic violence." These statistics do not include abuse of men. These are just a few of domestic abuse statistics on the National Statistics Domestic Violence website. Many more people do not report abuse. If these stats are true, it’s likely 1 in 4 women sitting in our church pews have experienced severe physical violence. Sadly, the place where wounded women should feel safest – the church – is the one place they are too ashamed to be transparent. In this informative but at times disturbing interview, Darby Strickland draws from years of not only studying the impact of abuse but her interaction through counseling abused women. Darby is passionate about equipping local churches to be a safe place for the abused. To go deeper, you can order her newest book: Is it Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims
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Did you know that one recent study found that 1 in 7 women may experience postpartum depression in the year after giving birth? With approximately 4 million live births occurring annually in the United States, this equates to almost 600,000 postpartum depression diagnoses. It’s important to understand that these numbers only account for live births. When including women who have miscarried or have had a stillbirth, around 900,000 women suffer from postpartum depression annually in the U.S.
Not so long ago, postpartum depression was not recognized as a real medical crisis for a mother – rather, she was often told to shake it off, pull it together, with no sympathy – after all, she was a new mother – why wasn’t she happy? Fortunately, today, postpartum depression is recognized as a real illness, a real physical crisis and there is hope. Christine Chappell knows what it is to experience post-partum depression. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, she shares her wildly changing emotions and shock that her third child’s birth did not fill her with joy but despair. Her desire to help the woman who is walking in darkness and is completely mystified by her feelings is clear. Christine is a counselor, writer, speaker, wife, mom, and podcast host. This conversation is especially helpful for the woman experiencing post-partum depression and those who love her.
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Each year about 50,000 children die in the United States. While a profound loss for parents, what about their siblings? Doug MacGray, was eleven years old when he lost his sixteen-year-old brother, Ricky. How does an eleven-year-old grieve? How is the grief journey of a sibling different than the grief journey of parents? In this sometimes emotional conversation, Doug shares with Dr. Chuck F. Betters some of the ways his brother’s death affected him and how grief for a child is different than the grief of an adult. It’s our hope that Doug’s story will help parents understand the grief of their children a little better and also encourage those who have lost siblings at a young age.
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In 2016 about 20% of US adults had chronic pain – that’s about 50,000,000. Eight percent of those adults had high-impact pain – that’s about 20,000,000 people with debilitating chronic pain. People suffering from high -impact pain often suffer in isolation and without much understanding or sympathy. They don’t have a cast or any visible sign of injury, yet their pain changes the way they live life. In this Help & Hope podcast, Dr. Betters talks with Bill Condon, who knows what it is to not only experience chronic pain with no hope of healing, but also the devastation of the losses that often accompanies chronic pain. Bill explains how depression took him into such a dark place he no longer wanted to live. Yet in the middle of debilitating pain, Bill’s story is one of hope. If you or someone you love suffers from any kind of ongoing pain, Bill’s story will encourage you, and help you find a way to walk by faith in the middle of the pain and/or come alongside someone who lives with chronic pain.
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Our culture deifies strength—and sadly, the church does too. Who has the most successful ministry, the largest congregation, or the godliest family? Our misplaced faith in human strength is a false hope with no basis in Scripture.
But a closer look throughout the Bible reveals the central role human frailty plays in the redemption story. From Genesis to Revelation, God’s power is made perfect when people are at their weakest. Far from an undesirable defect, God designed our weakness to draw us closer to himself.
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Eric Schumacker shows us how weakness is a main theme throughout Scripture and encourages us to ask the question about every Bible story, “Where is the weakness?” The answer to that question will also showcase our utter dependence on the Lord’s strength. And then Eric shows how God designed our human frailty to draw us closer to Him in a way that helps us display His perfect strength amid our weakness.
As we learn to accept the good gift of weakness, we will experience true strength—the kind that only comes from a loving and infinitely powerful God.
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In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Miho Kahn and her husband share the story of Miho’s journey into a world of drugs, violence and abuse. At the age of fourteen, Miho pushed against the boundaries of her parents’ quiet life and struck out on her own, telling her sister, “Don’t try to find me.” As you listen, you might think, “This story could be a compelling movie” as you imagine a young girl hitch-hiking alone across America and exposing herself to danger and abuse. Miho shares the story of her drug addiction, rape, co-dependency, abortion - and all of this happened before she was seventeen years old. Miho transparently shares her journey and how she found peace and direction in a personal relationship to Jesus.
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Is it possible to break free from drugs after a lifetime of addiction? Shelley Tribbitt says yes. After using drugs for over thirty years, Shelley broke free from the drugs, but then had to face the obstacle of the collateral damage that she had done to her family and friends. In this poignant interview, Shelley describes the devastation drug use brought on her family, including the loss of the custody of her children. Her daughter, Bay, joins the conversation, and describes how she reconciled with her mother, and why she never gave in to the temptation of drug use, even though they were readily available.
Drug use in our culture is an epidemic. It isn’t just teenagers who fall prey to this dangerous life choice. Shelley’s story reminds us that drugs know no age limits. We are also able to see that reconciliation with estranged family members is possible, though the pathway to reconciliation will be painful and often long.
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Perhaps one of the hardest pains for a parent to endure is when a child makes dangerous choices that are sure to lead to life-changing consequences. Judy Douglass, author of When You Love a Prodigal, knows this anguish first hand yet her story focuses on how parenting her son Josh drove her to the heart of Jesus where she learned truths about herself and the life—transforming power of God’s grace. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Judy talks about how it was in the darkness that she discovered the power of prayer. Judy’s story is not only instructive for parents of a prodigal but brings hope to those who are in the “prodigal child waiting room”. Judy is the founder and host of Prayer for Prodigals, an online worldwide community for those who love someone who is making destructive choices.
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Gary Episcopo joins us on the Help & Hope podcast to share how God used his love for motorcycles and the brotherhood and comradery of motorcycle clubs to lead him into a life of demonstrating the love of Jesus to the one percenters or outlaw gangs. Growing up and even into adulthood, Gary struggled with many of the same temptations of these men and women and his understanding of the deep mercy God extended and continues to extend to him compels him to see many of these gang members as family who need the same mercy he has received. Gary transparently shares how the Lord used the death of his beloved wife and even the overdose death of a young man he mentored, to deepen his passion for sharing the love of Jesus with those often misunderstood and rejected.
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Baseball great Darryl Strawberry readily acknowledges that people often think two things when they hear his name: Darryl was a great ball player, and Darryl lost it all to drugs. In this interview, Darryl and his wife Tracy share their story of drug addiction and how they found a pathway to restoration and wholeness. Their transparent responses to hard questions will challenge listeners to examine their own lives. It’s our hope that their redemption story will offer help and hope to others who are at the bottom of life, and ready to make choices that can only lead to dark places. Is there hope when getting and using drugs are the first things you think of in the morning, throughout the day, and the last thing before you close your eyes to sleep? In this moving interview, Darryl and Tracy Strawberry confidently exclaim, “Yes! There is help and hope!”
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Neglect. Rejection. Sin. Conflict. Change. It’s difficult to attend church when you’ve suffered some of your deepest hurts.
Megan Hill understands that church can be hard. In this conversation, Sharon Betters and Megan talk about why church hurt can be so devastating, the root of church hurt, people in the scriptures who experienced church hurt and how they responded to the priceless gift of community, and reasons to pursue life in a local church even when it hurts. Megan gently leads wounded people on a pathway to peace as she encourages us to explore the source of our struggles, find ways to express our sorrow and consider wise actions to take. Others have struggled as well—and found hope. There’s hope for you too.
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Did you know 40 million adults suffer from depression, and 4 in 10 US adults have developed high levels of stress and anxiety since the start of the pandemic? 58% of those are young adults. Clearly, we have a mental health crisis in America. In this conversation, Christopher Cook, author of Healing What You Can’t Erase and host of the WinToday podcast, and no stranger to deep depression, says anxiety acts like a smoke alarm, demanding we find the source of the smoke and deal with it. He uses the acronym SEED to help us understand the 4 steps to uncovering the root causes and replacing lies with truth. His goal is to encourage us to intentionally pursue inside-out transformation by making small choices every day.
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Due to generations of hurt in his family, country music singer Ben Fuller turned to cocaine and alcohol at a young age. He got involved in a devastating drug-fueled relationship which led him to understand better, the other side of addiction. And then, he abruptly lost his best friend to a heroin overdose, and his entire outlook on life shifted. In this Help & Hope conversation with Sharon Betters and Danielle Cantler, Ben talks about how a move to Nashville to pursue a career as a country singer in late 2018 transformed his life. He shares how a family friend invited him to church, and as he walked into the auditorium filled with 3,000 people, he knew one day he would sing “that kind of music” for the rest of his life. Falling face first into his new-found relationship with Jesus, he began writing with a burning desire to share what God did to turn his life around. Today, Ben lives completely sober while sharing his story, which is filled with hope, mercy, and grace. By turning his testimony into songs, he has been rejuvenated with a new passion and mission: to share his story with the world and all who are ready to listen.
A few of his best known songs are Who I Am, He Found ME and If I Got Jesus. Learn more about Ben and his concert schedule: Benfullerofficial.com
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One in four adults are estranged from their parents, so says one 2022 study. According to
another study 11% of mothers ages 65 – 75 with two or more grown children were estranged
from at least one of them. Most of the time, the seeds for these conflicts were planted during
the growing up years of the young adults. Gaye Clark, who is the author of Loving Your Adult
Children, The Heartache of Parenting and the Hope of the Gospel talks to Sharon Betters about
the seeds of these conflicts and how parents can navigate these tumultuous relationships,
starting with personal repentance. This conversation shines a spotlight on the hearts of the
parent, not with condemnation, but with instruction on how to respond with kindness rather
than anger, gentleness rather than wrath. Gaye challenges listeners to consider carefully and
prayerfully how to reflect the fruit of the Spirit in a way that invites an estranged child to “taste
and see that the Lord is good”.
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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?”
In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson, Barbara Juliani shares her story and addresses some of the ways parents take on the guilt of their children and responsibility for their decisions. You might be surprised by some of her conclusions. Her dad, Jack Miller wrote:
"I am not ignorant of human depravity," writes C. John Miller, "but I had long denied that it could exist in our family." That reality, however, forced him to confront his own sin, seek forgiveness, admit his inability to change his wayward daughter, and begin loving Barbara on God's terms.
In their book, Come Back, Barbara, "Jack" Miller and Barbara Miller Juliani chronicle their journey from grief and conflict to joyful reconciliation. Come Back, Barbara is thus an irresistible portrayal of God's grace to the Millers and us all. Our conversation with Barbara reminds broken-hearted parents about the freedom of experiencing such grace in the midst of their child’s rebellion.
Help & Hope Story: Motherhood, Shame & Guilt with Barbara Juliani and Jane Anne Wilson
For more about Barbara’s journey as a prodigal child, check out Come Back, Barbara. Come Back, Barbara
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“So who am I now that there’s only one place at the table….one pillow with a head dent, one towel damp after a shower? There’s only one toothbrush in the holder. The seat is never left up anymore. I can still write Mrs. in front of my name, but I’m no longer in a marriage relationship. You need two people for a marriage, and there’s only me.” These words, written by our guest, Gayle Roper, capture the longing of every widow. Has a widowed friend ever said, “I wish you could understand the loneliness…..how every minute I’m reminded I’m alone…how I long for my husband’s touch, his protection, sitting across the table eating, watching a movie together, going for an evening walk, running errands….I’m so alone.” And you wish you could understand, too, but you can’t. This conversation between Gayle Roper and Sharon Betters is not only for the widow but for those who love her. Gayle gives us a tender glimpse into the daily life of a widow, what a widow can do after her husband dies that will help her find a new level of normal, how the scriptures met her in some of the most mundane yet painful moments, remarriage and much more. The widow will know she has a friend in Gayle, and her friends will be better equipped to come alongside of her.
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It doesn’t take much research to realize anxiety is a primary emotion experienced not just by teens but adults. Our guest, Liz Edrington, is no stranger to anxiety. As a teenager, she felt overwhelmed by anxiety. Now she is a mental health counselor and wants to pass on what she’s learned. She has written a 31-day devotional for teenagers called Anxiety, Finding the Better Story. In this conversation, Sharon Betters and Liz Edrington talk about how anxiety affects us negatively but how it can also be a gift, how to come alongside teens who are struggling to navigate this world that seems so out of control, and much more.
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Andrea Herzer, a woman well acquainted with long-term debilitating health issues, having spent the last twenty years with multiple illnesses, including regional pain syndrome and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, joins Sharon Betters for this Help & Hope podcast. Numerous times Andrea experienced moments of hope only to have it dashed by another diagnosis, another setback. Certainly, her heart was a fertile place for bitterness and anger to grow. Yet, in Andrea, you are going to meet a woman who discovered incurable faith and a longing to share that pathway to life with others suffering from pain and life-debilitating diagnoses. Through her suffering, the Lord has brought a beautiful source of encouragement in her book, Incurable Faith, 120 Devotionals of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues.
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There are many blessings that come with age: retirement, grandchildren, travel, and life experience. Today’s culture, however, marginalizes old age, often portraying it as burdensome and hopeless. Many older women can feel like an encumbrance rather than a blessing to their friends and family members. In this conversation with Chuck L. Betters, while acknowledging aging can be hard and challenging, Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt encourage women to find hope through both real-life and biblical accounts of women who rediscovered gospel-rooted joy later in life. Listeners will be encouraged as they experience afresh a gospel that is big enough, good enough, and powerful enough to make every season of life significant and glorious.
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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 to take the lives of his children, wife and father-in-law. Jacke fearlessly shares her story of how God’s amazing grace has not only given her confidence in God’s grace but immediately bonded her daughter-in-love and grandchildren with her into a beautiful picture of His redeeming love as they lived together and navigated the horror of the loss of Randy. As two bereaved mothers, Jacke and Sharon talk about the importance of biblical lament, leaning into the pain of grief and intentionally incorporating Bible study, Christian music and a circle of friends into every day life. Jacke describes how women who join one of the Grieving Moms small groups often fill their first meeting with wailing and longing for their child but twelve weeks later, after digging into scripture with a group of like-minded women, express hope and a desire to comfort others with the comfort they have received.
As Jacke struggled to make sense of her son’s death, she prayed, “Dear Father, give me words from Heaven, into my heart, into my head and through my hands. What do I do with the loss of my beautiful son?” And the Lord gave her these marching orders, “Give them Hope, Jacke.”
Jacke gives listeners hope in this conversation.
https://www.amazon.com/Grieving-Moms-Finding-Hope-Resurfacing/dp/1732958718/ref=asc_df_1732958718?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=79920806880914&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4583520391530148&psc=1
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In this conversation with Chuck L. Betters, Fawn Volkert shares how her story of trauma has formed her into the person she is today. Chuck and Fawn have a candid conversation about trauma responses, triggers, and how Jesus provides help and hope for all victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. Fawn and Chuck discuss the lies that Satan tells us about who we were meant to be and how trauma distances us even further from the truth. They discuss how God desires to restore that which Satan has stolen and for those victimized to step back into their intended design. Fawn Volkert is the Program Director at Path2Freedom, a ministry designed to reach teenage girls rescued from human trafficking.
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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 listeners reflect on their own relationships to their elderly parents. They encourage us to see life through the eyes and hearts of our parents as they lose control over much of their lives. Kathy and Elizabeth talk about how to respectfully connect with an aging parent as their worlds grow smaller and they sometimes display what seems like eccentric behavior. You might be moved to tears by a few of their descriptions of how an aging parent might be feeling as they experience one loss after another. But for sure, you will be challenged to look at your own heart and identify areas that might need to be addressed through the grid of the love of Jesus.
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Kathy Chapel and Elizabeth Turnage join Sharon Betters to talk about how sharing our stories are a means of passing on a legacy of faith, even if our story is filled with disappointments and potholes. They start with Kathy sharing from her book, The Great Iowa Road Trip – Journey to Memories where Kathy has recorded not only precious family memories but teaching moments along the way. Four days spent with her mother, often alone for many hours as they drove, gave Kathy insights into her mom and herself as well. Elizabeth, whose passion is to help people preserve their legacy joins the conversation with her thoughts on how precious it is to record our stories as means of leaving a record of our perspective on life as well as God’s faithfulness in our journey. This conversation between three friends is sure to encourage you to pursue your own storytelling adventure. And the good news is that there is Part 2 of this conversation where Kathy and Elizabeth will share some of their insights on caring well for our elderly parents.
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In this poignant conversation a son, Dr. Chuck L. Betters, talks to his mother, Sharon Betters, about her grief journey after the loss of her sixteen-year-old son, Mark. They use Sharon’s book, Treasures in Darkness as a jumping off place and dive right into some of the hardest places of grief with the goal of offering help and hope to other grieving parents. Sharon’s journal is the center piece of Treasures in Darkness and her transparency inviting others into the most intimate parts of her journey gave son Chuck permission to dig deeper as they talked about the night of Mark’s death, the gift of wrestling, the importance of biblical lament, how to respect different ways of grieving and so much more. Even if you have not lost a child, this conversation will give you insights into the dark pit of grief and how to come alongside a broken friend, no matter the cause of their sorrow.
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What is your first response when mundane moments turn into irritations and set backs? Or your life suddenly takes a downward spiral? What about when life runs smoothly - are you counting your blessings with great joy every single day? Christa Threfel, author of Come to Jesus, joins us to talk about how a “first response” to the mundane moments will help prepare us for those hard, stomach churning seasons and that those hard places can become a place of blessing and peace. Christa offers examples from her own life along with practical ways to make “coming to Jesus” our auto response, not matter what life brings.
Along with being an author, Christa is a pastor’s wife, mother of four, blogs at brownsugartoast.com
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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 with cancer. Her passion for helping other caregivers care for themselves shows up in her book, Who Cares for You? Whether you are a caregiver, love someone who is, or perhaps have a child battling cancer, this conversation is for you. Take Marissa with you on a walk, on your way to work, or running your carpool. Listen and share.
Lou Priolo says we are experiencing an epidemic of loneliness. In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Chuck L. Betters, Lou defines loneliness and encourages us to realize loneliness is painful but it can also bring blessings. He shares stories about people in the Bible who experience deep loneliness and points out that many of the Psalmists expressed their own loneliness. Knowing others have walked the path of loneliness before us helps us realize we are not alone and there is help. The loneliness that is not addressed can lead to other emotions taking up residence in our hearts, such as disappointment in our friends, anger, fear, and paranoia. Unless we deal with the root cause of loneliness, we are destined to view all relationships through the grid of those emotions. Listen and share!
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 our old self and reconstructs us into who God intends us to become. Jillian shares the story of how her son Anderson’s Down Syndrome and congenital heart defect diagnoses faced her with hard questions about her definition of success, her value, her son’s value, and her view of God. She encourages listeners not to gloss over the hard parts of the human condition. Instead, she says, undergoing the unexpected gives us the opportunity to let go of our old selves, tearing down false beliefs about our identities, humanity, and God. In a culture where the prosperity gospel (control) and the American dream (achievement) are glorified, Jillian says God uses the unexpected to disorient us from the ideals of Western society. His surprising gift equips believers to relate to the world’s pain and recognize how our worth and purpose rest in Him. We need this message! Listen and Share! Jillianbenefield.com
In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Chuck L. Betters, Victoria Teague shares about how her former life in the sex industry almost took her life until another woman offered her a safe place to live and experience hope. Rather than living in a cloud of shame, Victoria talks freely about how the Lord has transformed her past into a platform for offering the same hope to women caught up in the downward spiral of sex trafficking, drugs and lost dreams. Victoria describes how she goes into strip clubs with gifts for the “ladies” as a way of showing them love that has no price tag and a bridge for helping them get out of “the life” and onto a path of healing. Victoria’s powerful story will make you want to experience God’s love in a deeper way and offer hope to anyone living under a cloud of shame and guilt for past or present sins.
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 social media posts of the perfect grandmother interacting with her grandchildren? How about guilt over not investing in her grandchildren? Is there a way to influence our grands without any interaction with them? In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Kathie March, and Pam Ferriss respond to these questions and much more. Do you love your grandchildren? This conversation will help equip you to pray intentionally. What a gift for your grandchildren to say, “My Grandmother is Praying for Me.”
You start your day thinking it will be like any other. And then a text with four words, “Eva not breathing. Pray.” Within hours, the unexpected death of your daughter propels you and your family down into the deepest sorrow you have ever experienced. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Mel Lawrenz introduces us to his beloved daughter Eva and how her unexpected death led his family into the Land of Grief. In this conversation, Mel talks about giving freedom to people to grieve their way, how lament is a gift, and how his theology gave him the freedom to grieve honestly as he clung to the Lord. Mel and Sharon belong to that club no one wants to join – where admission requires the loss of a child. There are treasures in the conversation for anyone in grief and for those who love them.
“A silver wave is coming,” says author and speaker Elizabeth Turnage. Baby boomers are facing the hardest challenge of their lives – how to die well. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Elizabeth challenges listeners to take steps now to make it easier for loved ones after you die. Elizabeth shares how her dad died without any intentional preparation of affairs or instructions for his children. She compares his response to death, to her mother’s and how she prepared a folder of important papers and instructions with a list of 5 steps to immediately take upon her death. Elizabeth describes how her mother’s intentional preparation was such a gift to her as she grieved her mother’s sudden death. Elizabeth acknowledges the grief we experience as we begin this process. She encourages us to imagine the relief of our children, who, in the middle of their own grief, know how to honor us in our death. She admits there is grief when we are preparing others for when we are not here, practical ideas for sorting through precious belongings, how to distribute them when our children are not interested, and giving the gift of “all expenses paid” funeral plans. Along with, how to deal with the distribution of your estate when you are reluctant to give to a child who does not share your values. Elizabeth is so passionate about helping us intentionally prepare for this last step of life, that she offers a course called Organizing Your Life and Legacy.
Lauren Whitman, the author of A Painful Past – Healing and Moving Forward, answers this question and much more. For instance, why would anyone want to dig up their past? Isn’t it better to “let sleeping dogs lie”? Can we forgive and forget? How does our view of God influence our journey toward healing? How do you know when to ask a counselor for help? And how does having a counselor make the journey a little clearer? If you or someone you know is struggling with a painful past, please listen and then share the good news – there is hope and a way to move forward.
Darci and Mark Steiner’s lives turned inside out and upside down when Darci nearly lost her life after a debilitating fall down the stairs in her home. She was later diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and spent six years bedridden with such horrific pain she could not tolerate even a sheet touching her body. Her husband, Mark, immediately took on the role of caregiver for Darci and all the extra responsibilities of raising their two little girls.In this conversation with Sharons Better, 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 moments. They share their story in Darci’s book, Beauty Beyond the Thorns: Discovering Gifts in Suffering. Darci and Mark have both served in ministry, Darci as a teen and women’s ministry leader, as well as assisting with church plants in Denver and Los Angeles. Mark has served in full-time ministry in San Francisco and Thailand. In the late 80s, Mark helped Cambodian refugees from the Khmer Rouge “killing fields" and the fighting between Cambodian guerillas and the Vietnamese army on the border of Cambodia and Thailand. He is an entrepreneur, along with caring for Darci. Connect with Darci on her website.
How are you feeling today? Stressed, overwhelmed, drowning in too much to do, anxiety, the rubble of broken relationships – just life? Are these feelings seasonable or do you struggle with persistent gnawing anxiety? Sometimes, something happens that feels like the straw that breaks the camel’s back and we cry out, “I didn’t sign up for this!” Ann Swindell, author of The Path to Peace, Comfort When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed gets it! After repeated disappointments and hurts, one day Ann declared, “I didn’t sign up for this!” But that moment of hitting bottom was the beginning of seeking unshakable peace. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Ann will be sharing some of what she learned about genuine peace, not only through her own journey but the lives of men and women in scripture. You will be mentored and encouraged in your own search for the pathway to peace.
No matter your season of life, wherever God has placed you is your platform for glorifying Him. But sometimes, it’s really, really hard to see the rutted, muddy pathways of life as an opportunity to reflect Jesus, isn’t it? If you are in such a place, this special edition of the Help & Hope podcast is for you. Over the summer we held Beyond the Book, Ask the Author as a free virtual live event where guests could submit questions to our guest author. Vaneetha Risner, one of our guest authors, spent an hour with us, answering questions about her book, Walking Through Fire, A Memoir of Loss and Redemption.I know few people who have suffered as much as Vaneetha has. the loss of her son due to a doctor's error, childhood polio and years of bullying, multiple hospitalizations, her husband's unfaithfulness and an unwanted divorce, losing 4 babies through miscarriage - AND YET - Vaneetha's life and message offers us a purpose and peace, even when all seems lost. Vaneetha is a seasoned life warrior whose heart is to come alongside other weary women who long for hope in the darkest places of life.
“I forgive you.” Simple words, and liberating ones – but hard, too. You may think the betrayal you have experienced is in the realm of the unforgivable. Wendy Alsup understands. She experienced severe church conflict while serving in the women’s ministry at Mars Hill Church, followed by an unwanted divorce. The losses of betrayal eventually forced her to move from her home in Seattle, leaving behind deep friendships and everything familiar to her two sons. Her understanding of forgiveness did not come easily for her so she does not sugarcoat the struggles she experienced. In this special Help & Hope Podcast, Wendy joins us for our summer Beyond the Book – Ask the Author series. Invited guests submitted questions for Wendy and her answers reveal deep wisdom and understanding for those struggling with the concept of forgiveness. Some of the questions Wendy answers:
• How do you get past the astonishment, hurt, and dislike for a person you cared for, had a relationship with, and enjoyed when they have repeatedly turned against you? • How do you "move on" in forgiveness when you still have to interact with people who hurt you? • After you left Mars Hill, lots of your friends stayed. Did you pursue them to tell them your story, your reasons for leaving in an attempt to get them to leave, too? How do you let go of the need to protect your reputation or do you? • When someone asks you to forgive them for an offense, does it mean that you will never bring up the offense again? • Through conflict our church leadership mishandled, a lot of friends and I lost our strong church family – none of us feels as though we will ever find such a loving community again. How do you venture back into church life when you feel so cynical? • How does understanding ambiguous loss help us better understand our own grief over broken relationships, especially when we are powerless to effect any change in the circumstances? • And many more.
Listen and please pass on this important conversation.
Some stats state that 50% of married couples in churches have experienced sexual betrayal in their marriage. When a wife learns about her husband’s sexual betrayal, in the blink of an eye, a bomb detonates and blows up her marriage. The very foundations on which she built her home shatter, and she can barely breathe, let alone find her way out from under the rubble. Ellen Dykas has walked with hundreds, maybe even thousands of women as they have struggled with sexual betrayal and offers hope from years of helping these hurting women. In this conversation with co-hosts, Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson, Ellen’s tender heart and passion flow freely for offering hope to women whose husbands have betrayed the. She encourages listeners to know they are not responsible for their husband’s sin, and that they do not need to carry shame. She is particularly concerned that they understand the need for self-care. This topic is too deep for a half-hour conversation so we hope, whether you are fresh in facing sexual betrayal or have secretly carried this devastation for years you will get Ellen’s FREE books: Jesus and Your Unwanted Journey: Wives Finding Comfort After Sexual Betrayal. One is a participant’s guide and the other is a Leader’s Guide. These resources are for women who need help applying the gospel to their marriage in response to their husband’s sexual sin. But they are also for those who love them and want to help. You may never have experienced sexual betrayal in your marriage. This conversation will equip you to walk with a friend who has.
These books are resources for you and your friend.
Jesus and Your Unwanted Journey – Wives Finding Comfort After Sexual Betrayal
Participant’s Guide: https://harvest-usa.myshopify.com/collections/curriculum/products/jesus-and-your-unwanted-journey-wives-finding-comfort-after-sexual-betrayal-participants-guide-free-digital-download
Leader’s Guide: https://harvest-usa.myshopify.com/products/jesus-and-your-unwanted-journey-wives-finding-comfor-after-sexual-betrayal-leaders-guide-free-digital-download
There is so much we do not know about mental illness, including deep depression that results in the inability to even get out of bed, let alone function in daily life. Many more people than we realize struggle every day to do the next thing with their will because of sadness, a lack of joy, and purpose reigning in their hearts. They have tried everything to get better but nothing helps. Add to this equation the spouse who watches her husband slide into a pit of despair with no explanation. Sadly, Christians often identify a lack of faith or discipline as the root problem. Even the patient suffers from shame and guilt when the root cause is actually a physical and chemical disconnect in the body. In this frank conversation, Jenni Holder describes how her faith-filled husband suddenly experienced repeated panic attacks that were the first signs he had a mental illness that could not be healed with more faith. Jenni and her husband have agreed that they need to share their story as they are experiencing it so that others on similar pathways will know they are not alone and there is hope. With her husband’s permission, Jenni takes us into the inner sanctum of their marriage and their ongoing battle to find a steady path for their family.
Rachel, founder of the Brave Mamas online community, validates bereaved parents in their pain, encourages them as they adjust to their new normal, and provides advice for sharing your loss with family, caring for your spouse, and recovering a postpartum body. She is a mother who lost 5 children, yet is filled with hope.
We seldom hear this question let alone even think about the need if we have never experienced a miscarriage. Eric Schumacher, author of Ours: Biblical Comfort for Men Grieving Miscarriage talks to Sharon Betters about the grief a dad feels when his wife has a miscarriage. He addresses questions like, how does a dad help his wife, what about feeling the miscarriage is because of personal sin, and how to confront the fear of the possibility of another miscarriage. Eric and his wife experienced five miscarriages so he brings a depth of understanding and empathy for men who are surprised by their own sorrow. This conversation will offer biblical comfort and practical support to men processing a miscarriage.
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 a journey of healing, redemption, and renewal. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Mikala encourages listeners that disappointments and broken places are opportunities to find beauty in the rubble.
A Conversation with Esther Smith Summary
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 emotional energy. Are you distracted by racing or anxious thoughts? Distressed by intrusive or irrational thoughts? Struggling with sinful or untrue thoughts? You may feel trapped in your own head, but in this conversation between Esther Smith and Sharon Betters, you’re going to realize God has given you many different ways to calm your mind and live at peace. Esther is a licensed counselor who specializes in helping people who experience trauma, anxiety and physical illness. She has also authored a devotional on Chronic Illness and is coauthor of The Whole Life. Listen as Esther introduces us to some of the twelve strategies for changing unwanted thoughts she unpacks in her book, A Still and Quiet Mind.
Pornography – do you know someone who is struggling with this particular sin? Unfortunately, it’s likely that you do, but you may not know how to help. In these two conversations host Dr. Chuck Betters, along with Rebekah Hannah (Director of Anchored Hope.co, an online biblical counseling service), talk with counselors Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes who provide biblical strategies for guiding a fellow believer toward recovery. This worldwide pornography crisis is destroying families, marriages and individuals. But what happens when it comes into your own home or the heart of someone you love? Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes have co-authored two books on pornography: Rescue Plan and Rescue Skills. They are both biblical counselors and draw on their own research and experience as biblical counselors to offer concrete information and guidance on how to help pornography users in diverse circumstances to overcome addiction. Be sure to listen to both, Part 1 & Part 2.
Pornography – do you know someone who is struggling with this particular sin? Unfortunately, it’s likely that you do, but you may not know how to help. In these two conversations host Dr. Chuck Betters, along with Rebekah Hannah (Director of Anchored Hope.co, an online biblical counseling service), talk with counselors Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes who provide biblical strategies for guiding a fellow believer toward recovery. This worldwide pornography crisis is destroying families, marriages and individuals. But what happens when it comes into your own home or the heart of someone you love? Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes have co-authored two books on pornography: Rescue Plan and Rescue Skills. They are both biblical counselors and draw on their own research and experience as biblical counselors to offer concrete information and guidance on how to help pornography users in diverse circumstances to overcome addiction. Be sure to listen to both, Part 1 & Part 2.
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, patience, provision, unconditional love and even boundaries give us a roadmap for helping our children navigate the comparison trap, rebellion against boundaries, and more. But they also talk about their own feelings of failure and how to live with a broken heart when children reject their faith. Christina encourages us that as God’s beloved creatures, we bear His image—that is, we show others who He is as we glorify Him. Is anything more important to pass on to our children than this?
A child suffers multiple forms of abuse from her father from the time of being a little girl to a young woman. Is there any hope for not just surviving but thriving? Jennifer Greenberg proclaims there is. Jennifer knows the isolation and grief of abuse at the hands of her church-going father. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Jenn doesn’t flinch in talking through how she wanted to kill herself when she was 15 because her father’s abuse intensified during her adolescence. She takes us along on her journey toward healing and purpose, addressing such questions as… Why doesn’t an abuse victim speak up sooner? What are the residual issues of abuse into adulthood? What about forgiveness? Not only is Jenn a wife, mother, and composer, she authored Not Forsaken, A Life After Abuse and offers other abuse victims help through many resources on her https://jennifergreenberg.net
What do you do when you are suddenly navigating a life you didn’t sign up for? Lisa Appelo understands deeply. She’s experienced the raw emotions and uncertainty that come when everything falls apart. Lisa went to bed married and woke up a widow and single mom to seven children. She wrestled with impossible questions about her future–and then found life-changing answers that gave her the strength to move forward with true joy.
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Lisa explains how she found hope in gratitude and practical ways to fight fear. Lisa encourages us to understand wherever you are in life is not God’s Plan B but Chapter 2 where He will reshape your shattered heart – you will not only survive but can learn to thrive as you learn how to trust Him more each day.
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 – Early Onset Dementia. Robin’s son, Justin, gradually changed from a kind, engaged husband, father and son into a man his family didn’t recognize. He lost his family and was imprisoned before doctors finally diagnosed him with frontotemporal dementia or young onset dementia. This is a heart-breaking story, but Robin offers light in the darkness.
How do you face each day after a diagnosis of ALS or Lou Gherig’s disease, knowing you will not survive longer than eighteen months – two years? Pastor Dale Meador joins Sharon and Chuck Betters to answer this question and more as he describes how each day reminds him he cannot beat this disease. He knows his time on this earth is short. But, for Dale, this disease has renewed his confidence in heaven and God’s perfect love. In this conversation, Dale gives us a glimpse into how he is not only preparing himself but also his family for his absence and much more. Dale’s natural joyful perspective on life comes through but he wants all of us to know his perspective does not minimize the deep grief and fear ALS patients experience. His desire in sharing his story is for others to experience the same help and hope of Jesus he experiences every day. We are so grateful for Dale’s willingness to offer help and hope not only to the one diagnosed with ALS but also to those who love them.
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 daughters-in-law to roll their eyes when their mothers-in-law are mentioned. Barbara and Stacy’s perspective on how two women who love the same man can not only get along but cultivate a deep, loving friendship goes against our culture’s view of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. In this Help & Hope conversation with Sharon Betters, they encourage listeners, especially those in challenging in-law relationships to refuse to give up on pursuing godly responses to broken places. Friends, listen and realize, there is hope even in the midst of messy feelings and past hurts.
Is singleness a gift or a curse? If you’re single because you never married, divorced, or widowed - are you just in a waiting room, marking time until you meet the right person, or is singleness a place filled with opportunities you would not have if married? Is it wrong to pray for a spouse? How do you respond when well-meaning friends say hurtful things like, “I don’t understand why some guy hasn’t snatched up you – you’re so nice.” Sharon Betters and Jenilyn Swett, Director of Adult Ministries at Restoration Community Church (PCA) in St. Louis and author of Singleness, Living Faithfully, talk about the answers to these questions and much more in this Help & Hope podcast.
About one million babies world-wide die each year within 24 hours of birth. would be one of those children? In this conversation, Sharon Betters talks to Diane Bansbach about what it was like for her to learn her much wanted baby girl, Amy, might not survive birth, let alone live outside her mother’s womb. Diane and Sharon share a few tears as Diane steps back into that season of loss and grief and tells Amy’s story in a way that offers hope and counsel to those facing a similar tragedy.
Many people have experienced betrayal, someone violating your trust perhaps by lying, cheating, some kind of abuse, putting their own interests ahead of yours when they promised otherwise. Betrayal affects every part of our hearts, often in ways we don’t understand at first. Some hurts we carry with us to the day we die, they are so deep and seem impossible to resolve. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Wendy Alsup shares the impact of betrayal from her own life, not only through an unwanted divorce but also in her church life. But Wendy doesn’t leave us in the mud of betrayal. Instead, she speaks frankly about the power of forgiveness. Wendy’s view of forgiveness is not stereotypical. Pulling examples from her own life, Wendy talks about the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation and how understanding ambiguous loss can help us as we grieve the losses of betrayal. Whether you are still gasping for air as the impact of betrayal hits you hard or you are carrying the wounds of broken relationships from years ago, this conversation will help guide you trough the minefields of grief and loss.
Stephanie Hubach is no stranger to the challenges of raising a child with special needs. As a researcher in disability ministry and the mother of a son with Down Syndrome. Stephanie has spoken to thousands of parents about the struggles and the blessings of children who might be seen by our culture as dispensable, but in God’s world, they are indispensable and we lose many gifts and blessings when we do not recognize that what appears weak to us is actually, the strong. Steph’s passion for families raising children with disabilities moved her to write, Parenting and Disabilities – Abiding in God’s Presence as a daily devotional designed to turn hearts toward Jesus. 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.
Studies show that the loss of a spouse, whether through divorce or death is one of the most devastating losses a human can experience. Our podcast guest, Deb McQuilkin, knows the unspeakable grief of the loss of a husband through an unwanted divorce and the sorrow of losing a beloved husband through death. Perhaps these losses are why Deb feels such a kinship with Naomi whose story we find in the Bible in the book of Ruth. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Deb invites us to consider our own shattered dreams, difficult relationships, and practical needs and learn through Naomi’s responses to loss.
Part 2 - On June 17, 2015, Dylann Roof, a young white man, attended the Wednesday evening Bible study at the predominantly black Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina. An hour later, Roof pulled a concealed weapon and killed nine African-Americans as they prayed, including Myra Thompson, the wife of Reverend Anthony Thompson. Myra's murder devastated Anthony, yet he chose to privately and publicly forgive the shooter.
Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love.
In this candid conversation, Anthony Thompson candidly shares the details of that awful night, the the grief he experienced, and the radical choice to forgive the killer. But beyond that, Reverend Thompson shares a compelling vision of the power of forgiveness to transform our lives--personally, in our communities, and even in our nation.
Be inspired by this remarkable story and discover how the difficult decision to forgive can become the key to radical change.
Many in the church and community still struggle to understand Reverend Thompson's deliberate choice to forgive the racist murderer. But as Charlestonians witnessed this incredible act of forgiveness, something significant happened within the community. Instead of the expected racial riots in the aftermath of the shooting, black and white leaders and residents united, coming together peaceably and even showing acts of selfless love.
Julie Sanford is a Recovery Mentor for wives of alcoholics. She is a wife and mom of three who found herself in a situation she never wanted to be in as the wife of an alcoholic. After several years of living in chaos, feeling alone, and unseen, she is now using her journey to help other wives of alcoholics navigate their husband’s addiction. She came to realize that it was not only her husband that needed recovery, but she also needed support. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Julie shares not only her story but hope and encouragement for those in a similar, broken place. Julie offers programs and coaching that equips women with the tools and strength needed to navigate their husband’s addiction without losing themselves in the process (marriedtoaddiction.com).
Stephanie Broersma lived a charmed life until the day she discovered a deleted online conversation between her husband and another woman. When confronted, he confessed to a ten-year addiction to pornography and multiple affairs. In this conversation with Sharon Betters Stephanie shares the story of moving through anger, betrayal, fear, and finally redemption. Her remarkable story brings hope to one of the darkest places in a marriage. Stephanie helps those whose lives have been turned upside down to take a raw and honest look at the emotions, decisions and difficulties women face in marital betrayal. She wants other women to know they are not alone and you can find healing from the shame, anger, and brokenness that overwhelms you. Take a walk with Stephanie and Sharon and listen in on their transparent and hope-filled conversation.
In this candid and fun interview, Jani Ortlund and Sharon Betters talk about what it’s like to be married to their pastor. Jani and Sharon have been married to their pastors for over fifty years – that’s 100 years of experience between them! Using Jani’s book, Help! I’m Married to My Pastor as a springboard, they cover such topics as how to help pastor husbands deal with depression, create a home where the “PKs” feel safe and unaffected by congregational expectations, cultivate romance in their marriages, deal with gossip and prioritizing personal intimacy with Jesus. Pastor’s wives – whether young or old, will benefit from this candid conversation.
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 numerous decisions about treatment and how this diagnosis impacted her identity. Christine shares her story and gives practical ways she learned to navigate this hard place and even found healing.
One key for her was to understand her diagnosis did not define her so she talks about the importance of understanding our identity in Christ. This conversation is filled with “salty peanuts”, that is, we are hoping you hear just enough to make you want to know more. In this message, Christine develops the truth of bettering understanding how our perspective on our identity is a freeing part of living with depression or mental illness.
“Who am I? What is my purpose? I thought I could have it all and I do. But I am restless, I feel like I’m missing something.”
Statistics show many American woman are weary, struggle with depression and self-medicate with alcohol, flattery, Suicide rates for women are on the rise. What’s happening? More importantly, what’s the resolution?
In this conversation Jen Oshman, author of Enough about Me and Help & Hope host Sharon Betters talk about the problem, the diagnosis and the treatment for this low-grade anxiety that often disrupts our thinking, whether in joyful or sorrowful seasons.
In her book, Jen says,
“We 21st century women have been running on ourselves, rather than on our God. We've been running on self-help, self-empowerment, and self-actualization. The fuel of self has run out, and that's why we're tired and discouraged and even in crisis. Enough about me. And enough about you. If we want to keep running, we need to run on the fuel we're made for - God himself. We will indeed be restless until then.” (Enough About Me, Jen Oshman, Page 48)
Friends, join Jen and Sharon as they talk frankly about the reasons for the restlessness and dissatisfaction in a culture that demands we “do it all” and how do we find our way back to God’s purpose for each of us.
When a son, sister, or grandchild begins to behave in unexpected and disturbing ways, family members hope it is simply a phase. For some, it is instead a life-time illness – schizophrenia.
The diagnosis of schizophrenia can bring shock, fear, and worry to everyone involved. But in the midst of the numerous challenges, hope doesn’t have to die. (Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them by Simonetta Carr)
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Simonetta Carr shares the story of her beloved son, Jonathan, and her experience of caring for him as he struggled with schizophrenia. Simonetta doesn’t sugarcoat the enormous challenges and emotions that were non-stop. She talks about how she fervently prayed for Jonathan, the fears she had to confront, and how the church came alongside Jonathan and her in this battle. You may not have a loved one with schizophrenia but Simonetta and Jonathan’s story will give you insight into the enormous battle facing families with such a diagnosis.
You can learn more about schizophrenia and find numerous helpful resources in Simonetta’s book, Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them, Schizophrenia Through a Mother’s Eyes.
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 such losses. In this transparent conversation with Sharon Betters Kathe shares her own journey of grieving infertility, miscarriages and the loss of her son. Her deep sorrow taught Kathe that God can transform anything you offer Him into hope to help others. Kathe Wunnenberg is a hopelifter. Her motto reflects the purpose of her own life: “We go through what we go through, to help others go through what we went through,” Kathe’s passion for offering others the help and hope of Jesus and to equip us to be the hands and feet of Jesus shines in this conversation where she offers suggestions for lifting the spirits of a hurting friend, telling us the daily opportunities to make a difference in hurting lives are limitless for a Hopelifter.
In Part 2 of this Help & Hope podcast Nick Thompson, co-author with Joel R. Beeke of Pastors and Their Critics continues his conversation with Chuck Betters about the difference between betrayal and criticism and how to handle criticism from church members. Part 2 focuses on how to create a church climate where it is safe to share concerns with your pastor and elders along with the reality that sometimes no amount of reconciliation efforts will reap sweet fruit. Thinking through these themes will help equip young pastors as they begin to realize criticism comes with the territory of shepherding and encourage older pastors to think through the climate of their church and whether they need a course correction.
In Part 1 of this conversation Nick Thompson, co-author with Joel R. Beeke of Pastors and Their Critics talks with Chuck Betters about the difference between betrayal and criticism and how to handle criticism from church members. Pastors quickly learn that criticism comes with the territory of shepherding. This conversation took place in the middle of the 2020 pandemic and pastors are weary from the constant criticism they are getting in response to their handling of the pandemic. Rather than resolve their differences, critics choose to leave without any attempt to preserve the relationship. Most pastors give their lives to their congregation, but over time they realize that sometimes what they thought were great friendships, don’t stand up in the middle of disagreements. How does a pastor handle such hurt without making the situation worse? What are realistic expectations for conflict resolution? Pastor, are you hurting? This conversation will help guide you through the minefield of criticism.
For too long women, rather than feel safe, women often feel shame in their local churches, so much so that they will not ask the leadership for help. The idea of speaking about her personal needs and hurts to any man, let alone being in a room alone with a group of men fills her with fear. This conversation with Ann Maree Goudzwaard, Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson fills us with great hope as we learn about a Shepherdess ministry designed to not only create a safe place for women in crisis but also act as a preventative balm. This ministry is a picture of the spiritual mothering described in Titus 2. Older women are trained to come alongside a hurting woman, learning how to speak “woman” to the pastoral leadership when the hurting woman cannot speak for herself. Ann Maree describes the responsibilities of a Shepherdess and how this ministry changes the atmosphere of a local church as women – and their friends – discover the church is a safe place. And the bonus – older women realize they have much to share from their own life journeys and Scripture.
This conversation acts as salty peanuts – we hope you want more! To satisfy your craving for more information, check out the following links. Not only is the book packed with practical information on how to start this ministry but there are also training videos.
In this conversation two seasoned pastors, Chuck Betters and Bernie Lawrence talk about how the local church is not only called to be a safe place for hurting women but how to make it so. Bernie is co-author with Ann Maree Goudzwaard of HelpHer – A Churchwide Response for Women in Crisis.
Chuck and Bernie discuss how many churches are ill-prepared to come alongside of women in crisis but how the scriptures outline the way to meet these needs. Bernie speaks from the experience of helping oversee such a ministry in his local church. He shares how the leadership recognized the need to make the church a safe place for women and then enlisted women to help develop a strategy for meeting this dire need. In their book, Bernie and Ann Maree not only tell the story of how the Shepherdess ministry developed but also include numerous practical instructions for how to develop a similar ministry in your local church. This ministry will revolutionize a local church and no doubt as it grows women will spread the news that their church is ready and willing to not only help women in crisis but be there as a pro-active and preventative balm
Barbara Juliani and Jane Anne Wilson join Sharon Betters to talk about those feelings every mother experiences at one time or another. This conversation follows an interview with Barbara about prodigal children. Barbara and her father Jack Miller co-authored Come Back, Barbara, a raw and transparent story of Barbara’s rebellion against her parents and their faith and her journey “back home”. Whenever a child rebels or disappoints parents, mothers often feel ashamed and as though their child’s behavior is a reflection on their parenting skills. “Was I too soft, too hard, spanked when I shouldn’t have, neglected a specific need in my child?” Where do moms go with these feelings? If you are that mother, this conversation will encourage you as you realize you are not alone and there is a way toward freedom.
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?”
In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson Barbara Juliani shares her story and addresses some of the ways parents take on the guilt of their children and responsibility for their decisions. You might be surprised by some of her conclusions. Her dad, Jack Miller wrote:
"I am not ignorant of human depravity," writes C. John Miller, "but I had long denied that it could exist in our family." That reality, however, forced him to confront his own sin, seek forgiveness, admit his inability to change his wayward daughter, and begin loving Barbara on God's terms.
In their book, Come Back, Barbara, "Jack" Miller and Barbara Miller Juliani chronicle their journey from grief and conflict to joyful reconciliation. Come Back, Barbara is thus an irresistible portrayal of God's grace to the Millers and us all. Our conversation with Barbara reminds broken-hearted parents about the freedom of experiencing such grace in the midst of their child’s rebellion.
Mention church conflict in a group of pastors and ministry leaders. One by one they will nod knowingly and share war stories of betrayal, conflict and relationship damage. We hear about pastors taking their own lives and the many who are leaving the ministry, tired of the in-fighting, unfair criticisms and unbiblical treatment of not only them but their families. The Covid pandemic created even more stress for pastors as a key strengthening and essential piece of the church – community – shut down. Many had to learn how to use technology and work even harder to stay connected to the congregation. Then politics entered the scene and former good friends demanded the pastor take positions he could not. Pastors are weary and not sure what the future holds. George Grant and Chuck Betters, seasoned pastors and ministry leaders talk frankly about the intense pressures pastors and ministry leaders experience and offer insights on how to navigate these turbulent times. Pastors, this is for you.
This conversation is for pastor’s and ministry wives and those who love them. While there are occupational hazards in all lines of work, ministry families experience conflicts that sometimes not only result in broken relationships but loss of their beloved church family. In most jobs, wives are not expected to be an unpaid laborer, stand by their husband’s side every Sunday, remembering every name and something about the families, teach a class, play the piano, or host multiple gatherings for every age. What she considers deep friendships root and grow. Her children see the church as their second home. Imagine the trauma when conflict reveals that many view her only as a commodity, useful as long as her husband pleases the congregation. She learns that those for whom she has hurt the most are sometimes the ones who will hurt her deeply. In this conversation two seasoned ministry wives, Karen Grant and Sharon Betters talk freely about these challenges and how to respond when trusted friends betray. Ministry wife, you are not alone. This conversation is part of a series for Ministry Families. Download the free Help & Hope app and subscribe to the Help and Hope podcast – be sure to push notifications.
Mention “fear of the Lord” and most people don’t know what it means. Is it terror in God’s presence? Is it fear He is watching and waiting to condemn us or tell us what a good person we are? Or maybe the Lord will demand we give up what is most precious to us to prove we fear Him. Or perhaps fear of the Lord grows when we think He is punishing us for past sins. In this conversation Christina Fox talks to Sharon Betters about how the fear of the Lord frees us from lesser fears and how understanding biblical fear helps us walk by faith when life turns upside down. Christina also shares how the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom in not only the hard places but in the mundane things of life.
This conversation touches the tip of the iceberg on the topic of the fear of the Lord so we hope you not only listen to this conversation but get a copy of Christina’s book, A Holy Fear.
Children raised in the same family sometimes grow up with very different responses to life. Such is the story of Julie Malone and her beautiful daughter, Allie. Julie and her husband, Tim loved their lives as parents and Tim’s ministry to teens. But their idyllic life would take a turn into a foreign land of broken places. Julie says,
I am very thankful for my childhood as I came to know and love the Lord as my savior at a very young age. I really never knew a day without Jesus in my life. I married Tim, and we had 4 beautiful little girls. We were raising our kids to know Jesus. We were a close family. Life was good. But Tim and I often wondered how and when real suffering would enter our lives.
For us, it didn’t come in one huge blow. For us it came in pieces. A little ding here, and a little ding there – until the repeated dinging of the chisel brought true hardship that often made me feel weary and worn, and well…broken. And much of this brokenness focused on our journey of parenting our oldest daughter Ally through her teenage years.”
You may not have a prodigal child, but no doubt you know someone who does, someone who is fearful for their child but maybe ashamed and embarrassed. Parents of hurting children immediately blame themselves, thinking, surely, we could have done something different. Parents of prodigal children need their friends, family and church family to rally around them and Julie gives us a glimpse into how.
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.
Discontent easily arises when our desires aren’t met and our plans don’t come true—but this is a dangerous path that drives us away from God. Megan Hiil talks with Sharon Betters about how discontentment can be an insidious, unrecognized poison that robs us of opportunities to experience joy and intimacy with the Lord. Megan explains the meaning of contentment, how we often make discontentment comfortable in our hearts and how it puts a shadow on everything we do. This conversation took place in the middle of the Covid pandemic, where we all experienced many reasons to be discontent but in this interview Megan suggests such seasons of uncertainty are opportunities to intentionally draw strength from contentment. Megan offers practical ideas on how to seek contentment in the ordinary and extraordinary seasons of life.
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 alone. Though her pain was not alleviated, she found comfort and strength in experiencing intimacy with the Lord Who walks with us in suffering. Wendy describes how the Lord is our companion in suffering, even when we must walk alone.
Mention pornography and most people think, “That’s a problem for men.” Yet 76% of 18 – 30 year old American women report that they watch porn at least once a month. Three percent of all women say they either thought they might be addicted or are unsure if they are addicted to pornography. This equates to three million women.* These stats are from 2018, so it’s safe to say the numbers are growing. Is there help for women addicted to pornography? In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Jessica Harris says yes!
Jessica shares her own story of how pornography drew her in when she was a middle schooler and how she found solace and acceptance through the internet and eventually chat rooms. Jessica describes the secrecy of her addiction and how it led to shame and guilt that she didn’t know how to break. Then, a woman acknowledged to a group of young adult females that pornography addiction was a woman thing, too. Suddenly, Jessica had hope that the chains of addiction could be broken. Jessica shares her journey as a means to offer hope to others.
In the book co-authored by Susan Hunt and Sharon Betters, Aging with Grace, Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture, each chapter ends with a story-teller who is at least seventy years old. Each woman gives the readers a glimpse into what aging with grace looks like for her. One of those storytellers is Carol Arnold. Carol was eighty-three years old at the time of the interview. Carol travels the world continuing the work of the organization her husband started, Equipping Pastors. Surely Carol is a model of flourishing in old age as she regularly gets on a plane in order to spend hours teaching about marriage in less than optimum circumstances. But is traveling the world at eighty-three years of age the only way to flourish? In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Carol answers this question and encourages us to understand flourishing in any age is not about doing but rather about “being”. No matter your age, you will be encouraged and guided by Carol’s insights.
Aging is a season of loss on many levels. Married women fear losing their spouse or outliving their children. In fact, today there are 13.6 million widows in America, and about 700,000 women become a widow in the U.S. each year. Single women who have never married can fear being alone in the last years of life. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, seventy-two-year old Jerdone Davis frankly shares some of the emotional challenges of anticipating aging alone, including addressing how we can prepare for this season while we are younger and how can we handle the fears of being alone, especially in the last season of our lives. No matter your marital status, Jerdone’s recommendations for preparing for the last season of life will encourage you to be intentional in taking steps to make things easier for loved ones after your death.
We live in an anti-aging culture – subtle and not so subtle messages convince us aging is bad – do everything you can to hang on to youth. But no matter how hard we try, our bodies continue to age. Susan Hunt and Sharon Betters co-authored a book, Aging with Grace, Flourishing in an Anti-Aging Culture because we believe our Creator, God, promises we will flourish in our old age. At the end of each chapter, a woman at least 70 years of age tells her story of what flourishing in old age looks like for her. Go to agingwithgrace.online to watch the five-minute videos of each of these storytellers answering a question about flourishing in an anti-aging culture. One of those storytellers is Dianne Balch. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Dianne Balch honestly discusses aging in a season of losses, how to grieve that loss but also flourish as we surrender to God’s purposes and walk by faith, even though our hearts ache for what was.
The week the Covid sheltering in place began, Barbara Thompson and her husband, Mark, moved from Louisiana, where they had lived for most of their lives, to Mississippi. Barbara and Mark desire is to finish and age with grace. They now live near their son and his family. Caregiving for Barbara’s parents was a ministry priority until her mother and father both passed away in August 2020. Barbara’s great joy is to, as she defines it, “sit on the bleachers” for women - praying, listening, connecting, and rejoicing as these women grow in grace. She’s a proud “spiritual mother” and rejoices to have a part in God’s work among us, through us and in us. Barbara is intentional about connecting with her grandchildren and even learning to listen to the music they love.
In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Miho Kahn and her husband share the story of Miho’s journey into a world of drugs, violence and abuse. At the age of fourteen, Miho pushed against the boundaries of her parents’ quiet life and struck out on her own, telling her sister, “Don’t try to find me.” As you listen, you might think, “This story could be a compelling movie” as you imagine a young girl hitch-hiking alone across America and exposing herself to danger and abuse. Miho shares the story of her drug addiction, rape, co-dependency, abortion - and all of this happened before she was seventeen years old. Miho transparently shares her journey and how she found peace and direction in a personal relationship to Jesus.
Pam Benton started noticing small changes in her pastor husband. Though Wilson had retired, he had agreed to serve as interim pastor in another church for eighteen months. Eighteen months turned into five years. Pam’s concerns grew when Wilson started using notes for his sermons. Since both of their mothers had Alzheimers, Pam and Wilson did not hesitate to get their doctor’s opinion, hoping for a simple answer, but knowing Alzheimers was not unlikely. 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.
Twenty-one surgeries by age thirteen. Years in the hospital. Verbal and physical bullying from schoolmates. Multiple miscarriages as a young wife. The death of a child. A debilitating progressive disease. Riveting pain. Abandonment. Unwanted divorce. How can one woman survive let alone thrive when she experiences such crashing waves of pain? In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Vaneetha Rendall Risner, author of The Scars that Have Shaped Me; How God meets us in Suffering, has experienced all these life crises and more. Rather than despair and giving up when wave after wave of loss hits, Veneetha encourages us to allow suffering to draw us into the heart of God.
On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men.1 About 2 in 4 women have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner. This includes a range of behaviors (e.g. slapping, shoving, pushing) and in some cases might not be considered "domestic violence." 1These statistics do not include abuse of men. These are just a few of domestic abuse statistics on the National Statistics Domestic Violence website. Many more people do not report abuse. If these stats are true, it’s likely 1 in 4 women sitting in our church pews have experienced severe physical violence. Sadly, the place where wounded women should feel safest – the church – is the one place they are too ashamed to be transparent. In this informative but at times disturbing interview, Darby Strickland draws from years of not only studying the impact of abuse but her interaction through counseling abused women. Darby is passionate about equipping local churches to be a safe place for the abused. To go deeper, you can order her newest book: Is it Abuse? A Biblical Guide to Identifying Domestic Abuse and Helping Victims
Infertility, ministry conflict, chronic pain – experiencing just one of these life crises can be all consuming. But all of them at the same time – and more? How does a woman not just survive, but thrive? Glenna Marshall, author of The Promise is His Presence, Why God is Always Enough, joins Sharon Betters to share her journey that has taken her to some very broken places. But as you will hear, she discovered priceless treasures as she struggled to make sense of it all.
Imagine you have one child, a beautiful daughter whose life reflects her deep love for Jesus. You and your wife work for a Christian organization, offering the help and hope of the Gospel, seeing every day as an opportunity to encourage and love others. And then you get that phone call that is every parent’s nightmare. Your only child, 17 years old, has been in a fatal car accident. Fast forward twenty years and your wife gets a diagnosis that not only will take her life but turn her last years into a place of great anguish. How would you respond? Ellis Goldstein had to answer these questions, the most recent, when he learned his wife’s diagnosis of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, better known as Lou Gerig’s disease. 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.
Almost 40% of young adults live with their parents or grandparents. This is the highest percentage in 70 years. The last time young adults did life in such proximity to their parents or grandparents was just before the Depression. Then it was out of financial need. Today it seems there is a whole different perspective on the part of the young adults. Dr. Chuck Betters talks to Jim Burns, author of Doing Life with Your Adult Children about some of the challenges for parents as they transition from parenting children to parenting young adults. Jim gives practical advice and hopeful encouragement for this tough yet rewarding transition. If you have an adult child, you know that parenting doesn't stop when a child reaches the age of eighteen. In many ways, it gets more complicated. Both your heart and your head are as involved as ever, whether your child lives under your roof or rarely stays in contact. In this conversation and in his book, parenting expert Jim Burns helps us navigate one of the richest and most challenging seasons of parenting. Speaking from his own personal and professional experience, Burns offers practical answers to questions often asked by parents of adult children.
Google mother-in-law jokes and you can take your pick of numerous sites that offer laughter at the expense of the mother-in-law. Becoming a mother-in-law after pouring your life into your son might be one of the most difficult challenges some women face. Perhaps family conflict is one of the hardest places to experience help and hope. This conversation between Annie Chapman and Sharon Betters will help guide daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law through the sometimes difficult maze of “sharing” a man. Annie Chapman is the author of The Mother-In-Law Dance and knows from experience how challenging it can be to get along with your mother-in-law. She also has married sons so she brings great wisdom on family relationships that might be just what you need to find a bridge into your “in-law’s” heart or build an even stronger relationship. Can two women love the same man and still get along? Annie says yes! And she offers sound advice for those times when only one party wants to have that friendship.
Each year about 50,000 children die in the United States. While a profound loss for parents, what about their siblings? Doug MacGray, was eleven years old when he lost his sixteen-year-old brother, Ricky. How does an eleven-year-old grieve? How is the grief journey of a sibling different than the grief journey of parents? In this sometimes emotional conversation, Doug shares with Dr. Chuck F. Betters some of the ways his brother’s death affected him and how grief for a child is different than the grief of an adult. It’s our hope that Doug’s story will help parents understand the grief of their children a little better and also encourage those who have lost siblings at a young age.
In 2016 about 20% of US adults had chronic pain – that’s about 50,000,000. Eight percent of those adults had high-impact pain – that’s about 20,000,000 people with debilitating chronic pain. People suffering from high-impact pain often suffer in isolation and without much understanding or sympathy. They don’t have a cast or any visible sign of injury, yet their pain changes the way they live life. In this Help & Hope podcast, Dr. Betters talks with Bill Condon, who knows what it is to not only experience chronic pain with no hope of healing, but also the devastation of the losses that often accompanies chronic pain. Bill explains how depression took him into such a dark place he no longer wanted to live. Yet in the middle of debilitating pain, Bill’s story is one of hope. If you or someone you love suffers from any kind of ongoing pain, Bill’s story will encourage you, and help you find a way to walk by faith in the middle of the pain and/or come alongside someone who lives with chronic pain.
Is it ever ok to question God’s love or wisdom, especially when you love and serve Him but experience tremendous loss? Dr. Frank A. James, President and Professor of Historical Theology at Missio Seminary in Pennsylvania joins Dr. Chuck F. Betters to talk about this very question. Frank’s story of loss started when his younger brother, Kelly, was trapped in a snow cave on Mt. Hood and an unyielding blizzard prevented rescue. News outlets from all over the world covered the fear and anguish of Frank’s family as they waited for news about Kelly. Frank describes the emotional roller coaster of hope, fear, confusion, despair and lament as they waited and then as they realized Kelly would not survive. As a professor, author, seminary president, how is it possible Frank struggled with hard theological questions about suffering and lament. Frank’s transparency will encourage you to better understand how God welcomes your questions and holds you tightly in His grip when you struggle to understand His purposes.
According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. These numbers have been rising steadily; between 2007 and 2012, anxiety disorders in children and teens went up 20%. These stats combined with the rate of hospital admissions for suicidal teenagers also doubling over the past decade leaves us with many concerning questions. (source: https://www.childhealthdata.org/learn-about-the-nsch/NSCH)
In this Help & Hope interview, Jessica Thompson, author of How to Help Your Teens with Anxiety, talks to Sharon Betters about some of the root causes of anxiety and offers practical tips for how parents can get their kids talking about anxiety and how they come alongside of their children during their teen years.
Did you know that only 12 percent of child sexual abuse is ever reported to the authorities and fewer than 4 in 10 rapes are reported to the police? Additionally, 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18. These numbers include people in our local churches. In this Help and Hope resource Sharon Betters and Ellen Dykas discuss these horrifying statistics in the context of how the church can help create an environment where abuse victims feel safe and helped. This is not an easy topic to discuss nor is it easy to hear, especially if you are a victim of sexual abuse. But it is imperative that we hear from people like Ellen who are passionate about going into the dark places with the light of Jesus and inviting others to go with her to offer the hope and help only Jesus gives.
We all want to be beautiful and successful. Often this desire pushes us off a cliff into concluding we are never enough. And sometimes these feelings lead us into addictions in our pursuit of beauty and success. At least 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States. Perhaps you are one of them or you know someone suffering from an eating disorder. In this Help & Hope interview Sarah Ivill, talks with Sharon Betters about her own struggle with an eating disorder and how it reflected her view that she was never enough. But an eating disorder is not the only addiction resulting from feeling inadequate. With great compassion, Sarah discusses some of the lies that feed into the feeling that we are never enough, the need to get to the root of the lies and how an eating disorder is an addiction that can take a long time to break. Though you may have no experience with an eating disorder, the truths that Sarah shares apply to any place in our lives where we feel we are not enough.
All of us face choices every day, but some face life-changing choices much earlier than others. Jonathan Gonzalez lived with painful circumstances throughout his childhood that forced him to take on adult decisions far sooner than he was ready. When Jonathan was seventeen years old, everything changed. In this conversation with Chuck Betters, Jonathan describes the horrifying accident that left him bleeding out in the backseat of a car. In desperation he prayed a prayer that would change everything.
Have you ever been away from home and all you wanted was to go home, to your familiar surroundings, you family – your bed? You feel homesick. In this conversation with Sharon Betters Elyse Fitzpatrick describes how a difficult time in her life resulted in her longing for something more. She concluded she was homesick for heaven. Elyse helps us better understand how a biblical view of heaven can be a source of great comfort when life turns upside down. She encourages us to learn more about our eternal destination, just as we would if we were planning a visit to another country. Rather than eating grapes and being fanned by angels during an eternal worship service, Elyse paints a picture of a perfected earth, a real, physical place that we will explore and enjoy with real bodies in a world where there is no more sickness, death or tears.
“I end every day feeling defeated because I lost my temper with my kids, vowing tomorrow will be better, but it usually isn’t.” “I don’t want my kids to be “less than” their friends. I also want them to stand out as college applicants. But I don’t think I can keep up with this schedule of activities. They are ages 5 & 9.” “Whenever my child fails at something, I’m the one who feels guilty and judged.” “When is it my turn? I look forward to an hour of quiet time after the kids are in bed and no matter how hard I try, something robs me of my time”
Christina Fox addresses these parenting concerns and much more in this conversation with Sharon Betters and Melissa Weisenfels. How can good parenting motives turn into idols? What should we do when we discover that our motives for doing good things for our kids just might be wrong? Christina is the author of Idols of a Mother’s Heart and numerous other books and articles
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. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Lynne gives us a glimpse into her journey to understand God’s ways as well as a picture of how the legacy of faith passed on to her by her parents helped her experience God’s love and presence in the darkest of times. Lynne encourages us to know we are never alone, no matter how desolate the desert may feel and we are never forgotten by our Father in Heaven.
Connect with Lynne at Lynnehartke.com
https://www.amazon.com/Under-Desert-Sky-Redefining-Hardest/dp/0800727746
A diagnosis of dementia in a loved one is frightening. Many spouses and family members face a “long goodbye” as they walk this pathway with their loved ones. 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. Dr. Dunlop’s compassion and passion for equipping and caring for older people comes through in his responses. 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.
Did you know that every year about 100,000 men are widowed? Though a widow’s grief is just as deep as a widower, men often respond differently to the loss of their wives. In this moving conversation Dr. Chuck Betters talks with Dr. Jim Myer who lost his first wife. Jim shares the story of his family’s sorrow and cautions listeners that though someone who is broken might look whole on the outside, grief and depression might be ever present companions. Jim describes the depression he experienced and how his journey produced in him a passion for offering help to others who are grieving. Jim also shares how the Lord is redeeming his pain through his marriage to Kathy. The website for The Discipleship Counseling Resource (DCR) is: http://poconoefc.org/?page_id=597
When Marissa Henley learned on the day before she turned 34 that she had a rare form of a deadly, aggressive cancer, her first thoughts were of her young children. Would she live long enough to take her youngest to kindergarten. Her diagnosis sent her on a journey to find the best treatment which meant long separations from her family. In her book, Loving Your Friend Through Cancer, 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. In her conversation with Sharon Betters, also a cancer survivor, Marissa gives listeners a taste of the treasures in her book and her passion for equipping those who love cancer fighters to walk with them in the battle for their lives.
When Lovette told her mother she was pregnant, her mother dragged her to an abortion clinic despite protests and tears. A few months later, Lovette was again pregnant, and though she cried, she followed the routine and returned to the abortion clinic. In this conversation with Sharon Betters Lovette shares her story with hopes her journey into healing will help other women avoid the pain and grief she experienced after her abortions. Not only will the woman struggling to recover from an abortion receive hope from Lovette’s words, listeners will be better equipped to help a friend who faces a crisis pregnancy.
We’re all waiting for something. It might be a spouse or a baby. It might be healing or a home. Regardless of what we're waiting for, it’s easy to feel discontent when things aren’t going as planned and our dreams are delayed—especially when questions of 'Why?' and 'How long?' remain unanswered. In her conversation with Sharon Betters, Betsy Childs Howard reminds us that God uses seasons of waiting to teach us patience and make us more like Himself. Yet there is an even greater treasure to be found in our waiting rooms. Sanctification is not the only purpose God has in mind. When we wait faithfully with unmet longings, we become a powerful picture of the bride of Christ waiting for the day when he returns and God’s kingdom reigns. (Seasons of Waiting – Walking by Faith When Dreams are Delayed by Betsy Childs Howard)
In 2009, Claire Culwell found out she was an abortion survivor. Claire’s birth mother was 13 years old at the time she became pregnant with Claire. Her mother took her to an abortion clinic where she had a surgical abortion. A few weeks later, she realized her belly was still growing and her mother took her back to the abortion clinic. She learned she had been pregnant with twins. One baby was aborted. Claire survived. In this conversation with Sharon Betters Claire shares the poignant moments she learned she was an abortion survivor and how she responded to her birth mother. Claire challenges listeners to recognize the horror of abortion by presenting her own life as one of value and impact.
Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of 47,000 people. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54. There were more than twice as many suicides (47,173) in the United States than there were homicides (19,510). Sadly, suicide is trending upward, increasing 31% in the past eighteen years. Suicide among males is nearly fourt times higher than among females.(Source) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports in 2017)
These statistics are startling. Judy Springer doesn’t need statistics to reveal the anguish and pain of mental illness and suicide. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, she tells how she has lived it 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. She is confident Scott would want her to transparently tell their story as a way to offer help and hope to others. This story will not only offer help and hope to those struggling with mental illness but equip others to walk beside them.
In this inspiring podcast former baseball star, Dave Dravecky and Dr. Chuck F. Betters talk about how cancer destroyed Dave’s successful baseball career and Dave’s struggle to deal with not only the loss of his career but understanding his true identity. In the 1980s Dave Dravecky was a long-sought-after relief specialist. His pitching helped key the San Diego Padres' World Series run. After a few years in San Diego, Dravecky moved on to San Francisco, where he was a key part of their World Series run. However, things in 1989 would take a bitter turn for the Youngstown, Ohio native. Experiencing weakness in his pitching arm, he was examined by the Giants team doctor. The doctor noticed Purpose Aa lump in Dravecky's arm and sent him to a specialist in New York. It was there that Dravecky learned his pitching arm was ripe with cancer. Draveckey underwent treatment in hopes on returning to baseball. In September of 1989, Dravecky returned to the pitching mound, mere months after undergoing treatment for cancer. In one appearance, Draveckey's arm, weakened from treatment, snapped and broke while he delivered a pitch. He would re-break the same arm weeks later celebrating his team's berth in the World Series. Any full-time comeback for Dravecky would be forever denied when in 1991, in a surgery to save his life, his pitching arm was amputated above the elbow. Dave Draveckey's plight inspired the Giants, though they were unable to overcome an earthquake, and an ultra powerful Oakland A's lineup. Dravecky retired officially from baseball after losing his arm. But his story was just beginning.
Long term illness has more than one victim. Naturally, the priority of energy and time must be the person who is ill. But what about the rest of the family, especially the spouse who walks beside the sick loved one? In this podcast, Jan Dravecky speaks candidly to Sharon Betters about how her husband Dave’s loss of his arm to cancer plunged her into a deep depression. Dave was a pitcher for the Giants when he received the diagnosis of cancer. Their journey captured the attention of the world when against all odds, Dave came back to the pitcher’s mound, and then gasped in horror when his arm snapped while pitching. The cancer had returned. Living with cancer is painful, but even more painful on a world stage. Jan’s body, heart and soul finally cried, “Enough” and Jan found herself on a long, hard journey to find her way out of deep depression. Jan and Dave share their journey through books, speaking and an outreach to hurting people called Endurance. Learn more about their ministry at Endurance.org.
Sherry and Mike Kendrick heard the word “terminal” when Mike was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Mike prayed he would live long enough to walk his daughter down the aisle. God granted him that desire and five years later, after his daughter’s wedding, Mike stepped from earth into heaven. 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. Sherry took practical steps to allow her room to lean into the pain but also to open her heart and hands to the treasures God gives through others. Her story will not only encourage widows but anyone who struggles with this foreign land of grief.
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 of the certain hope and peace of the gospel.
Waiting. We don’t like it. We wouldn’t choose it. Yet in the middle of that waiting room, there is hope in Jesus. This conversation between Sharon Betters, Melissa Weisenfels and Elizabeth Turnage will help turn your heart toward Him if you are in that waiting room or equip you to offer help and hope to a waiting friend.
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.
“Edith, we urge you to learn Braille, train with a white cane, and learn to cook blindfolded...” These warnings from Doctors and a Rehab team along with major eye surgery and regular vision-loss monitoring by top specialists at Johns Hopkins University Hospital struck fear in Edith Yoder’s heart.. As a single Christian woman living alone in the mountains of Western Maryland she had already dealt with total vision loss in one eye. Now, the gravity of the possibility of total blindness was yet another blow as Edith felt even her “new normal” begin to crumble. In recent years her dream job as a CNA had already come to a screeching halt and it was obvious that not only physically but also spiritually, the decisions she would make in the following weeks would be crucial in this fight to retain her physical sight and her spiritual vision. In Christ, Edith has found purpose for her pain, strength sufficient for the struggles, and blessings beyond measure as she shares her message of hope to “Walk by faith, not by sight”!
Twenty-nine year old Erin Kauffman was enjoying the fruit of years of education and working. She loved her newly purchased home and bought a new car that she could load up with equipment when traveling to school sponsored music events. Erin filled her time with work, music, friends and ministry. Then the unthinkable happened. A driver fell asleep at the wheel and at sixty miles per hour slammed head first into Erin’s car. In this moving conversation with Sharon Betters, Erin describes the devastation of realizing the bottom half of her body was crushed, the long rehab, and how this accident changed the direction of her life. Though Erin continues to struggle with long term pain and acknowledges that her medical care is like a part time job, she offers hope to anyone in similar circumstances. Erin’s story also will inspire listeners to trust that when everything feels impossible, that’s when we can see the Lord’s grace and strength in ways we never imagined possible.
“I end every day feeling defeated because I lost my temper with my kids, vowing tomorrow will be better, but it usually isn’t.” “I don’t want my kids to be “less than” their friends. I also want them to stand out as college applicants. But I don’t think I can keep up with this schedule of activities. They are ages 5 & 9.” “Whenever my child fails at something, I’m the one who feels guilty and judged.” “When is it my turn? I look forward to an hour of quiet time after the kids are in bed and no matter how hard I try, something robs me of my time”
Christina Fox addresses these parenting concerns and much more in this conversation with Sharon Betters and Melissa Weisenfels. How can good parenting motives turn into idols? What should we do when we discover that our motives for doing good things for our kids just might be wrong? Christina is the author of Idols of a Mother’s Heart and numerous other books and articles. Connect with Christina at christinafox.com
Rachel’s Craddock’s mother died after a long battle with breast cancer. Rachel was fourteen years old. Sharon Betters and Melissa Weisenfels ask Rachel 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. Rachel holds nothing back as she talks about how unraveling deep issues in her heart, though painful at the time, ended up as good. Rachel is the author of Slowly Unraveled, Changed from the Inside Out, and in this conversation she explains how the Gospel not only unraveled her grief but slowly unraveled communication and conflict in her marriage, her view of parenting and much more.
Cori Salchert, fosters and adopts “hospice babies” whose own families find it too hard to cope with their child’s terminal diagnosis. She is the mother of over fifteen children, some of whom died in her care. Cori traveled a very painful pathway before she arrived at her calling to caring for and loving terminally ill children so that they will not die alone. Cori shares her journey into this calling in her book, I Will Love You Forever, A True Story about Finding Life, Hope & Healing While Caring for Hospice Babies. She calls her home a “house of hope” where she and her family dedicate their lives to providing dying children with loving hospice care until the end of their lives. In this moving conversation, Cori shares with Sharon Betters how God used her years of undiagnosed pain and illness to help equip her to recognize the value of every human being, no matter how “unproductive” others might view them. Her first hospice baby was Emmalynn, a baby born missing part of her brain. Instead of dying in a hospital, during her last days of life, Emmalyn was surrounded and snuggled by people who loved her. Cori says, “Emmalyn didn’t suffer, she wasn’t in pain, and most certainly wasn’t alone…What a gift it is to be a part of these babies’ lives, to cherish and love them even though they aren’t able to give anything back. No matter your season of life or daily responsibilities, Cori’s story will inspire and encourage you to recognize you, too, have the privilege of offering help and hope through your everyday life.
The fear of miscarriage is one of the biggest fears of a pregnant woman. Jessalyn Hutto, author of Inheritance of Tears, When Death Enters the Womb knows not only this fear but the reality of miscarriage and the accompanying grief. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Jessalyn brings hope to women who grieve the loss of their children through miscarriage. She offers a priceless gift to those women coming behind her who have experienced such deep loss. Jessalyn reminds listeners that Jesus cares very deeply about every child who is lost to miscarriage and He cares very deeply about every mother who is deprived of that life.
Bryan and his wife Sharon say the diagnosis of severe autism for his son Matthew confronted them with the reality that the future they had planned would never come. In this transparent conversation Bryan touches on how he and his wife went into survival mode, how he initially thought the could “fix” his son, the spiritual struggles they experienced and the impact of Matthew on their other children and their marriage. Though their journey has been challenging, Bryan offers help and hope to anyone experiencing upheaval through circumstances beyond their control.
Relationships can be so hard and sometimes painful. Are they worth it? What are some of the pitfalls of relationships? How can our expectations of others sabotage our relationships? When someone we care about disappoints us, and they will, what questions should we be willing to ask ourselves to determine how to proceed? How can God use disappointments and broken relationships for our good? Is there ever a time to just walk away? Sharon Betters asks Ellen Dykas these questions and more. All of us struggle with relationships. We know this conversation will encourage and equip you to not only understand yourself better but how to navigate what can sometimes be a scary minefield.
In this conversation Chuck Betters sits down with Bill Tell, author of Lay it Down, Living in the Freedom of the Gospel. Bill, former Vice President of the Navigators, experienced severe burnout and depression without warning. Bill discovered he could not “pull himself up by his own bootstraps”. Depression was like the hand of a giant pushing him deeper and deeper into darkness he could not fight on his own. Bill’s calling required him to interact with people but the dark cloud of depression created the need for him to close the door of his life in order to find the pathway of healing. Bill’s honest account of this lonely and dark time encourages each of us to review the grid through which we live life. He encourages us to experience the freedom of living in the freedom of the Gospel rather than the unsatisfying prison of pursuing the praise of people.
In this conversation Sharon Betters talks with Sue Tell about her reaction to her husband Bill’s severe burnout and depression. After over forty years of serving on the staff of The Navigators, Bill suddenly slid into a dark pit of depression. He was incapable of “pulling himself up by his own bootstraps”. Sue describes how their lives dramatically changed from regularly pouring their lives out in ministry to closing the door of their home in order to give Bill time to heal. Along the way, Sue discovered treasures that not only strengthened her to walk with Bill in the darkness, but brought new depth to their marriage. You can hear more from Sue at her blog, Echoesofgrace.com
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. Lisa and Sharon talk about some of the practical things they did to minimize the power of cancer in their lives as well as some tips for dealing with the after affects of treatment. Have you just heard those words, “You have breast cancer?” or do you know someone who is fighting cancer right now? This conversation is for you.
“Christmas. What will we do about Christmas?”
This was one of the first grief-stricken questions Sharon asked her husband, Chuck, hours after learning of the death of their sixteen-year-old son, Mark. In this poignant interview, Chuck and Sharon Betters speak candidly about how they approached their first Christmas without their youngest child. If you are struggling with grief in this season that is considered the happiest of all, listen, and be encouraged that there are treasures in the darkness designed to help turn your heart toward Jesus.
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. Susanna and husband Joe and their entire family welcomed Tommy into their home even though he had severe disabilities. No strangers to raising a child with disabilities, Tommy quickly experienced unconditional love. Yet God often calls us to hard places that are much more difficult than we expected. Through circumstances no one could have imagined, Tommy died. Susanna, with the help of her counselor, Heidi, shares the story of her family, her passion for adoption of children with special needs and the enormous struggle she experienced in trying to reconcile Tommy’s death while carrying self-imposed guilt no parent should experience. 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.
In this painful and transparent conversation Renee’ Stewart takes responsibility for instigating adulterous relationships. She shares how her behavior shattered families and imposed long term pain on her children. Why would Renee’ shine the light on such a dark place and on such a public platform? Renee’ wants to help others avoid the damage she caused and in this brutally honest conversation pleads with those who are tempted to unfaithfulness and those in adulterous relationships to recognize no good will come from their behavior. The stats of how many people will commit adultery are staggering. The damage caused to families and children by adultery is profound. Let Renee’s story become a fence that helps protect you from inflicting such tragedy on those you love.
Melanoma, the word strikes fear into the hearer, especially when it is a diagnosis for a loved one. Al Groves, a beloved professor at Westminster Seminary 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, answering such questions as
How did you tell your children? Did you ever hit a wall where you felt you just couldn’t handle all the daily responsibilities of raising your children and caring for your husband? Al was a gifted author, beloved professor at Westminster Seminary. Did you ever question why such a gifted man who had so much more to offer had to die? What about lament? How important was and is your faith? How did it make a difference in the way you viewed this diagnosis? How did people help you?
We live in a culture that idolizes youth but no matter how hard we might try, we cannot escape the fact that unless 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? In this free-flowing conversation Sharon Betters, age 70, asks Ruth Auffarth, age 88, these questions and more. So grab a cup of coffee, a glass of iced tea, sit back and listen in as two old friends share thoughts about what it means to grow old with grace and dignity.
Mental Illness. The very words chill our souls. Yet, millions of people struggle with mental illness every minute of every day. In this powerful, transparent interview, one family describes their extraordinary 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. Mental illness is perhaps one of the loneliest and most isolating of life crises. This family shares their own story with hopes their lives will offer help and hope to others who fight every day to find purpose. This interview is also for those who love someone broken by mental illness. It is our prayer that many will find help and hope in this powerful interview.
Corie Weathers, author of Sacred Spaces, My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage, transparently shares some of her own marriage struggles as a the wife of a military chaplain in this far reaching conversation. Corie was the 2015 Armed Forces Insurance Military Spouse of the Year. One of her responsibilities was to travel on a one-week overseas holiday trip with US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. Corie’s personal goal for this trip was twofold: to better understand her husband’s deployment experiences and to bring other military spouses along through her daily video podcast and eventually her book. Sacred Spaces. Every military spouse will better understand their own challenges and struggles as Corie doesn’t hold back in taking listeners into the heart of her own marriage. She poignantly 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. Her husband would leave part of his heart in Afghanistan. Corie doesn’t leave listeners without hope or a path forward. This conversation is not just for military families. Every married couple will benefit from this strong message of help and hope.
Corie Weathers, author of Sacred Spaces, My Journey to the Heart of Military Marriage is also a licensed professional counselor and hosts the Lifegiver Military Spouse Podcast. Corie and her husband, Matt, co host marriage retreats. For more about Corie, visit corieweathers.com and https://www.youtube.com/user/corieweathers
Please leave your comments about this conversation – your review will encourage others to experience the same help and hope!
Lindsay’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.
Pastor 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. In this rich conversation with Chuck Betters, Bob steps back into those frightening days and describes how that period transformed him and helped make him into the joyful man he is today. This far reaching conversation touches on the heart of suffering and will touch your heart with the help and hope of Jesus.
From age 12 through the age of 18, Doug began to experiment with any and all drugs, from ecstasy to crystal meth, 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. Doug shares his journey into drug addiction including how being raised “in the church” left him so empty that he searched and found acceptance in the fans of a band called Insane Clown Posse. Their message of sex, drugs and violence filled the empty hole in his heart. In this far reaching conversation, Doug touches on how parents should respond to the manipulation of the drug addict, whether coming off of drugs cold turkey as he did is always the best way, why addicts are willing to destroy their lives and loved ones for that fix, and why addicts often go back to drugs after rehab. Doug offers hope, not only to the person addicted to drugs but to the people who love them. Doug Clarke is a husband and father and works for Jublilee Ministries where he is the Aftercare/New Path Manager.
In this free flowing conversation Stephanie Hubach’s joy in parenting son, twenty-five year old Tim, who has Down Syndrome shines through. Steph talks about how Tim’s birth affected and strengthened her marriage, recognizing the need for consistent discipline, intentionally teaching Tim practical social skills to prepare him for the workplace, giving herself permission to take care of herself so that she could be strong and able to relentlessly pour into Tim’s life, and the priceless gift of Tim to their family. 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.
When you first meet Sue, you sense she is a woman who lives life through a kind and steady grid. Yet still waters run deep and for over thirty 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 has experienced a life crisis that is painful, sometimes hard to talk about, sometimes experienced in isolation, yet filled with the hope of a woman who leans into her Lord for wisdom and strength. Sue’s love for Joseph shines through as she reaches back into the early years of Joseph’s life and gives us a glimpse into the parenting of a child with special needs and a brain injury that will never get better. She describes how her pastor shepherded her and celebrated Joseph’s birth and life. She talks about preparing for that day when they are no longer physically able to care for Joseph or the possibility that they will die before Joseph. Sue gives us a front row seat of loving and parenting Joseph in a way that will not only encourage other families but also help equip those who love them to walk with them in this often difficult place. This conversation is part of our mini series that offers help and hope to families who have children with disabilities.
Sexual Abuse of Children – You’ve heard the news stories and read the headlines. Each word drives a sword deeper into the hearts of those who love and protect their children. Tom 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. In this transparent interview, Tom not only shares his story, but helps equip listeners to see the signs of abuse, the pathway to healing from abuse and the enormous battle that sexual abuse causes in the heart of a child and into his adulthood. 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.
Learn more about Tom and the way God is creating beauty from the broken places in his life: Histruthtransforms.com or Secretknots.net
On 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. The event shocked the nation and left many staggering under the weight of such tragedy and evil. 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? How did the Amish community react to Marie and her family? Listen as Marie’s story reveals what she learned about forgiveness and that one Light can still shine in the midnights of life.
In August 1999 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. As I sat there I had a lot to consider. I was a sex addict. (From 2.bebroken.com) Exposure to pornography at the age of 12 was Jonathan’s first step downward into the abyss of sexual addiction. Listen as Jonathan describes that downward spiral and what turned his heart toward healing and a redeemed marriage.
Remember playing in the sand, your back to the ocean, oblivious of the huge waves heading toward you? Suddenly, a mountain of raging water crashes over your body and not only slams you body into the sand but before you can catch a breath, another huge wave pulls you out to into a rip tide. Andrea Maher experienced tumultuous life events that threatened to pull her under a raging ocean of grief, shattered dreams and hopelessness. 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? In this transparent conversation Andrea shares her story as a means of offering help and hope to others slammed by life, who are holding on by their
Marriage can be difficult under any circumstances, but adding a child with special needs adds a whole new level of challenges. In this wide-ranging conversation Steve Demme, shares his passion for helping build strong marriages, but in particular wants to offer help and hope to fathers, and even more specifically to fathers of children with special needs. Steve’s special relationship to his son, Johnny (who has Down Syndrome) shines through in this transparent interview and offers help and hope not only to fathers, but to anyone who longs to know God as Daddy.
Steve Demme’s Bio Steve and his wife Sandra have been married since 1979. They have been blessed with four sons, three lovely daughters-in-law, and three special grandchildren. Their fourth son John has Down Syndrome and lives with them in Lititz, PA. Steve has served in full or part time pastoral ministry for many years after graduating from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served on the board of Joni and Friends Eastern PA. He is the creator of Math-U-See and the founder of Building Faith Families. Steve, you have a long list of credentials but I bet that at the top of your list is marriage to Sandra and parenting your children. Thank you for your willingness to share your story today.
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 also non verbal. Kim was diagnosed as having autism, a diagnosis 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.
Paul is author of numerous books, including A Praying Life and A Loving Life. He is Executive Director of seeJesus, a global discipleship ministry which he founded in 1999 to help Christians and non-Christians alike “see Jesus.” Since that time, Paul has taught more than 100 seminars, written a dozen interactive Bible studies, and released three books focused on seeJesus’ core themes: the person of Jesus, love, and prayer. Jill is Paul’s wife. Jill has her own list of amazing accomplishments, including starting businesses and writing curriculum, and is known for her sense of humor and faith. With all of their amazing accomplishments that offer help and hope to hurting people, perhaps their most loved one is raising their six children and enjoying life as grandparents to 12 grandchildren.
Divorce. Some statisticians claim that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Yet the numbers do not reveal the anguish in every home broken by divorce. In this transparent interview, Patti shares her shock and pain when her husband divorced her. Listeners will hear how she told her children and helped them deal with their own broken hearts, found the right attorney, processed the deceit and betrayal and learned how to forgive. Her story will help those grappling with their own broken marriages as well as better equip family and friends who are walking with someone in the midst of divorce.
How do you pursue your dreams when congenital muscular dystrophy threatens your independence? When you are born with muscular dystrophy, you face a life of muscles breaking down and unable to keep up with growth spurts. During a normal growth spurt, Tim’s spine curved so rapidly that without a full spinal fusion he would die. 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. His dream to attend a university away from home seemed impossible, but Tim persevered and successfully learned how to navigate the streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while attending Drexel University. Tim successfully completed the “fast track” of earning two degrees during the same time period: a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering and Master’s Degree in Electrical Engineering. Rather than using his disability to open doors, he was determined to help people know him as a person, not as the student with a disability. 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.
Edie’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 monstrous treatment? Edie’s story offers help and hope to anyone who has been sexually abused and shines a light on the spreading horror of sex trafficking in the United States. She offers people who work with children suggestions on how to spot a child who is being abused and how to help them. This compelling story uncovers a devastating dark side of humanity but also is a message of help and hope for hurting people.
You can contact Edie at: http://healingrootministry.com/
Jerry was born with Cerebral Palsy but 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 over twenty years ago. 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 the greatest challenges. Listen in as Joan and Jerry not only offer hope to people with disabilities, to parents of children with disabilities, but also remind us that the dreams of people with disabilities aren’t much different than anyone else. This conversation is not just for people with disabilities!
Follow Joan on her blog, Raising My Ebeneezer at https://joanborton.com/ where you will find numerous posts about marriage: Marriage Monday.
For more information about seeJesus, where Joan and Jerry joyfully help people with disabilities “see Jesus” visit https://www.seejesus.net/ - A Global Discipling Ministry.
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.
A little boy, abandoned by his mother, shifted from one abuse-filled 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. How does this little boy find a way to grow into a man who trusts God and offers help and hope to others through his story? Bob Petterson opens up about the terrifying loneliness of abandonment, the pain of abuse and the memories of hateful abuse at the hands of foster parents. Is there any hope for such a child? Bob says there is and lives out that hope every day. This story is for anyone who has experienced childhood abandonment, abuse, hatred, and separation from siblings. Yet it is for anyone who longs to know that in this messy, broken world, there really is hope of redemption and purpose for those shattered by the abuse of others.
The high school girl innocently began her dangerous journey. Her 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. Rebecca invites listeners who are struggling with any eating disorder to change course and find that same pathway to recovery.
Post Abortion Stress Syndrome – though not recognized in the medical community as a real diagnosis, thousands of women and men live with guilt, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, depression and more in the aftermath of abortion. In this interview Jill, a woman who has had four abortions, offers her story as a means to encourage women and men to discover the healing that is possible. Marian, director of a crisis pregnancy center, describes alternatives available to those terrified by an unexpected pregnancy.
For more help and hope visit:
http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/ Rachel’s Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing.
Facing an unexpected, crisis pregnancy? Find Help and Hope at a local Crisis Pregnancy Center: http://www.lifecall.org/cpc.html
When they leave for work they pray they will return home, safe and sound. Their spouses have to learn how to live with the constant possibility that a gunshot will destroy their family. Police officers are a special breed of men and women who go toward danger in order to protect their community. How do a husband and wife build a marriage when there is a constant tension of uncertainty and low grade fear? Joe and Candice Racite speak frankly about their own struggles as a law enforcement family, acknowledging the work of law enforcement affects almost every area of life, as well as relationships to family and friends. They speak with candor about the challenge to keep their marriage fresh, learning to recognize when fights escalate because of underlying job related fears and frustrations, and how they protect their marriage from temptation. Let Joe and Candice help guide you through the minefields of marriage as a law enforcement family.
How do you find purpose when you are excruciating pain 24/7, survived 7 surgeries and most likely face more? Add to that your status as a double amputee. In this interview, you will meet Warrior Woman Gracie Rosenberger, who was 17 when she was in an almost fatal car accident. In our conversation Gracie freely 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. She has become an accomplished snow-skier, has performed as a vocalist before presidents and shared stages with some of America’s biggest stars, singing for hundreds of thousands. Gracie and her husband, Peter, have two sons and co-founded Standing With Hope, a non-profit organization that provides prosthetic limbs to people in Kenya.
For more encouragement from this remarkable woman, purchase Gracie’s book, Gracie, Standing with Hope. Visit her website, Standing With Hope - http://standingwithhope.com/
What happens when a four year-old gets an unwanted education in the darker side of humanity and experiences sexual abuse at the hand of her father? In this powerful, sometimes difficult to hear interview, Dr. Terry Eccles takes the listener into the abyss of the sexual abuse she experienced beginning at the age of four. This interview gives hope to the abused but also gives a window into the soul of the abused in a way that will better equip the listener to walk alongside the victim of abuse
“Whatever burdens my fellow caregivers struggle with, I can help. I’m willing to put it all out there.” So says Peter Rosenberger in the introduction of his book, Hope for Caregivers. Chuck Betters starts the conversation with Peter by asking him to share what credentials he has that enable him to make such a bold claim. When Peter married Gracie over thirty years ago, he knew she had some medical issues resulting from a near fatal car accident she was in at the age of 17. The full impact of those issues did not hit him until a medical crisis shortly after their marriage. Suddenly he knew that his life would always center on taking care of Gracie’s medical crises and that truth overwhelmed him. To this date, Gracie lives 24/7 with excruciating pain, is a double amputee and has had 78 surgeries with more likely. In this interview Peter candidly discusses the pressures a caregiver experiences when solely responsible for his or her spouse’s physical needs. He humbly admits that he has made every mistake possible and is passionate about helping other caregivers avoid those pitfalls. Peter’s sense of humor makes his sometimes tough counsel easy to swallow and results in hope for the caregiver that is drowning in exhaustion, regrets, anger, grief and longing for something better.
For more hope and help from Peter, visit https://caregiverswithhope.com/ Caregivers with Hope offers helpful tools to families, clergy, counselors, medical practitioners, employers and businesses that are faced with addressing the needs of the caregiver. Standing with Hope Inc. is a non profit evangelical prosthetic limb outreach to developing countries.
More about Peter Rosenberger: Peter is the founder of Caregivers with Hope and author of Hope for the Caregiver.
Is it possible to break free from drugs after a lifetime of using? Shelley Tribbitt says yes. After using drugs for over thirty years, Shelley broke free from the drugs, but then had to face the collateral damage she had done to her family and friends. In this poignant interview, Shelley describes the devastation drug use brought on her family, including the loss of custody of her children. Her daughter, Bay, joins the conversation and describes how she reconciled with her mother and why she never gave in to the temptation of drug use, even though they were readily available.
Drug use in our culture is an epidemic. It isn’t just teenagers who are falling to this dangerous life choice. Shelley’s story reminds us that drugs know no age limits, We also see that reconciliation with estranged family members is possible, though the pathway to reconciliation will be painful and often long.
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. Renee is Executive Director of Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program, located in Port Deposit, Maryland. Freedom Hills offers help and hope to people with disabilities as they find freedom through horseback riding. Riding horses helps them forget their limitations and “feel as though they are flying.” Renee is a Warrior Woman whose story will encourage listeners who walking hard paths to recognize how hard times can prepare you to offer help and hope to others.
Learn more about Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program: http://www.freedomhills.org/
Suicide was on teen Denise Haas’ mind a lot, so much so that she tried several times to take her life. Her parents’ divorce shattered her world and living didn’t seem like a good option. In this compelling conversation, Denise transparently shares her story in an attempt to grab the hands of teens who are struggling with similar darkness and compel them to “just hold on!” This conversation not only offers help to the hurting teen but also gives practical ways to come alongside a teenager who is contemplating suicide.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Call 1-800-273-8255
The third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year old’s, suicide and depression amongst our teens is a topic that cannot be ignored in our culture. This 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.
Joy was 10 years old when her mother lost her battle with aggressive breast cancer. Her two little sisters looked to her for mothering. She became her father’s confidante as he tried to navigate grief, single parenthood, and looking for a new wife. Joy’s story gives listeners a glimpse into how the loss of a parent can create an ever widening circle of grief that takes years to process. Some grief counselors believe that a child who experiences a sudden loss of a significant loved one before the age of 18, does not process their grief until the average age of 40. Imagine all the decisions and life choices experienced through the grid of buried grief. There are no easy answers to how to help a child navigate such sorrow, but Joy offers help and hope through her story.
What gets inside the head of a young girl who almost starves herself to death because when she looks into a mirror she sees a fat, ugly, lonely girl? In this special interview, Rose (not her real name) takes us inside the heart of a girl who “cannot remember a time when I wasn’t overweight and looked different from my thin and pretty friends. I could never wear the same style of clothes as them….I couldn’t borrow PJ’s for an impromptu sleepover or a bathing suit for a spontaneous swim. I was hyper-aware of the space I took up in a car, and I was always too heavy for a piggyback ride. The small inconveniences turned into huge insecurities and I became consumed with how my weight made me different.”
This story will offer help and hope to those whose battle with food has taken up prime residence in their everyday world. Rose does not sugar coat her battle and admits that even now, she must practice strong disciplines in order to fight old habits.
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 more. Caitlin Jane’s story is a light in the darkness for all who face uncertain days, but especially young women and young men as they struggle with the challenges of walking by faith when life is turned upside down.
Caitlin’s response to life a life-threatening medical diagnosis, disappointments, even to standing against the tide of cultural pressures is a remarkable and a unique journey that will encourage other young people that they have choices in the way the respond not only to typical teenage pressures, but life crises and a culture that challenges their core values. Caitlin’s story will “raise the bar” for young women who are struggling – in that they will realize they, too, can walk by faith when life seems to be a mess.
To book Caitlin Jane for a concert or to check out her music, visit: http://www.caitlinjanetunes.com/
Depression affects more than 15 million American adults – 6.7% of the population 18 or older. Twenty percent of teens experience depression before adulthood and 70% will have more than one episode of depression before adulthood. 8.3% of these teens suffer depression for at least a year. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression.
Untreated suicide is the leading cause of suicide and suicide is the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 – 24.
These overwhelming stats demonstrate that depression is a broad life crisis with many unique circumstances but in this interview Danielle’s story demonstrates that depression in young adults is often rooted in childhood. It’s easy to hide depression and to slowly hide away rather than fight the dark feelings of sadness, loneliness and worthlessness. Danielle offers help and hope as she describes the steps she took to find her way back to a life of purpose.
For more help and hope about depression and counseling options:
https://www.ccef.org/topic/depression
Thin. Fat. Thin again. Dieting. Binging. Starvation diets. Grapefruit Diets. Low Carb. Thin. Fat. Thin Again. Constance Rhodes understands the obsession of young people with body image. In this conversation, she shares her own roller coaster struggle with weight. Young people and adults alike will find a friend in Constance as she transparently tells her story of weight loss, weight gain and the thin cage in which she found herself trapped. Out of her struggles has come her book: Life Inside the Thin Cage, A Personal Look into the Private World of the Chronic Dieter. Constance is also the founder and CEO of FindingBalance, a non-profit health and wellness organization dedicated to helping people eat well and live free. Constance offers numerous resources on her website at Findingbalance.com. Constance’s story will encourage young people that there is help and hope when faced with feeling fat, inadequate and “less than.” That hope is not in food. Listeners, young and old, will be encouraged to find balance in their view of food and life.
Life Inside the Thin Cage – A Personal Look into the Private World of the Chronic Dieter: by Constance Rhodes https://www.amazon.com/Life-Inside-Thin-Cage-Personal/dp/0877880387
In this wide-ranging interview between two mothers who have experienced the grief of the deaths of their children, Nancy Guthrie transparently answers questions asked by Sharon Betters. From how to push the question “why” through the grid of God’s love and sovereignty to practical counsel for protecting marriages assaulted by grief, Nancy doesn’t flinch. Nancy’s loss of two children uniquely qualifies her to offer help and hope in sorrow’s darkest night. No matter how shattered the heart, there is hope in the midst of grief.
Jim and Karen Weaver’s international adoption journey led them to welcoming not one, but two boys into their family, making them parents of four daughters and two sons. In this transparent interview, Jim and Karen share the highs and the lows of their journey, from how they began their adoption adventure, to the realization that life would never go back to the normalcy of raising four daughters, to how the extreme emotional meltdowns created chaos in their home but also taught them about their own hearts. Through their story, listeners will get a glimpse into the reality of the hard places in adoption and also learn how they can come alongside of adoptive families. Listeners will recognize how adoption has transformed Jim and Karen and drew them into a deeper awareness of their need for Jesus, the power of prayer and how to look inward when hard times come.
Porn invades younger and younger hearts, often unbeknownst to parents. When encouraged to protect their children from tech invasions, many parents vehemently declare that their child is so innocent and so protected, they are not concerned. Their relationship to their child is so secure, that their child would not secretly travel into such a dark world. Sadly, these parents are often in the dark when it comes to what their young children have already seen and experienced through innocent interaction in video games, research for reports, etc. In this interview, Cooper Pinson lays out practical ways that parents can put into place additional layers of protection and how to talk to their children about the dangers of porn and how to respond when exposed.
Cooper Pinson loves student ministry and has a passion to help students live with sexual integrity. Through Student Outreach, a subsidiary of HarvestUSA, he partners with and equips parents, youth ministers and workers, Christian schools and colleges, those involved in collegiate ministries and other organizations to help students follow Christ with their sexuality while finding their life, true identity and joy in Him.
From pro soccer player to ex-convict Matt Maher’s story is a call to young people to think carefully before making impulsive decisions because the consequences could be deadly.
Matthew Maher was born and raised in a strong Christian family, and for most of his life he was a good reflection of that upbringing. He was extremely successful in academia and sports, attended Temple University on a scholarship and was contracted to play professional soccer. Then one night, he made one choice that changed everything.On March 7th, 2009 he made the decision to drink and drive – causing a fatal accident. Charged with aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison, Matthew faced choices he never imagined possible.
After serving his time, he started sharing his story around the country. He is now an author, speaker, and instigator for the social influence platform #iCONVICTION. He currently authors a monthly column in the Cape May County Herald and his daily blogs have been read by over 500,000 people in every state, 121 countries, and in 67 different languages. In addition to the God-given influence through his multiple speaking and writing platforms, Matthew is also the Director of Student Ministries at Coastal Christian Church in Ocean City, NJ. He is married to Sarah.
Visit Matt’s website to learn more about his story and how to book him for an event: http://www.themattmaherstory.com/
In this interview that is part of our Warrior Woman series, you will meet Karen Marsh, mother of Victoria. 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. This story will encourage parents of children with Down Syndrome to realize the unique joys that can be theirs as they raise their children. But there is more to this story. Victoria was diagnosed with a life threatening cancer that resulted in the amputation of her leg. In this interview, you will hear about the courage and determination of a young teen to take back her life and her family’s determination to continue to fill Victoria’s life with experiences and opportunities to grow and learn, no matter what her physical condition. Listeners will also learn how to come alongside of families like Victoria’s, not just to help, but to soak up some of the joy and love that naturally flows from children with Down Syndrome.
It's tougher than ever to be both a kid and a parent today. The world's culture is continually pushing an anything goes sexuality on our children. What’s a parent to do in order to help their children navigate their sexuality, social media, the ever present temptation of pornography, the continuous bombardment of our sexually explicit culture. In this Help and Hope resource, Dr. Betters and Sharon interview Dan and Heather Wilson. Dan and Heather live with the daily challenges of raising their four children and transparently share how parents can have the “sex talk,” how to help your child when you catch them in sexual sin and practical ways to shepherd your child’s heart. Dan works for Harvest USA and is a seminar leader and counselor. Please let us know how this resource has encouraged and equipped you!
In this interview, two sets of parents speak honestly about how their children with an autistic spectrum disorder impacted their dreams, challenged their marriages, and created chaos in their homes. They also describe their special joys in parenting their children. If you are parenting a child with special needs, you will relate to their transparent descriptions of parenting children with a form of autism. These interviews will also better equip friends and family to come alongside of parents of children with special needs. Included is an interview with Alex, a 16-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome. Alex hopes his words will help parents and children with autism alike to live with hope and strength as they travel this pathway.
Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that attacks the Central Nervous System. The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation estimates that more than 400,000 people in the United States and about 2.5 million people around the world have MS. About 200 new cases are diagnosed each week in the United States. In this interview, that is part of our Warrior Women series, you’ll hear Sherry Bitler describe what it was like to hear the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and how it changed her life. Listeners with a similar diagnosis will be encouraged by the way Sherry has confronted this disease and learned how to continue to invest her life in the lives of others, even though she is sometimes physically limited. This conversation will also help “healthy” people better understand how such a diagnosis can affect everyday life and how they can come alongside of someone whose constant companion is Multiple Sclerosis.
It's an epidemic that knows no cultural, age, race or financial boundaries. Whole neighborhoods are struggling with the challenge of heroin addiction. Why does an addict continue to use heroin when they know it's destroying the lives of their loved ones? What is it about heroin that a user is willing to do anything necessary to get their next fix? Why is it so hard to break the chains of heroin addiction? Is relapse a normal part of the heroin addict's journey? How should a family respond when relapse happens? We ask all these questions and more in this interview with Joey, a recovering heroin addict, and his grandmother, Ann. Ultimately, we ask, is there hope for a heroin addict? It's our hope that those who hear this redemption story will know, there is hope, even in the darkest corners of heroin addiction.
In 2009, Debbie Kahler was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, a disease that strikes fear in the hearts of anyone familiar with its deadly prognosis. Over the next few years, Debbie battled this virulent disease while watching her mother and her mother-in-law lose their battles against the same disease. Debbie now says she has added “cancer fighter” to her job description as she continues to pursue treatment that has extended her life in a way that enables her to enjoy her family and friends. Most people would respond with despair to such tragic losses, tempted to give in to the fear of losing their own battles. Yet that is not the message of Debbie’s journey. Listeners will agree that Debbie is a Warrior Woman, a woman who faces life’s challenges with faith, grit and determination to experience joy and purpose. We are confident Debbie’s story will help equip you for your own life journey, no matter what your circumstances.
There are six key scriptures that specifically address homosexuality. Dr. Chuck F. Betters interviews three pastors about their understanding of how to interpret each one of these Scriptures, not as stand alone words, but as part of the whole Bible. Listeners will be struck not only by the clear presentation of hard words, but by the Shepherd’s hearts of each of these pastors, Rev. Dan Betters, Rev. Jim Weaver and Dr. Chuck L. Betters. This conversation will equip Christians to better understand and communicate with kindness and compassion a scriptural position on homosexuality. The Scriptures are:
Genesis 19 Leviticus 18:22 Leviticus 20:13 Romans 1:26-27 1 Cor. 6:9-10 1 Timothy 1:10
What’s the Christian Church to do? Western Culture not only accepts but also celebrates same sex attraction as an appropriate and normal lifestyle. Are people who do not accept homosexuality as right and appropriate hateful and small minded? In this frank conversation, Dr. Chuck F. Betters leads a conversation with three pastors about how the historical response of the local church to homosexuality and those in a gay relationship has contributed to an environment that is not conducive to demonstrating the Gospel. These pastors offer their own observations and understanding of the real application of the Gospel, not just to those in a homosexual relationship but every person struggling with sin.
About 700,000 women are widowed in the United States every year. Losing a spouse is considered one of life's most devastating events. Many widows share that the loneliest time of the day is the dinner hour, when they sit at a table by themselves after many years of sharing that evening meal with their husband. You are about to hear a conversation between Sharon Betters, Executive Director of MARKINC Ministries, and Carolyn Fredericks, a widow who shares her own grief journey after the death of her husband. This transparent interview will encourage widows and their families, that there is hope and purpose after the loss of a beloved husband.
Our western culture encourages us to embrace and encourage same sex attraction as normal, appropriate and just as “right” as any other sexual relationship. But is it? In this transparent interview Sharon Betters talks with Donna and her counselor, Ellen Dykas about Donna’s struggles with same sex attraction. Donna transparently shares that prior to marriage she had some inappropriate relationships with other women that were sexual in nature. In college her relationship with the athletic director led her to other inappropriate friendships but ultimately ended in extreme guilt and feeling trapped. She says that as a married woman, she found herself having “wrong feelings” for a couple of women. Donna’s story is universal and her transparent story will help college students and any woman with similar struggles. Like all of our Help and Hope resources, this interview goes beyond a discussion of the life crises and digs deep into how each of us can grow in our own walk of faith as we process and face the challenges of living by grace in our messy world.
Well meaning people sometimes exhort adopted children to be thankful for the many privileges they have as a result of having a "forever family." Here we encourage that gratitude but also acknowledge that side by side with a grateful heart is often a broken heart as a result of feeling abandoned by their birth parents. We are grateful to offer this compelling interview that is designed to equip adoptive parents and adopted children to better understand the "primal wound."
Our western culture encourages us to embrace and encourage same sex attraction as normal, appropriate and just as “right” as any other sexual relationship. But is it? In this transparent and sometimes emotional interview, Dr. Chuck F. Betters talks with three men and their counselor about their struggles with same sex attraction. No question was off limits and listeners will hear these men address such issues as how people who loved them treated them even though they disagreed with their life choices; how their churches responded; and ways they were hurt by people who claimed to be Christians. They talk about their greatest misconception about God’s view of sex and homosexuality and how same sex attraction is similar to other sinful choices. Listeners will be encouraged to hear scriptural principles that will help guide relationships with loved ones who identify themselves as gay and how parents can create a safe place for their kids to talk to them about same sex attraction. Like all of our Help and Hope resources, this interview goes beyond a discussion of the life crises and digs deep into how each of us can grow in our own walk of faith as we process and face the challenges of living by grace in our messy world.
Breast cancer. The very words are terrifying. The first thing I did when I heard that diagnosis was to find a woman who had already traveled through the foreign land of cancer. I needed a guide - someone to help me navigate the maze of unknown terrain. It is my hope that through this message we can come alongside you as you walk this new pathway. You'll hear some practical ways to take the terror out of the word "cancer" and how to face your journey with hope and courage. It is my prayer that this message will be one more tool that equips you for the days ahead.
Do you have questions about same sex attraction? Is it wrong? Is it ok? Are you struggling with same sex attraction personally? Is your child? What about your church? What is their response? In this interview with Dr. Rosaria Butterfield, Chuck and Sharon Betters ask these and many more questions about a topic that has numerous families struggling to understand. Dr. Butterfield is uniquely qualified to provide guidance and wisdom to those who are desperate for help and hope as they are challenged by life choices that are foreign and even scary. Listeners will be encouraged and better equipped to walk this pathway as well as come alongside of others who are struggling with same sex attraction.
From Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert by Dr. Rosaria Butterfield Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department’s curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down—the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a “train wreck” at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could. (Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, by Dr. Rosaria Butterfield)
For more about Dr. Butterfield visit http://rosariabutterfield.com/
Suicide is the third leading cause of death in the United States among 10 - 24 year olds. It is the second leading cause among 25 - 34 year olds. Suicide is a broad and deep issue that has many different contexts. Sometimes mental illness plays a role in suicide, but not always. In this transparent conversation, Jonathan's parents share their son's story of mental illness that didn't show itself until he was in college. For many years, Jonathan worked hard to live in the context of mental illness, but one day he could not bear another minute of life on this earth. Jon and Marian, Jonathan's parents, share their son's story in a way that offers help and hope, not only to men and women who struggle as Jonathan did, but to their family and friends as they struggle to pick up the shattered pieces of their own lives.
The phone rings. . . A stranger says, “Mrs. Betters, your son has been in an accident. You must come immediately.” And you know in your heart that you have received the phone call every parent dreads. Your life will never be the same. We received that phone call on July 6, 1993. We raced to the hospital to learn that our youngest child, Mark, and his friend, Kelly, had died in a car accident. Suddenly we belonged to a private club no one would ever willingly join. Since that horrific night, we have met many other parents who are struggling to find a new level of normal as they face each day without one of their children. Some were taken at birth or shortly after. Others were toddlers, pre-teens, teens. Some were established with children of their own. Each child’s death, whatever age, ripped their parents’ hearts to shreds. In this message we share our story. We are honest about our struggle to not only face each day without Mark but also to reconcile the love of God with His sovereign care. How could God really love us when He allowed this to happen? Where is God? He seems so far away. Is He really holding us tightly in His grip? Every time we share our story we have two people in mind. The first is the person who is holding onto life by fingernails and is desperate for a shred of hope. The second is the person who needs to walk in the darkness with a broken hearted friend. It’s our prayer that this interview will fall into the hands of that brokenhearted Mom or Dad who needs just an inch of hope to hang-on for the next few minutes, and that our message will help equip the one God is calling to walk alongside the shattered parents.
"Your prognosis is poor. You have a few months, maybe a year." In this transparent interview, Mike and Sherry share their response to hearing these shocking words. Their story is one of help and hope, as they describe the impact of cancer on their children and marriage, the reaction of friends and the practical implications of such a diagnosis. They share how their journey has encouraged them to enjoy each day, knowing that life is fleeting. And they share practical suggestions for those just starting this cancer journey. Their story will not only encourage the cancer fighters, but will equip those who love them to help them find the right medical care and face the challenges of each day.