The Second Breath Podcast: Recent Episodes
Greg Ghering
By God's grace, life goes on -- even when we can't see how it will. Listen to my first episode, "What's the Second Breath?", for the story of how I survived a violent crime and was inspired to produce this series.
In this heartfelt episode, Beverly Jacobson shares her personal journey of receiving a life-limiting prenatal diagnosis for her daughter, Verity, who lives with trisomy 18 (AKA Edwards syndrome). Through grief, faith, and a fierce calling to speak life into the lives of others, Beverly founded Mama Bear Care—a community providing support and hope to families navigating similar diagnoses. Listen in as she reflects on motherhood, marriage, mission, and the joy of discovering God’s grace in the middle of the unknown.
Resources & Links: 🌐 Visit www.MamaBearCare.org to learn more 🎥 Watch Beverly’s speech at the March for Life: youtu.be/vwjY0FVYP9A (also embedded on the Mama Bear Care homepage) 📩 Donate to Mama Bear Care: www.mamabearcare.org/donate 📘 Read Beverly’s Newsweek op-ed: www.newsweek.com/i-was-told-my-ba…ble-life-1862225
Timestamps: 00:00 – Introducing Beverly and Mama Bear Care 01:24 – Navigating a prenatal diagnosis 05:44 – Community, care, and emotional support 16:14 – Verity’s story and the “mama bear moment” 24:50 – Speaking at the March for Life 28:38 – The launch and growth of Mama Bear Care 35:59 – How God showed His heart amid struggles
Connect with Greg: 📬 greg@the2bpodcast.com 🌐 the2bpodcast.com
After experiencing deep hurt by leaders of a church community, Sarah Jacobson's path to healing has included powerful encounters with God's faithfulness.
Sarah's website: sarahajacobson.com Sarah's podcast: thechristianbusinessbreakdown.com Sarah on Instagram: @dotherightwork
Lakeshia Gilbert is the founder and CEO of Helping Our Adolescents Prosper. HOAP helps young moms and dads ages 13-24 overcome challenges related to unplanned pregnancy and parenting.
Lakeshia is a dynamo, and she makes things happen for the people she serves. Her own journey as a teen mom led her to discover God’s purpose for her life.
HOAP website: hoapinc.com
What if practicing your faith causes stress or anxiety? Fr. Tom Santa is a spiritual director and author whose ministry helps people with scrupulosity, a form of OCD which presents with a religious dimension.
Links:
- Managing Scrupulosity website: ManagingScrupulosity.com
- Scrupulous Anonymous website: ScrupulousAnonymous.org
- Catholic OCD on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@catholicocd
- Catholic OCD on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/CatholicOCD
- Managing Scrupulosity on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064847556474
Telling your story of healing can help others. Knowing your story helps you to heal. Kevin DeVries of Grace Explorations joins me to discuss the power of sharing what Christ has done in your life.
Links:
- Grace Explorations website: https://graceexplorations.com/
- Base Camp event info on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/kevin-devries-12492210611
- “The True Summit” screening on March 19, 2023: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-true-summit-everest-documentary-tickets-569919824537
Jennifer Hubbard of the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary in Newtown, Connecticut, wrote "Finding Sanctuary" about her journey through terrible grief and along the path of healing. She was kind enough to join me and discuss how, even in the darkness, hope can take root when we ask God for eyes to see ourselves as he sees us, as well as for a greater and greater desire to do his will.
Links:
- "Finding Sanctuary" on AveMariaPress.com: https://www.avemariapress.com/products/finding-sanctuary
- "Finding Sanctuary" on Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Sanctuary-Peace-Restored-Mother/dp/1646800613/ref=sr_1_1
- Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary website: https://cvhfoundation.org
- Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CatherineVioletHubbardAnimalSanctuary/
- Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cvhanimalsanctuary/
Childhood trauma, lifelong anxiety and depression, and years of life-threatening alcohol addiction brought radio host Steve Kelly to ask Christ for healing.
Ryan Corcoran works in Catholic education, but there was a time in his life when that would have surprised him. Ryan shares that story, and I talk about the time my car got broken into and God used it for a good result.
Sister Colleen Ann Nagle, FSE, MA, LPC, is the director of the Franciscan Life Process Center. She has been a therapist for 35 years, and she has a masters degree in moral theology, as well. She joins the Second Breath Podcast to discuss the problem of evil, the power of our choices, and the freedom of forgiveness.
Visit LifeProcessCenter.org to learn more about the Franciscan Life Process Center.
When our hopes and dreams take a different turn, it can involve a lot of heartache. But as Catholic evangelist Amanda Vernon and Fr. Matt Fase discovered, it may just be that God has something better in store. They write about it in their new book, When God Wrecks Your Romance. Find the book at WhenGodWrecksYourRomance.com.
Kelly Jandernoa is one of the founders of the Red Glasses Movement, spreading a powerful message in memory of her daughter Audrey:
Live boldly. Love big. Pass it on.
Learn more at RedGlassesMovement.org, or read the FAITH Grand Rapids article from January/February 2019 at http://faithdigital.org/grandrapids/GR0119/#?page=14.
When they first got married, Dave and Lori Hastings talked about starting a charity someday to help children with special needs. Now they're the couple behind Lori's Voice, an organization doing just that. They share their story of love, miracles, and faith.
Learn more about Lori's Voice and the Walk for the Challenged at http://www.lorisvoice.org/.
Read about Dave & Lori in the March 2015 issue of FAITH Grand Rapids magazine at http://faithdigital.org/grandrapids/GR0315/#?page=14.
At the top of a mountain, Pete Hendrick briefly felt healed of injuries that were caused by attempting suicide a year earlier. The feeling didn't last, and the journey to recovery continues, but Pete has faith in God's promise.
Follow Pete on his Facebook Page, "Suicide to Summit - My Story and Life Ever Since - A Recovery Journal."
Listeners should know that several important details of Pete's story are graphic. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide or emotional distress, there is help, including through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. They have trained crisis counselors available 24/7, just by calling 1-800-273-TALK or visiting https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.
When Doug Elenbaas found himself in "unwanted space," God's presence with him in the valley made remarkable things possible.
Amid health problems and career turmoil, radio host Kevin Matthews' discovery of a broken statue of the Virgin Mary gave him hope -- and a mission of promoting the rosary to draw others closer to Christ. Learn more at brokenmary.com.
Mikayla Ruth Koble is an artist and adventurer with an amazing story of tragedy, hope and healing: www.mikaylaruthcatherine.com
I survived a violent crime about a week before I turned 12. In the years since then, Christ has done so much to heal the wounds -- and He’s still at work.
The photo seen in the episode art was taken a few weeks after the assault, and the wound under my right eye can be seen in the process of healing.