Hopeful Hearts Podcast: Recent Episodes
Tamara Lexow
Hopeful Hearts Podcast is brought to you by Hopeful Hearts Ministry, a place where survivors of trauma and abuse learn to become thrivers. We bring light and a little laughter to you as we help you experience the power of God's healing love.
Shannon and Tamara discuss the crazy summer of 2024, the feelings involved, and the Hopeful Hearts Summer Book Club pick, Jennie Allen's book, Untangle Your Emotions.
Shannon and Tamara share some recent losses they've walked through, and the importance of acknowledging the pain. Is the pain of the loss worse than the pain of knowing what will never be?
Tamara and Shannon talk about some documentaries and shows they've recently watched about sexual assault. This episode is not for children, and should be listened to with caution, as topics could be triggering.
We have to learn to be our own advocate in all areas of our lives - especially with our physical and mental health. Shannon and Tamara talk about recent life events and learning to speak up.
Shannon and Tamara welcome Patricia Budd and Michael Kovaks, survivors and thrivers in their own right, of Sisters Minor of Mary Immaculate. Listen to Patricia's story of fighting for her survival, and how Michael, in a fight to save his mother, discovered his older sister's abuse of hundreds of women.
We were very careful to not use triggering language, but please be advised that we discuss spiritual, sexual, and physical abuse vaguely.
Shannon and Tamara welcome Jason Andrews, one of the hosts of Just Us Men, a podcast that serves as a safe place for men, fathers, husbands to talk about sports and "manly" topics, but also about their everyday struggles, feelings, emotions, and pasts. Today, Jason opened up and shared his story of emotional and physical abuse from his first marriage. We begin to touch on how religious/denominational rules can sometimes prevent people from seeking the help or escape needed in their marriage, when abuse is present.
WARNING This episode contains discussion about suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, seek help immediately, call 911.
We often think of women when we think of survivors of abuse. Cameron Hayes came on the show today to offer a man's perspective, and speak about the importance of men seeking help for their trauma and abuse.
Everyone expects the holidays to be a time of happiness, but if you have experienced loss, it may not feel so happy. Shannon and Tamara talk about how to change things up, set boundaries, and look for joy amidst the grief you might be experiencing.
Shannon and Tamara welcome guest and friend, Lynn Feder, to today's show. Lynn works with Hopeful Hearts Ministry to teach our Just Breathe and Healing Yoga classes. Lynn shares why she is passionate about providing tools to help people transform their lives...mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, so they will ultimately feel happy, healthy, wealthy, loved, supported and at peace.
Shannon and Tamara welcome friend and Hopeful Hearts Ministry Board Member, Patricia Juarez, survivor and thriver, to today's show. Patricia shares her story of living her neat and tidy life she had built for herself in her box; a life that was safe and protected. She was a wife, mother, sister, friend, entrepreneur, and did a great job sweeping any unpleasantries out of her boxed in life. Listen now, and hear how healing began when she tore the walls down and broke out of the box.
Shannon recently met a woman who was the picture of resilience, which inspired today's podcast. What does resilience look like? How do we get it? Where does it come from? Shannon and Tamara discuss rock bottom, higher power, and elastic panty lines.
Today's episode is a walk through Shannon's book Reclaimed: How to Overcome Trauma and Gain Healthy Control of Your Life. Shannon and Tamara walk through each chapter and discuss highlights.
Today's episode comes with a trigger warning. On today's episode, Shannon and Tamara discuss the problem of people denying the story of sexual assault victims. When victims are shamed or accused of lying, they can become entrenched in shame. This leads other victims to hide their story, and allows perpetrators to abuse or assault again. How can series such as "Unbelievable" on Netflix or movies like "The Sound of Freedom" encourage people to speak up? Listen and find out.
If we believe our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, why do we hold them in such contempt?
Shannon and Tamara discuss their struggles with loving their bodies and treating them well, along with some ideas on how we got here, and how we begin to heal.
In this episode, Shannon shares a letter her grandfather wrote before his passing. Shannon and Tamara discuss the need to bring your abuse story into the light, but also steps you must take to decide whether to confront your abuser.
Good Grief! Why do I have to experience grief the way I do? On this podcast, Shannon and Tamara discuss grief - their own, and how they've experienced it from others. They discuss grief as an area between expectations and reality, and not just the loss of someone we love. They also talk about how unprocessed grief can show up as destructive behaviors.
You may think this is a downer of a topic, but in true Hopeful Hearts Podcast form, Shannon and Tamara find the joy and laughter, and share it with their listeners.
Sometimes we can become so wrapped up in our trauma and abuse that we lose our true identity as a child of God. We may wonder where God was in the midst of our abuse, or if he was even there.
When our focus in life becomes so finite that all we can see is our pain, we can easily forget that we serve a God who heals and saves. In this episode, Shannon and Tamara talk about what it is to look back at our past and see God's hand in the big picture.
We all have a lie or two (or twenty) that can get in the way of our healing and recovery. Today, Shannon and Tamara talk about the lies that have caused personal harm to each of them, and other common lies they have heard from other survivors. The ultimate goal for each of us, of course, is to allow God's truth in to cancel out the darkness of the lies.
Do we forgive and forget? Or it that what forgiveness even means? Listen as Shannon and Tamara discuss their thoughts on forgiveness.
Sometimes feeling our feelings is hard. Survivors of trauma and abuse often learn to numb the painful feelings from our past with behaviors that allow us to feel something else. The problem with numbing our pain is that when we make a habit of numbing the hurt, we can't ever fully experience joy. Listen as Shannon and Tamara discuss what it means to numb and some ways to overcome the behavior.
When it comes to trauma and abuse, what does it look like to guard your heart? Shannon and Tamara talk about it on this episode.
Shannon and Tamara talk about suppressed memories and created memories. Are suppressed memories real? And if so, how do they become suppressed and where do they go?
Shannon and Tamara talk about trauma and abuse that many people have endured and don't even realize it was harmful.
"We started a podcast and radio show!"
Shannon Carr, Founder of Hopeful Hearts Ministry, and Tamara Lexow, Executive Director, bring you a little bit of their stories and what led them to a ministry for survivors of trauma or abuse.
Learn more about Hopeful Hearts Ministry at www.hopefulheartsministry.org
RadioKAIR recorded and mixed this episode in Humble, TX - Radio for the 21st Century