Sweetly Broken Part 2
In this interview, Lisa Sexton shares about her journey raising a child impacted by Cerebral Palsy, her emotional breakdown and attempt to take her life. The story doesn’t stop there. In her story, you will hear how she found beauty in her scars.
“God’s in our circumstances, in our daily, in our struggles, all those things…that’s where He shows up.”
In this interview, Lisa Sexton shares about her journey raising a child impacted by Cerebral Palsy, her emotional breakdown and attempt to take her life. The story doesn’t stop there. In her story, you will hear how she found beauty in her scars.
Known to many as Sweet Potata, Lisa gives a mother's personal insight to the life of her disabled child. Lisa has been Featured on The Hour of Power, 700 Club and The Helpline. Along with these Television Broadcast, she has contributed to Focus on the Family's Thriving Family Magazine.
RESOURCES:
https://www.tylersexton.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Tyler-D-Sexton-MD-174287025956495/
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Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Sweetly Broken Part 1
In this interview, Lisa Sexton shares about her journey raising a child impacted by Cerebral Palsy, her emotional breakdown and attempt to take her life. The story doesn’t stop there. In her story, you will hear how she found beauty in her scars.
God’s in our circumstances, in our daily, in our struggles, all those things…that’s where He shows up.
In this interview, Lisa Sexton shares about her journey raising a child impacted by Cerebral Palsy, her emotional breakdown and attempt to take her life. The story doesn’t stop there. In her story, you will hear how she found beauty in her scars.
Known to many as Sweet Potata, Lisa gives a mother's personal insight to the life of her disabled child. Lisa has been Featured on The Hour of Power, 700 Club and The Helpline. Along with these Television Broadcast, she has contributed to Focus on the Family's Thriving Family Magazine.
RESOURCES:
https://www.tylersexton.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Tyler-D-Sexton-MD-174287025956495/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
No Such Thing As Can't
Do you need encouragement today? You will find it in this podcast! This episode will encourage you on so many levels!
In this episode, you will hear Dr. Tyler Sexton share about the struggles he had growing up with Cerebral Palsy and how that didn’t end when he graduated from high school. But the story doesn’t end there, you will also hear how God is being glorified through his having Cerebral Palsy. Through his faith in Jesus Christ, Tyler has never let any medical diagnosis, statistic or the negative attitudes of others stop him from dreaming and achieving his goals.
This is a hope-filled, inspiring episode that you won’t want to miss!
“You have to walk the rocks to see the mountain views.”
In this interview, Dr. Tyler Sexton shares how God has used the rocks in his life in incredible ways.
Tyler was born with Cerebral Palsy, a condition in which the prognosis usually involves a wheelchair, mental retardation, blindness and seizures. Through his faith in Jesus Christ, Tyler has never let any medical diagnosis, statistic or the negative attitudes of others stop him from dreaming and achieving his goals. Tyler attended medical school and achieved a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree. He strives to be a doctor who gives hope to patients, instead of worst case scenarios.
Tyler’s passion is pediatrics and he inspires both the child and their parents to realize that all things are possible. As Tyler says, "People say no and God says yes!"
Tyler has been featured on the 700 Club, The God Squad, Hour of Power and The Helpline. As a speaker, Tyler is able to motivate people of all ages to move past barriers in their lives and develop renewed hope through the power of Christ.
Resources:
https://www.tylersexton.com/
https://www.facebook.com/Tyler-D-Sexton-MD-174287025956495/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Life Re-Defined
Let’s talk about the strengths that you have. Let’s focus on those. Let’s help you develop those and don’t be defined by that disability diagnosis or special needs diagnosis but be defined by your strengths.
We often hear about what our children will not be able to do. Let’s talk about their strengths. In today’s conversation with Joannie DeBrito, PHD., you will find encouragement and hope.
Do you ever feel like your child’s potential is limited by the parameters of their diagnosis? That teachers, therapist, or other people you interact with only see them through that lens? I love the following quote from today’s interview with Joannie DeBrito, PHD.
Let’s talk about the strengths that you have. Let’s focus on those. Let’s help you develop those and don’t be defined by that disability diagnosis or special needs diagnosis but be defined by your strengths.
In this conversation with Joannie, you will feel like you have sat down with a trusted friend over a cup of tea or coffee who has walked this journey ahead of you. Joannie shares stories from her experience as a mom of a daughter with a learning disability and from helping others that will leave you feeling encouraged and more hopeful.
Serving as Focus’ director of parenting and youth for 5 years, Joannie’s career path has included a variety of experiences which have uniquely prepared her for her current role.
First entering the workforce in industries such as hospitality, insurance and banking, Joannie soon got married and had two daughters. While being a full-time mother, she earned her BA in Psychology, a Master of Social Work and later went on to become a licensed Clinical Social Worker, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Approved Supervisor, and earn her Ph.D. in Psychology.
As a wife, mother and grandmother, Joannie has always placed an emphasis on providing the best for her family while remaining committed to helping other families who are struggling.
Joannie has conducted prevention and wellness seminars and workshops, been published in professional journals and interviewed on radio stations across the country on issues related to parenting, youth, suicide prevention and more.
Resources:
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/
https://www.focusonthefamily.com/alive-to-thrive/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Sky Full Of Stars
In this episode, Jonathan & Sarah interview Meg Apperson, author of “Sky Full of Stars.”
Meg grew up having a relationship with Jesus and would say she had trusted God her entire life. But when her daughter Avery—a miracle in so many ways—was born with a syndrome of severe birth defects, Meg began to fully understand what it really means to trust Jesus with everything.
Meeting Jesus in the valley of the shadow of death…getting to know him in the midst of very serious suffering is a side to him that I don’t know if I could have learned in any other way. I feel like that valley is where he does his most intricate work of change, healing and growth. I wish I could take away Avery’s suffering but I’m grateful for what my suffering alongside her meant for me.
In this episode, Jonathan & Sarah interview Meg Apperson, author of “Sky Full of Stars.”
Meg grew up having a relationship with Jesus and would say she had trusted God her entire life. But when her daughter Avery—a miracle in so many ways—was born with a syndrome of severe birth defects, Meg began to fully understand what it really means to trust Jesus with everything.
Resources:
http://www.fourfinelives.com/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
The Love Languages: A Tool for Connecting with Traumatized Children
What do we do when we think our children have been traumatized? How do we help them heal? Yes, counseling is a good tool but what else can we do? In this episode, Jolene Philo shares how we can use the love languages to help bring healing to our children.
What do we do when we think our children have been traumatized? How do we help them heal? Yes, counseling is a good tool but what else can we do? In this episode, Jolene Philo shares how we can use the love languages to help bring healing to our children.
Jolene Philo is the author of the Different Dream series for parents of kids with special needs. She speaks at parenting and special needs conferences around the country. She recently co-authored Sharing Love Abundantly in Special Needs Families: The 5 Love Languages® for Parents Raising Children with Disabilities with Dr. Gary Chapman. Her blog for parents raising children with special needs and disabilities can be found at www.DifferentDream.com.
Resources:
https://differentdream.com/2016/10/find-trauma-therapist-kids/
https://differentdream.com/
https://www.facebook.com/DifferentDream/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Financial Freedom For The Special Needs Family
Do you ever feel overwhelmed or fearful when you think about your child’s future and how you will provide for them when you are gone?
If so, you won’t want to miss today’s interview with certified financial adviser, Rob Wrubel.
Do you ever feel overwhelmed or fearful when you think about your child’s future and how you will provide for them when you are gone?
You are not alone.
Thinking about our child's future is often overwhelming and many of us don't know where to start. In this episode, Rob Wrubel addresses some of the fears we have and gives us tangible first steps as we look ahead to planning for that time when we can no longer be there for our children.
Rob is the father of three, including Sarah, who has Down Syndrome. He and his family live in Colorado Spring, Colorado.
Rob is also a Certified Financial Planner focuses on financial planning for families with a special-needs member. Rob does and excellent job taking a complex topic and giving tangible action steps.
Resources:
https://robwrubel.com/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Breaking the Cycle of Absentee Fathers
In this episode, Jonathan & Sarah interview David Hirsch, the founder of the Special Needs Father's Network.
There are approximately 24 million kids growing up across America without their dads. Children from father-absent homes are more likely to; drop out of school, abuse drugs and alcohol, get involved with crime and become incarcerated, become teen parents, have psychological problems and commit suicide.
In this episode, Jonathan & Sarah interview David Hirsch, the founder of the Special Father's Network.
In 1997 David founded Illinois Fatherhood Initiative, the country’s first state wide non-profit fatherhood organization, whose mission is connecting children and fathers by engaging fathers in the education of children. He is also founder of 21st Century Dads Foundation.
In 2007, he was recognized as one of three Fathers of the Year, by Illinois Fatherhood Initiative. In 2015, he cycled 2,325 miles from Santa Monica to Chicago as part of Dads Honor Ride 2015 and gave a TEDx Talk entitled Why We Need To Break The Cycle Of Father Absence. He is the author of 21st Century Dads: A Father's Journey to Break The Cycle Of Father Absence. He also completed DHR16 a 1,400 mile 21 day ride from Boston to Chicago and DHR17 a 958 mile 9 day ride around Lake Michigan. He is also host of the popular Special Fathers Network Dad To Dad Podcast, now with more than 100 episodes.
David and his wife, Peggy, have one grandchild, are the parents of five adult children and live in Barrington Hills, IL. His interests include; reading, underwater photography and adventure sports.
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
How To Rest When Life Overwhelms You
Brenda Jank, founder of Run Hard Rest Well, shares the importance of rest and practical tips for incorporating rest into your life, even when it seems impossible.
Brenda Jank, founder of Run Hard Rest Well, shares the importance of rest and practical tips for incorporating rest into your life, even when it seems impossible.
Purposeful, passionate, and compelled by God’s Word, Brenda is a catalyst for personal and organizational change. High energy and story driven, Brenda equips people to create a biblical culture of work, rest and rhythm for those they lead, love, and serve. As the mom of four special-needs children, her heart is with those who know the joys and challenges. Founder of Run Hard. Rest Well., Brenda speaks from coast to coast. Outnumbered and outwitted, Brenda and her husband, Tim, lay claim to five of the finest, feistiest children ever assembled under one roof. They live in northeast Indiana where Tim has been the Executive Director of a Christian camp for 27 years. Learn more about RHRW at www.RunHardRestWell.org
Resources:
https://runhardrestwell.org/
https://www.facebook.com/runhardrestwell
https://www.instagram.com/runhardrestwell/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Eat, Sleep, Save the World
God is timeless. He puts all these sign posts in our lives to remember that. These moments when we feel this pain, God has felt that pain and He’s felt all of our joy and He experiencing it all at the same time. So even as I’m experiencing my pain, He can already see the joy that is going to come later. To remember that my timeline is only temporary, helps get me through those painful parts.
~Jamie Sumner
“God is timeless. He puts all these sign posts in our lives to remember that. These moments when we feel this pain, God has felt that pain and He’s felt all of our joy and He experiencing it all at the same time. So even as I’m experiencing my pain, He can already see the joy that is going to come later. To remember that my timeline is only temporary, helps get me through those painful parts.”
In this interview, you will laugh and cry with Jamie, as she shares words of encouragement and hope that can only come from someone who has walked this journey. Jamie Sumner has written for the “New York Times” and the “Washington Post,” among many other publications. She is the author of the nonfiction book on motherhood, “Unbound,” and the middle-grade novel, “Roll with It.” She is also a mom to a son with cerebral palsy, and she writes and speaks about disability in literature. She loves stories that celebrate the grit and beauty in all kids. She and her family live in Nashville, Tennessee.
Resources:
http://jamie-sumner.com/
https://www.facebook.com/jamiesumner.org
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Living Fully With Depression
“I realized that maybe my depression the defined absence of hope, is being used by God to actually give me hope because it is what's drawing me to Him.”
~Gillian Marchenko
“I realized that maybe my depression the defined absence of hope, is being used by God to actually give me hope because it is what’s drawing me to Him.”
Gillian Marchenko is an author and a speaker. She lives near St. Louis with her husband Sergei and their four daughters. In this interview, Gillian shares openly and honestly about living with depression and her latest book, “Still Life: A Memoir of Living Fully with Depression.”
Resources
https://www.gillianmarchenko.com/
https://www.facebook.com/GillianMarchenkoPage/
https://www.instagram.com/gillianmarchenko/
https://twitter.com/GillianMarchenk
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Episode 11 – "Love All-Ways" with Dr. Joe & Cindi Ferrini
Caring for a family member with special needs often leaves couples with little free time, energy, money, sex, or fun. In Love All-Ways: Embracing Marriage Together on the Special Needs Journey, Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini encourage husbands and wives to embrace this unexpected special needs journey with grace and faithfulness that will strengthen their marriage to go the distance.
Caring for a family member with special needs often leaves couples with little free time, energy, money, sex, or fun. In Love All-Ways: Embracing Marriage Together on the Special Needs Journey, Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini encourage husbands and wives to embrace this unexpected special needs journey with grace and faithfulness that will strengthen their marriage to go the distance.
“Our journey of decades is testimony that we can strive for and thrive in an alive and exciting marriage amidst the challenges, chaos, and crisis of doctors, surgeries, therapies, medical, mental, physical and emotional conditions, stress, (to name a few) etc. Our vows are the glue that keeps us going as we learn to rely on God on this one step at a time journey. We desire to encourage all marriages and families (mended, blended, splendid, and extended) on this journey with the hope that it is possible to have a vibrant marriage that will go the distance,” share Joe and Cindi.
Resources
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Episode 10 – "Unbroken Faith" with Diane Dokko Kim
Through your journey in disability, have you have struggled with your relationship with God and questioned His faithfulness and promises in the Bible? If so, you will be greatly encouraged by today’s interview with Diane Dokko Kim, author of Unbroken Faith: Spiritual Recovery For The Special Needs Parent.
“The best thing that I did for myself, probably the one thing I got right was to give myself permission to grieve. To give myself permission to be real about all of those questions that every single one of us have and to let myself grieve, doubt, to have questions and to even be angry. To even be angry at God and to raise those questions…The second thing is to take those questions and to wrestle with the word of God. As I wrestled with the word of God, it was amazing to find how relevant it was. To realize that God does understand this situation. ”
Through your journey in disability, have you have struggled with your relationship with God and questioned His faithfulness and promises in the Bible? We often have the perception that if we do A and B, God will do C. In this interview, Diane Dokko Kim is real about the struggles she had, the journey she went through in wrestling with Him and how He brought her to a new understanding of His blessings.
Resources
Facebook: Diane Dokko Kim
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Episode 9 - "Finding Community" an Interview with Sarah Broady
Have you ever felt alone in this journey and like you just wish there was someone you could sit down with who understands? In this episode, Jonathan & Sarah interview Sarah Broady, host of A Special Hope Podcast, about her own journey in finding community.
“I just remember longing, “Can I just go and have a cup of coffee and sit across the table from someone whose eyes I can look into and know that they understand on the same level that I understand.””
Have you ever felt alone in this journey and like you just wish there was someone you could sit down with who understands? In this episode, Jonathan & Sarah interview Sarah Broady, host of A Special Hope Podcast, about her own journey in finding community.
Resources
https://www.facebook.com/ASpecialHopePodcast/
https://www.facebook.com/hopeinautism
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Episode 8 - "Reframing Life" an interview with Colleen Swindoll Thompson
In this interview, Colleen walks Jonathan and Sarah through how to REFRAME life’s circumstances. It isn’t clean. It isn’t easy. It can often leave you feeling like your life is an HGTV home remodeling show but it leads to a deep healing that only God can provide.
“When you reframe, you say, ‘Let’s look at this situation another way’… Reframing doesn’t mean your circumstances change, your pain disappears, or the life you planned happens. It means you have the clarity to grow and thrive regardless of those circumstances. And no matter the issue, the reframing process begins and ends with your mind-set. Only God’s truth can help us see life clearly.””
In this interview, Colleen walks Jonathan and Sarah through how to REFRAME life’s circumstances. It isn’t clean. It isn’t easy. It can often leave you feeling like your life is an HGTV home remodeling show but it leads to a deep healing that only God can provide.
Resources
https://www.facebook.com/reframingministries/
https://reframingministries.com/
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Episode 7 – 6 Hacks For Strengthening Your Family
As parents of children impacted by disability & special needs, it can often seem like we are in survival mode. In this episode, Becky Davidson walks us through practical steps that we can apply to strengthen our families. Through this episode, you will be better equipped for the journey ahead of you.
“This journey is going to be harder than you can imagine, but it is going to be one of the most richly rewarding experiences in your life. There is purpose in the pain, a message in the mess, and every trial will produce triumph. If you surrender your pain to God, then God will reveal himself to you in unspeakable ways.”
As parents of children impacted by disability & special needs, it can often seem like we are in survival mode. In this episode, Becky Davidson walks us through practical steps that we can apply to strengthen our families. Through this episode, you will be better equipped for the journey ahead of you.
Becky and her late husband, Jeff, co-founded Rising Above Ministries based in Cookeville, TN.
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Episode 6 – "Born Broken: An Adoptive Journey" An Interview With Kristin Berry
When we are raising a child who we know will have a disability the rest of their life, we have to look for the hopeful moments within that. ~ Kristin Berry
“When we are raising a child who we know will have a disability the rest of their life, we have to look for the hopeful moments within that.”
Kristin is a foster to adopt Mom, national speaker, co-founder of Confessions of an Adoptive Parent, author of Born Broken: An Adoptive Journey. In this interview, she shares her family’s adoption story and the lessons she has learned along the way. Even if you are not an adoptive parent, what she has to say in this interview will resonate with you.
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Episode 4 – "Aching Joy" An Interview With Jason & Sara Hague
Did you know that two people can experience the same event but process it differently? This is very true with how parents respond to a child’s diagnosis. In this episode you will be encouraged as author Jason Hague and his wife Sara share about their journey.
“God, I need a tool for today. I need a key. Can you help me understand what he is trying to communicate? The Lord just said, ‘You need to treat everything he does as communication, then you are going to understand a lot more of what he is trying to tell you.’ That was a pivotal moment for me. ”
Summary
Did you know that two people can experience the same event but process it differently? This is very true with how parents respond to a child’s diagnosis.
In this episode, Jason and Sara share lessons that they have learned in their family’s journey. Jason and Sarah share how they each responded differently to their son Jack’s diagnosis of Autism. Jason shares what was the most helpful way Sara came alongside him as he was struggling with depression. Sara shares an encouraging word to couples where one spouse may be struggling with depression.
Jason is the author of Aching Joy: Following God Through The Land Of Unanswered Prayer. You can order his book below.
Resources
As an Amazon Associate, Hope Anew earns from qualifying purchases.
Closing song is Life of Riley by Kevin MacLeod and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1400054
Artist: http://incompetech.com/