The Blesssing
Children of every age long for the gift of The Blessing - the unconditional love and approval that comes from a healthy relationship with their parents. In this episode, Jonathan & Sarah interview Dr. John Trent & Kari Trent-Stageberg, co-authors of The Blessing.
In this episode, Jonathan and Sarah interview Dr. John Trent and his daughter Kari Trent-Stageberg, co-authors of The Blessing.
Children of every age long for the gift of The Blessing - the unconditional love and approval that comes from a healthy relationship with their parents.
This life-changing gift for Christian parents and their children, essential for instilling a deep sense of self-worth and unshakable emotional well-being, contains five essential elements:
Meaningful touch.
A spoken message.
Attaching high value.
Picturing a special future.
An active commitment.
Offering solid, practical advice and a fresh perspective on making this gift a bigger part of our families, The Blessing powerfully communicates these biblically based elements as necessary to prepare children for positive future relationships, including their relationship with a loving God.
Dr. John Trent is an award-winning, best-selling author and speaker.
He has published more than 20 books, including The Blessing, which has over 2 million copies in print.
Dr. Trent currently runs his ministry StrongFamilies, a ministry where imperfect people and less than perfect families (just like the Trent’s) can find resources and encouragement to help you love the Lord, yourself and others fully.
However, Dr. Trent's biggest accomplishment is being married to his incredible wife of 40 years, Cindy. And being a father of two amazing daughters.
Kari Trent Stageberg is a speaker and author best known for her work on the book, The Blessing.
Kari also serves as the CEO of StrongFamilies, a ministry where imperfect people and less than perfect families (just like the Trent’s) can find resources and encouragement to help you love the Lord, yourself and others fully. As a survivor of abuse, Kari's passion is to help everyone find freedom and healing in Jesus.
When she isn't writing or speaking, she spends her time enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her amazing husband, Joey.
RESOURCES:
IG: karitrentstageberg and strong.families
https://www.facebook.com/DrJohnTrent/
https://www.strongfamilies.com/
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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/
Healing Your Child's Brain
When we understand how our children’s brains work, it will help us to better understand why they do certain things. It will help us to better love our child and to develop an action plan for what they need. This episode will help you have a better understanding of brain development and equip you as you come alongside your child.
When we understand how our children’s brains work, it will help us to better understand why they do certain things. It will help us to better love our child and to develop an action plan for what they need. This episode will help you have a better understanding of brain development and equip you as you come alongside your child.
In this episode, Matthew & Carol Newell share about their latest book Healing Your Child’s Brain.
In Healing Your Child ’s Brain, child development experts Matthew and Carol Newell equip parents with the knowledge, confidence, and tools they need to help their special- needs child flourish. The Newells taught more than 20,000 parents and were the parents of two children with special needs. They know firsthand, as both parents and practitioners, what works—and what doesn’t.
Most treatments focus on managing symptoms but don’t address underlying neurological issues. This book guides readers through the stages of brain development and how they affect functioning, showing what wellness looks like at each level and how to identify—and address at the root—these challenges.
Resources:
Website: www.familyhopecenter.com Facebook: @thefamilyhopecenter
Linked In: @TheFamilyHopeCenter Instagram: @thefamilyhopecenter
Vimeo: www.vimeo.com/familyhopecenter
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/
Tips For Navigating The Medical System
Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed by the healthcare system? It can be very intimidating and scary as you learn to navigate the system. It doesn’t take long before you get an intense dread of opening the mailbox out of fear of what bill is going to arrive the next time you reach in there.
You won’t want to miss this interview with TyiaLynn Scott if any of the above sounds familiar!
Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed by the healthcare system? It can be very intimidating and scary as you learn to navigate the system. It doesn’t take long before you get an intense dread of opening the mailbox out of fear of what bill is going to arrive the next time you reach in there.
If any of the above resonates with you, then you won’t want to miss this interview with TyiaLnn Scott, Founder of Critically Loved. In this interview you will learn practical tactics for managing your child’s healthcare and potentially greatly reduce those bills that are coming in. You will also learn realistic ways to rejuvenate yourself so you will be a better caregiver for your child.
The vision of Critically Loved is “to positively impact the lives of families with chronically or critically ill children by assisting them in navigating hospital stays, bill payment, and schooling issues as well as providing educational, recreational, and spiritual support to foster community.”
RESOURCES:
https://criticallyloved.org/
https://www.criticallyloved.net/child-recently-diagnosed/
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 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/
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/
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/
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/
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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/
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/
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 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 5 – "Embracing The Messy" An Interview With Mike Berry
Life as a family impacted by special needs can be “messy.” There are many aspects that are hard and create extra stressors. In this episode, Mike Berry, the founder of Confessions of an Adoptive Parent offers hope in the midst of the hard and the “messy.”
“When I use the word joy, I’m not talking about happy go lucky. I’m talking about the sustaining belief that even through the storm you are held and you are with hope. That’s what joy is.”
Life as a family impacted by special needs can be “messy.” There are many aspects that are hard and create extra stressors. In this interview, Mike Berry, Founder of Confessions of an Adoptive Parent, shares about finding hope in the storm and lessons we can apply from his most recent book Winning The Heart Of Your Child that will help us navigate this journey.
Resources
https://confessionsofanadoptiveparent.com/
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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/
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/