Podcast is live! Tune into: This Unexpected Life Podcast Real Stories, Real Hope In This Unexpected Journey.

This Unexpected Life Podcast — Real stories. Real hope, on this unexpected journey.

Find me on your favorite podcast platform, or tune in easily right here on my site. No subscription or sign up needed.

Have you found yourself facing an unexpected diagnosis, the unexpected role of a caregiver, disability mom, or a special needs parent? 

Are you feeling alone, stuck, or need encouragement

Would you want to hear other people’s stories and how they dealt with the unexpected in their role as mothers? 

Do you wrestle with the complex emotions of grieving the life you thought you were going to have and the actual reality of what it is today? 

This podcast is for you!

This Unexpected Life Podcast explores stories of resilience, hope, and messy faith to embrace our circumstances and find hope. Whether you’re new to this journey, have decades of experience, or are simply looking for encouragement to keep pressing on, this is a space where your story is held with honor. 

From a mom with 18 years of experience raising a child with medical, mental, and physical disabilities who also loves to listen and hold your story with care and honor, this place is for you.

Listen anytime, anywhere, with This Unexpected Life podcast on-demand


The Long Wait: Trusting God Through Autism, Infertility, and Unanswered Prayers with Jenna Erlandson This Unexpected Life

In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie Holt talks with Jenna Erlandson,, a mother of six, about her journey through infertility, postpartum depression, and receiving an autism diagnosis for her son. Jenna shares how seasons of waiting, uncertainty, and loss of control shaped her faith and taught her to trust God’s faithfulness.This honest conversation explores special needs parenting, listening to maternal instincts, navigating mental health challenges, and finding hope and joy in unexpected places. If you are a Christian parent walking through autism, infertility, or a long season of waiting, this episode offers encouragement, truth, and hope.Eps. 36; January 20, 2026Resources:Jenna’s WebsiteIf you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review! Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief Click here if you want to be a guest on the show Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram Find me on Substack My book: The Other Side of Special *This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.
  1. The Long Wait: Trusting God Through Autism, Infertility, and Unanswered Prayers with Jenna Erlandson
  2. When Special Needs Parenting Becomes Survival: Faith, Endurance and Autism Parenting with Celeste Shally
  3. Finding God in the Autism Journey: Jeanetta Bryant on Hope, Healing, and Advocacy
  4. When Fear Clouds the Future: An Advent Reflection for Special Needs Moms
  5. God With Us in the Unexpected: An Advent Reflection For Disability Mothers
  6. Finding Rest in Caregiving: Burnout, Faith, and Letting Go with Jess Ronne
  7. Acceptance: Learning to Live, Grieve, and Thrive in a Life You Didn’t Expect
  8. When Grief Needs Words: Learning the Practice of Lament
  9. When The Grieving Cycle Includes Anger: How to Respond with Curiosity, Connection, and Coming to God
  10. The “Shoulds” That Sink Us: Untangling Guilt in Grief

Tune in — on the go

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I’m looking for moms with a willingness to share their stories with honesty and vulnerability but also faith and hope. We can hold it all in our hands, can’t we? 

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