Tag: Grief
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When Your Yes Is On The Table: Trusting God Through Disability Parenting, Adoption, and Trauma with Johnna Hensley
What does it look like to keep saying “yes” to God when life feels chaotic, exhausting, and completely unexpected? In this heartfelt conversation, Carrie Holt sits down with author, disability mom, and “coordinator of chaos,” Johnna Hensley. With six children—including a son with complex medical needs and three adopted children—Johnna shares what it really means…
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How to Process Grief as a Special Needs Mom: Lament, Sibling Dynamics & Trusting God in Ongoing Medical Trauma with Jen Potter (Part 2)
In Part 2 of Carrie’s conversation with Jen Potter, the focus turns to grief, sibling dynamics, and learning to trust God in the middle of ongoing medical trauma. Jen shares what it has looked like to raise five children while navigating cancer, 37 surgeries, and unexpected neurological setbacks. She speaks candidly about parenting “glass children,”…
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Finding Rest in Caregiving: Burnout, Faith, and Letting Go with Jess Ronne
In this profoundly moving conversation, Carrie M. Holt talks with author and advocate Jess Ronne about her powerful and unexpected story—one marked by disability, grief, resilience, surrender, and the refining work of God. Jess shares her journey from learning of her son Lucas’s profound disabilities, to walking with her late husband through terminal brain cancer,…
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Acceptance: Learning to Live, Grieve, and Thrive in a Life You Didn’t Expect
In this episode, Carrie Holt closes her grief-cycle series by exploring acceptance, a stage often misunderstood in the journey of raising a child with disabilities or receiving an unexpected diagnosis. Carrie explains what acceptance is not—it’s not “moving on,” it’s not pretending everything is fine, or always a permanent emotional destination. Instead, she unpacks acceptance…
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When Grief Needs Words: Learning the Practice of Lament
In this episode, Carrie M. Holt continues her grief-cycle series by exploring lament—the Biblical practice of bringing our raw, honest emotions to God. Through Scripture, personal stories, and reflections from resources like Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy, she explains why lament becomes the bridge between overwhelming sorrow and renewed trust. Carrie outlines the four parts of…
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When The Grieving Cycle Includes Anger: How to Respond with Curiosity, Connection, and Coming to God
In this episode, Carrie M Holt explores one of the most misunderstood emotions in the grief cycle: anger. Whether it’s anger at a diagnosis, inaccessible systems, unfair treatment, or even at God Himself, Carrie reminds us that anger isn’t inherently sinful — but it is an invitation. She walks through real examples from her own…
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The “Shoulds” That Sink Us: Untangling Guilt in Grief
In this episode, Carrie M. Holt discusses the complex emotions of guilt that often accompany the grieving process. She unpacks the difference between conviction (from the Holy Spirit) and accusation (from the enemy), and how the “shoulds” we carry pull us deeper into shame and self-judgment. Carrie offers practical advice for managing guilt, including the…
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A Father’s Voice in Special Needs Parenting with Bruce Holt
In this heartfelt episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie M. Holt sits down with her husband, Bruce, to share the often-unspoken perspective of fathers in the world of special needs parenting. Together, they revisit the day they received their son Toby’s diagnosis, the wave of grief that followed, and the heavy burden of guilt Bruce…
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From Diagnosis to Heaven With Breena Holt on Grief, Guilt, and God’s Faithfulness
In part two of this conversation, Carrie M Holt continues her conversation with Breena Holt as she shares the heartbreaking diagnosis of Batten Disease for her son Ezekiel—and the faith and hope that carried her family through his final days. Breena vulnerably unpacks her dreams of God’s glory, the paradox of relief and grief in…
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A Journey of Acceptance With Kara Ryska
In this episode of This Unexpected Life, host Carrie M Holt engages in a heartfelt conversation with Kara Ryska, a dedicated advocate for families navigating the challenges of raising children with disabilities. Kara shares her personal journey as a mother of four, including her experiences with her son’s brain tumors and the complexities of parenting…