Tag: Special Guest
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Why Disability Ministry Isn’t One-Sided (And What the Church Is Missing) with Barb Stanley
What happens when the life you planned falls apart—and God builds something completely unexpected in its place? In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie sits down with Barb Stanley, founder of Wonderful Works Ministry, to talk about losing everything she thought defined her success… and discovering a deeper calling rooted in surrender, identity, and…
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Autism, Faith, and the Gospel: Raising an Autistic Child to Know God with Larah Roberts
What happens when an autism diagnosis reshapes everything you expected about parenting—and faith? In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie Holt talks with Bible teacher, author, and autism mom Larah Roberts about navigating autism parenting through the lens of the gospel. Larah shares the story of her son Graham’s autism diagnosis and the difficult…
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The Hidden Story of Special Needs Siblings: Growing Up with Disability and Raising a Child with Autism with Sandra Peoples
What is it really like to grow up as the sibling of a child with disabilities? How does that experience shape the way you parent your own family? In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie Holt talks with Sandra Peoples, a disability ministry consultant, author, professor, and mom of a son with level-three autism.…
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When I Stopped Praying for Healing: Autism, Anxiety, and a God Who Stayed with Camille Joy
What do you do when you pray for healing—and it doesn’t come the way you hoped? In this powerful and deeply honest conversation, Carrie sits down with author and advocate Camille Joy, founder of The Ausomely Different Foundation and host of the Moments of Joy podcast. Camille shares her unexpected journey of learning her son…
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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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When Suffering Isn’t Resolved: Finding Rest, Faith, and Living Life Open-Handed with Jen Potter
What do you do when the suffering doesn’t end—and there’s no clear resolution in sight? In Part One of this heartfelt conversation, Carrie sits down with her friend Jen Potter to talk honestly about unresolved grief, long-term caregiving, and learning to live with open hands before God. Jen shares her journey of parenting a son…
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When Caregiving Feels Unseen: Finding God’s Presence in Lifelong Special Needs Parenting
What happens when caregiving lasts far longer than you ever imagined—and no one is applauding? In this deeply honest episode, Carrie sits down with Beth Benson, a mother whose life has been shaped by infertility, trauma, adoption, autism, and decades of full-time caregiving for a son with a rare chromosome disorder. Together, they talk about…
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The Long Wait: Trusting God Through Autism, Infertility, and Unanswered Prayers with Jenna Erlandson
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…
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When Special Needs Parenting Becomes Survival: Faith, Endurance and Autism Parenting with Celeste Shally
What happens when special needs parenting moves beyond exhaustion and into survival? In this deeply honest and faith-filled conversation, Carrie M. Holt sits down with Celeste Shally, author of While We Wait: Clinging to Christ in the Trenches of Special Needs Parenting, to talk about the rarely discussed reality of long-term violence in special needs…
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Finding God in the Autism Journey: Jeanetta Bryant on Hope, Healing, and Advocacy
When Jeanetta Bryant’s daughter was diagnosed with autism, her world changed overnight. What began as heartbreak soon became a journey of faith, perseverance, and unexpected purpose. In this episode, Jeanetta shares how God met her in the middle of the unknown—guiding her through grief, growth, and the birth of her nonprofit, Abilities Workshop. Through her…