Help & Hope

Send us a textSexual Abuse of Children – You’ve heard the news stories and read the headlines. Each word drives a sword deeper into the hearts of those who love and protect their children. Tom Stewart experienced a decade of sexual abuse throughout his childhood by his Scout leader. His story is not easy to hear but he pulls back the shades on decades of the cover up of horrific sexual abuse in a highly respected organization: The Boy Scouts of America. In this transparent interview, Tom not only shares his story, but helps equip listeners to see the signs of abuse, the pathway to healing from abuse and the enormous battle that sexual abuse causes in the heart of a child and into his adulthood. Through Tom’s sometimes excruciating words, other victims of abuse will hear a resounding declaration of help and hope, no matter how shattered by the actions of another.Learn more about Tom and the way God is creating beauty from the broken places in his life: Histruthtransforms.com or Secretknots.netSupport the show

Send us a textOn October 2, 2006, Marie Monville’s husband entered an Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and shot ten young girls, killing five of them, before turning the gun on himself. The event shocked the nation and left many staggering under the weight of such tragedy and evil. How does a person find hope in such darkness? How does the wife of the man who perpetrated such horror rebuild her life and the lives of her children? How could she ever forgive her husband? How did the Amish community react to Marie and her family? Listen as Marie’s story reveals what she learned about forgiveness and that one Light can still shine in the midnights of life.Support the show

Send us a textIn August 1999 I sat by myself on my living room couch. Alone. Scared. I tried to piece together what 13 years of sexual addiction had just torn apart. My life was unraveling and I couldn’t harness my out of control behaviors. I remember thinking I might be better off dead than alive. As I sat there I had a lot to consider. I was a sex addict. (From 2.bebroken.com) Exposure to pornography at the age of 12 was Jonathan’s first step downward into the abyss of sexual addiction. Listen as Jonathan describes that downward spiral and what turned his heart toward healing and a redeemed marriage.Support the show

Send us a textRemember playing in the sand, your back to the ocean, oblivious of the huge waves heading toward you? Suddenly, a mountain of raging water crashes over your body and not only slams you body into the sand but before you can catch a breath, another huge wave pulls you out to into a rip tide. Andrea Maher experienced tumultuous life events that threatened to pull her under a raging ocean of grief, shattered dreams and hopelessness. Her oldest son’s battle with drug addiction ended when drug induced hypothermia took his life. Several years later, her youngest son made a decision that would forever change his life and resulted in imprisonment. How does a mother not just survive but find hope and joy when a tsunami of grief repeatedly slams her deeper into an abyss of sorrow? In this transparent conversation Andrea shares her story as a means of offering help and hope to others slammed by life, who are holding on by theirSupport the show

Send us a textDivorce. Some statisticians claim that 50% of marriages end in divorce. Yet the numbers do not reveal the anguish in every home broken by divorce. In this transparent interview, Patti shares her shock and pain when her husband divorced her. Listeners will hear how she told her children and helped them deal with their own broken hearts, found the right attorney, processed the deceit and betrayal and learned how to forgive. Her story will help those grappling with their own broken marriages as well as better equip family and friends who are walking with someone in the midst of divorce.Support the show

Send us a textHow do you pursue your dreams when congenital muscular dystrophy threatens your independence? When you are born with muscular dystrophy, you face a life of muscles breaking down and unable to keep up with growth spurts. During a normal growth spurt, Tim’s spine curved so rapidly that without a full spinal fusion he would die. At fourteen years of age, Tim had a fourteen-hour surgery to straighten his spine. Tim describes how the post surgical excruciating pain led him to question God’s wisdom and love. He had to relearn to walk and cannot walk without assistance to this day. But instead of turning inward into a bitter, young man, Tim persevered through a year of pain and rehabilitation that helped him learn to walk with assistance. The recovery period gave him time to think through his goals of pursuing a life of purpose. His dream to attend a university away from home seemed impossible, but Tim persevered and successfully learned how to navigate the streets of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while

Send us a textEdie’s father died when she was four years old so when her mother brought a new man into her home, she welcomed him as her father. When she was nine years old, this man began regularly raping her in her home. By the time she was twelve, he was taking her to hotel rooms where he trafficked her to men and women for the purpose of sex until she was seventeen. How does a child recover from such monstrous treatment? Edie’s story offers help and hope to anyone who has been sexually abused and shines a light on the spreading horror of sex trafficking in the United States. She offers people who work with children suggestions on how to spot a child who is being abused and how to help them. This compelling story uncovers a devastating dark side of humanity but also is a message of help and hope for hurting people.You can contact Edie at:http://healingrootministry.com/Support the show

Send us a textJerry was born with Cerebral Palsy but Joan had worked with people who have disabilities throughout her life, so she thought she knew what she was signing up for when they were married over twenty years ago. In this transparent interview Joan and Jerry share the challenges of marriage and disability but you might be surprised at what they describe as some of the greatest challenges. Listen in as Joan and Jerry not only offer hope to people with disabilities, to parents of children with disabilities, but also remind us that the dreams of people with disabilities aren’t much different than anyone else. This conversation is not just for people with disabilities!Follow Joan on her blog, Raising My Ebeneezer at https://joanborton.com/ where you will find numerous posts about marriage: Marriage Monday.For more information about seeJesus, where Joan and Jerry joyfully help people with disabilities “see Jesus” visit https://www.seejesus.net/ - A Global Discipling Ministry.Support the show

Send us a textA courageous woman shares her lifelong struggle in the grip of the lies of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Though typically thought of as someone who washes their hands repetitively, some people struggling with OCD have other rituals and some merely struggle secretly in their thoughts. OCD is a debilitating disease that affects millions of Americans and it is believed less than 10% seek treatment. Here is a look at the many different faces of OCD and how Gail’s increasing knowledge of the disorder and her faith have helped her begin to heal.Support the show

Send us a textA little boy, abandoned by his mother, shifted from one abuse-filled foster home to another, bullied not only by kids but by some of his foster parents, beaten and sexually assaulted by numerous people tasked with being his protectors. How does this little boy find a way to grow into a man who trusts God and offers help and hope to others through his story?Bob Petterson opens up about the terrifying loneliness of abandonment, the pain of abuse and the memories of hateful abuse at the hands of foster parents. Is there any hope for such a child? Bob says there is and lives out that hope every day.This story is for anyone who has experienced childhood abandonment, abuse, hatred, and separation from siblings. Yet it is for anyone who longs to know that in this messy, broken world, there really is hope of redemption and purpose for those shattered by the abuse of others.Support the show

Send us a textThe high school girl innocently began her dangerous journey. Her body was too fat and limiting her calories seemed like the right way to lose a little weight. Slowly, the weight melted away, but one day, this beautiful young woman realized that she had starved herself into a medical crisis. Rebecca shares her painful journey and how she found the pathway to recovery.Rebecca invites listeners who are struggling with any eating disorder to change course and find that same pathway to recovery.Support the show

Send us a textPost Abortion Stress Syndrome – though not recognized in the medical community as a real diagnosis, thousands of women and men live with guilt, anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, depression and more in the aftermath of abortion. In this interview Jill, a woman who has had four abortions, offers her story as a means to encourage women and men to discover the healing that is possible. Marian, director of a crisis pregnancy center, describes alternatives available to those terrified by an unexpected pregnancy.For more help and hope visit: http://www.rachelsvineyard.org/ Rachel’s Vineyard is a safe place to renew, rebuild and redeem hearts broken by abortion. Weekend retreats offer you a supportive, confidential and non-judgmental environment where women and men can express, release and reconcile painful post-abortive emotions to begin the process of restoration, renewal and healing.Facing an unexpected, crisis pregnancy? Find Help and Hope at a local Crisis Pregnancy Center:http://www.lifecall

Send us a textWhen they leave for work they pray they will return home, safe and sound. Their spouses have to learn how to live with the constant possibility that a gunshot will destroy their family. Police officers are a special breed of men and women who go toward danger in order to protect their community. How do a husband and wife build a marriage when there is a constant tension of uncertainty and low grade fear? Joe and Candice Racite speak frankly about their own struggles as a law enforcement family, acknowledging the work of law enforcement affects almost every area of life, as well as relationships to family and friends. They speak with candor about the challenge to keep their marriage fresh, learning to recognize when fights escalate because of underlying job related fears and frustrations, and how they protect their marriage from temptation. Let Joe and Candice help guide you through the minefields of marriage as a law enforcement family.Support the show

Send us a textHow do you find purpose when you are excruciating pain 24/7, survived 7 surgeries and most likely face more? Add to that your status as a double amputee. In this interview, you will meet Warrior Woman Gracie Rosenberger, who was 17 when she was in an almost fatal car accident. In our conversation Gracie freely shares what life and marriage is like with such challenges. Gracie’s story reveals a woman of strength and determination in the face of impossible obstacles. She has become an accomplished snow-skier, has performed as a vocalist before presidents and shared stages with some of America’s biggest stars, singing for hundreds of thousands. Gracie and her husband, Peter, have two sons and co-founded Standing With Hope, a non-profit organization that provides prosthetic limbs to people in Kenya. For more encouragement from this remarkable woman, purchase Gracie’s book, Gracie, Standing with Hope.Visit her website, Standing With Hope - http://standingwithhope.com/Support the show

Send us a textWhat happens when a four year-old gets an unwanted education in the darker side of humanity and experiences sexual abuse at the hand of her father? In this powerful, sometimes difficult to hear interview, Dr. Terry Eccles takes the listener into the abyss of the sexual abuse she experienced beginning at the age of four. This interview gives hope to the abused but also gives a window into the soul of the abused in a way that will better equip the listener to walk alongside the victim of abuseSupport the show

Send us a text“Whatever burdens my fellow caregivers struggle with, I can help. I’m willing to put it all out there.” So says Peter Rosenberger in the introduction of his book, Hope for Caregivers. Chuck Betters starts the conversation with Peter by asking him to share what credentials he has that enable him to make such a bold claim. When Peter married Gracie over thirty years ago, he knew she had some medical issues resulting from a near fatal car accident she was in at the age of 17. The full impact of those issues did not hit him until a medical crisis shortly after their marriage. Suddenly he knew that his life would always center on taking care of Gracie’s medical crises and that truth overwhelmed him. To this date, Gracie lives 24/7 with excruciating pain, is a double amputee and has had 78 surgeries with more likely. In this interview Peter candidly discusses the pressures a caregiver experiences when solely responsible for his or her spouse’s physical needs. He humbly admits that he has made every

Send us a textIs it possible to break free from drugs after a lifetime of using? Shelley Tribbitt says yes. After using drugs for over thirty years, Shelley broke free from the drugs, but then had to face the collateral damage she had done to her family and friends. In this poignant interview, Shelley describes the devastation drug use brought on her family, including the loss of custody of her children. Her daughter, Bay, joins the conversation and describes how she reconciled with her mother and why she never gave in to the temptation of drug use, even though they were readily available.Drug use in our culture is an epidemic. It isn’t just teenagers who are falling to this dangerous life choice. Shelley’s story reminds us that drugs know no age limits, We also see that reconciliation with estranged family members is possible, though the pathway to reconciliation will be painful and often long.Support the show

Send us a textRenee Dixon compares her life as a widow, single mom, and small business owner with mounting bills to climbing a hard, rocky pathway filled with gnarled roots. She describes how she learned to grasp those roots as a means to pull herself along the hard road of life that sometimes felt impossible to travel. Those gnarled roots along the pathway helped shape Renee into a woman whose own determination, endurance and grit encourages the very people she is called to serve. Renee is Executive Director of Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program, located in Port Deposit, Maryland. Freedom Hills offers help and hope to people with disabilities as they find freedom through horseback riding. Riding horses helps them forget their limitations and “feel as though they are flying.”Renee is a Warrior Woman whose story will encourage listeners who walking hard paths to recognize how hard times can prepare you to offer help and hope to others.Learn more about Freedom Hills Therapeutic Riding Program: http://ww

Send us a textSuicide was on teen Denise Haas’ mind a lot, so much so that she tried several times to take her life. Her parents’ divorce shattered her world and living didn’t seem like a good option. In this compelling conversation, Denise transparently shares her story in an attempt to grab the hands of teens who are struggling with similar darkness and compel them to “just hold on!” This conversation not only offers help to the hurting teen but also gives practical ways to come alongside a teenager who is contemplating suicide.National Suicide Prevention LifelineCall 1-800-273-8255Support the show

Send us a textThe third leading cause of death in 15 to 24 year old’s, suicide and depression amongst our teens is a topic that cannot be ignored in our culture. This is an honest conversation with two professionals who have helped teens and families through these struggles. Parents and teens alike will benefit from strategies to help teens find hope in the darkness of depression.Support the show