Help & Hope

Send us a textJoy was 10 years old when her mother lost her battle with aggressive breast cancer. Her two little sisters looked to her for mothering. She became her father’s confidante as he tried to navigate grief, single parenthood, and looking for a new wife. Joy’s story gives listeners a glimpse into how the loss of a parent can create an ever widening circle of grief that takes years to process. Some grief counselors believe that a child who experiences a sudden loss of a significant loved one before the age of 18, does not process their grief until the average age of 40. Imagine all the decisions and life choices experienced through the grid of buried grief. There are no easy answers to how to help a child navigate such sorrow, but Joy offers help and hope through her story.Support the show

Send us a textWhat gets inside the head of a young girl who almost starves herself to death because when she looks into a mirror she sees a fat, ugly, lonely girl? In this special interview, Rose (not her real name) takes us inside the heart of a girl who “cannot remember a time when I wasn’t overweight and looked different from my thin and pretty friends. I could never wear the same style of clothes as them….I couldn’t borrow PJ’s for an impromptu sleepover or a bathing suit for a spontaneous swim. I was hyper-aware of the space I took up in a car, and I was always too heavy for a piggyback ride. The small inconveniences turned into huge insecurities and I became consumed with how my weight made me different.”This story will offer help and hope to those whose battle with food has taken up prime residence in their everyday world. Rose does not sugar coat her battle and admits that even now, she must practice strong disciplines in order to fight old habits.Support the show

Send us a textA young woman, beginning to see her career as a recording artist start to take off, hears the diagnosis no young person ever expects: “You have an inoperable brain tumor.” Listen as Caitlin describes her battle to find a cure and then just when life seemed to be turning around, the news that shook her world once more.Caitlin Jane’s story is a light in the darkness for all who face uncertain days, but especially young women and young men as they struggle with the challenges of walking by faith when life is turned upside down. Caitlin’s response to life a life-threatening medical diagnosis, disappointments, even to standing against the tide of cultural pressures is a remarkable and a unique journey that will encourage other young people that they have choices in the way the respond not only to typical teenage pressures, but life crises and a culture that challenges their core values.Caitlin’s story will “raise the bar” for young women who are struggling – in that they will realize they, too, can w

Send us a textDepression affects more than 15 million American adults – 6.7% of the population 18 or older. Twenty percent of teens experience depression before adulthood and 70% will have more than one episode of depression before adulthood. 8.3% of these teens suffer depression for at least a year.Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression. Untreated suicide is the leading cause of suicide and suicide is the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 – 24. These overwhelming stats demonstrate that depression is a broad life crisis with many unique circumstances but in this interview Danielle’s story demonstrates that depression in young adults is often rooted in childhood. It’s easy to hide depression and to slowly hide away rather than fight the dark feelings of sadness, loneliness and worthlessness. Danielle offers help and hope as she describes the steps she took to find her way back to a life of purpose. For more help and hope about depression and counseling options: https://www.ccef.org/t

Send us a textThin. Fat. Thin again. Dieting. Binging. Starvation diets. Grapefruit Diets. Low Carb. Thin. Fat. Thin Again.Constance Rhodes understands the obsession of young people with body image. In this conversation, she shares her own roller coaster struggle with weight. Young people and adults alike will find a friend in Constance as she transparently tells her story of weight loss, weight gain and the thin cage in which she found herself trapped. Out of her struggles has come her book: Life Inside the Thin Cage, A Personal Look into the Private World of the Chronic Dieter. Constance is also the founder and CEO of FindingBalance, a non-profit health and wellness organization dedicated to helping people eat well and live free. Constance offers numerous resources on her website at Findingbalance.com. Constance’s story will encourage young people that there is help and hope when faced with feeling fat, inadequate and “less than.” That hope is not in food. Listeners, young and old, will be encouraged to fin

Send us a textJim and Karen Weaver’s international adoption journey led them to welcoming not one, but two boys into their family, making them parents of four daughters and two sons. In this transparent interview, Jim and Karen share the highs and the lows of their journey, from how they began their adoption adventure, to the realization that life would never go back to the normalcy of raising four daughters, to how the extreme emotional meltdowns created chaos in their home but also taught them about their own hearts. Through their story, listeners will get a glimpse into the reality of the hard places in adoption and also learn how they can come alongside of adoptive families. Listeners will recognize how adoption has transformed Jim and Karen and drew them into a deeper awareness of their need for Jesus, the power of prayer and how to look inward when hard times come.Support the show

Send us a textPorn invades younger and younger hearts, often unbeknownst to parents. When encouraged to protect their children from tech invasions, many parents vehemently declare that their child is so innocent and so protected, they are not concerned. Their relationship to their child is so secure, that their child would not secretly travel into such a dark world. Sadly, these parents are often in the dark when it comes to what their young children have already seen and experienced through innocent interaction in video games, research for reports, etc. In this interview, Cooper Pinson lays out practical ways that parents can put into place additional layers of protection and how to talk to their children about the dangers of porn and how to respond when exposed.Cooper Pinson loves student ministry and has a passion to help students live with sexual integrity. Through Student Outreach, a subsidiary of HarvestUSA, he partners with and equips parents, youth ministers and workers, Christian schools and colleges

Send us a textFrom pro soccer player to ex-convict Matt Maher’s story is a call to young people to think carefully before making impulsive decisions because the consequences could be deadly.Matthew Maher was born and raised in a strong Christian family, and for most of his life he was a good reflection of that upbringing. He was extremely successful in academia and sports, attended Temple University on a scholarship and was contracted to play professional soccer. Then one night, he made one choice that changed everything.On March 7th, 2009 he made the decision to drink and drive – causing a fatal accident. Charged with aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison, Matthew faced choices he never imagined possible.After serving his time, he started sharing his story around the country. He is now an author, speaker, and instigator for the social influence platform #iCONVICTION. He currently authors a monthly column in the Cape May County Herald and his daily blogs have been read by over 500,000 p

Send us a textIn this interview that is part of our Warrior Woman series, you will meet Karen Marsh, mother of Victoria. Within hours after Victoria’s birth, Karen and her husband learned that their third daughter had Down Syndrome. Though initially frightened by this news, Karen and her family’s love for Victoria grew deeper as they recognized the awesome privilege of raising such a precious daughter. This story will encourage parents of children with Down Syndrome to realize the unique joys that can be theirs as they raise their children. But there is more to this story. Victoria was diagnosed with a life threatening cancer that resulted in the amputation of her leg. In this interview, you will hear about the courage and determination of a young teen to take back her life and her family’s determination to continue to fill Victoria’s life with experiences and opportunities to grow and learn, no matter what her physical condition. Listeners will also learn how to come alongside of families like Victoria’s, no

Send us a textIt's tougher than ever to be both a kid and a parent today. The world's culture is continually pushing an anything goes sexuality on our children. What’s a parent to do in order to help their children navigate their sexuality, social media, the ever present temptation of pornography, the continuous bombardment of our sexually explicit culture. In this Help and Hope resource, Dr. Betters and Sharon interview Dan and Heather Wilson. Dan and Heather live with the daily challenges of raising their four children and transparently share how parents can have the “sex talk,” how to help your child when you catch them in sexual sin and practical ways to shepherd your child’s heart. Dan works for Harvest USA and is a seminar leader and counselor.Please let us know how this resource has encouraged and equipped you!Support the show

Send us a textIn this interview, two sets of parents speak honestly about how their children with an autistic spectrum disorder impacted their dreams, challenged their marriages, and created chaos in their homes. They also describe their special joys in parenting their children. If you are parenting a child with special needs, you will relate to their transparent descriptions of parenting children with a form of autism. These interviews will also better equip friends and family to come alongside of parents of children with special needs.Included is an interview with Alex, a 16-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome. Alex hopes his words will help parents and children with autism alike to live with hope and strength as they travel this pathway.Support the show

Send us a textMultiple Sclerosis is a disease that attacks the Central Nervous System. The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation estimates that more than 400,000 people in the United States and about 2.5 million people around the world have MS. About 200 new cases are diagnosed each week in the United States. In this interview, that is part of our Warrior Women series, you’ll hear Sherry Bitler describe what it was like to hear the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and how it changed her life. Listeners with a similar diagnosis will be encouraged by the way Sherry has confronted this disease and learned how to continue to invest her life in the lives of others, even though she is sometimes physically limited. This conversation will also help “healthy” people better understand how such a diagnosis can affect everyday life and how they can come alongside of someone whose constant companion is Multiple Sclerosis.Support the show

Send us a textIt's an epidemic that knows no cultural, age, race or financial boundaries. Whole neighborhoods are struggling with the challenge of heroin addiction. Why does an addict continue to use heroin when they know it's destroying the lives of their loved ones? What is it about heroin that a user is willing to do anything necessary to get their next fix? Why is it so hard to break the chains of heroin addiction? Is relapse a normal part of the heroin addict's journey? How should a family respond when relapse happens? We ask all these questions and more in this interview with Joey, a recovering heroin addict, and his grandmother, Ann. Ultimately, we ask, is there hope for a heroin addict? It's our hope that those who hear this redemption story will know, there is hope, even in the darkest corners of heroin addiction.Support the show

Send us a textIn 2009, Debbie Kahler was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, a disease that strikes fear in the hearts of anyone familiar with its deadly prognosis. Over the next few years, Debbie battled this virulent disease while watching her mother and her mother-in-law lose their battles against the same disease. Debbie now says she has added “cancer fighter” to her job description as she continues to pursue treatment that has extended her life in a way that enables her to enjoy her family and friends. Most people would respond with despair to such tragic losses, tempted to give in to the fear of losing their own battles. Yet that is not the message of Debbie’s journey. Listeners will agree that Debbie is a Warrior Woman, a woman who faces life’s challenges with faith, grit and determination to experience joy and purpose. We are confident Debbie’s story will help equip you for your own life journey, no matter what your circumstances.Support the show

Send us a textThere are six key scriptures that specifically address homosexuality. Dr. Chuck F. Betters interviews three pastors about their understanding of how to interpret each one of these Scriptures, not as stand alone words, but as part of the whole Bible. Listeners will be struck not only by the clear presentation of hard words, but by the Shepherd’s hearts of each of these pastors, Rev. Dan Betters, Rev. Jim Weaver and Dr. Chuck L. Betters. This conversation will equip Christians to better understand and communicate with kindness and compassion a scriptural position on homosexuality. The Scriptures are:Genesis 19Leviticus 18:22Leviticus 20:13Romans 1:26-271 Cor. 6:9-101 Timothy 1:10Support the show

Send us a textWhat’s the Christian Church to do? Western Culture not only accepts but also celebrates same sex attraction as an appropriate and normal lifestyle. Are people who do not accept homosexuality as right and appropriate hateful and small minded? In this frank conversation, Dr. Chuck F. Betters leads a conversation with three pastors about how the historical response of the local church to homosexuality and those in a gay relationship has contributed to an environment that is not conducive to demonstrating the Gospel. These pastors offer their own observations and understanding of the real application of the Gospel, not just to those in a homosexual relationship but every person struggling with sin.Support the show

Send us a textAbout 700,000 women are widowed in the United States every year. Losing a spouse is considered one of life's most devastating events. Many widows share that the loneliest time of the day is the dinner hour, when they sit at a table by themselves after many years of sharing that evening meal with their husband. You are about to hear a conversation between Sharon Betters, Executive Director of MARKINC Ministries, and Carolyn Fredericks, a widow who shares her own grief journey after the death of her husband. This transparent interview will encourage widows and their families, that there is hope and purpose after the loss of a beloved husband.Support the show

Send us a textOur western culture encourages us to embrace and encourage same sex attraction as normal, appropriate and just as “right” as any other sexual relationship. But is it? In this transparent interview Sharon Betters talks with Donna and her counselor, Ellen Dykas about Donna’s struggles with same sex attraction. Donna transparently shares that prior to marriage she had some inappropriate relationships with other women that were sexual in nature. In college her relationship with the athletic director led her to other inappropriate friendships but ultimately ended in extreme guilt and feeling trapped. She says that as a married woman, she found herself having “wrong feelings” for a couple of women. Donna’s story is universal and her transparent story will help college students and any woman with similar struggles.Like all of our Help and Hope resources, this interview goes beyond a discussion of the life crises and digs deep into how each of us can grow in our own walk of faith as we process and fa

Send us a textWell meaning people sometimes exhort adopted children to be thankful for the many privileges they have as a result of having a "forever family." Here we encourage that gratitude but also acknowledge that side by side with a grateful heart is often a broken heart as a result of feeling abandoned by their birth parents. We are grateful to offer this compelling interview that is designed to equip adoptive parents and adopted children to better understand the "primal wound."Support the show

Send us a textOur western culture encourages us to embrace and encourage same sex attraction as normal, appropriate and just as “right” as any other sexual relationship. But is it? In this transparent and sometimes emotional interview, Dr. Chuck F. Betters talks with three men and their counselor about their struggles with same sex attraction. No question was off limits and listeners will hear these men address such issues as how people who loved them treated them even though they disagreed with their life choices; how their churches responded; and ways they were hurt by people who claimed to be Christians.They talk about their greatest misconception about God’s view of sex and homosexuality and how same sex attraction is similar to other sinful choices.Listeners will be encouraged to hear scriptural principles that will help guide relationships with loved ones who identify themselves as gay and how parents can create a safe place for their kids to talk to them about same sex attraction.Like all of our Help a