Help & Hope

Imagine taking on the responsibility as CEO of a failing business – not just any business but a corporation that was inches from being closed forever. In this conversation, Pastor Chuck L. Betters talks with Skip Schoenhals, the man who led WSFS Financial Corporation from the brink of failure to being the leading independent bank serving the greater Philadelphia and Delaware region with a local presence and national subsidiaries. Skip readily admits his faith in Jesus guided every aspect of this daunting journey and gave him help and hope at his lowest points. Skip freely shares how his challenging personal journey helped prepare him for the battle to save a corporation that is now 190 years old.Skip chronicles his journey in his book, From Failing to Phenomenal, and in this conversation with Chuck, discusses behind the scenes events in his nail-biting battle but also biblical principles of business that will help equip listeners to lead their own companies in a way that glorifies God.Author: From Failing to

When Clarissa Moll’s young husband Rob she soon realized she was a crossroads. Would she walk toward hope or slide into hopelessness? In this conversation with Sharon Betters Clarissa answers such questions as:Is there any way to prepare for such a tragedy? Are there stages for grief? What kind of work can grief do in our hearts that grows the fruit of the spirit? How is it helpful to “welcome” an emotion like fear – how does dissecting an emotion help us keep those emotions in check – or should we even try to keep them in check? What about regrets? Either for our own behavior or bitterness toward the one who died? How do we find freedom from guilt? How is a child’s grief journey different than an adult’s and how can we help them grieve in their own way? What about wrestling with God? What are some scriptures that acknowledge the sorrow of a broken heart? How can grief become an old familiar friend?And many more. This conversation will not only encourage the bereaved but help those who love them be better equ

Andrea Herzer, a woman well acquainted with long-term debilitating health issues, having spent the last twenty years with multiple illnesses, including regional pain syndrome and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, joins Sharon Betters for this Help & Hope podcast. Numerous times Andrea experienced moments of hope only to have it dashed by another diagnosis, another setback. Certainly, her heart was a fertile place for bitterness and anger to grow. Yet, in Andrea, you are going to meet a woman who discovered incurable faith and a longing to share that pathway to life with others suffering from pain and life-debilitating diagnoses. Through her suffering, the Lord has brought a beautiful source of encouragement in her book, Incurable Faith, 120 Devotionals of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues. Support the show

Abuse, deep loss, broken relationships, grief, self-inflicted pain – is it possible to experience healing from a painful past? Lauren Whitman, author of A Painful Past – Healing and Moving Forward, answers this question and much more. For instance, why would anyone want to dig up their past? Isn’t it better to “let sleeping dogs lie”? Can we forgive and forget? How does our view of God influence our journey toward healing? How do you know when to ask a counselor for help? And how does having a counselor make the journey a little clearer? If you or someone you know is struggling with a painful past, please listen and then share the good news – there is hope and a way to move forward.Support the show

“A silver wave is coming,” says author and speaker Elizabeth Turnage. Baby boomers are facing the hardest challenge of their lives – how to die well. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Elizabeth challenges listeners to take steps now to make it easier for loved ones after they die. Elizabeth shares how her dad died without any intentional preparation of affairs or instructions for his children. She compares his response to death, to her mother’s and how she prepared a folder of important papers and instructions with a list of 5 steps to immediately take upon her death. Elizabeth describes how her mother’s intentional preparation was such a gift to her as she grieved her mother’s sudden death. Elizabeth acknowledges the grief we experience as we begin this process. She encourages us to imagine the relief of our children, who, in the middle of their own grief, know how to honor us in our death. She admits there is grief when we are preparing others for when we are not here, practical ideas for sorting th

Listen as Pastor Chuck L. Betters interviews Darby Strickland, a biblical counselor who specializes in helping victims of abuse. For years, Darby has served women in oppressive marriages. With her new book, “Is it Abuse?” she writes to anyone who wants to help, regardless of their level of experience. In this podcast, Darby and Chuck discuss her new book and how to identify the toxic entitlement that drives abusive behavior and to better understand its impact on victims. Darby and Chuck discuss how churches can better minister to abuse victims, especially in the context of church leadership. Darby shares with us how to become equipped to provide wise and Christ-centered counsel, empowering while advocating for victims and navigating the complex dynamics of oppression in a marriage.Author of the book: Is It Abuse?Support the show

In 2015 Reproductive Biological Endocrinology reported that 48.5 million couples globally experience infertility. No doubt all of us know of at least one couple who is struggling on how to navigate the maze of infertility treatments as well as the grief when nothing works. Or maybe you’re that person. Our guest today, Lorie Roe, knows this pathway very well because she learned when she was a teenager that she would never bear a child. In this transparent and sometimes emotional conversation, Lorie shares with co-hosts Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson her struggle to understand God’s love and sovereignty as she surrendered her dreams to be a wife and mother. Though she thought that door was closed to her, in time, she discovered God’s grace in caring for mothers giving birth and celebrating their children. Years later, Lorie is married and raising two wonderful children.Lorie’s story will encourage those who are struggling with infertility and equip family and friends to walk with them in this hard place.Su

With the release of the incredible movie, "Sound of Freedom," there is an awakening of the need to address the issue of child trafficking. In this interview, Barb Bollinger, the Director of Development from Path2Freedom where Chuck and Melanie Betters serve as House Parents, shares information about real life child trafficking happening in Southwest Florida and how Path2Freedom is bringing help and hope to these precious young girls. Support the show

Imagine you must hand over your little baby to strangers for uncomfortable and scary tests. And imagine you know the outcome may not be what you are hoping. Katie Schnack’s son, Shepherd was born with multiple medical issues along with a rare disease. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Katie shares when she realized that saying everything is not fine was not a sign of weak faith but could actually be a sure sign of dependence on the Lord. With humor and transparency, Katie shares her story of learning what it means to trust the Lord when life isn’t fine and how her relationship with Him grew deeper because of her willingness to admit her struggle to surrender to His purposes, especially for her son.This conversation is for everyone, but especially for those families called to raise special children who require lots of extra care as they take their parents into unknown territory where fear could destroy them. Katie brings a fresh perspective on how such a journey can be filled with unexpected eternal bl

Days, months, and years after the loss of her sister, Natasha Smith tried to hide the grief she carried. But the pandemic took away her ability to hide her sorrow and her five-year-old’s response to her unexpected tears gave her permission to grieve – not in a room by herself but with her daughter.In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Natasha shares how culture insists we “move on” from loss quickly and even how the church is often not equipped to handle sudden outbursts of tears or waves of sorrow. Natasha encourages us to take hope and instruction from Psalm 56:8, where we read that God keeps track of all of our sorrows and collects every one of our tears in a bottle.If you are hiding your grief – maybe for years, you will resonate with Natasha’s conclusion that giving ourselves permission to grieve means coming to the realization that it’s okay to not be okay.Author: Can You Just Sit With Me?Support the show

Imagine hearing these words: “Make no mistake: without treatment, this is fatal.” Katy Bowser Hutson heard this message from her oncologist who made it clear that without aggressive treatment, Katy would die. She did not hear any optimism in her doctor’s voice. Katy’s diagnosis was inflammatory breast disease, and it was relentless in attempting to take over her body. In this conversation, Sharon Betters, herself a breast cancer survivor, talks with Katy about her journey, how writing poetry helped her express her deepest fears, and how seeing her feelings and emotions take shape on paper gave them less control. You don’t have to be a breast cancer warrior woman to be encouraged and challenged by Katy’s perspective and beautiful expression of her journey through poetry. She captures her breast cancer perspective in the title of her book, Now I Lay Myself Down to Fight. Every woman facing a diagnosis of breast cancer will resonate with Katy’s battle cry.Author: Now I Lay Myself Down to FightSupport the show

When Clarissa Moll’s young husband Rob she soon realized she was a crossroads. Would she walk toward hope or slide into hopelessness? In this conversation with Sharon Betters Clarissa answers such questions as:Is there any way to prepare for such a tragedy? Are there stages for grief? What kind of work can grief do in our hearts that grows the fruit of the spirit? How is it helpful to “welcome” an emotion like fear – how does dissecting an emotion help us keep those emotions in check – or should we even try to keep them in check? What about regrets? Either for our own behavior or bitterness toward the one who died? How do we find freedom from guilt? How is a child’s grief journey different than an adult’s and how can we help them grieve in their own way? What about wrestling with God? What are some scriptures that acknowledge the sorrow of a broken heart? How can grief become an old familiar friend?And many more. This conversation will not only encourage the bereaved but help those who love them be better equ

Roasann has experienced disappointment, pain and loss – but her scars and wounds are not obvious – very much like many of you. Today Roseann lives with the kinds of chronic illness that many of you contend with – often alone in your struggles because they are not visible wounds or scars. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Roseann offers encouragement to fellow travelers, that though the pathway is often hard and you feel hopeless and helpless, there is a light in the darkness and purpose in the pain.Support the show

Chuck interviews Ana Stevenson, the founder of Path2Freedom where Chuck and his wife Melanie are currently serving as House Parents at the Magnolia House. Ana felt a calling to start a ministry for girls rescued from human trafficking in 2015. Ana shares that "millions of children are being exploited annually in the global commercial sex trade. That number became real for me when I met the "one". No longer a number, she had a beautiful face, she had a name, but most importantly she has a hope and a promised future." Tune in to hear Ana's story and the miraculous way the Magnolia House came into being and how God has blessed her obedience to his calling on her life. Support the show

Christine Runge Weiss, Founder of Faith Wears Pink, an online support platform for women battling breast cancer, shares how she learned she had breast cancer at the age of forty-four. Her diagnosis followed wave after wave of personal crisis. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, herself a breast cancer survivor, Christine offers hope and practical help to breast cancer warriors. One evening she realized she was helping over twenty women with their questions, fears and the unknowns of their journeys. She decided they all needed a way to talk to each other so she started a “Breast Friends” Facebook page. She eventually changed the name to Faith Wears Pink and as of today over 1000 women have connected through this platform. Faith Wears Pink not only connects breast cancer warriors but also gives gifts to women just starting their journey and sponsors periodic gatherings. If you or a loved one is facing this battle, Christine’s joyful perspective will give you hope and ways to navigate what can be a most fr

 It doesn’t take much research to realize anxiety is a primary emotion experienced not just by teens but adults. Our guest, Liz Edrington, is no stranger to anxiety. As a teenager, she felt overwhelmed by anxiety. Now she is a mental health counselor and wants to pass on what she’s learned. She has written a 31-day devotional for teenagers called Anxiety, Finding the Better Story. In this conversation, Sharon Betters and Liz Edrington talk about how anxiety affects us negatively but how it can also be a gift, how to come alongside teens who are struggling to navigate this world that seems so out of control, and much more. Support the show

Andrea Herzer, a woman well acquainted with long-term debilitating health issues, having spent the last twenty years with multiple illnesses, including regional pain syndrome and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, joins Sharon Betters for this Help & Hope podcast. Numerous times Andrea experienced moments of hope only to have it dashed by another diagnosis, another setback. Certainly, her heart was a fertile place for bitterness and anger to grow. Yet, in Andrea, you are going to meet a woman who discovered incurable faith and a longing to share that pathway to life with others suffering from pain and life-debilitating diagnoses. Through her suffering, the Lord has brought a beautiful source of encouragement in her book, Incurable Faith, 120 Devotionals of Lasting Hope for Lingering Health Issues. Support the show

There are many blessings that come with age: retirement, grandchildren, travel, and life experience. Today’s culture, however, marginalizes old age, often portraying it as burdensome and hopeless. Many older women can feel like an encumbrance rather than a blessing to their friends and family members. In this conversation with Chuck L. Betters, while acknowledging aging can be hard and challenging, Sharon Betters and Susan Hunt encourage women to find hope through both real-life and biblical accounts of women who rediscovered gospel-rooted joy later in life. Listeners will be encouraged as they experience afresh a gospel that is big enough, good enough, and powerful enough to make every season of life significant and glorious.Support the show

Jacke Rose, founder of Grieving Moms Finding Hope, joins Sharon Betters to talk about her journey to find hope and purpose after the death by suicide of her son, Randy. The loss of a child cannot be fathomed but Jacke’s son also unsuccessfully attempted to take the lives of his children, wife and father-in-law. Jacke fearlessly shares her story of how God’s amazing grace has not only given her confidence in God’s grace but immediately bonded her daughter-in-love and grandchildren with her into a beautiful picture of His redeeming love as they lived together and navigated the horror of the loss of Randy. As two bereaved mothers, Jacke and Sharon talk about the importance of biblical lament, leaning into the pain of grief and intentionally incorporating Bible study, Christian music and a circle of friends into every day life. Jacke describes how women who join one of the Grieving Moms small groups often fill their first meeting with wailing and longing for their child but twelve weeks later, after digging into

Fawn Volkert's journey from sexual abuse as an infant to trying anything and everything to survive to a place of joyful thriving will stay with you for a long time. Just when you think her story could not get any worse or even more compelling, Fawn takes us deeper into her journey to a place of healing and strength. In this conversation with Chuck L. Betters, Fawn shares how her story of trauma has formed her into the person she is today. Chuck and Fawn have a candid conversation, not only about her personal story but also about trauma responses, triggers, and how Jesus provides help and hope for all victims of sexual abuse and human trafficking. Fawn and Chuck discuss the lies that Satan tells us about who we were meant to be and how trauma distances us even further from the truth. They discuss how God desires to restore that which Satan has stolen and for those victimized to step back into their intended design. Fawn Volkert is the Program Director at Path2Freedom, a ministry designed to reach teenage