Help & Hope

When 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

How 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

What 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

“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 mistake possib

Is 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

Renee 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://www.freedomhills

Suicide 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

The 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

Joy 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

What 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

A 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 walk by faith w

Depression 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/topic/depressio

Thin. 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 find balance in t

Jim 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

Porn 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, those involv

From 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 people in every

In 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, not just to help

It'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

In 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

Multiple 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