Good Hard Story Podcast

Can I have 27 minutes of your day? That’s all I need to convince you of something you’ve probably never allowed yourself to believe: you are worthy of care. I’m highly qualified—and highly persuasive—in making this pitch to you because, after becoming significantly disabled as a 26-year old, I can truly say that I am at peace with my place as a care-receiver. All thanks to 5 mindset shifts. (And a lot of help from Jesus.) If you haven’t reached that place of bone-deep peace, I’m going to change your mind. Or if you’re a caregiver for a person who needs a lot of extra help, I’m going to invite you into a new way of seeing your situation. Here’s a preview of what I’ll share on tomorrow’s episode of The Good/Hard Story Podcast. Subscribe on your fave podcast platform to make sure you get the episode tomorrow. Identifying the lies you’re believing about needing care Realizing you’re not unique in your need for care Confronting your bias against dependence Reframing caregiving as an invitation, rather than a duty Finding the “brand” of care only you can give I am so passionate about this conversation, and I want you to join me in it. If you need a radical mindset shift when it comes to being a caregiver or a care-getter, this episode is for you.

You asked, we answered. And you know we never shy away from the messy, complex, and possibly even invasive questions because we want to be your living survival guides through it all. Bring it on, people! This week’s episode of The GoodHard Story Podcast is a special “ask us anything” sesh with me and Jay all about how we’re navigating suffering alongside our nearest and dearest—kids, families of origins, friends that feel like family, and even each other. Sit down with us to hear some deeply personal (yet somehow universal) experiences, opinions, and bits of advice. We’re sharing all kinds of thoughts about… Engaging kindly with family members who are waiting for you to be “healed” Feeling like a burden to your family and friends Raising kids who are frustrated by your family’s limitations Celebrating what we have now while acknowledging what we won’t get back The miraculous power of making new memories Shielding our kids from suffering Finding your “framily” in the places you probably don’t want to find them Deciding to have another baby after my stroke If you need help believing your hardships could be a gift to the people you love most, this episode is for you. Hope Heals Camp Find the full story of deciding to have another baby in Treasures in the Dark Entry 66: Carpe Diem Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast! Apple Podcasts Spotify Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Get to know us: ⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠ Instagram⁠

Grief, then gratitude. The longer I live and the more pain I encounter, I’m further convinced that this is the healthy cycle of suffering: grief then gratitude. Mourn the life you thought you’d have, then give thanks for the one right in front of you. Because if we’re honest, most of us have some deep-down assumptions about what our lives should look like. For me, that assumption didn’t include a massive stroke or disabilities. And for my friend Sho Baraka, his perfect life plan didn’t involve raising sons with autism. Sho is living out his good/hard story in that grief-and-gratitude rhythm, and he shared all about how he got to that place. Today, Sho is receiving his family—and his life—as an “abstract masterpiece of what the Master did.” Whew, how good is that? If you join us in this conversation, here’s what you’ll take away: Encouragement for when we don’t get the miracles we hope for How to see suffering as an opportunity rather than a punishment A new way to respond to uninvited prayers for healing Insight for grieving the loss of the lives we thought we’d have Advice for married people raising kids with disabilities If you need to release your demands for a perfect life and open your hands to the gifts of the life you actually have, this episode is for you. Show Notes: Sho Baraka on Instagram And Campaign He Saw That It Was Good: Reimagining Your Creative Life to Repair a Broken World by Sho Baraka The Big Tent Initiative from Christianity Today A Prayer for Parenting a Child with Special Needs  Every Moment Holy Volume 3 “Words, 2006” Spectacular Bond: Reaching the Child with Autism by Miriam Blank ASD Reading *** There's so much more to the story:⁠ Click here⁠⁠ for more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me! Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠ Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast! ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, my monthly digest of only the good stuff, like short reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Subscribe here. Get to know us: ⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠

My son was just six-months and five days old when I nearly died. Virtually 100% of my parenting career has been informed by the deepest kind of pain. I often find myself wondering, if I could, would I give my sons a different story? One that didn’t include my stroke and all the suffering it caused? I didn’t have much help wrestling with that question as a new (and newly disabled) mom. So I want to encourage and equip you—the mom or dad struggling to shield their kids from the suffering—with practical advice for parenting through your pain. Our kids are gonna survive the suffering. And, spoiler alert, I believe they might even be better because of it. Join me and my unbelievably wise friend Susan to find out how to… Intentionally narrate your family story to your kids Empathetically encourage resilience Reframe overwhelm as abundance in your home Guide your family through non-linear grief Prevent raising kids who are afraid of the world Discern what slack to cut in your home during hard seasons Find rest for yourself so your can parent well If you need a parenting pep talk from someone who’s processing her own pain, this episode is for you. Show Notes: The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom Raising Girls and Boys Podcast with David Thomas and Sissy Goff “True hospitality is when someone leaves your home feeling better about themselves, not better about you”. - Shauna Niequist Scriptures referenced in this episode: James 1:4 Romans 5:3   Romans 8:28 Ephesians 4:1 *** There's so much more to the story: Click here⁠⁠ for more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me! Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠ Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast! ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠ ⁠Spotify⁠ Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, my monthly digest of only the good stuff, like short reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Subscribe here.