Good Hard Story Podcast

I became disabled in an instant, but my husband Jay did not become a caregiver in that same instant. No one, like, gave him a pamphlet or anything! He had to learn by trial and error, and the stakes were high. Many of you, dear friends, are in a marriage with a caregiver or care-receiver and you’re navigating what it looks like to uphold a version of your vows you didn’t see coming. I am the first person to affirm what a complex position you are in. After nearly 17 years of this caregiving-in-marriage deal, we’ve learned a few things about healthy conflict, surrendering control, and releasing old dreams. We’ve also made all the mistakes. So Jay and I want to share a little wisdom—and a LOT of encouragement. Here’s what you can expect from our time together on The GoodHard Story podcast this week: The #1 way we “beat the odds” of divorce after a traumatic brain injury What’s worked for us (and what hasn’t worked) in conflict resolution Leaning into non-traditional gender roles in our marriage Deciding to dream new dreams for our lives How I stopped feeling like a burden in my marriage If you’re longing to feel seen and supported in a caregiving marriage, this episode is for you. Show Notes: The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller - https://a.co/d/9P0hVVF Stanley Hauerwas - https://stanleyhauerwas.org/ Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp Ep. 76 - 5 Ways to Start Believing You Are Worthy of Care - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-76-solo-5-ways-to-start-believing-you-are-worthy/id1496882479?i=1000676043943 Ep. 74 - Unspoken Demands for a Perfect Life with Sho Baraka - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-74-unspoken-demands-for-a-perfect-life-with/id1496882479?i=1000674277593 Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast! Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb 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: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote Get to know us: ⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/ ⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp ⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/ Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

If there is such a thing as icons of caregiving, Joni Eareckson Tada and her husband Ken are those icons. After a diving accident at 17, Joni became a quadriplegic. Ken and Joni met and joined lives years later. As Ken put it, he “married into disability.”  These two saints have cared for one another faithfully for over 40 years, but it’s not always perfect. Joni and Ken were generous to share about the hard conversations they’ve had to have about overwhelm and burnout. Even through all the hard, this couple affirms again and again how the experiences of caregiving and care-receiving have shown them the heart of Christ.  From healthy communication tips to practical ideas for self care to receiving care well—WOW, do we have a lot to learn from these two?! Join us at the table to receive loads of wisdom from two of my heroes, including… Ken’s experience of dating and marrying someone with a disability What it takes to care for Joni’s body in a day How Joni expresses her gratitude for the care she receives Practical rhythms of restoration and self care for both caregivers and care-receives Navigating conflict in the complexities of caregiving relationships Keeping a sense of joy in their unusual marriage  Healthy communication tips  If you are craving some real talk about all things caregiving and care-getting, this episode is for you. Joni and Friends website Hope Heals by Katherine and Jay Wolf Scriptures referenced in this episode: 1 Samuel 16:7 John 15:13 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 ⁠here⁠ 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

Matt and Ginny Mooney gave round-the-clock care to their first son, a baby boy who lived for just 99 days. All parents are caregivers, of course, but the Mooneys became caregivers in ways they never could have imagined. Now, 18 years later, the Mooneys have opted into a lifetime of complex caregiving as they raise an adopted daughter living with autism and cerebral palsy. I am fascinated and challenged by their choice to take on more responsibility, more heartache, and more grief. My two gracious friends were kind enough to answer every one of my probing questions with humor and vulnerability. And if you join us for this conversation, I bet they’ll feel like your kind, funny friends by the end, too! Here’s what you can expect to hear on this week’s episode of The GoodHard Story Podcast: An honest answer about the most difficult part of caregiving The one thing the Mooneys want most for their daughter living with significant disabilities What to do when you navigate grief and caregiving differently than your spouse The best thing to say and do on tender anniversaries What to expect from your typical kids—and what  NOT to expect—when it comes to caregiving for a sibling Matt and Ginny’s #1 recommendations for caregiver self care If you’re grappling with the good/hard realities of caregiving of any kind, this episode is for you. Show Notes: 99 Balloons A Story Unfinished: 99 Days with Eliot rEcess bEfriend Mend Coffee & Goods Hope Heals Camp *** Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast! Apple Podcasts Spotify Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up here 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

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.