On The GoodHard Story Podcast, we believe the good story and the hard story can be the same story. Host Katherine Wolf—stroke survivor, speaker, author, and dis...
Advent in the Dark Part 1: The Gifts or the Giver?
In these sacred weeks leading up to Christmas, I want to acknowledge that the holiday season isn’t such a bright time for all of us. These final days of the year can be a painful reminder of what we once had. What is no longer. What will never be.
Each week in the month of December, I'll be sharing a short reflection that invites you reconsider your darkest seasons as times of formation, preparation, and possibility.
Treasures in the Dark Read Along
Starting January 9, 2025, I’ll be hosting a 90-day read along of Treasures in the Dark over on Instagram. Make sure you’re following me there because I’ll be streaming some readings from the book, sharing behind the scenes content, and hosting discussions with all of you. If you want to grab your own copy of Treasures in the Dark, it’s available wherever books are sold. You can find the audiobook on Spotify or Audible.
Did you like what you heard?
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13:43
Episode 79: In Sickness and Health with Jay Wolf
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/
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49:50
Episode 78: Self Care for Caregivers with Ken Tada and Joni Eareckson Tada
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
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54:51
Episode 77: Caregiving as a Team with Matt & Ginny Mooney
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
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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
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1:08:37
Episode 76: (Solo) 5 Ways to Start Believing You Are Worthy of Care
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.
On The GoodHard Story Podcast, we believe the good story and the hard story can be the same story. Host Katherine Wolf—stroke survivor, speaker, author, and disability advocate—is inviting you to join her in discovering the treasures hidden in our hurting. Sit in on candid conversations with Katherine, the Hope Heals team, and some beloved guests as they work out what it means to wholeheartedly live a good/hard life. Katherine is a defining voice of our time, so you don’t want to miss her hard-won insights on the places where pain and joy can co-exist. We are so excited to welcome you to The GoodHard Story Podcast!