A chronic illness diagnosis felt, to L. A. Sprague, like both a punch in the gut and a deep exhale at the same time. Having lived with unexplained symptoms, she understood that the real torment was often the unknown and the fear that nobody believed her. She explains why receiving a name for what was happening brought relief—not because she was glad to be sick, but because validation changed everything.

From there, she discusses navigating the medical system. Some doctors, she notes, hand patients a label and send them back to life with no guidance, while others take the time to listen, explain, and connect them to meaningful resources. She shares what it felt like to be on her own, why that experience can push patients into advocacy, and why community support matters so deeply for those living with chronic illness.

She also addresses the mental health dimension, emphasizing that chronic illness does not only affect the body. L. A. Sprague opens up about living with major depressive disorder alongside POTS, describing the cycle of progress and setbacks, and how a single virus can undo months of effort. She then turns to a question she hears often: when does it get easier? While she does not offer a simple answer, she describes a path forward that includes grief, one small gratitude, and one small next step.

Finally, she reflects on the theology of suffering with honesty. Chronic pain, she explains, can reshape how a person sees God and may even introduce doubt about God’s goodness. She frames belief as trust without certainty and points to the image of taking Christ’s yoke and allowing Him to carry the heavier side.

If this conversation helps you feel less alone, please subscribe, share it with someone who needs it, and leave a review so that more chronically ill Christians can find the community.

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Your health can collapse in a way that looks invisible from the outside, yet changes everything on the inside. Seth Noorzad, a Santa Barbara attorney, joins us to tell the story of a sudden crash into chronic illness, a Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis diagnosis, and what he strongly suspects is ME/CFS. He puts words to the hardest part: the body becomes a different reality, your energy system shrinks, and even rest stops working the way it used to. If you’ve struggled to explain chronic fatigue syndrome to friends, family, or employers, you’ll hear language that finally fits.

We also follow Seth’s unexpected path to faith, from a childhood shaped by broad, New Age spirituality, to Plato’s claim that justice is “the health of the soul,” to a surprising spark from The Prince of Egypt that pushed him to read the Bible for the first time. He shares why he considered Islam, what he found compelling about clear moral direction and daily prayer, and how a first visit to church opened the door to Catholicism. The Liturgy of the Hours becomes a turning point, not just as a prayer practice, but as a way to belong when illness makes life feel small.

From there, we get practical: spoon theory and pacing, the challenge of being believed without perfect lab markers, and how Seth reshapes his legal career into manageable work he can do from home. We end with the questions chronic illness raises about suffering, meaning, and love, including Seth’s reflections on redemptive suffering and resisting bitterness. If this conversation encourages you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people living with chronic illness can find it.

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We sit down for a Halftime Show Q&A that gets real about chronic illness communication, especially the moment you realize your closest friends or family may not understand how much you’re struggling. We talk through a simple approach: ask if they have space, be straightforward about what’s happening physically and emotionally, and clearly name your limits around plans, outings, and expectations.

Then we go to the deeper ache so many chronically ill Christians carry: grieving who you could have been. We don’t pretend it’s a one-and-done process. Grief can come in waves, and it can surprise you even on days when life is good. We share a faith-forward perspective on identity and worth, reminding you that you’re not a backup plan and your life isn’t a waste because your trajectory changed. Chronic illness may reshape your capacity, but it doesn’t erase your purpose or your belovedness.

We also share what encourages us most, from friends who validate what we’re going through to those Holy Spirit moments of gratitude during flares. And yes, there’s a quick, fun detour into favorite female anime characters before we get honest about friendships lost, friendships gained, boundaries, and the kind of community that truly shows up.

If you’re navigating chronic illness, symptoms, disability grief, or strained relationships while trying to hold onto Christian faith, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, rate, and share the show, then leave a comment with the question you want answered next.

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The day started with a lisp and a stubborn “I’m fine,” then crashed into choking on saliva and legs that wouldn’t rise. From that freefall, Miles met a rare diagnosis—Guillain-Barré syndrome—an ICU room, and a neurologist who moved fast. IVIG and faith proved to help his health improve. And what looked like an ending became a mission with pedals, scripture, and a mountain that dares you to quit.

We walk with Miles through the missteps and the miracles: a chief-of-staff ER doctor who helped him skip the line, a medicine that dried secretions so an MRI could happen, and a spinal tap that finally named the enemy. He explains the “GBS hangover” with clarity—nerve pain that flares, a heavy tongue that trips words, and a fatigue that feels like living underwater. You’ll hear how he manages triggers and how a former sprinter learned to pace both body and soul.

Purpose enters like a second wind. Miles for GBS channels all donations directly to patients through the GBS-CIDP Foundation’s aid bucket—100% going to walkers, therapy, and bills when work and insurance collapse. He and his wife cover campaign costs so every dollar lands where it helps most. The jersey carries 1 Peter 4:10, because his lifelong gift—athletics—now serves others. He’s training to climb Mount Ventoux with his 82-year-old coach and his best leadout man who lives with MS, showing what courage looks like in community.

This story blends rare disease insight with practical hope: early signs to watch, treatment basics, fatigue management, and the unshakable claim that God does not leave us. Listen for the details, stay for the heart, and share it with someone who needs proof that weakness can become purpose. If this moved you, subscribe, leave a review, and share the episode with a friend who could use strength for their own climb.

To donate to patients with GBS, follow this link:
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Join L. A. Sprague as she reviews some of TikTok and Reddit's most interesting, weird, and twisted ways of managing chronic illness symptoms including McDonald's burgers, fries, and coke, laying on bathroom floors for hour spurts at a time before returning to bed, and even (trigger warning) domestic battery?! Don't worry, there's some helpful tips here for you too, like adjustable beds, sleeping positions, and unique/affordable tools! Comment your thoughts, link videos for us to review, and enjoy this thrilling, silly, and actually insightful half-time episode.

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A cancer diagnosis at 28 weeks pregnant should shatter certainty—Emily chose to build something stronger. We sit down with her for a candid, heart-level conversation about B‑cell ALL, the shock of symptoms that didn’t add up, and the long road through treatment and maintenance. She explains the differences between IV, oral, and intrathecal chemo in clear, human terms and shares what sepsis, transfusions, and a surgically placed port actually feel like when they’re not bullet points on a pamphlet.

Faith threads through every scene. Emily traces her early encounter with Jesus back to a camp sermon that made belief personal, then shows how that faith held when her marrow “went silent” and she feared for her baby and her own life. The story of the hemorrhaging woman became a lifeline—a picture of reaching for healing when shame and fear want you to hide. With insomnia and anxiety pressing hard, she found unusual calm through prayer, hymns, and handwritten lyric art taped to hospital walls. Her church community showed up with cards, calls, and real help that made prayer feel like presence.

We also talk about the rest of her health story: growing up with SVT and POTS, fainting in high school hallways, suspecting hypermobile EDS, and navigating the blurry overlap between preexisting symptoms and chemo side effects like ICANS. Emily offers hard-won advice for what to say—and what not to say—to someone in treatment, urges listeners to advocate for themselves without shame, and shares resources that changed her life, from Imerman Angels’ one-on-one mentorship to Tough Friends Art Club and Play It Back Music. And because hope runs, she’s marathon training with POTS, proving that recovery can be slow, wise, and beautifully stubborn.

If this conversation gave you courage or clarity, hit follow, rate the show, and share it with someone who needs steady hope today. Then tell us: what part of Emily’s journey spoke most to you?

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What makes a day “good” when your body won’t cooperate? We open the door to your most honest questions and share the messy, hope-filled reality of living with chronic illness and active faith. From naming a POTS flare while recording to savoring a chef-made coffee treat and trading Marvel favorites, we explore how small joys, honest limits, and steady love can reshape expectations without denying pain.

We dig into the hardest faith tension many of us face: believing God heals while not being healed yet. Drawing from scripture and lived experience, we unpack why “just have more faith” can wound, how to unlearn harmful interpretations without abandoning Jesus, and what resilient trust looks like when answers are slow. You’ll hear candid reflections on doubt, comfort, and the difference between tidy slogans and a God who meets us in the long wait.

We also get practical about management and mindset. We admit the lifelong learning curve, the up-and-down seasons of electrolytes, pacing, movement, and boundaries, and the temptation to let illness own our identity. Instead, we choose discernment over judgment, grief with purpose over a victim script, and course correction over perfection. Community shows up here too: real check-ins, shared tips, and pop-culture joy that reminds us we’re people before patients. Press play for a grounded, compassionate conversation that holds both truth and tenderness—and leave with language for your own good day, even when symptoms won’t budge.

If this resonated, follow and rate the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and drop an Orange Heart in the comments so we know you’re here. Subscribe for new episodes every Monday and send your story to [email protected].

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What if the path through chronic pain isn’t about pretending it’s gone, but learning to live boldly because Jesus is with you? That’s the heartbeat of our conversation with David Heflin, former pastor and founder of Broken and Mended, a support-group ministry serving people with chronic illness and chronic pain around the world. David opens up about ankylosing spondylitis and Crohn’s—how inflammation, stiffness, and fatigue reshape a day, a job, even a vacation—and the practical changes that keep him moving, from cushions and seating strategy to low-sugar eating and biologic treatments.

We dig into faith where it’s hardest: parenting kids who suffer, talking about God without minimizing pain, and rejecting the prosperity gospel’s false promises. David shares how verses often used to guarantee healing make richer sense in context—aimed at seeking God’s kingdom and strength for our calling—while Scripture like Romans 5 and 2 Corinthians 12 anchors a sturdier hope. Grace proves sufficient not as a slogan but as oxygen, especially when bodies and plans won’t cooperate. We talk about identity beyond productivity, lament that tells the truth about loss, and a purpose that grows inside weakness rather than apart from it.

You’ll also hear about David’s upcoming book, Purpose and Pain, which guides readers to grieve what illness takes and notice what God can grow: perseverance, character, empathy, and a living awareness that Christ’s power rests on us. We close with concrete ways churches can better serve the chronically ill—watch who goes missing, keep online access, visit, and host support groups—plus how Broken and Mended connects people to community across the U.S. and Africa. If you’ve felt alone in pain, this conversation names your experience and points to real help and hope.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review so others can find it. Tell us: what truth helps you on your hardest days?

Visit David's ministry website!
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Everyone experiences vulnerability; being a faith-filled, chronically ill person increases that experience. Yet this is a chronically ill Christian’s secret power, not his/her weakness.

Join L. A. Sprague as she expounds on Brené Brown's transformational research findings on vulnerability. If you are a chronically ill and/or faith-filled person, you may come to realize that you are more vulnerable than recently perceived. We often find vulnerability to be a weakness. Yet fully embracing vulnerability leads to true growth, intimate connection with others, genuine faith, and much more. Watch "The Price of Invulnerability" here: https://youtu.be/_UoMXF73j0c?si=zCL9laqvtQt4wY9F

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What if healing doesn’t look like a cure, but like fewer seizures, gentler days, and a church that moves chairs so you can stay? Karlie joins us to share an unflinching story of misdiagnosis, an unexpected hysterectomy at 25, daily anaphylaxis risk, and the hard-won faith that carried her from Alberta to Texas and now Tennessee in search of care—and community that truly sees her.

We trace the turning points: a surgeon who later found no sign of endometriosis, a nurse who quietly urged a move to the U.S., and a son who said the Holy Spirit wanted them at a church down the road. Karlie explains how mast cell activation triggers (pollen, perfume, dust, even big emotions) and dysautonomia reshaped her life, why worship music became her prayer when pain stole words, and how practical accommodations—sitting near exits, sunglasses during worship, perfume-free spaces—open doors for people with chronic illness to belong. We also unpack her work with Broken and Mended, a ministry creating support groups and devotionals on accepting change, budgeting limited energy, navigating finances, and caring for strained relationships.

If you’ve been told to “just have more faith,” this conversation reframes healing as layered: spiritual steadiness, fewer medical crises, and the wisdom to honor limits before the body breaks. You’ll hear how Karlie found purpose in leading others, what church care can look like on the ground, and why being believed may be the most powerful medicine of all. Come for the story; leave with practical ideas, renewed hope, and language to ask for what you need.

If this resonates, subscribe, rate, and share with someone who needs to hear they’re not alone. And tell us: what accommodation would help you show up more fully?

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