Dr. Mikala Albertson aimed to be exemplary in all she did – marriage, motherhood, her career – but her seemingly picture-perfect life began crumbling when she realized her doctor husband was addicted to drugs and nothing was perfect after all. Listen in as Mikala shares her story of striving and suffering in the hunt for perfection and found that embracing her gritty, messy, complicated, tough ordinary life led her on a journey of healing, redemption, and renewal. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Mikala encourages listeners that disappointments and broken places are opportunities to find beauty in the rubble.

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A Conversation with Esther SmithSummaryMost of us can admit to seasons of struggling with unwanted thoughts, perhaps rooted in fear of the unknown, a broken relationship, a horrible past of abuse. For some people, unwanted thoughts are a nagging discomfort. Others experience them as a brutal and invisible form of torture. Thoughts spiraling out of control can lead to sleepless nights, uncomfortable relationships and wasted emotional energy. Are you distracted by racing or anxious thoughts? Distressed by intrusive or irrational thoughts? Struggling with sinful or untrue thoughts? You may feel trapped in your own head, but in this conversation between Esther Smith and Sharon Betters, you’re going to realize God has given you many different ways to calm your mind and live at peace. Esther is a licensed counselor who specializes in helping people who experience trauma, anxiety and physical illness. She has also authored a devotional on Chronic Illness and is coauthor of The Whole Life. Listen as Esther introduces us to some of the twelve strategies for changing unwanted thoughts she unpacks in her book, A Still and Quiet Mind.

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Pornography – do you know someone who is struggling with this particular sin? Unfortunately, it’s likely that you do, but you may not know how to help. In these two conversations host Dr. Chuck Betters, along with Rebekah Hannah (Director of Anchored Hope.co, an online biblical counseling service), talk with counselors Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes who provide biblical strategies for guiding a fellow believer toward recovery. This worldwide pornography crisis is destroying families, marriages and individuals. But what happens when it comes into your own home or the heart of someone you love? Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes have co-authored two books on pornography: Rescue Plan and Rescue Skills. They are both biblical counselors and draw on their own research and experience as biblical counselors to offer concrete information and guidance on how to help pornography users in diverse circumstances to overcome addiction.Be sure to listen to both, Part 1 & Part 2.

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Pornography – do you know someone who is struggling with this particular sin? Unfortunately, it’s likely that you do, but you may not know how to help. In these two conversations host Dr. Chuck Betters, along with Rebekah Hannah (Director of Anchored Hope.co, an online biblical counseling service), talk with counselors Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes who provide biblical strategies for guiding a fellow believer toward recovery. This worldwide pornography crisis is destroying families, marriages and individuals. But what happens when it comes into your own home or the heart of someone you love? Deepak Reju and Jonathan Holmes have co-authored two books on pornography: Rescue Plan and Rescue Skills. They are both biblical counselors and draw on their own research and experience as biblical counselors to offer concrete information and guidance on how to help pornography users in diverse circumstances to overcome addiction.Be sure to listen to both, Part 1 & Part 2.

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Are you tired of all the parenting books full of strategic checklists, how-to advice and quick tips? While some of the books are actually really helpful, Christina Fox, Sharon Betters and young mom Melissa Weisenfels talk through what it means to parent through the grid of how our heavenly father parents us, His children. They touch on questions like:How can a better understanding of God’s character, i.e. His consistency, discipline, patience, provision, unconditional love and even boundaries give us a roadmap for helping our children navigate the comparison trap, rebellion against boundaries, and more. But they also talk about their own feelings of failure and how to live with a broken heart when children reject their faith. Christina encourages us that as God’s beloved creatures, we bear His image—that is, we show others who He is as we glorify Him. Is anything more important to pass on to our children than this?

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A child suffers multiple forms of abuse from her father from the time of being a little girl to a young woman. Is there any hope for not just surviving but thriving? Jennifer Greenberg proclaims there is. Jennifer knows the isolation and grief of abuse at the hands of her church-going father. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Jenn doesn’t flinch in talking through how she wanted to kill herself when she was 15 because her father’s abuse intensified during her adolescence. She takes us along on her journey toward healing and purpose, addressing such questions as… Why doesn’t an abuse victim speak up sooner? What are the residual issues of abuse into adulthood? What about forgiveness? Not only is Jenn a wife, mother, and composer, she authored Not Forsaken, A Life After Abuse and offers other abuse victims help through many resources on her https://jennifergreenberg.net

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What do you do when you are suddenly navigating a life you didn’t sign up for? Lisa Appelo understands deeply. She’s experienced the raw emotions and uncertainty that come when everything falls apart. Lisa went to bed married and woke up a widow and single mom to seven children. She wrestled with impossible questions about her future–and then found life-changing answers that gave her the strength to move forward with true joy.In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Lisa explains how she found hope in gratitude and practical ways to fight fear. Lisa encourages us to understand wherever you are in life is not God’s Plan B but Chapter 2 where He will reshape your shattered heart – you will not only survive but can learn to thrive as you learn how to trust Him more each day.

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What if your kind, gentle adult son started exhibiting bizarre behavior, so bizarre his wife got a restraining order and he ended up in prison? Our guest in this conversation, Robin, knows this terror as she lost her son little by little to an undiagnosed disease – Early Onset Dementia. Robin’s son, Justin, gradually changed from a kind, engaged husband, father and son into a man his family didn’t recognize. He lost his family and was imprisoned before doctors finally diagnosed him with frontotemporal dementia or young onset dementia. This is a heart-breaking story, but Robin offers light in the darkness.

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How do you face each day after a diagnosis of ALS or Lou Gherig’s disease, knowing you will not survive longer than eighteen months – two years? Pastor Dale Meador joins Sharon and Chuck Betters to answer this question and more as he describes how each day reminds him he cannot beat this disease. He knows his time on this earth is short. But, for Dale, this disease has renewed his confidence in heaven and God’s perfect love. In this conversation, Dale gives us a glimpse into how he is not only preparing himself but also his family for his absence and much more. Dale’s natural joyful perspective on life comes through but he wants all of us to know his perspective does not minimize the deep grief and fear ALS patients experience. His desire in sharing his story is for others to experience the same help and hope of Jesus he experiences every day. We are so grateful for Dale’s willingness to offer help and hope not only to the one diagnosed with ALS but also to those who love them.

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In this conversation and in their book, Making Room for Her, Barbara and Stacy Reaoch jump headfirst into a topic sure to generate much discussion and maybe even confrontation: Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. Mother-in-law jokes are easy to find and most expect daughters-in-law to roll their eyes when their mothers-in-law are mentioned. Barbara and Stacy’s perspective on how two women who love the same man can not only get along but cultivate a deep, loving friendship goes against our culture’s view of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationships. In this Help & Hope conversation with Sharon Betters, they encourage listeners, especially those in challenging in-law relationships to refuse to give up on pursuing godly responses to broken places. Friends, listen and realize, there is hope even in the midst of messy feelings and past hurts.

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