Help & Hope

From pro soccer player to ex-convict Matt Maher’s story is a call to young people to think carefully before making impulsive decisions because the consequences could be deadly.Matthew Maher was born and raised in a strong Christian family, and for most of his life he was a good reflection of that upbringing. He was extremely successful in academia and sports, attended Temple University on a scholarship and was contracted to play professional soccer. Then one night, he made one choice that changed everything.On March 7th, 2009 he made the decision to drink and drive – causing a fatal accident. Charged with aggravated manslaughter and sentenced to 5 ½ years in prison, Matthew faced choices he never imagined possible.After serving his time, he started sharing his story around the country. He is now an author, speaker, and instigator for the social influence platform #iCONVICTION. He currently authors a monthly column in the Cape May County Herald and his daily blogs have been read by over 500,000 people in every state, 121 countries, and in 67 different languages. In addition to the God-given influence through his multiple speaking and writing platforms, Matthew is also the Director of Student Ministries at Coastal Christian Church in Ocean City, NJ. He is married to Sarah.Visit Matt’s website to learn more about his story and how to book him for an event: http://www.themattmaherstory.com/

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In this interview that is part of our Warrior Woman series, you will meet Karen Marsh, mother of Victoria. Within hours after Victoria’s birth, Karen and her husband learned that their third daughter had Down Syndrome. Though initially frightened by this news, Karen and her family’s love for Victoria grew deeper as they recognized the awesome privilege of raising such a precious daughter. This story will encourage parents of children with Down Syndrome to realize the unique joys that can be theirs as they raise their children. But there is more to this story. Victoria was diagnosed with a life threatening cancer that resulted in the amputation of her leg. In this interview, you will hear about the courage and determination of a young teen to take back her life and her family’s determination to continue to fill Victoria’s life with experiences and opportunities to grow and learn, no matter what her physical condition. Listeners will also learn how to come alongside of families like Victoria’s, not just to help, but to soak up some of the joy and love that naturally flows from children with Down Syndrome.

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It's tougher than ever to be both a kid and a parent today. The world's culture is continually pushing an anything goes sexuality on our children. What’s a parent to do in order to help their children navigate their sexuality, social media, the ever present temptation of pornography, the continuous bombardment of our sexually explicit culture. In this Help and Hope resource, Dr. Betters and Sharon interview Dan and Heather Wilson. Dan and Heather live with the daily challenges of raising their four children and transparently share how parents can have the “sex talk,” how to help your child when you catch them in sexual sin and practical ways to shepherd your child’s heart. Dan works for Harvest USA and is a seminar leader and counselor.Please let us know how this resource has encouraged and equipped you!

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In this interview, two sets of parents speak honestly about how their children with an autistic spectrum disorder impacted their dreams, challenged their marriages, and created chaos in their homes. They also describe their special joys in parenting their children. If you are parenting a child with special needs, you will relate to their transparent descriptions of parenting children with a form of autism. These interviews will also better equip friends and family to come alongside of parents of children with special needs.Included is an interview with Alex, a 16-year-old boy with Asperger Syndrome. Alex hopes his words will help parents and children with autism alike to live with hope and strength as they travel this pathway.

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Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that attacks the Central Nervous System. The Multiple Sclerosis Foundation estimates that more than 400,000 people in the United States and about 2.5 million people around the world have MS. About 200 new cases are diagnosed each week in the United States. In this interview, that is part of our Warrior Women series, you’ll hear Sherry Bitler describe what it was like to hear the diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis and how it changed her life. Listeners with a similar diagnosis will be encouraged by the way Sherry has confronted this disease and learned how to continue to invest her life in the lives of others, even though she is sometimes physically limited. This conversation will also help “healthy” people better understand how such a diagnosis can affect everyday life and how they can come alongside of someone whose constant companion is Multiple Sclerosis.

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It's an epidemic that knows no cultural, age, race or financial boundaries. Whole neighborhoods are struggling with the challenge of heroin addiction. Why does an addict continue to use heroin when they know it's destroying the lives of their loved ones? What is it about heroin that a user is willing to do anything necessary to get their next fix? Why is it so hard to break the chains of heroin addiction? Is relapse a normal part of the heroin addict's journey? How should a family respond when relapse happens? We ask all these questions and more in this interview with Joey, a recovering heroin addict, and his grandmother, Ann. Ultimately, we ask, is there hope for a heroin addict? It's our hope that those who hear this redemption story will know, there is hope, even in the darkest corners of heroin addiction.

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In 2009, Debbie Kahler was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer, a disease that strikes fear in the hearts of anyone familiar with its deadly prognosis. Over the next few years, Debbie battled this virulent disease while watching her mother and her mother-in-law lose their battles against the same disease. Debbie now says she has added “cancer fighter” to her job description as she continues to pursue treatment that has extended her life in a way that enables her to enjoy her family and friends. Most people would respond with despair to such tragic losses, tempted to give in to the fear of losing their own battles. Yet that is not the message of Debbie’s journey. Listeners will agree that Debbie is a Warrior Woman, a woman who faces life’s challenges with faith, grit and determination to experience joy and purpose. We are confident Debbie’s story will help equip you for your own life journey, no matter what your circumstances.

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About 700,000 women are widowed in the United States every year. Losing a spouse is considered one of life's most devastating events. Many widows share that the loneliest time of the day is the dinner hour, when they sit at a table by themselves after many years of sharing that evening meal with their husband. You are about to hear a conversation between Sharon Betters, Executive Director of MARKINC Ministries, and Carolyn Fredericks, a widow who shares her own grief journey after the death of her husband. This transparent interview will encourage widows and their families, that there is hope and purpose after the loss of a beloved husband.

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Our western culture encourages us to embrace and encourage same sex attraction as normal, appropriate and just as “right” as any other sexual relationship. But is it? In this transparent interview Sharon Betters talks with Donna and her counselor, Ellen Dykas about Donna’s struggles with same sex attraction. Donna transparently shares that prior to marriage she had some inappropriate relationships with other women that were sexual in nature. In college her relationship with the athletic director led her to other inappropriate friendships but ultimately ended in extreme guilt and feeling trapped. She says that as a married woman, she found herself having “wrong feelings” for a couple of women. Donna’s story is universal and her transparent story will help college students and any woman with similar struggles.Like all of our Help and Hope resources, this interview goes beyond a discussion of the life crises and digs deep into how each of us can grow in our own walk of faith as we process and face the challenges of living by grace in our messy world.

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Well meaning people sometimes exhort adopted children to be thankful for the many privileges they have as a result of having a "forever family." Here we encourage that gratitude but also acknowledge that side by side with a grateful heart is often a broken heart as a result of feeling abandoned by their birth parents. We are grateful to offer this compelling interview that is designed to equip adoptive parents and adopted children to better understand the "primal wound."

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