If you’re a parent, it’s likely you have had more than one sleepless night reviewing the mistakes and perceived failures of that day. We resign ourselves to carry the emotions of fear, guilt, shame, and regret for the rest of our lives. But do we have to just let these emotions hang around and take over our thinking? The answer is no! Co-hosts Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist talk to Lauren Whitman, counselor, author, speaker, and mother about when parents feel like failures. But they don’t stop with the bad news. They also discuss how Jesus can quiet our distress. Friends, there is hope! Lauren is a mother, counselor, author, and speaker who writes from her experience in her book, When Parents Feel Like Failures, How Jesus Quiets Our Distress.  Even if you’re not a parent, this conversation will help equip you to come alongside a friend who is struggling with these difficult emotions.

Learn more about Lauren: https://www.ccef.org/people/lauren-whitman

Join us to listen to a prior Help & Hope Story with Lauren: A Painful Past – Healing and Moving Forward — MARKINC.org

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

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We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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Days, months, and years after the loss of her sister, Natasha Smith tried to hide the grief she carried. But the pandemic took away her ability to hide her sorrow and her five-year-old’s response to her unexpected tears gave her permission to grieve – not in a room by herself but with her daughter.

In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Natasha shares how culture insists we “move on” from loss quickly and even how the church is often not equipped to handle sudden outbursts of tears or waves of sorrow. Natasha encourages us to take hope and instruction from Psalm 56:8, where we read that God keeps track of all of our sorrows and collects every one of our tears in a bottle.

If you are hiding your grief – maybe for years, you will resonate with Natasha’s conclusion that giving ourselves permission to grieve means coming to the realization that it’s okay to not be okay.

Author of: Can You Just Sit With Me? Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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How are you feeling today? Stressed, overwhelmed, drowning in too much to do, anxiety, the rubble of broken relationships – just life? Are these feelings seasonal or do you struggle with persistent gnawing anxiety? Sometimes, something happens that feels like the straw that breaks the camel’s back and we cry out, “I didn’t sign up for this!” Ann Swindell, author of The Path to Peace, Comfort When You’re Feeling Overwhelmed gets it! After repeated disappointments and hurts, one day Ann declared, “I didn’t sign up for this!” But that moment of hitting bottom was the beginning of seeking unshakable peace. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Ann will be sharing some of what she learned about genuine peace, not only through her own journey but the lives of men and women in scripture. You will be mentored and encouraged in your own search for the pathway to peace.

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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It doesn’t take much research to realize anxiety is a primary emotion experienced not just by teens but also by adults. Our guest, Liz Edrington, is no stranger to anxiety. As a teenager, she felt overwhelmed by anxiety. Now, she is a mental health counselor and wants to pass on what she’s learned. She has written a 31 day devotional for teenagers called Anxiety, Finding the Better Story. In this conversation, Sharon Betters and Liz Edrington talk about how anxiety affects us negatively but how it can also be a gift, how to come alongside teens who are struggling to navigate this world that seems so out of control, and much more.

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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“Edith, we urge you to learn Braille, train with a white cane, and learn to cook blindfolded...” These warnings from Doctors and a Rehab team along with major eye surgery and regular vision-loss monitoring by top specialists at Johns Hopkins University Hospital struck fear in Edith Yoder’s heart.. As a single Christian woman living alone in the mountains of Western Maryland she had already dealt with total vision loss in one eye. Now, the gravity of the possibility of total blindness was yet another blow as Edith felt even her “new normal” begin to crumble. In recent years her dream job as a CNA had already come to a screeching halt and it was obvious that not only physically but also spiritually, the decisions she would make in the following weeks would be crucial in this fight to retain her physical sight and her spiritual vision. In Christ, Edith has found purpose for her pain, strength sufficient for the struggles, and blessings beyond measure as she shares her message of hope to “Walk by faith, not by sight”!

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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According to the National Institutes of Health, nearly 1 in 3 of all adolescents ages 13 to 18 will experience an anxiety disorder. These numbers have been rising steadily; between 2007 and 2012, anxiety disorders in children and teens went up 20%. 
These stats, combined with the rate of hospital admissions for suicidal teenagers also doubling over the past decade, leaves us with many concerning questions. (source: https://www.childhealthdata.org/learn-about-the-nsch/NSCH)

In this Help & Hope interview, Jessica Thompson, author of How to Help Your Teens with Anxiety, talks to Sharon Betters about some of the root causes of anxiety and offers practical tips for how parents can get their kids talking about anxiety and how they come alongside of their children during their teen years.   

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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Cori Salchert, fosters and adopts “hospice babies” whose own families find it too hard to cope with their child’s terminal diagnosis. She is the mother of over fifteen children, some of whom died in her care. Cori traveled a very painful pathway before she arrived at her calling to caring for and loving terminally ill children so that they will not die alone. Cori shares her journey into this calling in her book, I Will Love You Forever, A True Story about Finding Life, Hope & Healing While Caring for Hospice Babies. She calls her home a “house of hope” where she and her family dedicate their lives to providing dying children with loving hospice care until the end of their lives. In this moving conversation, Cori shares with Sharon Betters how God used her years of undiagnosed pain and illness help equip her to recognize the value of every human being, no matter how “unproductive” others might view them. Her first hospice baby was Emmalynn, a baby born missing part of her brain. Instead of dying in a hospital, during her last days of life, Emmalyn was surrounded and snuggled by people who loved her. Cori says, “Emmalyn didn’t suffer, she wasn’t in pain, and most certainly wasn’t alone…What a gift it is to be a part of these babies’ lives, to cherish and love them even though they aren’t able to give anything back."

No matter your season of life or daily responsibilities, Cori’s story will inspire and encourage you to recognize you, too, have the privilege of offering help and hope through your everyday life.

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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Jim and Karen Weaver’s international adoption journey led them to welcoming not one, but two boys into their family, making them parents of four daughters and two sons. In this transparent interview, Jim and Karen share the highs and the lows of their journey, from how they began their adoption adventure, to the realization that life would never go back to the normalcy of raising four daughters, to how the extreme emotional meltdowns created chaos in their home but also taught them about their own hearts. Through their story, listeners will get a glimpse into the reality of the hard places in adoption and also learn how they can come alongside of adoptive families. Listeners will recognize how adoption has transformed Jim and Karen and drew them into a deeper awareness of their need for Jesus, the power of prayer and how to look inward when hard times come.

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

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Darby Strickland’s children’s books, Something Sad Happened and Something Scary Happened are designed to not only help children deal with trauma but also equip their parents. In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist, Darby answers multiple questions about how to help a hurting child such as:  A child suffers a deep loss or experiences a scary, traumatic event. How do you help that child? How is a child’s response different than an adult’s? What are signs your child is frightened or deeply grieving? How can we encourage children to share their feelings openly and seek God’s comfort without feeling like they need to hide or “be strong”? What are some of the common fears of children? What are some practical ways we can help a child grieve or overcome their fears? This conversation will help equip those who love children to help them process their fears and grief.

Contact Darby: www.darbystrickland.com

Something Scary Happened
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Happened-Children-Traumatic-Experiences/

Something Sad Happened
https://www.amazon.com/Something-Sad-Happened-Helping-Children/

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

Be sure to connect with us on social media! 

Send us a text

Support the show

“I end every day feeling defeated because I lost my temper with my kids, vowing tomorrow will be better, but it usually isn’t...I don’t want my kids to be 'less than' their friends. I also want them to stand out as college applicants. But I don’t think I can keep up with this schedule of activities. They are ages 5 & 9...Whenever my child fails at something, I’m the one who feels guilty and judged...When is it my turn? I look forward to an hour of quiet time after the kids are in bed and no matter how hard I try, something robs me of my time.” Christina Fox addresses these parenting concerns and much more in this conversation with Sharon Betters and Melissa Weisenfels. How can good parenting motives turn into idols? What should we do when we discover that our motives for doing good things for our kids just might be wrong? Christina is the author of Idols of a Mother’s Heart and numerous other books and articles. Connect with Christina at christinafox.

The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. 

For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/.

Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all!

Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family!!

We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19

Be sure to connect with us on social media! 


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