Living the Grace Life

Parenting a child with special needs can feel like a never-ending balancing act—one that often leads to exhaustion, comparison, and guilt. But what if grace met you right in the middle of it all? Author and speaker Becky Beresford joins Living the Grace Life to talk about finding God’s presence in the chaos and surrendering the pressure to be everything for everyone.

In this honest and hope-filled conversation, Becky shares how she’s learning to draw on God’s strength rather than her own through the challenges of special needs parenting, including:

Becky, author of She Believed He Could So She Did, lives in North Carolina with her husband and three boys. With a background in spiritual formation and discipleship, she helps women experience freedom and strength in God’s grace—right where they are.

If you’ve ever wondered whether God sees you in the midst of your caregiving chaos, this episode is a reminder that He’s right there in the room with you. Grace for you. Grace for them.

“I'm not the Savior of my own story. Or my husband's or my children's. I had to let go and let God be God to them in order to experience God's grace.”

“I'm constantly carrying too much and I have to lay it all down again and again."

“It's okay to meet Christ in the cracks of life.”

John 21 (Peter's walk along the beach with Jesus)

🌿 The Brave Woman Manifesto

Website: beckyberesford.com

Ep. 13 I Didn't Sign Up for This: Resting in God's Goodness | Sarah Frazer

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Prayers That Change Us

Why, God? Why didn’t You answer our prayers? How could You let this happen after everything we’ve been through? Do You know how much this hurts?

Ashley Opliger has wrestled with these same questions in the depths of miscarriage, loss, and grief. Yet through it all, she found the steady presence of God’s grace and hope.

Ashley is the author of the USA Today bestselling book Cradled in Hope and the founder and CEO of Bridget’s Cradles, a national nonprofit that has brought comfort and healing to more than 30,000 bereaved families in 1,600 hospitals across all 50 states. She is a compassionate friend to anyone walking through the heartbreak of pregnancy loss, grief, or the death of a loved one.

In this heartfelt conversation, Ashley shares how she has learned to grieve with hope and trust God in the hardest places:

Though we were not made for this broken world, grief will touch every life. Listen in as Ashley’s story offers real grace, healing, and hope for anyone navigating miscarriage, loss, or the sting of death.

“We need to extend the same grace to ourselves we would extend to someone else if they were telling us their story.”

“Most of the time, the things that come across as insensitive are well-intended, but poorly delivered."

“The sting of death is awful. But that's the point. That's why Jesus came as a sacrifice, so he could overcome it.”

🌿Holding Onto Love After You've Lost a Baby by Gary Chapman and Candy McVicar

Website: ashleyopliger.com

Ep. 46 Embracing Grace: A Summer in the Psalms | Psalm 27

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October is Dyslexia Awareness Month. What is dyslexia, really? Far beyond “seeing letters backwards,” dyslexia is a lifelong learning difference as a result of how the brain processes language, making reading, spelling, and decoding more challenging. Dyslexia affects 1 in 5 people and is often misunderstood, yet with the right tools, strategies, and grace, students can thrive.

In this episode, I sit down with my son, Ethan Sakata, who was diagnosed with dyslexia at the end of fifth grade. Together, we reflect on his journey, including three years of intensive tutoring through the Barton Reading and Spelling System, the challenges of learning to read, and the victories that came with persistence, mistakes, and grace.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

If you’re a parent, teacher, or student with questions about dyslexia, or if you’ve ever felt like you don’t learn like everyone else, this conversation is for you. Ethan’s story reminds you that even when grace feels hard to come by, God is at work, strengthening and shaping you along the way.

“There wasn't anything about decoding words that came naturally to me. I had to think about every single part of the proccess."

“Less is more when it comes to words for dyslexics.”

"Mistakes helped me identify either places I needed more practice for that tool or a new tool altogether."

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future."

🌿Barton Reading and Spelling System

Sophia’s Fight SongYouTube created by a 5th-grade girl with dyslexia

Overcoming Dyslexia by Sally Shaywitz

Ep. 50 5 Grace Takeaways that Still Stick | Jennifer Sakata

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Prayers That Change Us

Are you in the sandwich season--raising kids while also caring for aging parents? The pressure, confusion, guilt, and overwhelm can feel crushing when family and business collide with life-altering health needs. Where does grace fit in when you’re being pulled in every direction?

That’s the journey of my guest, Ruthie Gray--wife, GenX mom, 15-year caregiver, and author of Empty Nest Awakening: Weaving the Threads of Your Passion into Purpose. A self-proclaimed “juggler of generations,” Ruthie shares wisdom, peace, and joy for moms navigating multigenerational caregiving.

In this episode of Living the Grace Life, Ruthie and I talk about:

Don’t miss Ruthie’s story of how a small act of kindness for her mom became a powerful reminder of God’s grace in her own life.

If you’ve ever struggled to find peace in multigenerational mayhem, this conversation will encourage you with real grace for your real life in the sandwich season.

“I should have asked for help earlier.”

“This is your life now. It's what's right in front of you."

“When you're taking care of your mind and body, you're actually showing love for the people you're caring for. Because an unhealthy person and an unhealthy mind is an unhealthy caregiver and that has ripple effects on the people you love.”

🌿Peaceful Mom Collection 

Website: ruthiegray.com

Ep. 52 Chasing Grace | Carol McLeod

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Where do you need grace most in your day? Maybe it’s in the checkout line behind a slow customer, on the road with drivers who forget the rules, or more deeply, as you wrestle with identity shaped by your past choices—or the choices of others. The good news of the Gospel is this: God’s grace cleans the messy past and frees you to reflect God's love today.

In this week’s Living the Grace Life episode, James Early—host of The Bible Speaks to You podcast—shares how to experience grace in everyday life and relationships. Growing up in a Christian home gave James early exposure to Scripture, but he soon learned that reading the Bible required living it out—especially when it came to loving his own brother.

Together, we explore:

James’ prison ministry and the transformation that comes from reading the Bible personally

How church division and a health scare revealed God’s surprising work through grace

The mindset and ongoing process of grace

Why your identity must be rooted in the image of Christ, not your past

The unexpected places grace grows: in gratitude and in encouraging others

If you’ve ever struggled to love the person right in front of you—or felt stuck in the mud of past mistakes—this conversation will remind you that grace is not only possible, it’s already yours in Christ. Grace for you. Grace for them. Grace for today.

👉 Listen now and discover how God’s grace cleans the messy past and creates space for new life.

“Your past does not define you. Your sin does not define you. They're not your identity. God is the only one who defines your true identity.”

“We were created by God to receive love and to give love."

“God said to me. 'Love that person with my love. Watch me love them. And love them like that, in my image and in my likeness.'”

🌿Personalized page for Living the Grace Life Listeners

Website: thebiblespeakstoyou.com

Ep. 40 Be Still and Be Loved | Michael John Cusick

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time

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Grief can feel like clothes that don’t fit—awkward, heavy, and uncomfortable. But over time, the garment of grief can become a surprising companion, leading to deeper intimacy with God and showing us where grief and grace meet in the persevering years.

In this episode of Living the Grace Life, I’m joined by Peg Arnold, lovingly known as the “Drama Queen for Jesus.” Peg shares her personal journey of perseverance through grief and grace as she walked alongside her parents in their battle with Alzheimer’s—the “disease of many goodbyes.”

When her mother passed away, Peg described death as “the ruthless thief that rips away a vibrant spirit at the most unexpected time. The uninvited visitor that lurks in the corners, in spite of many prayers for healing.” Yet, even in the midst of heartbreak, Peg discovered rhythms of grace, drawing inspiration from Joseph’s story of waiting and trusting God in his persevering years.

Unconditional love when bodies and minds fail

Learning to live with the garments of grief

The sanctifying process of God’s grace

The grace of enablement in hard seasons

Rhythms of grace when grace feels scarce

Joseph’s story as a model of perseverance through suffering

Peg’s unique introduction to Octavia Organization—a new way to reframe perfectionism into grace that releases outcomes

🎙️If you’ve ever asked where grace shows up in the middle of grief, this conversation will encourage you. Listen in as God’s grace meets you with the sacred hug that whispers: I see you. I understand. You’re not alone.

“Lord, it's piling on me. I need help.”

“And God whispered, 'You're not alone. I can help you find joy in grief.'”

“Sometimes it's only looking back that you can see where the Presence of God was walking through with you on those hard days.”

🌿Making Your Message Memorable

Website: pegarnold.org

Ep. 34 How to Live on Both Sides of Desperate Prayers | Rachel Wojo

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time

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Have you ever tucked something precious away for safekeeping—a piece of jewelry, a meaningful letter, or a memory too fragile to touch? In a world that feels like it’s spinning out of control, it’s tempting to do the same with our hearts. But what if grace isn’t meant to be stored away? What if chasing grace is your invitation to live wide open—to risk joy, to embrace today, and to let go of fear?

In this powerful season two opener of Living the Grace Life, bestselling author and speaker Carol McLeod invites us into a different way of living—one filled with purpose, honesty, and grace in motion. Drawing from her newest book, Today is a Verb, Carol shares how to walk through grief, face loss, and still chase joy.

💡 In this episode of Chasing Grace, we explore:

Carol’s journey through grief and five heartbreaking miscarriages

How choosing the right verbs shapes your daily life

What it means to embrace “Todaying” with intention and hope

Five healing insights about forgiveness—and three ways it transforms you

Practical ways to embody grace in your routines and relationships

✨ One of Carol’s guiding mantras is:

Whether you're walking through sorrow or just trying to show up for your everyday life, this conversation is a gentle but bold call to stop saving grace—and start chasing it.

🎙️ Join us for an unforgettable start to Season Two—where we stop waiting for perfect moments and start living fully alive.

“Grace is like a boomerang. It always comes back to bless you too.”

“We can't be captivated by the offense or the offender. We have to be captivated by Jesus.”

“Be honest about where you are in your circumstances. Because if we need more grace, all we have to do is ask for it—and He will give it to us, lavishly and abundantly.”

"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men..." Colossians 3:23, ESV

🌿 Carol's Books, including Today is a Verb

Website: [email protected]

Ep. 39 God's Steadfast Love in Daily Life

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time

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It’s hard to believe, but Living the Grace Life is officially one year old! To celebrate, I invited my podcasting mentor, Eric Nevins—host of Halfway There and CEO of the Christian Podcasters Association—back to the mic. Eric was instrumental in helping me launch this show, and in this conversation, we look back on the journey, laugh at a few behind-the-scenes moments, and reflect on what uniquely shapes this podcast—the grace thread in everyday life.

Eric shares his observations, plenty of encouragement, and even a vulnerable story of when grace was hard to come by for him: the day his sons’ school went through a shooting. His honest reflection and way forward point us toward Season Two’s theme: When Grace Is Hard to Come By.

This milestone episode is equal parts fun, affirming, and grace-filled. If you’ve ever wondered what it looks like to live rooted in God’s love even in hard places, this conversation is for you.

“One of the reasons we don't rely on grace is because we don't trust God.”

“The moment you add deserve to love, you've got something completely different.”

“Sin is not the truest thing about you. You're made in God's image and you're loved by Him, and therefore you must be loved by me.”

🌿 Halfway There podcast

Website: ericnevins.com

Ep. 50 5 Grace Takeaways that Still Stick | Season One Recap

🎁 My FREE gift to you: Living the Grace Life, One Prayer at a Time

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What if the lessons of grace weren’t just meant for Sunday mornings, but for every single messy, ordinary day? In this special Season One reflection of Living the Grace Life, Jennifer Sakata shares 5 grace takeaways that still stick—truths that have carried us through grief, prayer, perfectionism, and healing.

You’ll hear how:

Whether you’re new here or have journeyed through all 48 episodes, this recap will ground you in the heart of grace and invite you to live real grace in your own real-life story.

👉 Subscribe for more grace-filled encouragement and new conversations in Season Two!

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What has grace taught us this season? 💙

🔹 G — Grief and Healing | How grace meets us in pain, trauma, and loss

You’ll hear highlights and takeaways from past episodes—including stories of healing, breaking free from performance-driven faith, and the beauty of finding grace in unexpected places. 

✨ Whether you’re new to the podcast or have been listening since Episode 1, this recap will help you remember grace over performance, honesty over hiding, and hope that holds when life falls apart. Live out the grace that’s already yours.

👉 Subscribe for more grace-filled encouragement and new conversations in Season Two!

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