Tears of Gold :: Stories of Hope

My guest this episode is...well, me! It was an odd, but sweet, position to sit in as the guest of my own podcast, but I wanted to share my story more fully with all of you. My husband, Josh, was gracious enough to serve as host as he facilitated our conversation. From my story, you'll hear how I lost my mom to cancer, had a miscarriage, lost my dad to suicide, and lost my maternal grandmother to cancer. All within four years. It was a dark, winter season of grief from 2011-2015. But here's the thing, winter seasons don't last forever and spring always comes. Though I experienced great heartache, I also experienced the patience and compassion of a loving God. And as a result of that suffering, he has provided me with this podcast outlet to allow my tears and your tears to be a treasure for others and bring glory to His name. I hope you are blessed by the story God is writing through my life!

Quote mentioned:

"Our cause is never more in danger than when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's [God] will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and still obeys."

-The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis

Song:

Though You Slay Me by Shane and Shane

Follow Tears of Gold:

Instagram: @tearsofgold16

Facebook: Tears of Gold: Stories of Hope

Website: www.tearsofgold.com (a work in progress!)

If you or someone you know would be interested in sharing their story through the podcast, please email me at [email protected]

On her blog at Just Enough Brave, Katie Blackburn recently wrote, "Being brave is doing exactly what God has asked you to do, and humbly pointing every bit of that work back to the One who sustains it." Boom, mic drop. If that line hooks you, you are going to enjoy this episode with Katie. The girl overflows with the joy of the Lord and her love of Jesus. God is writing an epic story of a little boy who has autism and the family who loves him. Autism can be tricky and confusing and frustrating...a lot. But through it all, Katie shares how God is guiding them, loving them, and granting them just enough braveness to walk each day with Him on this road. Click play for an encouraging and hopeful story that involves special needs, a humble mama, and a big God.

Books Katie mentioned:

The Life We Never Expected: Hopeful Reflections on the Challenges of Parenting Children with Special Needs by Andrew and Rachel Wilson

The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul

You can follow Katie's story at:

Just Enough Brave blog

Instragram: @katiemblackburn

On May 21, 2012, seventeen-year-old, Abby Marsh, was enjoying a truck ride out with three friends. The roads were slick and when the truck slid off the road and resulted in an accident, Abby broke her fifth cervical vertebrae which pinched her spinal cord against her sixth cervical vertebrae and resulted in paralysis. Through a challenging journey those initial months in the hospital to adjusting to a new normal with her physical abilities, Abby was confronted what life looked like to follow God. Nearly five years later, Abby's joy in God and enthusiasm for life is evident in our conversation together. She is going to school for graphic design and works as a graphic design intern in her church. Toward the end of our time together, you'll get to hear about her latest and exciting move in autonomy and independence. Hope shines through Abby's story in big ways! Resources mentioned: Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyer The Bait of Satan by John Bevere James 1:2-3 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. You can follow Abby's journey: Instagram: @flabbygrace29 abbysunexpectedjourney.blogspot.com

Debby is getting married this July and her joy for this new chapter in her life is exciting. But also overshadowing the celebrations is the knowledge of a missing person - her mom. Debby's mom passed away from breast cancer 12 years ago when Debby was 25. In this episode you'll hear how Debby has navigated life since her mom has been gone. With vulnerability and courage, Debby kept moving forward each day and learned new ways of caring for herself and caring for others. I believe you will be blessed by Debby's heartfelt sharing and wisdom.

I know from the title this sounds like a major downer of an episode, but I assure you it's not. Joel and Samantha Brandt have walked through heartache few of us know but their hope, faith, and joy overflow in our conversation together. When pregnant with their first child, Joel and Samantha learned at the anatomy scan that their daughter was diagnosed with Trisomy 18. Delivered at 38 weeks after her heart stopped beating, the Brandts held Reagan for the first and last time. Grieving their loss while hoping to still add to their family, Joel and Samantha tried to get pregnant again for a year and, for still unknown reasons, were not able to conceive. They turned to the adoption process to help create their family and were excited to bring home son, Tucker Cole, in early January 2017. In this podcast, you'll hear from both Joel and Samantha as they share their story of loss and hope. And you'll hear little Tucker chime in at one point! Their waiting arms are now filled with a gift from the Lord.

Resources mentioned:

Book: You'll Get Through This by Max Lucado

After years of sending her husband off to work as a fireman, Nancy and Mike Lamont, were anticipating a new season in their life together when Mike retired. Sadly, that didn't come to fruition as Mike was diagnosed and passed away from pancreatic cancer shortly after retiring. Nancy was thrust into a new life she didn't expect when she became a widow. Listen to Nancy share her story of allowing God to create something new with the scattered pieces of her life after this loss. Nancy's shares from a place of honesty, vulnerability, and deep wisdom. I think you'll walk away feeling blessed by Nancy's story of hope.

Resources Nancy mentioned in this episode:

Books: "Healing After Loss" Martha Whitmore Hickman "A Grace Disguised" Jerry Sittser On-line Support Groups: "Widow's Christian Place" Facebook page "One Fit Widow" Live Support: "GriefShare" "Grief Recovery"

"Never be ashamed of a scar. It simply means you were stronger than whatever tried to hurt you." - Unknown. Holly Knutsen has learned the depths of meaning in this quote as the mother of a child born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Her son, Brock, was born on February 22, 2014, an otherwise healthy baby. In this episode, Holly shares the story of the days, weeks, months following his birth and the treatments and surgeries involved with this diagnosis.

Referenced in the show:

Song: Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) by Hillsong United

If you would to follow the story of Brock and the Knutsen family:

Facebook Brock Maverick - Cleft Strong

If you would like to support the Knutsen family as they raise money:

Support Orofacial Cleft Treatment and Research at CHLA

Where did this podcast come from? What is Tears of Gold? What's it about? Join me, Lindsay, Murad, in the launch of Tears of Gold podcast. I'll be answering all those questions in this short little episode!

Biblical references from the intro and outro come from Lamentations 3.

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, "The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

31 For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. 32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. 33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.

What do you do when an injury changes life as you knew it? What do you do when things seem to be getting better but then they don't? What do you do when the future seems uncertain? Kaeli Reed walked through these questions when she got a knee injury at her teaching job in special education. The compounding effect this injury had on Kaeli changed the trajectory of her life. You'll hear her share the ups and downs and uncertainties this injury had in all areas of her life. Kaeli was eventually diagnosed with CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) and you'll hear what this diagnosis is and how it impacted her life. Through a prayerful process, God led Kaeli to some healing through hypnosis and tools to use the power of her mind for healing steps. Now God is using Kaeli and her story to provide hope and healing to others. Join us as you hear Kaeli's story.

You can follow Kaeli on Instagram @glassofgold