My guest today is Carrie Cariello. Carrie is one of my favorite writers. If you’ve been around the autism blogosphere for any length of time, you’ve probably heard of her, because of the sheer beauty of her writing. She’s been blogging faithfully every Monday for years now, advocating for her son Jack, who is on the spectrum. And she’s the author of two books, one called “What Color is Monday” and the other called “Someone I’m With Has Autism.” She writes with elegance and honesty, and she has a LOT to say about parenting, and finding sanctuary in the midst of hard times… like this covid time that we’re still in. Carrie lives in New Hampshire with her husband Joe and their five children.

My guest this week is one of the most interesting men I’ve ever met. His name is Jarell Roach, and I met him a couple months ago on a panel with some other autism dads. Jarell is a 20 year veteran of the United States Air Force. He is a pastor, a stand up comedian, a public speaker, and he works with a ministry called Youth For Christ. He’s done so many things, he sometimes refers to himself as the Black Forest Gump. But most people who have heard his routine or watched his Youtube Videos know him as Mr. Hilarious Hope, and you’ll see why. He exudes hope. In this conversation, we talk about fatherhood, autism, and the current racial tensions that are weighing so heavily over America.You can find Jarell on on Facebook and Instagram and on his Youtube page, J.Roach, a.k.a., Mr. Hilarious Hope.

My friend A.J. Beaird performs under the name of Blind Bard. Why? Because he is a traveling singer-songwriter, and because he suffers from macular dystrophy, a condition that is causing him to go blind. In this episode, A.J. shares his music and his perspective on hope, healing, and "stories that drip with deep magic." For more information about AJ, and to listen to his new EP "Nature Boy," check out "Blind Bard Music" on Facebook or Instagram.

Today, I'm excited to welcome to the podcast my friend and fellow autism dad blogger, Jerry Turning, a.k.a. Mr. Bacon. Autism dads often struggle with their child's diagnosis, and have to fight for years to get their mojo back. That happened with me, and it happened with Jerry, too. So today, we share our experiences, and Jerry talks about how he was finally able to turn the corner to become the father Eric needed.Jerry Turning served 25 years as a municipal police officer, recently retiring from the rank of Captain. He served most of his police career as a decorated K-9 Handler, Trainer, and Unit Supervisor. Jerry also served as Internal Affairs Commander, Patrol Division Commander, and policy writer for his police department.In 2012, Jerry began writing about his experiences as an autism dad and established the successful blog: Bacon and Juiceboxes: Our Life With Autism. He earned a following of over 35,000 fans who share his family’s challenges and triumphs. You can follow Jerry at his blog or his Facebook page.

Today, I'm honored to welcome my friend and fellow NavPress author Catherine McNiel to talk about how to endure long, difficult seasons like the one we're in. Her book All Shall Be Well was written published last year, but it feels like it could have been written for this very crisis we find ourselves in.Catherine is a writer and speaker who seeks to open eyes to God’s creative, redemptive work in each day—while caring for three kids, two jobs, and one enormous garden. Catherine's first book, Long Days of Small Things: Motherhood as a Spiritual Discipline, was an ECPA finalist for New Author. Her second book is All Shall be Well: Awakening to God’s Presence in His Messy, Abundant World. She’s on the lookout for wisdom, beauty, and iced coffee. You can subscribe to her newsletter at CatherineMcNiel.com.

Today, I'm honored to welcome my friend, NYT Bestselling Author Tricia Lott Williford, to the podcast to share her story of hope in the midst of pain.Tricia Lott Williford is a remarried widow, a writer, teacher, reader, and thinker. Thousands of readers join her each morning for a cup of coffee as they sign online to read today's funny, poignant stories that capture the fleeting moments of life. With raw transparency, honest grief, laughable joy, and a captivating voice, she shares the hard pieces of her story—and the redemption God offers in the midst of it. Tricia is the New York Times Bestselling author of many books, including Just. You. Wait.; You Can Do This; And Life Comes Back; and Let’s Pretend We’re Normal. She collects words, quotes, and bracelets, and she lives in Denver with her husband and two sons. You can get to know Tricia through her regular posts at tricialottwilliford.com.

Welcome to The Aching Joy Podcast, where we I interview authors and artists to find stories of hope in the midst of pain. My first guest is Kate Swenson.Kate is the founder of Finding Cooper’s Voice, a website and community that shares the secret world of severe autism. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three sons, where she is currently writing her first book, Forever Boy, and managing the day-to-day chaos that comes with life. She has been called honest, polarizing, raw, and gritty and her relationship with her son has been described as breathtaking. She has created a safe place for families of children with disabilities to come together and share the unique joys and struggles that make up their lives. She publishes daily content written by special needs parents along with her own writing and videos. In addition, Kate's Facebook posts on Finding Cooper's Voice, reach over 6 million people a month, and she has had multiple pieces go viral

What is The Aching Joy Podcast all about? Jason Hague tells us what you can expect from this conversational podcast.