What if some of the ways you respond to the hard things happening right now are connected to stories of heartache from your past?

For caregivers, especially parents raising children with disabilities or ongoing medical needs, the trauma doesn't necessarily happen once. Hospitalizations, diagnoses, medical crises, uncertainty, grief, and the daily demands of caregiving can create an ongoing cycle of trauma and loss.

In this episode of This Unexpected Life, I sit down with Cathy Loerzel, co-author of Redeeming Heartache and a Story Work coach, to talk about how our past stories can shape the way we respond to the challenges we're facing today.

Cathy explains Story Work and why simply trying to change our behavior “in the now” doesn't always work when those patterns are actually anchored in experiences from “back there.” We talk about the childhood wounds that can shape our ability to connect with ourselves, others, God, and the world—and how revisiting those stories can help us heal.

But this conversation goes even deeper.

We talk about grief, lament, and why Christians don't need to stay on the positive side of the emotional scale. Cathy shares why she believes we have to be willing to experience the depths of sorrow if we want to experience the depths of joy.

She also offers a beautiful picture of grief as letting go of the rope and allowing yourself to drop into the U—to stop fighting, stop gripping, and allow yourself to be held by God and the earth.

And for caregivers who feel like they have to do everything themselves, Cathy has an important reminder:

We were never created to do this alone.

This is a conversation about story, trauma, grief, lament, community, self-compassion, and learning how to flourish—not because our circumstances have changed, but because we are learning how to become more fully human within them.

As Cathy reminds us, there may not be an easy way through caregiving. But there can be resiliency, small moments of joy, and small practices of care along the way.

Eps. 57; 9/1/2026

Resources:
Cathy Loerzel’s Website
Follow Cathy on IG
Book: Redeeming Heartache
Cathy’s Retreats: Sacred Interruptions
The Allender Center

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

For anyone walking through chronic illness, relentless suffering, caregivers, and special needs parenting, this conversation offers gentle biblical encouragement for the days when life doesn’t improve.

Carrie sits down with bestselling authors Kristen Wetherell and Sarah Walton to discuss their new book, Jesus Will Meet You There, and the surprising ways Christ meets us—not after the pain ends, but right in the middle of it.

Together they share their deeply personal stories of chronic Lyme disease, parenting children with complex neurological needs, making heartbreaking residential care decisions, wrestling with doubt, and discovering God's faithfulness when healing doesn't come.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why weakness isn't something God asks us to hide
• How shame often keeps caregivers from receiving God's grace
• What Jesus teaches us about suffering through the Gospels
• The difference between doubt and unbelief
• Encouragement for parents making impossible caregiving decisions
• How suffering changes the way we pray
• Practical hope for caregivers wondering how they'll keep going tomorrow

If you've ever wondered whether Jesus still sees you in the exhaustion of caregiving, chronic illness, and ongoing trials, this conversation reminds us that He isn't waiting on the other side of our suffering—He's already with us in it. 

Eps. 56; July 21, 2026

Resources:
Jesus Will Meet You There 
Video Series
Sarah Walton IG
Sarah’s Substack
Kristen’s IG
Kristen’s Website
There Was Jesus Spotify Playlist

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

For many parents raising children with disabilities, shame quietly becomes part of the journey. We question our parenting, compare ourselves to other families, wonder if we've somehow failed, and sometimes even believe God is disappointed with us.

In this deeply honest conversation, licensed psychotherapist, author, and special needs mom Dr. Zoe Shaw shares her own unexpected story of placing her first child for adoption, raising a daughter with a rare genetic disorder, and wrestling with the painful belief that God was punishing her.

Together, Carrie and Dr. Zoe explore the difference between guilt, shame, and the concept Dr. Zoe calls Complex Shame—a deeper form of shame that often develops through repeated painful experiences and can quietly shape our relationships, parenting, and even how we see God.

Whether you're newly navigating a diagnosis or have been caregiving for years, this episode offers biblical hope, practical wisdom, and compassionate encouragement for anyone longing to step out of hiding and experience the freedom Christ offers.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Complex Shame is and why it affects many caregivers
• The difference between guilt, shame, and identity
• How shame influences our relationship with God
• Practical first steps toward healing
• How to recognize shame before it controls your decisions
• Ways to parent without passing shame to your children
• Why it's okay to grieve the life you didn't choose while still loving your child deeply
• How God's pursuit of us continues even in seasons of anger and doubt

Eps. 55; July 14, 2026

Resources:
Dr. Zoe’s Website
Dr. Zoe on Instagram
Book: Stronger in The Difficult Places
Book: A Year of Self-Care: Daily Practices and Inspiration for Caring For Yourself
There Was Jesus Spotify Playlist

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

In this powerful episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie sits down with author, speaker, coach, and special needs mom Sandy Ramsey-Trayvick to explore what it means to trust God when life doesn't unfold the way we imagined.

After hearing the audible voice of God tell her she would have a son, Sandy expected God had extraordinary plans for his life. But when her healthy toddler contracted bacterial meningitis at just 13 months old, everything changed. Doctors told her he would never walk, talk, or live outside an institution. Instead of the future she imagined, Sandy found herself walking a lifelong journey of disability parenting, caregiving, advocacy, and wrestling honestly with God.

Together, Carrie and Sandy discuss the questions every special needs parent eventually asks:

• Why would God allow this?
• Can I trust Him when I don't understand?
• Where is Jesus in the middle of suffering?
• How do I continue believing God's promises when life still hurts?

Sandy shares remarkable stories of God's quiet provision—from unexpected doctors arriving at just the right moment to discovering that God's greatest miracles were often not the ones she prayed for, but the ones that transformed her heart.

Whether you're raising a child with disabilities, walking through caregiving, grieving unmet expectations, or simply wondering where God is in your own suffering, this conversation offers Biblical encouragement and practical hope for recognizing Jesus' presence in the middle of life's hardest seasons.

Sometimes we don't see Him while we're living the story.

But looking back...

There was Jesus

Eps. 54; July 7, 2026

Resources:
Sandy’s Website
Sandy on Instagram
When Dreams are Disrupted
There Was Jesus Spotify Playlist

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

When Jenn Soehnlin's two young sons began receiving diagnoses including hearing loss, apraxia, autism, and anxiety, her world quickly filled with therapies, specialists, grief, and questions for God. What started as a season of overwhelming uncertainty led Jenn into a crisis of faith as she wrestled with why God would allow so much hardship in her family's life.

Then, during a desperate moment, God whispered a single word to her heart: embrace.

In this encouraging conversation, Jenn shares how that one word transformed the way she viewed her children, her marriage, herself, and even God. Together, Carrie and Jenn discuss learning to embrace the life you didn't choose, releasing unrealistic expectations and mom guilt, finding peace in the middle of chaos, and discovering God's faithfulness through every stage of the special needs journey.

Jenn also shares how praying Scripture changed her relationship with God, practical ways parents can begin praying God's Word over their children, and how to persevere when prayers seem unanswered.

If you've ever wondered where God is amid your family's struggles, this episode is a reminder that His presence is often closer than we realize.

In this episode:
• Learning to embrace the special needs journey
• Finding peace in the middle of uncertainty
• Releasing mom guilt and unrealistic expectations
• The power of praying Scripture
• Persevering through unanswered prayers
• Recognizing God's presence in suffering
• Encouragement for special needs parents

Eps. 53; June 23, 2026

Resources:
Jenn’s Website
On The Same Page With God by Jenn Soehnlin
Embracing This Special Life
Spotify Playlist: There Was Jesus
Praying the Bible by Donald Whitney
Praying Through Life’s Battles by Rachel Wojo
Every Moment Holy 
Scripture: Psalm 116:2, Luke 2:52

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

When Sarah Mays first heard her newborn son cry, she knew something wasn't right. What followed was a long journey of medical appointments, therapies, genetic testing, autism, ADHD, and learning how to advocate fiercely for her child.

In this heartfelt episode of This Unexpected Life, Sarah shares how caregiving has been woven throughout her entire life—from caring for her younger sister as a child to raising a son with complex medical needs and autism as a single mom of five. Together, Carrie and Sarah discuss the grief that accompanies every stage of the special needs parenting journey, the church hurt many disability families experience, and the importance of finding safe people who will simply sit with you in the pain.

Sarah offers powerful encouragement for caregivers struggling to see Jesus in their suffering, reminding us that God's greatest work isn't always found in deliverance—but often in His presence as He carries us through the hard things. Through honest conversations about perfectionism, people-pleasing, isolation, and grace, Sarah invites listeners to embrace the messy middle and discover that they were never meant to walk this journey alone.

If you're navigating a diagnosis, caregiving, autism parenting, disability, chronic illness, or the ongoing grief that comes with raising a child with special needs, this episode will remind you that God's grace is sufficient for today

Eps. 52; June 16, 2026

Resources:
Spotify Playlist: There Was Jesus

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

When Brianna Johnson's son was diagnosed with Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, a rare genetic condition affecting only a few hundred people worldwide, her family entered a journey they never expected. Faced with uncertainty, unanswered questions, and the reality of parenting a child with complex needs, Brianna discovered that even the rarest diagnoses don't have to be walked alone.

In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Brianna shares how finding community across state lines and even across oceans helped her family feel seen and supported. She opens up about raising three boys with different needs, navigating school supports and IEP meetings, learning to celebrate "inchstones" instead of just milestones, and embracing the grace to parent one day at a time.

As part of our There Was Jesus series, Brianna reflects on the unexpected ways God has shown up throughout her family's journey—through teachers, doctors, friendships, and the small moments that reveal His faithfulness.

If you've ever felt isolated by your child's diagnosis, discouraged by slow progress, or wondered where God is in the middle of the unknown, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone and that God's presence is often found in the people and provisions He places along the way.

Eps. 51; June 9, 2026

Resources:
Brianna’s Website
Instagram
Spotify Playlist: There Was Jesus

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

This month kicks off the new podcast series entitled, There Was Jesus. In this deeply honest episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie M. Holt sits down with returning guest Becky Davidson to discuss recognizing God’s presence in the middle of suffering, trauma, grief, and caregiving exhaustion.

Becky shares how years of hospital stays, caregiving stress, widowhood, and parenting her adult son with profound disabilities shaped her faith journey. Together, Carrie and Becky discuss how trauma impacts the way we see God, the healing power of EMDR therapy, imaginative prayer, attachment wounds, anxiety, and learning to recognize the presence of Jesus in painful memories.

This conversation offers hope for special needs parents, caregivers, widows, and anyone walking through grief or chronic stress. If you’ve ever wondered where God was in your hardest moments, this episode is a reminder that Jesus was there — even when you couldn’t see Him.

You’ll also hear encouragement about:

• Processing trauma safely in community
• EMDR and Christian counseling
• Learning spiritual rhythms of remembering God’s faithfulness
• Healing attachment wounds and anxiety
• Finding God’s presence in caregiving burnout

Eps. 50; June 2, 2026

Resources:
Register for By The Brook or Purchase it for Later!
Rising Above Podcast
Spotify Playlist: There Was Jesus
Becky on Episode 9: Worst-Case Scenario
By The Brook: Restore Retreat Experience
By The Brook: Flourish Retreat Experience
John Eldredge’s Podcast: Wild At Heart
John Eldredge’s Books Mentioned:
Get Your Life Back
Resilient
Experience Jesus Really
One Minute Pause App
Healing Care Center
Adam Young’s Podcast: The Place We Find Ourselves
Allender Center: Story Work

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

In this heartfelt episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie sits down with homeschooling mom of six, Katie Seelig, to discuss raising a child with a rare neuromuscular condition, navigating medical uncertainty, and learning to trust God in the unknown.

Katie shares the emotional journey of discovering her son’s scoliosis at age three, pursuing answers through specialists and genetic testing, and eventually learning he had a rare FLNC gene mutation connected to congenital myopathy and cardiomyopathy. Along the way, she opens up about medical motherhood, grief, postpartum anxiety, advocacy, sibling dynamics, homeschooling, and the challenge of carrying heavy burdens while trying to stay strong for everyone else.

Together, Carrie and Katie discuss what it means to steward a child’s care faithfully, how to respond when your child asks hard questions like, “Am I going to die?”, and why vulnerability, therapy, and community support are vital for special needs parents.

This conversation is filled with honest faith, practical encouragement, and the reminder that even in sorrow and uncertainty, God remains faithful

Eps. 49; May 19, 2026

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

What does it look like to keep saying “yes” to God when life feels chaotic, exhausting, and completely unexpected?

In this heartfelt conversation, Carrie Holt sits down with author, disability mom, and “coordinator of chaos,” Johnna Hensley. With six children—including a son with complex medical needs and three adopted children—Johnna shares what it really means to live a life of unexpected yeses.

From navigating disability parenting and biracial adoption to processing trauma, grief, and the reality of “forever nesting,” this episode dives deep into the everyday surrender required to follow God in the hard places.

Johnna offers honest insight into:

• Letting go of control and trusting God’s bigger story
• The shift from big, visible “yeses” to small, daily obedience
• Advocating for disability awareness and belonging
• Parenting through trauma triggers and emotional overwhelm
• Reframing expectations around independence and adulthood
• Finding peace in the questions instead of rushing to answers

This conversation is a powerful reminder that faith isn’t about having it all figured out—it’s about being willing to be willing and trusting God one small “yes” at a time.

If you’re a parent navigating disability, adoption, or the unexpected turns of life, this episode will meet you right where you are—with honesty, hope, and grace.

Eps. 48; May 12, 2026

Resources:
Johnna’s Website
Her Book: Reckless Yes
Children’s Book: HP and the VIP’s
Social Media: IG, FB, YouTube
Listen to This Podcast

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special 

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.