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.