What happens when the future you imagined for your child suddenly changes?

In this episode, Carrie M. Holt sat down with Mandy Rawls, who shares how a prenatal diagnosis of Spina Bifida turned pregnancy into a season of uncertainty, grief, and fear. She relates her journey of navigating her daughter's diagnosis of spina bifida, the emotional and medical challenges faced, and how faith and community have been vital in her family's life. This heartfelt conversation offers insights into advocacy, hope, grief, and trusting God's plan through life's unexpected turns. Because sometimes the unexpected journey becomes the place where we come to know God's faithfulness most intimately.

Eps. 61; October 6, 2026

Resources:
Spina Bifida
IEP/IDEA and 504
Scriptures Mentioned: Matthew 6, Proverbs 16:9, and Romans 8:28

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 if caring for yourself didn't mean adding one more thing to your already-full life?

As we close out our month with the theme of Caring for the Caregiver, Brandice Lardner joins me for an honest conversation about food, stress, self-care, grace, and what it means to care for the whole person—body, mind, and spirit.

Brandice is the founder of Grace Filled Plate and the author of the book, Fully Nourished. After years of believing her struggle with food and body image was simply a lack of discipline, God began showing her that the deeper issues involved anxiety, control, shame, and a longing to find her worth and value in Him. Her journey taught her that transformation doesn't come through another harsh plan or more self-condemnation, but through God's grace and learning to bring our struggles into His presence.

As caregivers, we can tend to run to many things such as food, phones, control, spending, or anything else that might bring comfort, relief, or distraction. These might be some of the things we feel we deserve after a long day. Brandice helps us look beneath those patterns with curiosity rather than judgment and consider what we’re actually longing for.

In this episode, we discuss:

• What realistic nourishment can look like when there is little margin.
• Why self-care shouldn't become another burden.
• How to release the all-or-nothing thinking.
• Simple ways we can care for ourselves, including asking for help.

Most importantly, Brandice reminds us that we don't have to clean ourselves up before we invite Jesus into the places where we're struggling. We can invite Jesus into our most unlovely moments.

Because being fully nourished is about more than what we eat. It's about caring for the whole person—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual—and allowing God's grace to meet us in all of it.

If you've been putting yourself last, struggling with food or another coping mechanism, or simply wondering how you're supposed to care for yourself when there is no margin, this conversation is for you.

Eps. 60; September 22, 2026

Resources:
Brandice Lardner’s Website
Brandice on Instagram & Facebook
Fully Nourished

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.

Marriage can be challenging in any season of life—but when you're raising a child with disabilities or special needs, the demands of caregiving can put extraordinary pressure on your relationship.

In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie sits down with licensed professional clinical counselor Angela Vinokur, who specializes in working with couples and families, including connection, communication, and relationship repair. Angela shares part of her own unexpected story of betrayal, divorce, healing, and how God ultimately used those experiences to lead her into counseling and marriage work.

Together, Carrie and Angela talk honestly about what happens when marriage gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list because a child's needs are so demanding. Angela shares practical ways couples can create “rituals for connection,” even when traditional date nights aren't possible.

You'll also hear about:

• Why healthy marriages require skills we aren't necessarily taught
• How caregiving can lead couples toward resentment, distance, and functioning more like roommates
• The importance of fairness and shared responsibility in a caregiving marriage
• What co-regulation looks like between spouses
• What marital repair really means—and why couples need to learn how to repair after conflict
• Why couples shouldn't wait until they're in crisis to seek counseling
• And how spouses can remember that they are on the same team

Angela leaves caregivers with an important reminder: you are seen, you are not alone, and your marriage is worth caring for—even in the middle of an incredibly demanding season.

Eps. 59; September 14, 2026

Resources:
Angela’s Website

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.