This Unexpected Life
Welcome to This Unexpected Life, a podcast designed to equip and encourage parents and caregivers of children with disabilities so they can embrace their journey with hope, faith, and resilience. With over twenty years of parenting experience, Carrie M Holt is a story-telling companion for caregiving mothers, exploring the hope and healing found in Jesus Christ—one story at a time.
When You Face The Worst Case Scenario In The Unexpected with Becky Davidson
Join Carrie today as she interviews Becky Davidson, from Rising Above Ministries, who shares her “modern-day” Job-like story of being a mother to a child with disability, substantial loss, wrestling with God, the key element of lament, and the importance of community and soul care.
May 6, 2025
Episode 9
Resources:
By The Brook - Register now
Rising Above Ministries
Rising Above Dad’s Podcast
Lectio 365 App
Rising Above Podcast with Becky Davidson
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Get...Experiencing Denial in The Unexpected Grief
Denial is our body’s way of protecting us from the reality of our situations, but sometimes we get stuck there. In this episode, Carrie discusses this stage of grief: some reasons we get stuck, the risks of being stuck in denial, and some practices for moving beyond it.
April 22, 2025
Resources:
Jason Gray: Remind Me You’re Here
By The Brook Registration
Faith Storytellers
Book: Extraordinary Kids
Verses Mentioned: II Peter 1:3, John 18
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Get my new r...When We Need to Embrace Rest In the Unexpected Journey of Parenting Children With Disabilities
April 15, 2025
In part two of this interview with Amy J. Brown, Amy shares how we can find hope in the chaos of caregiving, the power of not overthinking or overplanning, and the importance of slowing down. Through her mentoring and spiritual direction training, she gives practical advice for flourishing in the difficult position of being a caregiving parent and ways she’s found joy.
Resources:
Amy’s Website
Amy’s Substack
Amy’s Writing on Slowing Down
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When the Unexpected Means Parenting Kids with Trauma: An Interview with Amy J. Brown
April 8, 2025
Parenting children with behavioral issues and trauma can be a difficult position with the added shame and judgment we bring not only on ourselves but also from other people. In this interview, Amy J. Brown shares how she has reframed the narrative around her parenting, some strategies she uses to rest, and how she has found hope in the pause between chaotic events while parenting children with visible or invisible disabilities.
Resources:
Amy’s Website
Amy’s Substack
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When The Unexpected Involves Infertility and Adoption
In this episode, Carrie interviews Jen Headlee, whose journey involved infertility, adoption, navigating the NICU, and her son’s many other health challenges. She discusses bargaining with God, guilt over grief, and embracing the reality of her situation. Listen in to Jen’s unexpected life story.
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Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief 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 SpecialWhen This Unexpected Life Involves Grief
Grief and the grieving cycle is an ongoing part of our journey as special needs parents. Passionately sharing about how we need to expect grief to be a part of this unexpected journey, Carrie explains four types of grief we encounter as disability parents and gives important things to remember, as well as remembering how in every painful experience we encounter, Jesus is with us.
Resources:
Grief Share
Healing Care Ministries
Story Workshop - Allender Center
There Was Jesus by Zach Williams/Dolly Parton
Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop
...
The Caregiver Support System with Sara Clime
Today my guest Sara Clime shares how her Caregiver Support System was born out of her son’s diagnosis and her own unique giftings to allow mothers to have time for what really matters.
Resources:
Sara Clime
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Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief 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 SpecialWhy Story Matters In This Unexpected Life
Story draws us in; it packs a powerful punch, can give us courage, and speaks to us in ways that other things do not. In this pilot episode of This Unexpected Life podcast, listen in as Carrie shares the importance of story, her goals for this podcast, and how you can be encouraged in this unexpected journey of raising a child with disabilities, medically complex, mental, emotional, or physical needs.
Resources:
Story of Jim Elliott, Nate Saint
Operation Auca: 60 Years Later
Terry Wardle: Healing Care Ministries
Scripture mentioned: Psalm 40:1-3
I’ve Wi...
When The Unexpected Leads to a Terminal Diagnosis
Today on the podcast, my friend and author Sara Clime, from the Take Heart Special Moms Podcast, gets raw and vulnerable while discussing when the unexpected in her life led to her son’s terminal diagnosis, but also a deeper gut-level-honest relationship with God.
Resources:
Sara Clime
Scripture Mentioned: John 2:22
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Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief Click here if you want to be a guest on the show Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram Find...This Unexpected Life Trailer
Welcome to This Unexpected Life, a podcast for parents navigating the challenges of raising a child with disabilities or special needs. Here, we share stories of hope, resilience, and messy faith to help you embrace your journey, work through grief, and thrive in your role. Whether you're just starting out or looking for encouragement to keep going, this is a space where your story matters. Join me as we lean into God's promises and find strength in His steadfast love.
This Unexpected Life Podcast:
Real Stories, Real Hope For This Unexpected Journey
Show Notes:
