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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.
Episodes
33 episodes
God With Us in the Unexpected: An Advent Reflection For Disability Mothers
In this Advent reflection, Carrie M. Holt invites weary, overwhelmed, and tender-hearted special needs moms into the ultimate unexpected story—Christmas. Through a first-person narrative inspired by Mary’s journey in Luke and Matthew, Carrie dr...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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17:53
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Finding Rest in Caregiving: Burnout, Faith, and Letting Go with Jess Ronne
In this profoundly moving conversation, Carrie M. Holt talks with author and advocate Jess Ronne about her powerful and unexpected story—one marked by disability, grief, resilience, surrender, and the refining work of God. Jess shares her journ...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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33:19
Acceptance: Learning to Live, Grieve, and Thrive in a Life You Didn’t Expect
In this episode, Carrie Holt closes her grief-cycle series by exploring acceptance, a stage often misunderstood in the journey of raising a child with disabilities or receiving an unexpected diagnosis. Carrie explains what acceptance is not...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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20:39
When Grief Needs Words: Learning the Practice of Lament
In this episode, Carrie M. Holt continues her grief-cycle series by exploring lament—the Biblical practice of bringing our raw, honest emotions to God. Through Scripture, personal stories, and reflections from resources like Dark Clouds, De...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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26:26
When The Grieving Cycle Includes Anger: How to Respond with Curiosity, Connection, and Coming to God
In this episode, Carrie M Holt explores one of the most misunderstood emotions in the grief cycle: anger. Whether it’s anger at a diagnosis, inaccessible systems, unfair treatment, or even at God Himself, Carrie reminds us that anger isn’t inhe...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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17:17
The “Shoulds” That Sink Us: Untangling Guilt in Grief
In this episode, Carrie M. Holt discusses the complex emotions of guilt that often accompany the grieving process. She unpacks the difference between conviction (from the Holy Spirit) and accusation (from the enemy), and how the “shoulds”...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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13:33
Control to Trust: Facing Fear and Anxiety in This Unexpected Journey
In this solo episode, Carrie explores fear and anxiety as one of the recurring stages in the grief journey for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities. She unpacks the distinction between fear and anxiety, drawing from Ada...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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20:50
Marriage, Caregiving, and Connection: A Conversation with Bruce Holt (Part 2)
In this final episode of the month, Carrie is joined once again by her husband, Bruce, for a candid conversation about marriage in the midst of caregiving. From survival mode in the early years after their son Toby’s diagnosis, to counseling an...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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28:08
A Father’s Voice in Special Needs Parenting with Bruce Holt
In this heartfelt episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie M. Holt sits down with her husband, Bruce, to share the often-unspoken perspective of fathers in the world of special needs parenting. Together, they revisit th...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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26:14
From Diagnosis to Heaven With Breena Holt on Grief, Guilt, and God’s Faithfulness
In part two of this conversation, Carrie M Holt continues her conversation with Breena Holt as she shares the heartbreaking diagnosis of Batten Disease for her son Ezekiel—and the faith and hope that carried her family through his final days. B...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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29:52
Living Between Grace and Glory with Breena Holt on Fear, Anxiety, and God’s Goodness in Suffering
In this vulnerable conversation, Carrie sits down with guest Breena Holt to share her family’s journey of raising and ultimately losing her son, Ezekiel, who battled Batten Disease. Breena honestly shares about her anxiety, honest questions abo...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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48:55
Withness in the Wilderness: Finding Renewal in Psalm 23
In this conversation, Carrie Holt shares her personal journey as a special needs mom, reflecting on the profound insights she has gained from Psalm 23. She emphasizes the importance of recognizing God as our shepherd, surrendering control, and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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39:18
Creating Community and Connection for Moms in the Disability Space With Labeled & Loved
In this episode, Carrie M. Holt speaks with Julie Hornok and Dr. Regina Crone, co-founders of Labeled and Loved, an organization dedicated to supporting families with children who have disabilities. They share their personal journeys into the d...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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35:53
Finding Purpose and Perseverance in Suffering with Dr. Nicole Wilke
In this, the second part of Carrie M. Holt’s interview with Dr. Nicole Wilke, they discuss the importance of faith in overcoming challenges, the lens through which we should view suffering in our lives, and how children of all abilities need to...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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22:11
Overcoming Adversity: A Journey of Resilience with Dr. Nicole Wilke
In this episode, host Carrie M. Holt engages with Dr. Nicole Wilke, a researcher and therapist, discussing the challenges and triumphs of parenting children with special needs. They explore the importance of resilience, the impact of early adve...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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27:26
A Journey of Acceptance With Kara Ryska
In this episode of This Unexpected Life, host Carrie M Holt engages in a heartfelt conversation with Kara Ryska, a dedicated advocate for families navigating the challenges of raising children with disabilities. Kara shares her persona...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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32:20
Finding Hope In The Unexpected Grief With Paula Romang
In this episode, Carrie M Holt interviews Paula Romang, who shares her journey of motherhood, particularly the challenges and joys of infertility, premature twins, and a son with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome. Paula discusses her initial expectations...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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34:09
Bringing Hope, Humor, and Healing to this Unexpected Journey With Amber Pierson & Chelsea Kuhn
In this episode, Carrie M Holt interviewed Chelsea Kuhn and Amber Pierson from Making Lemon Cake, who share their journeys as medical mothers. They discuss the challenges and triumphs of parenting children with medical complexities, emphasizing...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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46:29
Creating Family Memories Through Travel With Kristin Faith Evans
In this episode, Carrie Holt interviews Kristin Faith Evans, who shares her journey as a mother of a child with disabilities. Kristin discusses the challenges and joys of parenting, the importance of family travel, and practical tips for famili...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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32:49
Courageous Travel With Medically Fragile Kids With Erika Weise
In this episode, Carrie Holt interviews Erika Weise about the challenges and joys of traveling with a child with special needs. They discuss the importance of family travel, the planning involved, and the memories created through these experien...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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27:37
When You Want To Do Big Things For God and The Unexpected Happens With Miranda Bailey
Today, we hear from Miranda Bailey, a mother of four whose plans for their family didn’t turn out the way she expected when the country closed to adopting the girl they wanted to bring home, and then their fourth son was born with Holoprosencep...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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31:23
Encouragement For Sharing Your Story in the Unexpected With Mackenzie Walters
In part two of this interview with Mackenzie Walters, she shares the different types of faith stories, some guardrails for sharing, and how to decide what and when to share with others. She also offers some practical advice on knowing when you’...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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27:50
The Importance of Sharing Faith Stories With Mackenzie Walters
Mackenzie Walters is the author of the book "Faith Storytellers." In this episode, she shares the importance of sharing our faith stories, the vulnerability it requires, and also the power of connection that comes from sharing. Most importantly...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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31:04
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 ...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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37:48
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 pract...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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19:34