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This Unexpected Life

This Unexpected Life

By: Carrie M Holt
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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.

© 2026 This Unexpected Life Christianity Parenting & Families Relationships Spirituality
Episodes
  • Learning to Embrace the Life You Didn't Expect: Finding Peace, Purpose, and Prayer in the Special Needs Parenting Journey with Jenn Soehnlin

    Learning to Embrace the Life You Didn't Expect: Finding Peace, Purpose, and Prayer in the Special Needs Parenting Journey with Jenn Soehnlin
    Jun 23 2026
    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 parentsEps. 53; June 23, 2026Resources:Jenn’s WebsiteOn The Same Page With God by Jenn SoehnlinEmbracing This Special LifeSpotify Playlist: There Was JesusPraying the Bible by Donald WhitneyPraying Through Life’s Battles by Rachel WojoEvery Moment Holy Scripture: Psalm 116:2, Luke 2:52If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing GriefClick here if you want to be a guest on the showCarrie’s Facebook or InstagramFind me on SubstackMy 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.
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    36 mins
  • The Autism Caregiver's Journey: Finding Jesus in Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, and Isolation with Sarah Mays

    The Autism Caregiver's Journey: Finding Jesus in Perfectionism, People-Pleasing, and Isolation with Sarah Mays
    Jun 16 2026

    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!

    • 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 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.
    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • When You Feel Alone: Finding God’s Provision and Presence in a Rare Diagnosis with Brianna Johnson

    When You Feel Alone: Finding God’s Provision and Presence in a Rare Diagnosis with Brianna Johnson
    Jun 9 2026

    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!

    • 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 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.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
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