The Midnight Call, the Dreadful Murder, and New Grounds for Ministry, Part 1
June 24, 2021
The last place we expect or desire our child to live out their days is in prison.
Jason Kent, son of Gene and Carol Kent, was a parent’s dream to raise. Everything Jason did, he did with excellence.
From graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy at the top of his class to marrying a beautiful woman, life for the Kent family was ideal. Until . . . something snapped and Jason was arrested for a crime Gene and Carol would never have expected.
Their lives as they had known them were irreversibly changed. In this revisited interview between Colleen and Carol, Carol openly shares how they have not only rebuilt their lives but have reframed what it means to live fully amid unchanging, hard circumstances.
Like Paul did, Jason Kent has a “captive” audience. Jason teaches hundreds of inmates God’s Word and classes on life skills, communication, and personal development.
There is no valley too deep for God’s light to shine bright. Are you willing to open your hands, release what you value most, and allow God to replace your wants with His will?
The story for Jason is not over; neither is yours. I hope to hear from you today. Finally, I pray you will take a moment to send Jason a note for all he is doing in spite of the darkness surrounding his life.
SHOW NOTES:
To connect with Carol or request her for speaking, visit her website. You can also see upcoming conferences where she will be speaking.
Ministry to inmates through churches and organizations:
Speak Up for Hope
PO Box 6262
Lakeland, FL 33807
www.SpeakUpforHope.org
Greeting cards your church or community can send: American Rehabilitative Ministries has developed a line of name-brand greeting cards to send to inmates around the world. They offer a variety of categories (anniversary, birthday (adult and child), friendship, get well, sympathy, thank you, wedding, Christmas, Easter, Father’s Day, graduation, Mother’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Valentine’s Day). There is a $4.00 charge for each 100 cards, covering the cost of packaging and postage.
Boxes of Hope: A branch of Carol’s ministry provides Boxes of Hope for Inmates. Find more information on this excellent program you and/or your church can partake in.
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When Life Isn't Fair: What They Didn't Tell Us in Sunday School
In When Life Isn't Fair: What They Didn't Tell Us in Sunday School, Colleen Swindoll Thompson weaves together biblical truth, practicality, and her own growth experiences as a mother of a son with special needs. She writes with raw honesty about her personal crisis of faith as well as the hardship and humor that come with learning to trust God through difficult times.
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Welcome to a unique addition of the Reframing Ministries podcast! For this discussion, Colleen is the interviewee, discussing mental health topics with Pastor Brad Hoefs, founder of Fresh Hope for Mental Health.
Listen in to this revisited interview between Brad and Colleen as they dissect and discuss mental health issues, the church, and family mental health details.
In our world, we need hope . . . FRESH HOPE . . . not hope for a moment but for a lifetime. Regardless your struggles, please connect with Brad Hoefs and Reframing Ministries. We long for all who hurt to find hope and encouragement in this interview.
SHOW NOTES:
Check out the Fresh Hope website for information about the ministry and visit Brad’s blog. We also invite you to subscribe to Fresh Hope’s podcast.
June 10, 2021
We’ve all been there a time or two . . . or THREE . . . when life doesn’t let up. More specifically, trials are agonizing and exhausting, where we long for a flicker of light or a ray of hope.
After surviving oral cancer twice, and in the midst of launching her book Undone: A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life, the cancer came back with an unrelenting vengeance. Astonished and terrified, Michele’s prognosis was extremely bleak. She endured a year of excruciating surgeries and an unbearable recovery. In those dark hours of suffering, questions surfaced about life and faith.
Like us all, when God allows severe suffering, life’s hardest questions abound. In this revisited interview with Michele, she shares extraordinary wisdom and significant truths essential to surviving life’s greatest adversities.
Without a doubt, Scripture promises suffering. However, when hit with suffering, the struggle to make sense of it all is enormous. If you have ever wrestled with doubt, God’s goodness, God’s sovereignty, God’s presence . . . you are in good company here. I promise, you will never be judged, rejected, or turned away for what you are questioning or enduring today. Reach out to us! We long to connect and provide deep and enduring comfort in your time of need. In what way can we help you today?
SHOW NOTES:
You can connect with Michele on her website, where you’ll find her latest posts, books, podcasts, and additional resources!
May 20, 2021
Not many of us would put together the words love and suffering. Suffering feels like anything but love. One of life’s greatest struggles is to resolve that our all-loving God allows us to suffer; in fact, Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God is love and we will suffer.
Kathleen Bolduc understands suffering, as she raised a son with disabilities. She has experienced bitter-cold sorrow and has been warmed by God’s loving embrace for more than 30 years. Her book The Spiritual Art of Raising Children with Disabilities helps us understand that God’s love breaks through most often when we are broken open.
Robert Mulholland writes in his work Invitation to a Journey:
“The journey of faith, the path to spiritual wholeness, lies in our increasingly faithful response to the One whose purpose shapes our path, whose grace redeems our detours, whose power liberates us from the crippling bondages of our previous journey, and whose transforming presence meets us at each turn in our road.”
How can we help you in your own journey of detours and trials? Reach out to us after listening to this revisited interview between Colleen and Kathleen!
Show NotesContact Kathleen, read excerpts from her books, check out her spiritual direction tab, and check out all her additional resources on her website. Let Me Hear from You
You can leave a comment by clicking here.
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May 6, 2021
Listen in as we revisit this conversation with Michele Cushatt, whose testimony points to God’s faithfulness prior to her having major surgery.
Cancer. The “C” word . . . it’s supposed to happen to other people. But what happens when a terminal diagnosis invades our lives? Few understand this better than Michele Cushatt.
Michele, a two-time survivor of tongue cancer, tells her story in her book: Undone: A Story of Making Peace with an Unexpected Life.
This interview was recorded one day before her daunting nine-hour surgery. In the midst of this major life event, Michele speaks with calmness and clarity about her past, her [then] new book, and what she is learning as she moves forward.
Michele said that once she released worry and control to God, she received an anticipation of what God was going to do with her life. You can know that God will take care of all things, visible and invisible.
Connect with either Reframing Ministries or Michele. We hope this re-aired podcast helps you pass off your current fears to the God who can handle all our worries and fears.
SHOW NOTES:
Connect with Michele via her website, Facebook, or Twitter—as well as find information about her speaking engagements and her newest book, Relentless: The Unshakeable Presence of a God Who Never Leaves.
April 22, 2021
It’s a parent’s fear, an educational nightmare, a massive political agenda, the subject of heated church conflicts, an American epidemic, and more. Autism. Since 2000, multidisciplinary research has helped us treat vast variations of autism, but research can’t fix autism. In many ways, “fixing” autism shifts our focus away from an essential human need . . . an eternal perspective. We seek treatments and therapies with heroic motivation and blame God when nothing changes.
Has anyone ever considered autism may be allowed by God because of the way it can revolutionize our “typical” lives? Reframing autism begins with an eternal perspective, calling us to seek Him and learn His ways as we care for those with differences. In this interview, Emily Colson speaks about caring for her adult son, Max, who has autism.
She also talks about how God continues to reveal her need for Christ and how to reframe her life by embracing autism.
Autism may not be a challenge in your life . . . but I’m confident something in your life is challenging you right now. The best news is that Christ promises peace to those who turn to Him. What may appear to be a tarnished, old silver cup carries immeasurable value because of who owned the cup; the same is true with our Savior. It’s time—TODAY—to reframe your perspective on how we view and value human life. Here are some verses to provide hope:
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us (Romans 8:37).
Listen in as we revisit this conversation between Colleen and Emily.
SHOW NOTES:
Check out Emily Colson’s website to get information on speaking, resources, and additional information related to Emily Colson.
April 8, 2021
We read in the Bible that God is good, loving, and faithful; yet we live in a world where horrible suffering exists, and God seems anything but good, loving, and faithful. It’s one of life’s greatest conflicts. Author and speaker Philip Yancey shares his time shedding incredible wisdom and insight on this conflict with us in today’s episode. If you have ever wondered, “Why has God allowed *insert personal suffering here* in my life?” now is a great time to learn why.
You are in good company, my friend—Jesus Christ experienced the greatest mistreatment and painful suffering, and He offers us a way through life’s struggles. Let’s move from a place of simply reflecting on what’s happened to letting God redeem what has happened for our betterment in Him. We at Reframing Ministries are here for you! Reach out to us as the Lord moves your heart in this revisited interview between Colleen and Philip.
PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR READING, BY PHILIP YANCEY
Most Influential Books:
Augustine: ConfessionsFrederick Buechner: Telling the Truth
Superior Books in Style and Christian Content:
Frederick Buechner: Telling the Truth; The Hungering Dark; The Magnificent Defeat; The Alphabet of Grace; Now and Then; The Sacred Journey; Peculiar Treasures; Wishful Thinking; The Book of Bebb; The Final Beast; Godric
Christian Essayists with Style:
G.K. Chesterton: Orthodoxy; St. Francis of Assisi; St. Thomas Aquinas; The Man Who Was Thursday; The Everlasting ManC.S. Lewis: A Grief Observed; The Weight of Glory; The Four LovesDorothy Sayers: The Mind of the Maker; Christian Letters to a Post-Christian WorldGeorge MacDonald: Life Essential
SHOW NOTES:
Connect with Philip, purchase his books, and see his upcoming events here!
Purchase Philip’s books Where Is God When It Hurts? and The Question That Never Goes Away on Amazon!
March 18, 2021
In any given year, 1 in 5 people will struggle with a mental health issue. If we said 1 in 5 people will have a compromise in physical health, we would start a prayer chain. But mention that the compromise is a mental health issue, and most people scatter, label, judge, and disappear.
We tend to hide or deny what we cannot control or fix because most of the Western world clings to a dissected view of humanity; we partition our existence into labeled segments, which is often terribly confining and damaging.
Dr. Stanford offers wisdom, knowledge, guidance, and practical tools the church desperately needs in caring for one another. Listen in to parts 1 and 2 of this revisited conversation between Colleen and Dr. Stanford.
Show Notes:
Check out the Hope and Healing Center Institute and/or Mental Health Grace Alliance to learn about their missions, supportive services, and available programs!
You can also purchase his books Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness and The Biology of Sin: Grace, Hope, and Healing for Those Who Feel Trapped on Amazon!
Listen to part 2 here.
March 5, 2021
In any given year, 1 in 5 people will struggle with a mental health issue. If we said 1 in 5 people will have a compromise in physical health, we would start a prayer chain. But mention that the compromise is a mental health issue, and most people scatter, label, judge, and disappear.
We tend to hide or deny what we cannot control or fix because most of the Western world clings to a dissected view of humanity; we partition our existence into labeled segments, which is often terribly confining and damaging.
Dr. Stanford offers wisdom, knowledge, guidance, and practical tools the church desperately needs in caring for one another. Listen in to parts 1 and 2 of this revisited conversation between Colleen and Dr. Stanford.
Show Notes:
Check out the Hope and Healing Center Institute and/or Mental Health Grace Alliance to learn about their missions, supportive services, and available programs!
You can also purchase his books Grace for the Afflicted: A Clinical and Biblical Perspective on Mental Illness and The Biology of Sin: Grace, Hope, and Healing for Those Who Feel Trapped on Amazon!
Listen to part 2 here.
March 4, 2021
In the Civil War, it was called a “soldier’s heart.” During the Industrial Revolution, it was “compensation neurosis.” During World War I, it was labeled “shell shock.” In World War II, it was defined as “battle fatigue or combat exhaustion.” During the Korean and Vietnam Wars, experts called it “stress response syndrome.”
Finally, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) got it right: POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD).
PTSD can affect any person who has survived a traumatizing, overwhelming, terrifying event, such as rape, physical and mental abuse, school shootings, divorce, loss of a loved one, physical illness, prolonged exposure to anything that overwhelms our bodies and affects how the brain functions.
Jolene Philo is an expert in the study and treatment of PTSD. Her son was born with life-threatening problems resulting in numerous surgeries—invasive procedures performed without pain medication . . . because it was believed that “children don’t remember pain.” Current research shouts against such ignorance; our minds and bodies do remember trauma. If PTSD is left unattended to, those affected exist in a compromised state. In this revisited interview, Jolene discusses the most current research on PTSD as well as healing treatments.
No one understands our pain like Jesus Christ. He endured every form of mistreatment to the point of death; therefore, He understands our pain and sorrow. He also calls us to care for one another in love—to listen, help, and provide support for healing.
Show Notes:
You can find all of Jolene’s resources, books, blog posts, speaking engagements, and online communities here. You can purchase Jolene’s book Does My Child Have PTSD? on Amazon. Jolene also referenced Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, which can be purchased on Amazon.
To visit the trauma therapy website Jolene mentioned, tap or click here.
Tap or click here to learn more about Dr. Peter Levine’s Somatic Experiencing.
February 18, 2021
Like fuel is for our cars and vitamins are for our bodies, hope is for the soul. Without hope, life continues to swirl around us, but we grind to a sluggish stop. Despair, disillusionment, and discontentment can set in.
Few understand hopelessness like Nancy Guthrie. After losing one child to a rare genetic disorder, Nancy and her husband were surprised to find she was pregnant again—only to have another child grow in her womb, be welcomed into loving arms, then pass into eternity within a few months. Where do you find hope after the loss of two children? How do you get unstuck? The answer resides in the lens we look through.
If your fuel tank is low, Nancy’s words will help fill you with hope to move forward. We all endure times when it seems like nothing good will come from a situation or circumstance that is awful, painful, unexpected, and appears hopeless. We may know what Scripture says, but it doesn’t always fill the gaping wound with a wonderfully comforting balm. The truth is, the good comes after we have endured the bad for a while, after we’ve been comforted by the comfort of others, and after we’ve chosen to put our hope and trust in the One who endured the cross: Jesus Christ.
Have you run out of fuel? Is your spiritual or emotional tank on empty? Choose hope . . . choose to believe, to hope in Christ, and watch what unfolds.
SHOW NOTES:
Discover Nancy Guthrie’s books, contact information, retreat information, and additional media today!
You can also order Nancy’s books Even Better Than Eden, The One Year Book of Hope Devotional, Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow from Amazon!
February 4, 2021
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When Life Isn't Fair: What They Didn't Tell Us in Sunday School
In When Life Isn't Fair: What They Didn't Tell Us in Sunday School, Colleen Swindoll Thompson weaves together biblical truth, practicality, and her own growth experiences as a mother of a son with special needs. She writes with raw honesty about her personal crisis of faith as well as the hardship and humor that come with learning to trust God through difficult times.