Desperate For Hope with Vaneetha Risner

Counselor Paula Rinehart will bring wisdom for parents walking the tender road of their child’s divorce—how to be present without controlling, supportive without shaming, and hopeful without rescuing. She will speak to navigating in-law dynamics and handling issues with grandchildren with grace, helping parents of divorced children strengthen relationships and find gospel hope even in regret and g...

Barnabas Piper, pastor and author, will share about his experience as a divorced man—what it meant to rebuild identity, wrestle with Scripture and conscience around remarriage, and step into dating with wisdom and faith. He will offer a male perspective on often-unspoken losses, the tension of differing convictions among faithful Christians, and the hope of rebuilding joy and rhythms of life after...

Steve Grissom, founder of DivorceCare, will share why community matters when your world collapses, how forgiveness frees you from bitterness, and what it looks like to risk trust again. He will tell the story behind DivorceCare and offer practical wisdom for finding safe friendships, reconnecting with the church, and discovering how God often brings comfort and change through people. ………. 📕 Buy T...

Shannon McCoy, a counselor and author who has walked through divorce herself, will offer both professional insight and personal honesty about grief you can’t schedule. She will share how depression and ambiguous loss can distort identity, push people toward unhealthy patterns, and leave single parents exhausted—and how God meets them in those places with hope and truth. Listeners will gain clarity...

Brad Hambrick, pastor of counseling at The Summit Church and author of books on infidelity and the church’s care for the abused, will bring clear, pastoral wisdom for one of the hardest realities: when marriages end through betrayal or abuse. He will help divorced believers navigate the complicated dynamics of church—how to face judgment or misunderstanding, what true repentance looks like, and wh...

Brighton Butler, who has walked through divorce in a very public space, will bring raw honesty about navigating faith, single parenting, and identity under watchful eyes. She will share how to live forward with courage while still healing—setting boundaries online and off, deciding what to share and what to hold, and helping kids process a public narrative. Listeners will hear practical wisdom for...

Sissy Goff, a counselor who specializes in helping children and teens navigate anxiety and big emotions, will bring wisdom to the unique challenges kids face in divorce. She can share age-specific tools that lower anxiety, simple rituals that make transitions between homes smoother, and language that helps kids feel secure. With compassion for depleted parents, she will offer practical ways to rep...

Paul David Tripp, pastor, counselor, and author, will remind listeners that when divorce shatters their world, God’s presence is more foundational than answers, His promises more steady than circumstances, and that what we are telling ourselves matters. He will talk about what it means to trust God when life feels hopeless, how suffering can deepen discipleship, and how the church can embody Chris...

In this opening episode, my sister Shalini and I will share a raw and honest account of walking through the wreckage of divorce—what it felt like up close, the losses named, and the lament that gave way to God’s presence. Together we’ll reflect on grief, unanswered prayers, and what it felt like to walk with someone and help carry that burden. This conversation will frame the heart behind the podc...

I still remember lying in my bed, huddled in the corner, wondering how my life had unraveled so completely. Divorce was never part of the plan. I had prayed. I had fought for my marriage. I believed God would restore it. I thought reconciliation was the only way to honor Him — and when it didn’t happen, I didn’t know how to move forward as a Christian. The world had plenty of advice, but I longed...

What does resilient faith in the midst of relentless suffering look like? Join me as I sit down with my friend and author, Michele, as she shares her story which includes an unwanted divorce, single-parenting, the challenges of a blended family, surviving cancer and foster-adopting children with trauma backgrounds. Michele's story is one of hardship, but also one of unwavering faith in God as...

How can sharing our brokenness with others help us heal? Join me for a deeply moving and vulnerable conversation with my friend and author, Ann Voskamp, as we explore how gratitude can be a weapon against darkness and a powerful way to find healing in the midst of suffering.  Ann opens up about her own childhood tragedy at the age of four when her sister was accidentally killed. She talks about th...

Losing a child is an unimaginable grief, and it was a reality my guest, Tim Challies, and his wife Aileen had to face when their son Nick, a college student, passed away unexpectedly. As a pastor and author, Tim shares his family's journey of finding hope in the midst of their pain and offers insights on how to navigate the complexities of grief, granting ourselves grace and patience, and bein...

How can we find hope and strength in the midst of debilitating daily pain? Join me as I talk to Dave and Gloria Furman, a couple who have served faithfully in ministry in Dubai for over a decade. They open up about the challenges they face, including Dave's physical struggles with constant excruciating nerve pain, multiple failed surgeries, and the fact his arms are virtually non-functional. T...

I've personally been impacted by the incredible ministry of Paul David Tripp, and I'm honored to have him join me in this episode to share his powerful story of suffering and how it has deepened his relationship with God. Paul has endured kidney failure and ten operations in the last seven years, yet his faith remains strong and steadfast. On this episode, we explore how understanding God&...

How do we find purpose in our pain? When Davey Blackburn's wife was murdered by strangers, he had to reconcile this tragedy with what he believed about God. But through this horrific time, he discovered a powerful truth about the goodness of God in the midst of pain. I sit down with Davey, founder of Nothing Is Wasted Ministries, to explore the concept of finding purpose in pain and how turnin...

What does it look like to find hope and joy in the midst of suffering? Join me as I sit down with my dear friend Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic, for a heartfelt conversation about her everyday struggles and mounting pain coupled with the way God has strengthened her in it. Despite her many physical challenges, Joni opens up about how Jesus has sustained her through the most difficult moments....

Have you ever found yourself questioning God during times of suffering? Join me and my sister, Shalini, as we open up about our own experiences with suffering and how we discovered joy in the midst of it all. From my journey with polio to our individual struggles with loss and faith, we offer an honest and heartfelt conversation about the challenges and triumphs of walking through suffering while...

If you’ve ever felt desperate in your suffering, wondering if you’ll ever laugh again, this podcast will meet you where you are. Join me and my guests as we talk about our struggles and losses, the questions we asked God in our pain and how we found hope and joy through it all. Season One is eight episodes with my friends Joni Eareckson Tada, Paul David Tripp, and Ann Voskamp – among others.  Topi...