Hope for the Caregiver

Author and caregiver Jess Ronne joins me to share her story and her new book, Caregiving with Grit and Grace . As the mother of a son with profound disabilities and the young wife who walked through her husband's brain cancer, Jess has lived the struggles many caregivers face but few talk about. Together, we discuss the loneliness of caregiving, special needs parenting, the reality of grief and an...

Mike Tyson is famous for saying, "Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the nose." When suffering punches us in the nose, our plans - and clichés - don't hold. In this episode of Truth Talk Live , I explore why "drive-by ministry" fails and why true comfort begins with seeing people in their pain—just as Christ sees us. You'll hear: My reflections from the ICU after Gracie's 98th surgery....

In this week's episode of Hope for the Caregiver, I continue my two series: Difficult Issues Caregivers Face but Don't Want to Talk About and Hymns Every Caregiver Should Know. I start with a memory of a pastor who once told me, "Peter, you do yourself a disservice—you make this look easier than it is." He was right. For years I made caregiving look manageable, even while quietly drowning inside....

"I don't expect the President to be a theologian - but I expect theologians to be theologians."  When former President Trump suggested that ending the war in Ukraine might "help him get to heaven," the headlines exploded—but the church stayed silent. In this episode of Truth Talk Live (I guest-host it weekly) , I challenge that silence, point to the cross of Christ, and invite callers to proclaim...

In this episode of  Truth Talk Live ( I guest-host on Wednesdays) , I started with a little laughter, but the conversation quickly turned to the deeper reality of marriage. Drawing from Scripture, from our culture, and from my own 39 years with Gracie, I shared why I believe  "weddings cost money, but marriage costs everything." Along the way, listeners called in with raw and vulnerable stories. O...

In this episode of Hope for the Caregiver , I celebrate 39 years of marriage to my wife, Gracie, while reflecting on the roller-coaster journey of nearly 100 surgeries, chronic pain, and a lifetime of caregiving. From dancing with Gracie at Madison Square Garden to hearing her sing hymns in an ICU hallway, I share how beauty and joy can break through even in the hardest places. As part of my Hymn...

In this episode of Hope for the Caregiver , I sit down with DJ and Jessica Rowland to talk about life with Huntington's disease—and what it really means to keep living when the diagnosis is grim. Jessica was diagnosed in 2018 after a season of clumsiness, psychological symptoms, and career struggles. DJ, her husband and primary caregiver, balances running a mobile truck repair business with caring...

Caregiving can bury you under the weight of obligation —the "I have to, I should, I must" that breeds resentment and exhaustion. I've lived there. But over the years, I've learned to trade that burden for stewardship —remembering that Gracie belongs to God, not me, and my calling is faithfulness, not fixing. In this episode, I share how that shift in thinking changes everything—and how one short h...

"I never really quite knew what the definition of love is… I think it comes down to tests like this." - Jay Leno on Hope for the Caregiver That matter-of-fact statement from Jay Leno to me on my radio program stayed with me long after the conversation ended. In a deeply personal and unexpectedly poignant conversation, Jay opened up about caring for his beloved wife, Mavis, whose health challenges...

As caregivers, we often pour out until there's nothing left—but what happens when the one collapsing is the caregiver herself? My longtime friend  Nancy Comish  joined me for a brutally honest conversation about her journey through caregiver burnout, medical overload, and physical decline. She was overmedicated, under-rested, and emotionally drowning. Her husband, Craig—who knows his way around a...

In this episode of  Hope for the Caregiver , I reflect on a powerful moment at home: while a news anchor questioned God's goodness in the face of tragedy, my wife Gracie—still recovering from her 98th surgery—shouted a truth she learned from our friend Joni Eareckson Tada that's sustained us for decades: "He allows what He hates to achieve what He loves." We explored how that statement ties into t...

There's a new Superman movie out this month—but when I heard that, my mind flew back 38 years to  Superman IV: The Quest for Peace , a cinematic trainwreck of epic proportions. The plot was absurd, the budget was anemic, and Hollywood wisely took a long break from the franchise after that. But while the movie deserves all the ridicule it gets, the  title  stuck with me:  The Quest for Peace . Beca...

After five months in a hospital bed, Gracie came home—hooked to drains, fragile, and unable to sit up for more than a few minutes. I pulled her out of the truck, and just as we were about to head inside, she stopped. Eyes closed. Face tilted upward. "Oh… that feels wonderful." It wasn't a miracle. It was a  warm summer mountain breeze. But when you've been breathing hospital air for nearly half a...

What does it mean to be a caregiver? And where is God when the journey feels like one long, unending dirt road? In this special episode, Peter Rosenberger defines the true heart of caregiving—not as a job, but as a calling to stand between someone's chronic impairment and even worse disaster. Through the lens of his 40-year journey, Peter unpacks the metaphor of mining for gold amid the dirt of tr...

What does it mean to be a caregiver? And where is God when the journey feels like one long, unending dirt road? In this special episode, Peter Rosenberger defines the true heart of caregiving—not as a job, but as a calling to stand between someone's chronic impairment and even worse disaster. Through the lens of his 40-year journey, Peter unpacks the metaphor of mining for gold amid the dirt of tr...

Caregiving exposes something most of us never see coming: Our thinking is broken — and it always has been. Yes, caregiving brings exhaustion, stress, and crisis. But the real problem runs far deeper than circumstances. The root issue traces all the way back to Eden. When Adam sinned, God pronounced: "Cursed is the ground because of you." (Genesis 3:17) The dirt beneath his feet was broken because...

I love talking with interesting people doing interesting things—especially when what they're building impacts those of us in the caregiving world. That's why I sat down with Dr. Severence McLaughlin, the CEO of DeLorean AI . His team is using artificial intelligence to predict serious health events—like heart attacks, mental health crises, or hospitalizations— before  they happen. As someone who's...

I love talking with interesting people doing interesting things—especially when what they're building impacts those of us in the caregiving world. That's why I sat down with Dr. Severance McLaughlin, the CEO of  DeLorean AI . His team is using artificial intelligence to predict serious health events—like heart attacks, mental health crises, or hospitalizations— before  they happen. As someone who'...

"It's going to be okay," my father told my mother as they faced one of their hardest seasons. She looked at him and asked, "How do you know?" And he quietly replied: "Because I know God." That simple statement calmed my mother — and it now anchors me. Scripture points us to this kind of example: Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of lif...

Gracie was lying in bed. The surgeon had just been in to remove the stitches — but clearly, it was too early. A few minutes later, I came into the room. Gracie asked for help sitting up. She reached for my arm and started to pull herself upright. Then, the unthinkable happened. The wound suddenly split wide open — 10-12 inches long, four inches wide. It's called dehiscence. I was instantly reminde...

When the surgeon told me Gracie would be in the hospital for three months, my mind raced: The kids are at school. I've got a job to hold down. Bills to pay. How am I supposed to hold this together for three months? Staring at the wall, I quietly muttered to myself: "I can't do this for three months." The surgeon heard me. He gently placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "You're not going to do i...

Caregiving doesn't just exhaust me — it exposes my broken thinking. In this episode, I share how total depravity clouds not only my actions but my thought process. Fatigue, frustration, fear, and sin distort judgment — even while I'm trying to advocate for the person I love. That's why caregivers don't just need rest — we need Christ to steady both our hands and our minds. I also share how this pl...

Caregiving doesn't just exhaust me — it exposes my broken thinking. In this episode, I share how total depravity clouds not only my actions but my thought process. Fatigue, frustration, fear, and sin distort judgment — even while I'm trying to advocate for the person I love. That's why caregivers don't just need rest — we need Christ to steady both our hands and our minds. I also share how this pl...

In this episode of Hope for the Caregiver , I walk through one of the most practical, personal, and painful issues every caregiver faces: worry. We explore what Jesus really meant in Matthew 6 when He said, "Do not worry about tomorrow…" — and I back the truck up to show how that entire section of Scripture ties together. This is not sentimental. It's hard theology lived out in hospital rooms, ope...

In this Memorial Day episode of Hope for the Caregiver , I open up about one of the hardest—and most overlooked—struggles caregivers face: resentment. After more than 40 years in this journey, I've learned that it's not just the physical exhaustion that wears us down—it's the internal striving, the bitterness, and the sense of being forgotten. In this episode, I talk about: The difference between...