Rising Above with Becky Davidson

Episode Title: Confident Hope in the Midst of Medical Trials In this episode, Becky sits down with her friend Kim to share a deeply personal story about a recent medical challenge involving a scheduled G-Tube placement for Jon Alex that didn’t go as planned. Through their honest and heartfelt conversation, Becky opens up about how she found “Confident Hope” even in the midst of uncertainty and fea...

This podcast honors a dear friend and supporter of Rising Above, Becky's sister, Susan. She unexpectedly passed two weeks ago, and we wanted to take an opportunity to honor her life and legacy through some of her messages of hope.

About the Episode Dusti joins Becky to discuss By the Brook (coming up this weekend!) and the opportunity to join us virtually or at a host site!   Related Links www.risingaboveministries.org/bythebrook

About Chris Chris and Andrea from Nashville, Tennessee, adopted two babies from Russia in 1998. That began a lifelong journey, including an autism diagnosis for their son, Joshua, when he turned 18 years old. Chris discovered Jeff's book "Common Man, Extraordinary Call" to lead a group of special needs dads in 2020. This group spent two years carefully navigating this wonderful "trailblazing book"...

About Me (from Elizabeth) My name is Elizabeth, and my journey started with me asking God what He wanted out of my life instead of me asking for doors to be opened. He clearly said “I want you to have children who you teach to know and love me but they will not ask come through you.” Then He sent me to China! I adopted this beautiful 11 month old baby who Chinese name was Ya Wei which is pronounce...

About Dustin Dustin Rawls is married to Mandy Smith Rawls and has two children, Dylan 11 and Madison 14 who was born with Spina Bifida. Dustin serves as the Men’s Ministry director at his church and has a passion for discipleship. He works for the financial aid arm of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and has never met an audience he didn’t love. Whether it was bowling a perfect 300, becom...

About Me (from Kandis) I love a lot of things. I LOVE Jesus. I love my family, including my church family at Collegeside, where I also enjoy working. I love my 5 children immensely. I HATE being a widow, but I love seeing God's goodness and care for me as a widow. Oh, and I love the Green Bay Packers and 7Brew. About the Episode In this heartfelt conversation, Becky Davidson and Kandis Moss share...

About Rachael Rachael Vermeulen is a writer, speaker, and founder of A Little Extra Love, a ministry dedicated to creating spaces of true belonging for families raising children with disabilities. As a mother to two boys— one with Down syndrome, Autism and complex medical needs, her journey has shaped her passion for faith-rooted encouragement, community, and advocacy. Through Bible studies, churc...

About Andrea Andrea is a follower of Jesus, wife of Shawn, and mom of two boys; Sam (who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy) and Zach. As a younger adult, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, but left the workforce to homeschool her kids 15 years ago. Her family plays a small part in the special needs ministry 'Joni and Friends' via volunteering for their Wheels for the World pr...

About Amy Amy J. Brown is a writer, mentor, and spiritual director based in Michigan. With a Master's Degree in Spiritual Formation and Leadership, she brings both academic insight and lived experience to her work. Amy is a co- author of "The Other Side Of Special: Navigating the Messy, Emotional, and Joy-Filled Life of a Special Needs Mom," a book that shares her journey and offers guidance to ot...

About the Episode Introducing: RISING ABOVE DADS – The Podcast for Dads Raising Exceptional KidsCalling all dads in the special-needs world—whether you're navigating IEP meetings, meltdowns, or just trying to get through the day without stepping on a LEGO... this one’s for you. Rising Above Dads is the podcast where we talk real-life parenting with humor, honesty, and a whole lot of heart. No suga...

About Sara Sara currently lives in Houston with my husband, Dustin, and her son, Camilo. She was raised in a single-parent household with two brothers who both have autism. She has a degree in social work and has only worked a little in that field. She's been a stay-at-home mom ever since their son joined their family through adoption from Colombia in 2022. He was 6 at the time and is now 9. He ha...

About this episode In this conversation, Becky Davidson and Larah discuss the journey of parenting a child with autism, exploring themes of faith, advocacy, and personal growth. Larah shares her experiences with her son Graham's autism diagnosis, the impact on her family, and how it has deepened her understanding of God. They also delve into the importance of seeing autism through a gospel lens an...

About Susanna Susanna lives in Jacksonville, FL and is a special-needs mom times three. Larson, age 23, survived a near-fatal brain aneurysm rupture at age 14 and lives with short-term memory impairment and left-side hemiparesis. Andrew, age 21, has high-functioning autism, and Wesley, age 15 has Down syndrome. Susanna and her husband Larry have been married for 28 years.   In her “former life” be...

About Kaylee Kaylee Lazaro is a wife and a mom. She has been married to her husband for 10 years. They have two young boys with a rare condition called Cohen Syndrome. Kaylee and her family live in Alaska and they love the outdoors. They enjoy taking their boys kayaking and biking during the summer months and fat tire biking and sledding in the winter months. Kaylee has learned through her special...

About Leslie Leslie is a new medical parent, with a 10-month-old daughter, Evelyn. She grew up in the Cookeville area and has stayed in Tennessee her whole life. Her husband, Cole is an Ohio native and moved down to Tennessee after meeting Leslie at Lee University, in Cleveland, TN. They got married in 2019 and waited to start trying to have kids until their 5th anniversary, when they discovered i...

About Kim For the past several decades, Kim has led children’s and student ministries at the local church while also leading initiatives around adoption and foster care. Kim was also Director of Training and Development at a Cincinnati nonprofit working with multi-system involved youth. As an adoptive mom and advocate for kids and teens who have experienced trauma or are neurodivergent or disabled...

About Carrie Carrie M. Holt is a wife, homeschooling mom of four, writer, speaker, and podcast host. She is passionate about encouraging special-needs parents to identify, accept, and thrive in the grieving cycle that is an on-going part of the journey.   Related Links By the Brook early bird tickets Carrie's Website Carrie's Instagram Carrie's Facebook    

About Camille Camille Block was raised in a suburb outside of Los Angeles, over the mountain from beautiful Malibu, where her father worked as a college professor of business at Pepperdine University. At three and a half years old, Camille’s comfortable life took a dramatic turn with the birth of her brother—a healthy baby who lost oxygen at birth, causing a lifelong disability for him and a chara...

About Mandy Mandy is the wife to Dustin and mom to Dylan, 11, and Madison, 14, who was born with Spina Bifida. Professionally, she has been a high school teacher for nearly 20 years and loves working with students in FCCLA, the student organization she sponsors. Personally speaking, she’s obsessed with Christmas, loves to shop and entertain in our home, and is a huge Elvis fan. Her family is very...

About Max Max Brooks is a 16-year-old passionate about all things theatre and singing. Despite being born with a rare condition called congenital central hyperventilation syndrome (CCHS), which significantly impacts his breathing, Max has never let it hold him back from pursuing his dreams. His love for the stage and performing shines through in every role he takes on, whether in school production...

About the Episode Austin is 22 and loves friends, music, and his new job at Old Navy. Austin was diagnosed with autism when he was 2.5. He has a heart of gold! In this episode we get to hear about his life as an adult with autism.  Related Links Rising Above app  

About the episode Enjoy this conversation Becky has with our friend, Mattea, about her experience "adulting with a disability." Mattea was on the show in 2020 shortly after she graduated from HS. She has two degrees from Tennessee Tech University. She now has a travel agency where she helps families with disabilities plan vacations. Related Links Sponsor the podcast! trustytravelcompany@gmail.com...

Today, Becky is joined by her friends Kim and Meredith to discuss how they have come alongside she and her family during a long, challenging hospital stay.  Related Links Rising Above app

Steve & Becky sit down to discuss plans for the coming year, and how you can be a part of it in our 250th episode of the Rising Above with Becky Davidson podcast!