Take Heart

Co-Host Amy J. Brown shares her life and adoption journey in reference to Take Heart hosts’ newly released book, “The Other Side of Special.” She addresses the struggles and challenges that come with being a mother dealing with the invisible disabilities of their children. She shares her journey of adopting children, including one with fetal alcohol syndrome, which led to many emotional and mental...

As we celebrate the release of our new book, The Other Side of Special, we share about how we met and what we have learned as we have spent time together collaborating on the book and our podcast. Even though our children have very different diagnoses, we have realized we have so much in common which lends itself to caring for each other! Being vulnerable with each other but more importantly, in w...

On this episode of Take Heart Special Mom Podcast, we delve into the importance of self-care for special needs moms. Sara England, a mother of three, shares her experience with burnout and the lessons she's learned about prioritizing her wellness. We discuss the challenges of balancing self-care with the demands of caring for a child with special needs, strategies for setting boundaries and s...

On this episode of Take Heart Special Mom Podcast, Carrie M Holt welcomes Todd and Kristin Evans, who share their personal struggles in their marriage while navigating their lives as special needs parents. Both Todd and Kristin emphasize the importance of self-care, reflective listening, and validation of emotions between spouses. They stress the need for open communication and finding ways to nav...

Jodie Pine shares her experience and insight from adopting two boys with special needs, one with clubbed feet and the other with Spina Bifida. Through the challenges of raising a child with significant special needs, she was led to look at her kids through the lens of wholeness instead of deficits. She emphasizes the importance of accepting children for who they are rather than focusing on their p...

Sara interviews author and former journalist/news anchor, Jillian Benfield as she shares her unexpected journey of having a child with Down Syndrome and the societal pressure to "overcome" grief quickly. Jillian emphasizes the importance of allowing yourself to fully grieve and unlearn negative beliefs about worth and disability. She also discusses her book, "The Gift of the Unexpec...

Carrie and Jenna Erlandson of Bridge of the Faithful Podcast sit down to talk about Jenna’s expectations on motherhood and how trying to control her circumstances played out in her life played out. She discusses the hard work of breaking the habit of control, and gives several practical tips on how she has grown in her walk with the Lord and her perspective as a special needs mom.  Ep. 122; April...

Amy sits down with Jennie Owens, who has parented over 100 kids and has trained thousands of families in trauma-informed care, therapeutic parenting, and caregiver self-care.  The episode delves deep into the concept of trauma and explains how the nervous system perceives it. Jennie shares how trauma can cause one to feel overwhelmed and how rejection can activate the same part of the brain as phy...

In the final part of this three-part series, Amy, Sara, and Carrie dive into what we thought therapy would be like versus the reality of therapy. We share our experiences dealing with past traumas and how they affect our present reactions. We discuss managing expectations and self-care after a session. We also touch on vulnerability and how it's not  weakness, but rather a courageous way to u...

In part two of this three-part series, Amy, Sara and Carrie share about the barriers to therapy and why special needs moms are reluctant to see counselors. There are legitimate reasons, such as cost, lack of knowledge and awareness, and a stigma associated with mental health. Working to break down these barriers, Amy, Sara, and Carrie give practical advice, so moms will pursue the help they need. ...

In part one of this three-part series, Amy, Sara, and Carrie share their experiences with therapy or counseling. They discuss how they began going to therapy, how each has personally benefited, what they’ve learned practically, and how it has helped them see themselves in a more compassionate and life-giving way.  Ep. 118; March 7, 2023 Key Moments: [2:12] Why & When To Begin Therapy [7:54] Va...

The statistics are staggering. 90% of families with special needs feel ignored, unwelcomed, or devalued in churches. This is a huge number, and it shows how much work needs to be done to make churches more inclusive. The overall feeling of special needs families is that they want to feel wanted, accepted, and seen. Carrie, Amy, and Sara discuss the experiences of special needs families and how chu...

Today, Sara shares how you, as a special needs mom, can help your family and friends learn how to support you. She shares the hardships that special needs families face on a daily basis. She stresses the importance of listening and asking appropriate (not intrusive) questions to understand better what a special needs family is going through. She emphasizes encouraging the family rather than pityin...

No matter what stage of the journey a special needs mom is in, from the initial diagnosis to hospital stays to on-going medical/emotional support, it is important to remember that they need love and support. Carrie gives very practical ideas on how you can support a special needs mom through the stages of their child’s life. February 14, 2023; Ep. 115 Key Moments: [1:36] Practical ways to support...

As a special needs mom, it can be difficult to feel understood and supported. Strangers don’t know us and our lives, and even those closest to us can miss the mark. This can be especially true when it comes to family members. We want them to understand our situation and be helpful, but their attempts to support us often make us feel more alone. Amy shares some great ideas and mindset shifts that w...

Today, we have an interview with Amber Reynolds. Amber is married to her college sweetheart, Chris, and they live on a farm in northwest Illinois with three children. Their children came to them through foster care and adoption. Amber talks about the isolation of people not understanding trauma, ways to care for your mental health, the importance of her marriage, and letting go of how you come to...

The messages we hear about perseverance can feel so cliche when in reality, it can be challenging to persist through hard times. On this episode of Take Heart, Sara, Carrie, and Amy discuss their stories and perspectives of perseverance with children with disabilities, how to find a balance to persevere longer and what they have learned about it along their motherhood journeys. This is an insightf...

There have probably been times you have persevered and were disappointed with the stress you felt, the way you responded, and its impact on those around you. What does it mean to persevere with grace? What could it look like to put yourself in a position to care for yourself and others, supported by a loving God, to handle your season gracefully? Listen to today’s episode with Sara, who reflects o...

Did you know that the desire for a good, calm life has been built into us by God? Sometimes that desire seems easier to reach when we cope with temporary pleasures. What do we do when we are tired, traumatized, and feel like we're done with life? Listen to this episode of Take Heart as Carrie speaks to the small ways we persevere with Jesus instead of trying to fill that need ourselves and wh...

How do you keep going when life is relentlessly hard? What can be done to persevere when the diets, exercise, and ‘better’ systems have not succeeded? Listen in as Amy shares some well-earned advice she has learned through her journey. Learn to change HOW you persevere through the ups and downs of parenting a child with disabilities or behavioral needs.  January 3, 2023; Ep. #109 Show Links: Let Y...

How do you hold on to hope when your child has a terminal diagnosis? Today, Sara Clime shares how she holds on to hope while living with that reality. She encourages us that when we start to lose hope, we simply need to look further ahead. With Jesus, our hardships are never wasted. December 20, 2022 Key Topics/Timestamps: [1:04]     Defining hope [3:21]     Lost hope and our living hope [7:58]   ...

Sometimes hope requires us to wrestle with grief over the way things currently are and the desire of what we want them to be. Listen in today as Carrie shares her thoughts about wrestling with hope.  December 13, 2022 Key Topics/Timestamps: [2:09] Facing the unknowns  [6:38] Four things to remember about hope [13:55] A reminder from Ann Voskamp Episode Links & Resources Episode 18: Why Your St...

It can be difficult to experience hope when we are not rescued from our circumstances or protected from hardships. Amy gently reminds us today of Zachariah and Elizabeth, who experienced years of unanswered prayers. She encourages us to look to God for our hope in times of silence with three practical reminders.  Replay from December 2020 Key Topics/Timestamps: [2:30]The Psalms [7:12]The Gift of Q...

Thank you for listening to this month's topic on rest. We are following our advice and will be off this month in December. In the coming weeks, enjoy three of our favorite Christmas episodes on hope (released the first three Tuesdays of December). We look forward to the new year and want you to join us in listening to new episodes and amazing interviews with the coming of our new book, The Ot...

Today’s collaborative episode dives into the topic of rest. It's no secret that special needs moms are tired, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually too. We often deny our limits or go full speed for so long that we don't even recognize our need to stop. We assume this hurried pace is normal. Amy, Carrie, and Sara address five common misconceptions about rest and some ways t...