When Brianna Johnson's son was diagnosed with Bainbridge-Ropers Syndrome, a rare genetic condition affecting only a few hundred people worldwide, her family entered a journey they never expected. Faced with uncertainty, unanswered questions, and the reality of parenting a child with complex needs, Brianna discovered that even the rarest diagnoses don't have to be walked alone.

In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Brianna shares how finding community across state lines and even across oceans helped her family feel seen and supported. She opens up about raising three boys with different needs, navigating school supports and IEP meetings, learning to celebrate "inchstones" instead of just milestones, and embracing the grace to parent one day at a time.

As part of our There Was Jesus series, Brianna reflects on the unexpected ways God has shown up throughout her family's journey—through teachers, doctors, friendships, and the small moments that reveal His faithfulness.

If you've ever felt isolated by your child's diagnosis, discouraged by slow progress, or wondered where God is in the middle of the unknown, this conversation will remind you that you are not alone and that God's presence is often found in the people and provisions He places along the way.

Eps. 51; June 9, 2026

Resources:
Brianna’s Website
Instagram
Spotify Playlist: There Was Jesus

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

This month kicks off the new podcast series entitled, There Was Jesus. In this deeply honest episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie M. Holt sits down with returning guest Becky Davidson to discuss recognizing God’s presence in the middle of suffering, trauma, grief, and caregiving exhaustion.

Becky shares how years of hospital stays, caregiving stress, widowhood, and parenting her adult son with profound disabilities shaped her faith journey. Together, Carrie and Becky discuss how trauma impacts the way we see God, the healing power of EMDR therapy, imaginative prayer, attachment wounds, anxiety, and learning to recognize the presence of Jesus in painful memories.

This conversation offers hope for special needs parents, caregivers, widows, and anyone walking through grief or chronic stress. If you’ve ever wondered where God was in your hardest moments, this episode is a reminder that Jesus was there — even when you couldn’t see Him.

You’ll also hear encouragement about:

• Processing trauma safely in community
• EMDR and Christian counseling
• Learning spiritual rhythms of remembering God’s faithfulness
• Healing attachment wounds and anxiety
• Finding God’s presence in caregiving burnout

Eps. 50; June 2, 2026

Resources:
Register for By The Brook or Purchase it for Later!
Rising Above Podcast
Spotify Playlist: There Was Jesus
Becky on Episode 9: Worst-Case Scenario
By The Brook: Restore Retreat Experience
By The Brook: Flourish Retreat Experience
John Eldredge’s Podcast: Wild At Heart
John Eldredge’s Books Mentioned:
Get Your Life Back
Resilient
Experience Jesus Really
One Minute Pause App
Healing Care Center
Adam Young’s Podcast: The Place We Find Ourselves
Allender Center: Story Work

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

In this heartfelt episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie sits down with homeschooling mom of six, Katie Seelig, to discuss raising a child with a rare neuromuscular condition, navigating medical uncertainty, and learning to trust God in the unknown.

Katie shares the emotional journey of discovering her son’s scoliosis at age three, pursuing answers through specialists and genetic testing, and eventually learning he had a rare FLNC gene mutation connected to congenital myopathy and cardiomyopathy. Along the way, she opens up about medical motherhood, grief, postpartum anxiety, advocacy, sibling dynamics, homeschooling, and the challenge of carrying heavy burdens while trying to stay strong for everyone else.

Together, Carrie and Katie discuss what it means to steward a child’s care faithfully, how to respond when your child asks hard questions like, “Am I going to die?”, and why vulnerability, therapy, and community support are vital for special needs parents.

This conversation is filled with honest faith, practical encouragement, and the reminder that even in sorrow and uncertainty, God remains faithful

Eps. 49; May 19, 2026

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

What does it look like to keep saying “yes” to God when life feels chaotic, exhausting, and completely unexpected?

In this heartfelt conversation, Carrie Holt sits down with author, disability mom, and “coordinator of chaos,” Johnna Hensley. With six children—including a son with complex medical needs and three adopted children—Johnna shares what it really means to live a life of unexpected yeses.

From navigating disability parenting and biracial adoption to processing trauma, grief, and the reality of “forever nesting,” this episode dives deep into the everyday surrender required to follow God in the hard places.

Johnna offers honest insight into:

• Letting go of control and trusting God’s bigger story
• The shift from big, visible “yeses” to small, daily obedience
• Advocating for disability awareness and belonging
• Parenting through trauma triggers and emotional overwhelm
• Reframing expectations around independence and adulthood
• Finding peace in the questions instead of rushing to answers

This conversation is a powerful reminder that faith isn’t about having it all figured out—it’s about being willing to be willing and trusting God one small “yes” at a time.

If you’re a parent navigating disability, adoption, or the unexpected turns of life, this episode will meet you right where you are—with honesty, hope, and grace.

Eps. 48; May 12, 2026

Resources:
Johnna’s Website
Her Book: Reckless Yes
Children’s Book: HP and the VIP’s
Social Media: IG, FB, YouTube
Listen to This Podcast

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

What happens when the life you planned is suddenly replaced with one you never expected?

In this powerful and deeply practical episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie sits down with Dr. Joe and Cindi Ferrini, authors of The Special Needs Parent: A Guide to the Life You Never Expected, to talk about what it really looks like to raise a child with special needs over the long haul.

With over 45 years of caregiving experience, Joe and Cindi share honest insight into the shock of diagnosis, the strain on marriage, the weight of caregiving, and the beauty of a life shaped by faith. From navigating sibling dynamics and isolation to handling public judgment and building a support system, this conversation is filled with wisdom you can apply right now.

You’ll hear:

• How special needs parenting reshapes marriage—and how to stay united
• Practical ways to support siblings without neglecting their needs
• What to do when people stare, judge, or don’t understand
• How to build a “team” when you feel completely alone
• Real encouragement for caregiver fatigue and long-term burnout
• Why embracing your unexpected life can lead to deeper purpose and joy

This episode is for any parent walking the special needs journey—whether you're in the early shock, the daily grind, or years into caregiving and needing renewed hope.

You are not alone. Your story matters

Eps. 47; May 5, 2026

Resources:
New Book: The Special Needs Parent
Cindi’s Website

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

What do you do when you don’t have the words to pray?

In this deeply honest and hope-filled conversation, Carrie sits down with author and speaker Rachel Wojo to talk about caregiving, grief, and how prayer transforms in life’s hardest seasons. After walking a 22-year journey caring for her daughter Taylor, who was diagnosed with a rare terminal disorder, Rachel shares how suffering reshaped her faith, her understanding of God, and her approach to prayer.

Together, they unpack what it looks like to move from asking “Why, God?” to “Show me You,” how to pray in moments of exhaustion and overwhelm, and why God’s presence matters more than His intervention. Rachel offers practical, grace-filled ways to build rhythms of prayer in unpredictable caregiving life, including “prayer habit stacking” and letting go of prayer perfectionism.

If you’re a special needs parent, caregiver, or someone walking through grief, this episode will remind you that even your simplest prayers—“God help me”—are heard, held, and answered with His presence.

Eps. 46; April 21, 2026

Resources:
Rachel’s Website
Book: Desperate Prayers
Praying Through Life’s Battles

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

In Part 2 of this powerful conversation on This Unexpected Life, Carrie M. Holt continues her interview with Anna Harp, a young writer living with cerebral palsy who is discovering her God-given purpose through storytelling.

Anna opens up about the ongoing grief that can come with disability and the freedom of realizing that grief is not failure—it’s part of the journey. Through reflections on Psalm 23 and God’s “withness” in the wilderness, she shares how God meets us in our hardest places and gently reshapes our understanding of purpose.

You’ll also hear how Anna discovered her calling as a fantasy writer, creating stories where characters with disabilities are seen, valued, and empowered. Her passion is to help teens with disabilities feel understood, less alone, and full of hope.

This episode is a deeply encouraging reminder that:

• Your child’s story matters
• Disability does not disqualify purpose
• God uses the broken things for beauty and impact

Whether you are parenting a child with special needs or walking through your own unexpected journey, this conversation will strengthen your faith and remind you that God is always at work—even in the wilderness.

Eps. 45; April 14, 2026

Resources:

• Subscribe to Anna’s Monthly Newsletter
• Purchase Book Featuring Her Writing
• Anna’s Website

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.

In Part 1 of this powerful two-part conversation, Carrie sits down with Anna Harp, a young adult living with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy, to share her story of faith, fear, and transformation.

Born at just 27 weeks and spending nearly three months in the NICU, Anna’s life began with immense challenges. As she grew, she wrestled deeply with feeling “less than,” questioning God’s goodness, and navigating the emotional weight of living with a disability.

In this honest and hope-filled episode, Anna shares:

• When she first realized she was different
• Her struggle with comparison, anger, and faith
• The moment her faith became personal
• Her life-changing spinal surgery and recovery
• How she relearned to walk—step by step—with Jesus

This episode is for any parent raising a child with disabilities, and for anyone walking through fear, grief, or uncertainty. Anna’s story is a reminder that even in the unexpected places—Jesus is there

Eps. 44; April 7, 2026

Resources:

• Subscribe to Anna’s Monthly Newsletter
• Purchase Book Featuring Her Writing
• Anna’s Website

If you enjoyed the show, leave a 5-star review!

• Get my new resource: 5 Practices For Processing Grief
• Click here if you want to be a guest on the show
• Carrie’s Facebook or Instagram
• Find me on Substack
• My book: The Other Side of Special

*This podcast features honest conversations with special needs parents and faith-filled guests. While I deeply value the stories and insights shared, the views and opinions expressed may not always reflect my own. Any resources listed are shared for reference, not necessarily a personal recommendation. I invite you to listen with spiritual discernment and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in what you hold onto and set aside.