As we parent children with disabilities and special needs, we are no strangers to anxiety, stress, and constant decision-making. How can we find calm in the middle of the chaos?

In this episode of This Unexpected Life, Carrie M. Holt welcomes Kristin Faith Evans to discuss her new 40-day devotional, The Frazzled Parent’s Guide to Less Stress. Drawing from her own journey as a mother of a daughter with multiple disabilities, Kristin shares practical, Christ-centered tools for managing stress, including deep breathing, breath prayers, mindfulness, and releasing physical tension to God.

Discover how technology and constant distractions can increase anxiety, why our own emotional regulation matters when helping our children regulate, and how turning to Jesus in the present moment can help us navigate the uncertainties of disability parenting. You’ll also learn simple practices to build resilience, connect with God throughout your day, and find moments of peace even when life feels overwhelming.

Eps. 63; October 20, 2026

Resources:
The Frazzled Parents’ Guide to Less Stress
Frazzled to Calm YouTube Channel
Audiobook of The Frazzled Parents’ Guide to Less Stress
Kristin’s Website on Disability Parenting
Kristin’s Personal Website
This Unexpected Life Episode 14
Free Downloads to Reduce Stress
Kristin on IG
Disability Parenting on Instagram
Kristin on Facebook
Building a Thriving Marriage

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

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• 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 trust God through the unexpected realities of raising a child with complex medical needs—and how do you find hope after losing a child? In this special Spina Bifida Awareness Month episode of The Unexpected Life, Lacy Williams shares the story of her daughter, Autumn, who lived with spina bifida, autism, and additional medical complexities for 17 years before passing away in March 2026.

Lacy opens up about the realities of medical caregiving, how she never expected special needs parenting would be a part of her journey, celebrating unexpected milestones, accepting help from others, and navigating the complicated grief of both caregiving and loss. Through Autumn’s life and legacy, Lacy reminds us we don’t have to walk this journey alone, that God remains faithful through both joyous seasons and unimaginable grief, and that there is purpose in the hardest seasons.

Eps. 62; October 13, 2026

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

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• 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 future you imagined for your child suddenly changes?

In this episode, Carrie M. Holt sat down with Mandy Rawls, who shares how a prenatal diagnosis of Spina Bifida turned pregnancy into a season of uncertainty, grief, and fear. She relates her journey of navigating her daughter's diagnosis of spina bifida, the emotional and medical challenges faced, and how faith and community have been vital in her family's life. This heartfelt conversation offers insights into advocacy, hope, grief, and trusting God's plan through life's unexpected turns. Because sometimes the unexpected journey becomes the place where we come to know God's faithfulness most intimately.

Eps. 61; October 6, 2026

Resources:
Spina Bifida
IEP/IDEA and 504
Scriptures Mentioned: Matthew 6, Proverbs 16:9, and Romans 8:28

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

• The Podcast is on YouTube
• Check out my new website
• 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.