Find A Topic, Author, Guest or Category
After only four months of marriage, Christian singer Jeremy Camp’s wife, Melissa, died of ovarian cancer in 2001. On today’s edition of Family Talk, Jeremy discusses the deep heartache that rocked his entire world and shook his Christian faith. Ultimately, the experience shaped his musical career. In the midst of his grief and pain, 2 Corinthians 4:17 came alive to him. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
During a period in which he survived eight cancer surgeries and the removal of 80 percent of his tongue, Dr. Gary Oliver buried his father, his son, his only sibling, and his wife in a span of just four years. Because of the suffering that Dr. Oliver endured, he has been called a “modern-day Job.” On today’s edition of Family Talk, he reveals that in the face of unspeakable grief, his lifeline has been gut-wrenchingly honest prayer. In return, God has given him an indescribable joy and peace.
On today’s edition of Family Talk, Jonathan Evans and his wife, Kanika, continue discussing his new book, Fighting Your Battles: Every Christian’s Playbook for Victory, as well as their personal testimony of enduring four miscarriages. The parents of five children, Jonathan and Kanika share that through their trials, they learned to hold on to their faith and depend fully on the Lord. Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Jonathan notes that you know you’ve given your burden to God when you’re no longer trying to manipulate the outcome.
Within two short years, Jonathan Evans, the son of Dr. Tony Evans, and his wife, Kanika, lost eight members of their family, including Jonathan’s beloved mother, Lois. Their deaths shook the couple to their core. On today’s edition of Family Talk, Jonathan, a former NFL fullback, concludes that the Lord allows such trials in our lives not to pull us apart, but to push the Body of Christ together. Just like 9/11 united America, our hardships unite the community and produce perseverance. In his new book, Fighting Your Battles: Every Christian’s Playbook for Victory, Jonathan proclaims our greatest ministry will come out of our greatest misery.
According to Rita Schulte (SHOOL-tee), her high school sweetheart, Mike, was “superman.” Not only was he an accomplished dentist, but a loving husband and father who was involved in several ministries and led Bible studies. But, after developing and battling paranoia and insomnia, Mike became clinically depressed and took his own life. On today’s edition of Family Talk, Rita shares that in the weeks and months after her husband’s death, it felt like a bomb went off in her life. She was non-functional and drowning in guilt. As Rita began the healing process, she learned the key was not to focus on what happened to her, but to examine what the Lord was doing in and through her.
In a wave of successive life chapters, Margaret Feinberg battled aggressive cancer, chronic pain and financial hardship. During those trials, she learned that she could either “cling to her crisis or cling to Christ.” On today’s edition of Family Talk, Margaret candidly explains that faith is not the absence of doubt. The thorns in our lives should drive us back to God, Who is our refuge and strength. Contrary to secular claims, we can’t experience transformative faith without sacrifice, suffering, and service. In her book, More Power To You, Margaret shares that she has learned to pray the simple declaration: “God is good. God is on the throne. Breathe in, breathe out.”
As a child, Tom and Dena Yohe’s (pronounced “yoy” as in ‘joy’) daughter had a sensory processing disorder. In school she was bullied and, sadly, by age 12, started cutting herself. To numb her self-hatred and depression, she turned to alcohol and drugs. On today’s edition of Family Talk, the Yohes recount their heartache and desperation as their prodigal child spun out of control. Ironically, the cutting gave their daughter both a sense of release and control. Dena documents the emotional rollercoaster, the recovery, and their hope in God in her book, You’re Not Alone: Hope for Hurting Parents of Troubled Kids.
Fourteen years ago, Katherine Wolf suffered a massive stroke which led to thirteen surgeries and a life of limited mobility and other challenges. Since then, she's disrupted the myth that joy can only be found in a pain-free life. On today's edition of Family Talk, the author of Hope Heals points to Colossians 3 where the Apostle Paul wrote, "Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." No matter what trial you're enduring, Katherine calls you to persevere.
One day, Katherine Wolf was a 26-year-old wife and the doting mother to her six month old baby boy. The next day, without warning, she suffered a massive brain stem stroke. On today's edition of Family Talk, the author of Hope Heals recounts how she was in a coma for nearly three months. Today, fourteen years later, Katherine is living her best life possible, given so many physical obstacles. She utilizes a wheelchair at times but declares it's just an avenue to her freedom and only pushes her forward. A song lyric that she loves from David Crowder is, "Earth has no sorrow that Heaven cannot heal." Katherine exhorts believers to acknowledge their own "invisible" wheelchairs and how God can use their weaknesses for His glory.
On today's edition of Family Talk, Kathy Barnette and Dr. Ben Carson share how they did not let their environment and adversities define their lives. Despite the struggles and hardships each faced, neither felt they were a victim. Today, Dr. Carson is a retired neurosurgeon and political activist, and Barnette is running for a seat in the U.S Senate in the state of Pennsylvania. Both are convinced that America is the greatest nation that ever existed.
