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Rising Above Ministries is lifting up the special needs community through support, encouragement, inspiration, and community.
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
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 program and enjoying their annual family camps. She's blessed to be mentor and friend to newer homeschool moms and to younger moms who are navigating the joys and the hard messiness of this special needs life.
About the Episode
In this conversation, Andrea Duerkop shares her journey as a special needs parent, discussing the challenges and triumphs of raising her son Sam, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy. She reflects on the emotional journey of receiving the diagnosis, the importance of community support, and the lessons learned through faith and resilience. Andrea emphasizes the significance of sibling dynamics, the feeling of being loved and chosen, and the impact of giving back through service. The conversation highlights the importance of finding joy amidst challenges and the power of community in navigating the complexities of special needs parenting.
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Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
Tuesday Apr 29, 2025
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 others on similar paths. As the mother of six children, Amy writes candidly about adoption and the unique challenges of parenting children with mental health issues and trauma. Her work focuses on developing life-giving spiritual practices specifically designed for overwhelmed caregivers. Through her writing, mentorship programs, and spiritual direction sessions, she creates spaces where parents can find both practical support and emotional renewal. Amy lives in Michigan with her husband, where she continues to expand her impact through various forms of outreach to the special needs parenting community.
About the Episode
In this conversation, Becky Davidson and Amy discuss the importance of spiritual practices for caregivers, particularly those dealing with invisible disabilities. They explore how to create accessible spiritual practices that fit into the busy lives of overwhelmed caregivers. Amy shares her journey of mentoring and spiritual direction, emphasizing the need for personal connection with God through small, life-giving practices. The discussion also highlights the transformative nature of spiritual direction as a form of soul care, contrasting it with traditional therapy and mentoring. In this conversation, Amy shares her experiences with spiritual direction, the challenges of parenting children with hidden disabilities, and the importance of finding joy amidst life's difficulties. Amy emphasizes the need for support and understanding among parents facing similar challenges, encouraging them to seek connection and find joy in small moments.
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Instagram: @amyjbrown_writer
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
About the Episode
Introducing: RISING ABOVE DADS – The Podcast for Dads Raising Exceptional Kids
Calling 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 sugarcoating. No expert-only jargon. Just dads supporting dads, sharing laughs, and reminding each other we’re not in this alone.
Tune in for funny fails, small victories, dad wisdom, and stories that’ll lift you up (or at least make you feel slightly more sane).
Because fatherhood doesn’t come with a manual—but at least now, it comes with a podcast.
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Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
Tuesday Apr 15, 2025
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 has cerebral palsy, fine and gross motor control delays, an intellectual delay, a speech delay, hearing loss, and ADHD.
About this Episode
In this conversation, Becky Davidson and Sara discuss Sara's journey through adoption, particularly focusing on her experiences with her son Camilo, who has special needs. They explore the emotional challenges of adoption, including trauma, depression, and the importance of community support. Sara shares her insights on parenting a child with special needs, the joys and challenges they face, and how her relationship with God has evolved throughout this journey.
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Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
Tuesday Apr 08, 2025
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 and the role of the Holy Spirit in parenting. In this conversation, Larah and Becky discuss the challenges of parenting children with autism, focusing on understanding emotional behaviors, the importance of advocacy, and the role of faith in navigating these experiences. They share personal stories and insights on how to approach parenting with love, responsibility, and spiritual guidance, emphasizing the significance of communication and understanding in fostering positive relationships with their children.
About Larah
Larah Roberts is a Bible teacher, author, podcaster, and Instagram content creator at Raising Autistic Disciples. She is passionate about encouraging and equipping others to grow in personal discipleship—and having fun while doing it. Raised in Louisiana and now calling North Carolina home, Larah shares life’s adventures with her college sweetheart, Collin. Together, they co-authored How to Advocate & Stay Christian, a practical resource on navigating advocacy with a gospel lens. Beyond ministry and writing, Larah’s greatest joy is being a mom to three fun and energetic kids who keep life exciting. She loves road trips, collecting earrings, cheering for every team in the WNBA, reading, naps, and deep conversations over coffee.
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Instagram: @raisingautisticdisciples
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
Tuesday Apr 01, 2025
About Susanna
About the Episode
In this conversation, Susanna Zekas shares her journey as a mother of three boys, each with unique needs, including Down syndrome and autism. She discusses the challenges and triumphs of special-needs parenting, the impact of early diagnoses, and the importance of community support. Susanna reflects on significant breakthroughs in her children's lives and her hopes for their futures as they transition into adulthood. She emphasizes the significance of understanding grief, connecting with other families, and finding joy in adversity through love and gratitude.
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Tuesday Mar 25, 2025
Tuesday Mar 25, 2025
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-needs journey that God is good all the time and that everyone is fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God.
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Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
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 it wasn’t going to be an easy journey for them. They went through multiple miscarriages before finding out they were pregnant with twins in 2023. One of the twins didn’t make it past 9 weeks, but Evelyn stayed strong throughout the pregnancy. After 41 weeks of pregnancy, Leslie went into an induction and ended up having an emergency c section, that started their journey into the medical world with caring for Evelyn. It is a walk they didn’t anticipate and has taken them by a storm, but one God called them to walk, one step at a time.
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Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
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, her passion is creating spaces for all kids—regardless of their background, behavior or unique needs—to belong, contribute and grow. Through speaking, writing and coaching Kim works with parents, church leaders and organizations to equip volunteer and staff teams, strengthen families and support parents. She has a Masters in Family Ministry, Masters in Business Administration, is a Trauma Free World Affiliate Trainer, a TBRI Practitioner®, and a frequent speaker on topics related to trauma, disability, and neurodivergence and the author of the new book, Boundless Hope for Every Child.
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Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
Tuesday Mar 04, 2025
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.
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