The Forgotten Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 228 - Family Discipleship: A Guide to Guiding Your Kids (w/ Sarah Cowan Johnson) Apr 08, 2024

Show notes

We all pray for our children to form a strong relationship with Jesus that will last a lifetime. But the truth is, many young adults walk away from their faith once they move out.

So what steps can we take to help our kids walk with Him throughout all the stages of their lives?

Today’s guest, Sarah Cowan Johnson, shares that a big part of the answer when we look at statistics lies in our parenting. Sarah is a ministry trainer, consultant, and coach who works with ministry leaders across the United States and leads seminars on family discipleship—showing parents how to help their children walk in the way of Jesus. Sarah shares key strategies for faith-based parenting in her book Teach Your Children Well: A Step-by-Step Guide for Family Discipleship.

In this episode, Sarah explains the most common pitfalls that stop parents from working worship into their home lives (and how to overcome them), how to disciple children no matter how long they may live under your roof, why it’s essential to let your kids ask questions and develop their own relationships with God, and so much more.

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/sarah-cowan-johnson-228/

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Episode 227: Picking Up the Pieces of a Misplaced Childhood (w/ Joan Ulsher) Apr 01, 2024

Show notes

TW: While Joan does not go into specific details, this episode does contain mentions of her experiences of abuse, and we wanted you to be aware of that before listening.

Our guests often share the traumatic memories their experiences in life have left them with. But today’s guest shares what it’s like for there to be pieces missing when she tries to recall her past.

Joan Ulsher is a writer, philanthropist, retired U.S. Army Major, and an award-winning child advocate. During her own childhood, Joan survived abuse and experienced the foster care system firsthand. Today, she says many of her formative years feel like “Swiss cheese” because of all the holes in her memory.

Joan tells her story in a memoir entitled Misplaced Childhood: A True Story of Resiliency and Child Advocacy.

In this conversation, you’ll hear how Joan has navigated her mind blocking out childhood memories, how her advocacy efforts have changed her inner narrative from that of a victim to that of a survivor, how finding Christ has given her life new purpose, and so much more.

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/joan-ulsher-227/

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Episode 226: Supporting Workers in the Foster Care Community (w/ Brian Gazdziak) Mar 25, 2024

Show notes

Many agency workers who serve the foster care community choose this path out of a passion for helping others. But transitioning into this challenging career can often be a very overwhelming experience. Even when workers are doing their best, they can start to feel like they’re not doing enough and that they don’t have a support system to fall back on in their times of need.

Brian Gazdziak is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker as well as a foster and adoptive dad. He has spent years providing specialized mental health therapy to help people, such as those in the foster care community, cope with life challenges. As someone who has experienced foster care from the perspective of both an agency worker and a foster parent, Brian has unique insights and empathy surrounding the topic of these complex relationships.

In this episode, Brian shares what it’s like to work with children and families in a hands-on capacity, how churches can provide much-needed support to foster care workers, how to build a better relationship with case workers, and so much more.

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/brian-gazdziak-226/

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Episode 225: Becoming an Emotional Safety Net For Your Child (w/ Michelle Nietert) Mar 18, 2024

Show notes

No matter the season of parenting you’re in, there’s one thing every parent needs to prioritize—mental health. Not just your child’s, but your own, too.

It’s easy to look at the behavioral or emotional struggles our children are exhibiting and start thinking of ways to “fix” them. What’s harder is looking inward and asking ourselves what steps we can take to nurture our mental health so we can show up for our kids in the best way.

Joining me today is Michelle Nietert, an author, a speaker, and the Clinical Director/Founder of Community Counseling Associates. She’s also a follower of Christ, a wife, and a mother to two school-aged children who puts her mental health knowledge to use every day as she seeks to nurture a happy and healthy household.

In this episode, Michelle teaches us how to support our children through life’s challenges, how to help children who’ve experienced trauma find hope, joy, and light in life, how to work prayer into your children’s lives as they grow up, and so much more.

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/michelle-nietert-225/

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Episode 224: From Adoptee to Adoptive Mom (w/ Cami Haussler) Mar 11, 2024

Show notes

Cami Haussler’s childhood was marked by turbulence. By the time she was 10, both of her parents had passed away. Her formative years were filled with a long string of life changes, and it seemed like every time she got close to a caregiver, they would leave her.

Eventually, Cami was adopted by her grandparents, but despite the love they showed her, Cami often struggled to let them in, fearing that they too would pass away and leave her alone again.

Today, Cami’s experiences have come full circle—she’s now an adoptive parent who has fostered 12 children and taken on a core role at a private child placement agency.

In this episode, Cami openly shares how the emotional struggles of her childhood molded her into the woman she is today, how her mindset as a foster and adoptive parent had to expand into one of grace and selflessness, the biggest challenges from her experience as an adoptee, how to avoid developing a “savior complex” as a foster parent, and so much more.

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/cami-haussler-224/

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Episode 223: When Motherhood Involves Unexpected Challenges (w/ Katie Faris) Mar 04, 2024

Show notes

Katie Faris knew that motherhood wasn’t always going to be smooth sailing, but she was more than ready to deal with temper tantrums and dirty diapers. What she wasn’t prepared for was receiving the news that three of her children had been diagnosed with a serious medical condition.

Katie’s story is deeply touching to me. She’s a pastor’s wife and a writer who has shared her journey with others through books like God is Still Good: Gospel Hope and Comfort for the Unexpected Sorrows of Motherhood and He Will Be Enough: How God Takes You by the Hand Through Your Hardest Days.

Woven through both books is her own family’s story as well as stories of others who found God to be trustworthy in the midst of their perplexities.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Katie has walked hand in hand with God through all the ups and downs of her journey, her advice for relying on your community, the power of prayer when hope is hard to find, and so much more.

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/katie-faris-223/

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Episode 222: Learning How to Give and Receive Care (w/ Randall Nichols) Feb 26, 2024

Show notes

Has God ever led you somewhere that you were previously scared to go? Are you currently facing a situation where God is inviting you to entrust your fear and concerns to Him?

That’s what happened for Randall Nichols, co-founder of ECHO Family Care Partners and an adoptive parent. Through his work at ECHO, Randall is working to resource churches and businesses to meet the needs of orphaned and vulnerable children and families through foster care, adoption, and wrap-around support.

In this episode, Randall shares the powerful story of connection that introduced their family to special needs adoptions, how to involve your children in the decision to care for others, why community often is the biggest concern for those considering adoption or foster care, the importance of being able to give and receive care, and so much more!

Apply to Become a TFI Advocate: www.tfiadvocate.org

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/randall-nichols-222/

Episode 221: A Complicated Journey of Foster Care & Motherhood (w/ Lisa Qualls) Feb 19, 2024

Show notes

When Lisa Qualls found out she was pregnant as a teen, it led to an unexpected journey through foster care. After giving birth to her son, she felt conflicting pressure to give him up to be adopted, and it would be 16 years until she would reconnect with him again.

Lisa has a unique perspective as she has experienced the adoption and foster care community as a former foster youth, birth mom, foster mom, and adoptive mom. Lisa is a TBRI® Practitioner, co-founder of Adoption Wise, and co-author of The Connected Parent with Karyn Purvis. She lives in North Idaho with her husband, Russ, with whom she has parented twelve children by birth and adoption.

In this episode, you’ll hear Lisa’s deeply challenging experience in foster care and becoming a mother, her passion for staying connected to a child’s first family whenever possible, how she strives to encourage foster and adoptive families today, and so much more!

Apply to Become a TFI Advocate: www.tfiadvocate.org

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/lisa-qualls-221/

Episode 220: Finding Treasures in the Darkness (w/ Katherine Wolf) Feb 12, 2024

Show notes

We’re exploring some deep questions on the podcast this week and I would love to hear how you’re processing them.

How do we navigate painful circumstances in life? How do we walk with others who are experiencing something deeply challenging? How do we respond when life doesn’t turn out the way we expected it to?

I was so deeply touched during my conversation with my guest today, Katherine Wolf. She is my beautiful sister in Christ who is also a stroke survivor, disability advocate, and author. She and her husband, Jay, have authored two best-selling books Hope Heals and Suffer Strong.

In our conversation, you’ll hear Katherine reveal treasures found in dark times, share practical insights on how to encourage and support those who are struggling, and more!

Listen in!

Apply to Become a TFI Advocate: www.tfiadvocate.org

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/katherine-wolf-220/

Episode 219: The Pain of Entering Foster Care (w/ DREION) Feb 05, 2024

Show notes

DREION is a husband, father, electrifying singer-songwriter, musician, producer, and performing artist originally from Omaha, Nebraska. He experienced the foster care system as a child at the age of seven, and his story is one of trauma, tragedy, and triumph that the world needs to hear. Today, DREION uses his music to inspire and shed light on this underserved community through powerful storytelling and intentional experiences.

In this episode, you’ll hear DREION openly share his painful experience of entering foster care, why he holds a passion to advocate for foster care reform, the hope he holds for the future, why music holds such a meaningful place in his soul, and his message for other current or former foster youth.

Listen in!

Apply to Become a TFI Advocate: www.tfiadvocate.org

Show Notes: https://theforgotteninitiative.org/dreion-219/

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