Finding Light

When we go through certain seasons in our lives we may feel drained, but we can find renewing strength through God when we have faith, pray, and wait upon the Lord.

God is always working when you don't see it. 

Having faith in Christ will guide you in the darkest of circumstances and grow your relationship with Christ. 

To recognize the voice of God, stay in his word to get to know him deeply. 

When you pray, have faith in God and he will answer in his due time. 

God will always provide for whatever situation you may be in. 

When you don't know where to go or where to turn, stop and listen to God. 

Cut the connections with the things that are bringing you into sin and destruction and connect with Christ who will bring you joy and rescue you from the bondage of sin. 

When we focus on the unseen, our faith and hope in Christ will grow. 

When things change around you, God never changes. 

Remember to build your foundation on God the solid rock and not sinking sand. 

Sometimes it can be hard to admit our weaknesses and struggles to others and even to God. 

It's always important to surround yourself with fellow believers of Christ to encourage one another, pray for one another, and worship and fellowship together. 

Trusting God in the new year!

When we are feeling fearful, God reminds us not to fear. 

In the previous podcast episode, we heard about Sara Claudia's experience at Leader Dog in Rochester, Michigan and met her new guide dog, Jackson. In this episode, she has returned home and tells us how the experience in the airport and flying went for her and Jackson. Plus, she and Seth talk about Jackson meeting Seth for the first time along with some other great experiences that you do not want to miss out on!

After waiting for what seemed like forever, Sara Claudia finally got her guide dog! In this episode, she tells all about her experience at Leader Dog in Rochester, Michigan from meeting her new companion, to training, to making friends, and more! Her husband Seth guest hosts this episode. 

For many years, Paige McLemore was mad at God after the murder of her sister. She questioned her faith, why her sister was murdered, and why her sister's murderer was still alive and nothing bad happened to him except for being placed in the state penitentiary. Then one day, Paige opened her Bible and everything became clear to her. God showed her that she needed to forgive the man who murdered her sister Lee. In this episode, hear Paige's powerful testimony of how God led her to forgive the man who took the life of her sister and how she encourages others to forgive with her book "Remembering Lee: The Noblest Revenge is to Forgive."

Kristin Smedley was on her way to having a thriving career in education. When she became pregnant with her first son, little did she know that her world and her family's world was about to get turned upside down. Her son was born with a rare eye disease and that changed everything for Kristin. Later, she became pregnant with her second son, who also was born with the same eye disease as her first son. Kristin's story of raising two boys who are blind shows how her strong faith in God has guided her and her family through the valleys and to the tops of the mountains. 

Gena Anderson takes you along on her journey of health and wellness through her relationship with Jesus. 

Sara Claudia and Erica have some big news they want to share with you in this episode! There have been some changes, but it's all good and working out the way God had it planned. Take a listen to see what the news is all about!

Injured during a softball game, Joy Griffin was left paralyzed and in constant pain. She had lost all hope. While reading the newspaper, she read about a camp meeting revival that was happening at a church close by. She begged her parents to take her. After meeting with the evangelist, he prayed over her, and right then and there, her healing began. Joy's story tells how powerful God can be when we have faith and hope in Him. 

Being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer didn't slow Courtney down. Instead of choosing to sit around and mope, she did the exact opposite and is living life to the fullest. Courtney shares her story of how her faith in God gives her the strength to face everyday challenges. 

Zach Gordon was heading into his junior year of football at Wake Forest University until he took a hit in the chest from a defender during a scrimmage game, leaving him unable to move. After spending some time in Wake Forest Baptist Hospital, several tests were conducted to figure out the cause of his paralysis, and later to be diagnosed with Transient Quadrapalegia (temporary paralysis). After some time, he regained movement. Today, Zach is a Special Education teacher and a football coach. He tells his story to Sara Claudia and Erica and what this experience taught him about playing for an audience of one. 

For many years suicide was something that wasn't talked about. A long-standing stigma that accompanies it kept many survivors of suicide from talking about it because of the shame and guilt they felt when they lost a family member. Ivey Rollins shares her story with Sara Claudia, Erica, and you about her personal experience with losing her dad to suicide, how it's okay to talk about it, and the importance to find a support group in your area. 

A wedding is a little girl's dream! Planning all the details from where the ceremony will take place to the color scheme, the flowers, and so much more! The main part, though, is picking out her dress! But what if the bride to be can't see? How will she be able to pick out her dress? Sara Claudia describes her experience picking out her dress in the dark and saying, "yes!" 

Gradually losing her sight at a young age, Denise shares her story of how she overcame the hardships of gradual sight loss and how she is able to live life to the fullest!

Seth popped the question and Sara Claudia said, "Yes!" This is the story of how Seth's proposal to Sara Claudia happened and how they both looked to God for direction and the peace in knowing they were meant to marry each other. 

Melissa Hill was living her dream of playing softball in college. One day she became extremely sick and that sickness lasted for a long time bringing her college softball career to an abrupt end. Today, Melissa shares her story of how her faith in God has helped her power through the illness she was diagnosed with and how she helps others with her story. 

In part two of "The Fight for a Family," Stephanie continues her story of how she became pregnant, gave birth during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how her faith and trust in God grew while her son, Brantley, spent the first days of his life in the NICU. If you haven't listened to part one, please listen to it before this episode to hear the full amazing story leading up to this point. 

Longing to start a family, Stephanie and her husband started the journey, but it wasn't easy. Faced with several bumps and roadblocks, the fight for a family was underway. In part one of the conversation with Stephanie, she shares the struggles she and her husband faced and how they relied on God for the strength to keep fighting and to keep moving forward. 

Sara Claudia and her boyfriend, Seth Cain, sit down with their friends Chase Jones and Cali Steed to talk about dating someone with a disability. Chase was in an accident that left him paralyzed. Although his disability and Sara Claudia's disability are different, they discuss the similarities that come with dating with a disability. 

Ally Grizzard had planned on becoming a nurse. Those plans changed on January 31, 2015, while carrying her dog to the vet and a truck carrying stolen hay nearly hit her head-on, causing her to swerve, flip her car, and ejecting her, causing her to land on her back and paralyzing her instantly. Today, she shares her story with Sara Claudia, Erica, and you about how she navigates through life and how her faith in God has guided her from the time of the accident to today.

What was supposed to be a fun day of turkey hunting with his cousins turned into a race to save his life. Cam Stovall shares his story of how he turned a tragic accident into a story of triumph with his strong faith in God with Sara Claudia, Erica, and you. 

We all have pet peeves in some form. Things that can be irritating like people who chew their food loudly or use the word "literally" when they aren't being literal at all, and so on. For someone who is blind, their pet peeves are going to be different and are going to be things that a lot of us wouldn't think about at all. Sara Claudia discusses with Erica what some of her biggest pet peeves are as someone who is blind.

One thing for sure is that Sara Claudia loves to travel! She has traveled all over the United States and around the world exploring God's beautiful creation. Hiking the mountains of Georgia, relaxing on the beach in Hawaii, listening to music and immersing herself in the culture of Ireland, and so many other cities, states, and countries! But you might be wondering, "How does she enjoy all of these places without sight?"  She answers that question and more in this episode that will give you a better view of how she enjoys sights without sight.

Have you ever been fearful to take that next step not knowing where you were going? Did you ever give something up and not really sure if you made the right decision or not to give it up? We have all been there at some point in time in life and have been fearful of the outcome. In this episode, Sara Claudia and Erica discuss how to trust God when we are faced with uncertainties in life while being obedient to him. 

It can be hard to find friends when you move to a new town, go to college far from home, or even right where you are now. Sara Claudia and Erica discuss how they found friends after some life-changing experiences and the importance of having a circle of friends that you can trust. 

There are times we feel like we are not hitting certain milestone's in life like we thought we should be hitting. For example, graduating from college with a full-time job, being married, and having kids all before the age of 30.  Sara Claudia and Erica discuss how they thought they should've been hitting a lot of life's milestones when they realized that God had a different plan for their lives. 

It's always great to laugh at yourself. For Sara Claudia and Erica, it's something they do all the time! Take a listen to this episode to hear some of the moments in their life where they had to laugh at themselves no matter how embarrassing it was. 

We have experienced a loss in one way or another. Whether losing a loved one or a physical ability, the effects of loss can be painful. Sara Claudia and Erica share their experiences dealing with loss in their lives and how God guided them through the pain of it. 

Have you ever met someone who is blind and not quite sure what to say to them or how to help them? Sara Claudia and Erica will help you ease that uncomfortableness with tips on what to do and what not to do with a blind person!