A Season of Caring Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

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Caregiving can start with a few check-ins, then turn into a full-time reality before you even have words for it. We sit down with Carol Evans, a mom, business owner, and fellow podcast host, as she shares the tender and difficult story of caring for her mom through a short, intense battle with pancreatic cancer. When symptoms looked like ordinary aging until a stage four diagnosis changed everything, Carol found herself balancing love, urgency, and the painful truth that an adult parent can still refuse help.

We talk honestly about the day-to-day stress of family caregiving: the “push or pause” decisions, the discomfort of advocating to medical professionals when your loved one says “I’m fine,” and what it feels like to manage updates, appointments, and end-of-life care while trying not to lose the relationship. Carol also reflects on palliative care and hospice care, how resistance can tie a caregiver’s hands, and why having a knowledgeable support team can make the difference between panic and steadiness.

Faith is woven through the whole journey, especially when spiritual routines collapse under exhaustion. Carol shares how Lamentations became a lifeline for grief, and we explore the reality of dying that movies rarely show, plus the healing that can come from hospice education and grief counseling after loss. If you’re walking through caregiver stress, anticipatory grief, or the guilt that sometimes follows death, you’ll find language, perspective, and hope here. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review telling us what part of caregiving you’re in right now.

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You can love your family and still feel crushed when no one shows up to help. When you are the one making the calls, managing the appointments, handling the emergencies, and carrying the emotional load, loneliness can turn into resentment fast. We name that pain without shame, because those feelings are human and common for family caregivers, especially when siblings stay silent or relatives assume you can handle everything. 

We also get honest about the hidden cost: resentment promises relief, but it drains your strength, colors your relationships, and makes caregiving even heavier. From a Christian caregiving perspective, we turn toward the God who sees, anchoring hope in Scripture and in the reminder that your worth is not measured by how much you do or how well you hold it together. 

Then we get practical. I share a reframing tool that changes the tone of support: asking for help as an invitation to something meaningful. You will hear clear examples you can use right away, plus simple strategies for processing emotions, journaling, building a wider support system, communicating specific needs, and setting boundaries that protect your health. We close with a call to forgiveness that releases resentment’s grip and helps you keep moving forward with peace and purpose. 

If you know a caregiver who feels unseen, share this episode, subscribe for more encouragement, and leave a review so more family caregivers can find hope and real help.

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Caregiving rarely color‑codes itself on our calendars. One day you’re navigating an adoption that looks nothing like the tidy plans you imagined; the next day, you’re juggling a teen’s complex needs alongside aging parents in the hospital. Mandy Horne, a registered nurse and board‑certified health and wellness nurse coach, joins me to share how a late autism diagnosis reframed years of confusion, opened doors to therapies, and restored hope for her family.

We talk about the difference a diagnosis can make—not as a label to hide behind, but as a key to access care, educate a village, and reset expectations. Mandy shares the hard parts without flinching: sleepless nights, aggressive moments where her husband shouldered the physical load, and the invisible cost of running on empty. Then we trace the surprising arc of her son’s senior year, where supervised medication changes and a clear call toward ministry sparked a transformation. His YouTube and TikTok outreach is growing fast, and together they’ve launched “Jesus and Autism,” a candid space for families hungry for encouragement and truth.

Threaded through every chapter is a simple practice: surrender beats striving. We trade perfection for flexible habits—micro‑devotions, worship on the go, and five‑minute breath prayers that fit real life. We explore how to build a supportive church community, why “savor the ordinary day” is a lifeline, and how grace for yourself can be the pivot that keeps a home steady. If you’ve felt sandwiched between generations, if you’re waiting on clarity, or if you need language to explain what your family carries, this story offers both practical steps and a steadying peace.

Listen now, share this with a caregiver who needs it, and leave a review to help others find hope in their own season of caring. Subscribe for more stories, tools, and faith‑filled support.

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Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview last week with Dr. Ed Smink (Episode 137).  Dr. Ed shared his personal experience with burnout and how important it is to be aware of compassion fatigue. Rayna continues the conversation with tips on how leaning into love and respite can help overcome this condition for family caregivers:

• [1:06]  Compassion fatigue is described as a condition characterized by emotional and physical exhaustion, leading to a diminished ability to empathize or feel compassion for others.
• [6:27]  What would happen if you wrapped him in a hug and told him you loved him
• [9:00]  Leaning into love is one of the things you can do when you begin to focus on the task more than the person.
• [11:40]  Finding respite at home:
  • [11:47]  Identify roadblocks.
  • [12:36]  Ask for help.
  • [13:42]  Brainstorm ideas.
  • [14:32]  Do it!
• [15:01]  True compassion fatigue will take more than a little respite, but start small and explore what you can do to re-energize.
• [15:45]  This episode is brought to you by the Encouragement Series, a special gift coming in November.  Visit www.EncouragementSeries.com to sign up to learn more about this faith-based series that will offer you hope in this difficult season.  

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Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Dr. Edward M. Smink, Ph.D.  Dr. Ed is a speaker, coach, and author of The Soul of Caregiving: A Caregiver’s Guide to Healing and Transformation.  He holds multiple degrees including two M.A.s and a Ph. D in Psychology.  In addition, Dr. Ed holds a title as a Board Certified Chaplain and an Associate Coach. He attributes his skills to his experience at the bedside as well as to overcoming severe compassion fatigue and burnout.  Dr. Ed offers hope now to caregivers suffering from similar issues.  He provides the following insights:

• (3:34) Often times caregivers feel guilty when they ask for help.
• (6:33) Compassion Fatigue is not a mental illness, but instead something we all experience when we care to the point of exhaustion.
• (10:23) Three cultural taboos that prevent caregivers from seeking help:
  • (10:26) If you just keep trying harder, you can get it done.
  • (11:23) Don’t talk to anyone about your experiences.
  • (12:35) Don’t show emotion.
• (16:40) Compassion Resilience means you are able to absorb a situation and not have it take you off-balance.
• (20:18) It is important to be able to find the boundary to take on what you need to, but allow the rest to come off.
• (22:38) Self-care is the ability to reflect and take care of yourself.
• (25:04) Contact Dr. Ed at his website soulofcaregiving.com and order his book there or on Amazon.
• (25:33) When you find yourself overwhelmed, do the easiest thing.
• (27:11) This episode is brought to you by the Encouragement Series: Hope Over Regrets. This free faith-based series will be coming in November.  If you would like to receive updates, visit EncouragementSeries.com.

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Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview last week with Deb Kelsey-Davis (Episode 125). Deb shared how technology impacted her caregiving season and helped her with self-care. Rayna continues the conversation with tips on how creating routines can be a helpful tool for caregivers. In addition, she explores how faith can impact caregiving:

•  [1:00] The key to self-care is that it is not a one-time event but instead an ongoing routine or habit.
• [2:25] When we make time for things we love and schedule in fun, we have a happier life overall.
•  [4:13] Think about the routines you have in place and then add to them.
• [6:00] Using a habit tracker can help you add healthy habits into your life and it will help with consistency.
• [7:25] Give yourself grace as you can always start again tomorrow.
• [9:00] Nourish for Caregivers (www.nourishforcaregivers.com) provides an
  effective faith-based program to minister to the practical, emotional, and spiritual needs of caregivers.
• [10:20] Caregivers are invited to attend the weekly support group, House Calls, every Tuesday at 10:00 AM CST via Zoom. Join at: House Calls Registration.
• [13:13] Spirituality can provide relief from the endless routines of caregiving and also life-changing crises.
• [14:16] Make sure that you continue to include the faith journey in your caregiving.
• [17:21] Consider the person you are caring for and their spiritual growth.
• [19:00] This episode is brought to you by the Encouragement Series: Hope Over Regrets. Visit www.EncouragementSeries.com for more details.

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This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Deb Kelsey-Davis.  Deb is the Co-Founder of Sagacity.care, Co-Founder of Nourish for Caregivers, a clinician, speaker, and bestselling author. Her passion is supporting caregivers with practical, emotional, and spiritual resources necessary to maintain their financial, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. She draws on her experience of over 40 years in healthcare and her personal experience caring for her aging parents. She provides the following support: 

• (3:06) Remote caregiving is not lesser of a job and it can be done.
• (7:23) )  Sagacity.care is an app that can help caregivers organize and store important pieces of information.
• (9:33) Technology can help fill in the gaps.
• (13:08) Step one is to identify and create your Care Circle.
• (13:35) The second is to get organized.
• (14:00) Then, connect with others in the group.
• (14:19) The last piece is to share.
• (17:23) One self-care habit that helps Deb the most is starting the day with a cup of coffee, her Bible app, and prayer.
• (18:48) This episode was brought to you by the 5-Day Self-Care Challenge. This really simple 5-Day Challenge will help you consider your self-care (Sept. 19-24) Sign up at aseasonofcaring.com/selfcarechallenge

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Rayna Neises, ACC, host, reflects on her interview last week with Betsy Wurzel Sloan who was a caregiver for her husband who had Early Onset Alzheimer’s.  Betsy shared her experiences with her caregiving journey and explained that she gave herself permission to have Pity Parties. She also talked about the dying process. Rayna shares more on both important subjects:  

• [1:30]  Pity Parties are helpful and provide the opportunity to vent your feelings.
• [2:18]  Self-Pity can lead to Self-Compassion.
• [3:40]  There are many euphemisms for death and dying.
• [6:34]  When you hear some of the key phrases, ask for an explanation and more questions.
• [7:15]  The process of dying happens over an extended period.
• [11:25]  One to three months before death, there are both emotional and physical changes.  
• [12:37]  One to two weeks before, things move faster.
• [13:37]  Hospice can offer comfort through the dying process with medications for air hunger, pain, and anxiety.
• [15:42]  Many physical changes happen in the final weeks of life.
• [17:20]  Join the simple 5-Day Challenge to help you consider your self-care (September 19th – 24th).  Sign up at www.aseasonofcaring.com/selfcarechallenge

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This week, Rayna Neises, your host, speaks with Betsy Wurzel Sloan.  Betsy is a retired nurse and teacher’s aide who now has her own talk show. She is the caregiver for her special needs adult son, and she has helped her mother-in-law, father, and husband as they experienced Alzheimer’s. Through the journey with her husband, Betsy feels that she found her gifts, power, and voice. She now works to raise awareness of Early Onset Alzheimer’s with her mission to help no one walk the journey alone during caregiving or after. Betsy provides the following insights:  

• (5:00)  Live your life and enjoy it while taking your loved one out as much as possible.
• (5:41)  It can be easy to sit in a heap and feel sorry for yourself, but that is not going to do you or anyone else any good.
• (7:11)  With Alzheimer’s, know that today is the best day you have, so go ahead and take advantage of that.
• (9:26)  Self-care is not an option.
• (12:59)  We need to validate and acknowledge our feelings and have a ‘pity party.’
• (14:19)  Remember that it does not matter what other people think.
• (16:55)  Knowledge is power.
• (18:25)  You know your loved one so go with your gut instinct.
• (21:19)  We all need to learn about the dying process.
• (25:13)  Find Betsy’s show, ‘Chatting with Betsy’ on Spotify, Streaker, Apple, Pod Chasers, and join her Facebook group #KickAlzheimersAssMovement | Facebook
• (26:07)  This episode was brought to you by ‘No Regrets: Hope for Your Caregiving Season.’ Check out the special bundle, including a signed copy of the book, available for purchase at No Regrets: Hope for Your Caregiving Season - Rayna Neises: A Season of Caring.

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Rayna Neises, ACC, host, shares two important tools to help caregivers manage the stress that can be experienced while caring for a loved one.  She shares examples and insight on reframing and “Both/And” Thinking:

• [2:21]  When we frame our experience with good in mind, it is easier to see the good
• [4:26]  Reframing helps you to see all of the picture, not just one little part.
• [5:15]  Take a deep breath and notice if ‘your camera is zoomed in’ or your perspective is distorted.
• [5:39]  Reframing will help you strengthen your mental resolve.
• [6:36]  “Both/And” Thinking vs. “Either/Or” Thinking
• [7:50]  Unlike compromise which requires giving up something to agree, “Both/And” Thinking let’s both exist together.
• [9:37]  Read more at: “Both/And” Thinking, Say What? – Undaunted 
• [10:34]  “Both/And” Thinking creates breathing room and helps you to appreciate what you have lost and to appreciate what you have now.

This episode has been brought to you by No Regrets: Hope for Your Caregiving Season. Purchase your signed copy and special bundle by visiting www.NoRegrets-book.com.  Once you have read it, please consider leaving a review at any major retailer or Goodreads.