According to current statistics, we are facing a crisis when it comes to mental health and our kids. With an increase in suicide rates, depression and anxiety, many kids and teens are facing so much more than they can begin to know how to handle. What can we do as adults to be a safe place for a young person? How can we help a child heal from trauma and crisis?

Kim Tschirret knew from her own personal story as a child with an abusive and alcoholic father that healing was possible through Christ and the help of a seemingly unlikely source: horses. Kim found solace in spending time with a horse as a young girl and knew that others could find healing too by engaging with these magnificent animals. It is what led her to start Hope Reins, a non-profit organization in Raleigh, NC, that "pairs kids in crisis with rescued horses to find hope and healing." What has transpired is a beautiful story of redemption as horses and children, both facing painful emotional wounds, have found healing through the power of their connection with one another. Since its' inception in 2010, Hope Reins has helped over 2,600 kids in crisis at no-cost to the families it serves.

Davey sits down with Kim to talk about how our past pain can lead us into an incredible redemption story for others, what kids need to feel safe, and how any adult can be a trusted source of hope in a hurting child's life.

Resiliency after trauma is possible and Kim's story shows us what a powerful salve love can be for both discarded animals and wounded hearts in the quest for restoration.

What happens when you find yourself in the middle of a national tragedy, when your story is part of a collective one on every news outlet in the country? How do you find healing after a trauma played out on a national stage?

For Christina Stanton, that was a lifelong question that began on a fateful day in New York City on September 11, 2001. Running for her life after the Twin Towers attack left her facing the rubble well beyond that infamous day. Wrestling with the aftermath of PTSD and the devastation that came from surviving such a horrific scene, Christina was searching for answers and she found them within the walls of a local New York City church. Finding God in the midst of such wreckage and having the people of God bear witness to her pain while providing practical help brought her hope and revealed the power of the Church.

As if living through that national tragedy wasn't enough, Christina would find herself once again a part of a story that made national headlines when she contracted Covid-19 in early March 2020 and fought for her life in a hospital room, hundreds of miles from home. Living through two tragic marks in American history gave Christina a deeper understanding of who God is, even when we face the worst.

In this episode, Davey and Christina talk about the value of the Church witnessing the pain of others, what suffering teaches us and the importance of community in finding healing from post-traumatic stress.

Your suffering may not have been experienced on such a global scale, but you will find comfort and encouragement towards hope and healing in this conversation.