{"id":300475,"date":"2018-11-30T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-30T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/struggling-with-infertility\/"},"modified":"2024-10-07T22:41:39","modified_gmt":"2024-10-08T02:41:39","slug":"struggling-with-infertility","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/struggling-with-infertility\/","title":{"rendered":"Struggling With Infertility"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Chelsea Sobolik was devastated when her doctor told her she couldn&#8217;t have children. Sobolik shares how she found healing for her grieving heart and talks about the wonderful man she married.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-11-30.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:25:10","filesize":"23.04M","filesize_raw":"24155331","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2822,2860],"tags":[4646],"podcast_series":[7269],"cwp_profile":[8866],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-300475","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-growing-in-your-faith","category-hardship-and-suffering","tag-infertility","podcast_series-longing-for-motherhood","cwp_profile-chelsea-patterson-sobolik","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/300475\/struggling-with-infertility","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/300475\/struggling-with-infertility","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"ZosGoVTwQu\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/struggling-with-infertility\/\">Struggling With Infertility<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/struggling-with-infertility\/embed\/#?secret=ZosGoVTwQu\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Struggling With Infertility&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"ZosGoVTwQu\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg",508,508,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"kfairris@familylife.com","author_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/author\/kfairrisfamilylife-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Chelsea Sobolik was devastated when her doctor told her she couldn't have children. Sobolik shares how she found healing for her grieving heart and talks about the wonderful man she married.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2018-11-30.pdf","transcript_content":"<strong>Bob: <\/strong>Chelsea Sobolik was born without a uterus\u2014something that she never knew about until she was a freshman in college. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> As soon as I found out that I couldn\u2019t have children, immediately, my mind was filled with: \u201cYou\u2019re not a complete woman. No man is ever going to want you, because of the way your body is created.\u201d Those are kind of the two biggest lies I had to wrestle with and wrestle through: \u201cWhat does it mean to be a woman? If my body was created this way, what does it actually mean to be a woman?\u201d I knew I had to go through a lot of personal healing before I could ever step into anything that could remotely lead to marriage.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This is <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>for Friday, November 30<sup>th<\/sup>. Our host is Dennis Rainey, and I\u2019m Bob Lepine. There\u2019s a lot for a young woman to process, when she\u2019s 18 years old, and she\u2019s told she\u2019ll never be able to have children. We\u2019ll talk with Chelsea Sobolik about that today. Stay with us.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>1:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd welcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. Thanks for joining us. When you and Barbara\u2014of course, you had such a short courtship\u2014this is not even a fair question to ask. You guys, from the time that you proposed until you got married was how long?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Six weeks.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; here\u2019s the question: \u201cThere was just a presumption, with both of you, that you would get married and, someday, you\u2019d have kids.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> We talked about it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Mary Ann and I did as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> In six weeks, there\u2019s time to talk about that. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So I think most couples get married with that presumption; and most couples, if they find out that they\u2019re wrestling with infertility, that comes much later in their journey. But our guest today had a very different perspective as she faced marriage. She knew infertility was already a factor for her. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>2:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Chelsea Sobolik joins us. She is the author of <em>Longing for Motherhood<\/em>. She has worked for the U.S. House of Representatives on issues of child welfare, religious freedom, adoption, and foster care policy.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And by the way, that\u2019s just God saying, \u201cI\u2019m going to bless you\u201d; right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes; right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Isn\u2019t that fun?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And this book that you\u2019ve written, <em>Longing for Motherhood<\/em>\u2014I just turned to Bob, a few moments ago, and I said, \u201cYou know, now, starting 27 years of broadcasting; and I don\u2019t think we ever have interviewed a young lady who found out, while she was single, that she couldn\u2019t have children.\u201d I\u2019m just wondering, for you\u2014first of all, please explain to our listeners, kind of, what happened and how it came about, and why you can\u2019t have children.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Like you said, it is quite unique to know, before you get married, that you can\u2019t have children. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>3:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was born without a uterus, so it is <em>physically<\/em> impossible.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And you learned this because you were not having menstrual cycles.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Correct; correct.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And how rare is this, by the way?\u2014this syndrome?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> About 1 in 10,000 females, so it\u2019s somewhat rare.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; so knowing that, as a teenager\u2014and then being on a college campus\u2014and guys are asking you out on dates, and you\u2019re finding yourself attracted to guys\u2014you\u2019re starting to think, \u201cWould I ever want to marry this guy?\u201d In the back of your mind, there\u2019s always this: \u201cChildren aren\u2019t a part of this equation.\u201d How did that affect your dating life?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I went on dates in college; but I was wrestling so much through childlessness, that nothing really stuck in college. I went on a few dates, here and there, but just was dealing with so much, personally, that I didn\u2019t have time to devote to a dating relationship.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>4:00 <\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And do you think you backed off because\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Oh, absolutely! Absolutely!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So if a guy was interested, you may have taken a step back just because you were still processing the fact that you\u2019re not going to be able to have kids?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Absolutely; yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Chelsea, I have to ask you this\u2014at that point\u2014you told us, earlier, that your mom and your dad struggled with even having children, then decided to have children and couldn\u2019t. They decided to adopt. They adopted you and your brother from Romania, and then four others from Russia. Did your mom say something to you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes; she did. She did.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I mean, you had a few years there, in college. She had to have been through this\u2014not at the level you did, as a single young lady.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes; I actually bucked what she shared with me. She would share, \u201cI went through something very similar.\u201d My first thought was: \u201cYou don\u2019t understand!\u2014because you were married, and you had someone else to walk through this with,\u201d and \u201cI\u2019m completely by myself.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>5:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo I really bucked when she tried to compare our two stories. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe\u2019ve talked of how she was trying <em>so hard<\/em> to be empathetic. I received it in a light that she did not mean it at all. So she did; but again\u2014just the place and season I was\u2014it fell on a heart that was not tender toward her comfort at all, which she really was trying to comfort; but I didn\u2019t receive it well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So you were cautious in your dating relationships.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This was right there at the forefront. Was this a hurdle you had to overcome to be open to the possibility of marriage?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes; as soon as I found out that I couldn\u2019t have children, immediately, my mind was filled with: \u201cYou\u2019re not a complete woman. No man is ever going to want you, because of the way your body is created.\u201d Those are kind of the two biggest lies I had to wrestle with\u2014 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>6:00 <\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014and wrestle through: \u201cWhat does it mean to be a woman? If my body was created this way, what does it actually mean to be a woman after the Fall?\u201d Before the Fall, God created a man and a woman to procreate\u2014that\u2019s how He created us. But after the Fall, we know that families don\u2019t stay together; we know that couples struggle with infertility.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> We know that lots of difficulties were introduced into the world. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI really went through a process\u2014I knew I had to go through a lot of personal healing before I could ever step into anything that could remotely lead to marriage. I really wrestled through: \u201cWhat is my identity as a human?\u2014as a woman?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSomeone who, actually, really\u2014and I\u2019m not comparing our stories at all\u2014but someone that really did encourage me in what it means to be a woman is Joni Erickson Tada.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> For those who don\u2019t know her story, she was in a diving accident at 16\/17 and is paralyzed from the neck down. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>7:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe\u2019s actually married. I just took a lot of comfort from her story\u2014someone who has suffered much more than I had\u2014but someone still chose to love her and to unite their life with hers. That was really encouraging to me, as I went through my healing journey, to know that, if God ordained marriage in my life, He would also provide the man He wanted me to marry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs I wrestled through, \u201cWhat does it mean to be a woman?\u201d I also wrestled through, \u201cWill a man ever actually want me?\u201d After college, I moved to Washington, DC, and dated a couple of guys there\u2014shared with a few; but for other reasons, it just didn\u2019t move forward. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So you shared.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I did. I shared with one other man; it did not go well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Oh, really!?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>8:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Did you share because you sensed the relationship was progressing to where this might be something you guys would be pursuing?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes. At that point, we had been dating long enough that I knew that I needed to share it with him if we were going to move forward.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> He just did not respond well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That had to <em>really<\/em> hurt.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> It did, and it terrified me. We ended up ending our relationship, but it also terrified me from ever telling someone again.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I\u2019m trying\u2014and I don\u2019t know how\u2014well, maybe you can tell me. When you say, \u201cIt did not go well,\u201d did he shut down? Did he\u2014what did he do with the news that you could not have kids?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I think\u2014and I want to be delicate\u2014he blew it out of proportion. It is a <em>big <\/em>deal; absolutely! But he made it ultimate, when it wasn\u2019t.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And I get that; but I\u2019m also trying to think: \u201cIf you grow up with a longing, like you grew up with a longing to be a mom\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>9:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014\u201che grows up with a longing to be a dad. You\u2019re meeting someone and you go, \u2018Okay; am I willing to say, \u201cI\u2019m willing to go on this path of life,\u201d or will I always resent that this is something we can\u2019t do together?\u2019\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes; yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I understand how a guy could respond that way, and I\u2019m sure you understand it as well.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Of course.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But it can be painful and hard.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> It was for you when this happened.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes\u2014and again, I want to be very delicate\u2014but I think just words that were said\/mannerisms that were used did not make me feel safe in sharing that with him.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> I got it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> So how long before you started dating Michael?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> We were actually friends for two or three years before we started dating.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Had you ever talked about it with him as a friend?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I had not; I had not. We had a really good friendship before sparks flew. [Laughter] We started going on dates. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>10:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe were dating for probably about two months before I decided to share with him. And again, I had a lot of trust built up with him, just as a friend; and I knew him really well. I shared with him. And it\u2019s so interesting\u2014even though I had shared with another guy and it didn\u2019t go well\u2014I took the risk, and I shared with Michael.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhenever I had shared with a pastor or an elder that I couldn\u2019t have children\u2014in just kind of walking through it, spiritually, with them\u2014they would always tell me, \u201cIf a guy really loves you, it won\u2019t matter.\u201d I had that in the back of my head, sharing with Michael. And again, with the other relationship, it was blown completely out of proportion.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Right.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I thought, \u201cI\u2019ll try one more time,\u201d\u2014and shared with Michael, and it did matter. The way he treated me was much more tender in how he responded, but it still did matter. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>11:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMichael grew up without much experience with adoption. I shared with him my condition and also shared: \u201cIf we build a family, it would be through adoption.\u201d I have a big heart for adoption. He was, not only wrestling through childlessness\u2014and giving up the dream of natural fatherhood and parenting children that look like us\u2014he was also processing through, \u201cWould I be okay with adoption?\u201d We had a <em>rough<\/em> couple of months of dating.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Lots of tears; lots of very difficult conversations; lots of him seeking out wisdom from mentors and from Scripture. I kind of freaked out a little bit; because I thought, \u201cIt matters to him.\u201d Looking back, I\u2019m so glad it <em>did <\/em>matter to him; because I can\u2019t imagine getting five or ten years into a marriage and him coming to me one day and saying, \u201cI never processed this.\u201d \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Oh, yes!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I\u2019m so, so grateful that it mattered; because it is a big deal.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>12:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> So he came to me one night. We went to get a cup of coffee. He said: \u201cChelsea, I\u2019ve don\u2019t a lot of thinking. I\u2019ve done a lot of praying about what our future could look like if we continue moving forward.\u201d He said: \u201cChelsea, I\u2019ve realized that being a father is not about raising a child that looks like me. It\u2019s about raising a child that looks like Christ.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> In that moment, even though we had other things to talk about, and other things to work out, I knew he would be my husband. He was the man I wanted to build a life with; because I saw him be broken, too, and still trust the Lord, and still want me\u2014all of me\u2014in that. He had a vision for parenthood that\u2019s so much greater than a child who looks like him and me combined. It was a really special, special moment. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>13:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis: <\/strong>Yes; when I read that in your book, I went: \u201cWhoa!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u201cThat\u2019s a real man!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u201c\u2019I wanted to raise a child; and it didn\u2019t matter if he looks like me, but if he looks like Christ.\u2019\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> That\u2019s the calling. That\u2019s the kind of man you want to spend the rest of your life with, and go adopt a bunch of them!\u2014[Laughter]\u2014you know?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Just go provide a family for a bunch of kids, and let them know what that looks like!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> You\u2019re without a uterus, but you have ovaries.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Is in vitro\u2014is that a biological option for you guys?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Biologically, it is an option. However, we\u2019ve thought pretty in-depth about IVF. We\u2019ve chosen that it\u2019s not going to be an option for our family. I think there\u2019s some ethical gray-ness in that. I would caution people, really, to think well and deeply before walking down that path; so we\u2019ve chosen not to walk down that path.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>14:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAdoption is such a big pull in my life\u2014and there are so many children, who need safe, permanent, loving families\u2014that we\u2019ve chosen the adoption route.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And you know there are good, godly people who look at this, and say, \u201cWe think this is what God is calling us to,\u201d but for you guys, there are ethical dilemmas related to this that you have to process and say: \u201cOkay; Lord. Guide us, so that we can honor You and steward who we are in a way that brings glory to You.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And for you guys, you\u2019ve said, \u201cNo; that\u2019s not going to be something we\u2019re going to pursue.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You and Michael are going to process this for the rest of your days. You\u2019ll talk about, \u201cWhat if\u2026\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> But then, as God blesses you with these adopted children, it\u2019s going to be interesting to see how He enlarges your hearts through these little creatures, who are a mom\u2019s heart walking around outside her body. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> <em>Creatures!<\/em>\u2014is that what you call them?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Creatures!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>15:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> This may have nothing to do with what we\u2019re talking about, but I\u2019m curious about the tattoos on your wrist. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> [Laughter] I have two tattoos. The one on my right wrist says, \u201cRedeemed.\u201d It\u2019s so fun! I love it when people ask me, because I get to share the gospel. My horizontal redemption\u2014my adoption\u2014and then, my vertical redemption in Christ.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> And then the one on my left is a cross. Have you read or heard of the book, <em>The Broken Way, <\/em>by Ann Voskamp?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> She talks a lot about the cross in that book. That book was actually instrumental in Michael processing through how to walk through suffering, so I got this one too. They\u2019re my only two. [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> By the way, we interviewed Ann on that book.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Did you!? I love her!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And if our listeners are interested, they can go to our website, FamilyLifeToday.com\u2014there\u2019s a link to the interview with Ann Voskamp on her own processing of suffering in her life. Yes; that\u2019s there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>16:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> She\u2019s fabulous!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes; it was fun to meet her; because she was a radio listener, as she would do her chores, up in Canada\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Ohhh!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> \u2014up in the barn! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Oh, that\u2019s wonderful!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014taking care of the hogs. They raise hogs for a living on\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Of course, they do!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> She\u2019s married to \u201cthe Farmer.\u201d You had to read about \u201cthe Farmer.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes; yes. That\u2019s great!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So writing a book about longing for motherhood\u2014I\u2019m sure part of this was you being able to\u2014just, again, more fully process your own story.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> But you\u2019ve got a heart for young wives\/young women, who are going, \u201cIt doesn\u2019t look like I can have kids!\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> For those who miscarry regularly \/ for those who have never been able to conceive, and are wondering, \u201cWhere is God\u2014and the goodness of God\u2014in all of this?\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Yes; and I was thinking about those young ladies, who may be listening to this broadcast.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> You may be talking to their husbands. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>17:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWhat would you say to a husband about how he can bring comfort to his wife\u2019s heart, who has always wanted\u2014she has <em>longed<\/em>\u2014to be a mother?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I would say: \u201cJust show up. Just be present.\u201d He\u2019s not going to have the answers, as much as he might want to. But just show up\u2014hold her when she\u2019s crying or when yet another pregnancy announcement comes on Facebook<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>. There are the quiet, hard moments that are just difficult. They\u2019re hard, and you don\u2019t post on Facebook when you\u2019ve had a hard day; at least, not many of us do. So to know what\u2019s going to be hard for her. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tMichael knows that it was actually Thanksgiving when I found out I couldn\u2019t have children, so that\u2019s a tender time for my heart. So <em>know<\/em> the tender points for your wife and how to care for her well. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>18:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe five love languages\u2014everyone receives love differently\u2014learn hers! Learn how to care for her in suffering well. Maybe she needs an hour by herself to cry and process, and doesn\u2019t need anyone there. Maybe she needs someone to hold her when she\u2019s crying, or to go for a walk. <em>Learn<\/em> what helps her\u2014just be present.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; and to the young woman, who\u2019s listening, who was at the grocery store earlier this week and saw a mom with two little kids, and she\u2019s pregnant with a third.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> And every time she sees a scene like that, it just comes back to her. You\u2019ve had those moments.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I\u2019ve been there. I could not go to Walmart<sup>\u00ae<\/sup> for a number of years, because I would see families; and it was too hard for me.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> So what would you say to that young woman today?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I would remind her that Jesus sees, and He knows where she is, even if no one else does. Even if no one remembers to call her and ask how she\u2019s doing, but Jesus remembers her and sees her in her pain. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>19:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI would also remind her that God promises never to leave or forsake us. That promise includes childlessness. He\u2019ll be with us in those moments, where no one knows that we slipped away to the bathroom in the middle of church to cry; or we left Target without going to look at the purses because we saw a family, and we had to leave. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know, the sting that another pregnancy announcement caused on our hearts; or learning how to rejoice with those who rejoice, while mourning for those who mourn.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s just all of those moments where it\u2019s easy to feel forgotten. God promises that He\u2019s right there. I would just remind her of <em>truth<\/em>, and who God is in the midst of that suffering.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>20:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Can you go to a baby shower with joy?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> It has taken a long time. I don\u2019t go to every baby shower I\u2019m invited to, and people understand. Because I\u2019ve shared my story a little bit more publicly, people understand that, sometimes, it\u2019s too hard. I try to go when it\u2019s <em>very<\/em> close friends, but I don\u2019t go to every one I\u2019m invited to.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> Yes; I get that. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I\u2019d give that young lady some other comforting words by putting a copy of your book in her hands.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> And I\u2019ll tell you why this book is helpful. It not only has your story, and how you processed this\u2014and how Michael has helped you process it\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014but in the back of your book\u2014and I think this is really excellent. You\u2019ve got 30 Scriptures to sustain you in the midst of childlessness.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I do.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> I think the Bible comes alive\u2014the Psalms come alive\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014when you\u2019re walking through the valley of the shadow of death, and you\u2019ve lost something dear to your heart. I\u2019m glad you\u2019ve anchored your book\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Thank you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> \u2014in pointing people back to trusting God and believing His Word, even when you don\u2019t feel like it.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>21:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> Yes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong> Chelsea, thanks for how you\u2019ve handled the valley, and how you\u2019re continuing to handle it. Send me a birth announcement when you adopt your first one.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Chelsea:<\/strong> I will! [Laughter]\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong> By the way, I happen to know where people can <em>easily<\/em> get a copy of your book, <em>Longing for Motherhood<\/em>. We happen to have it in our <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>Resource Center. You can go, online, at FamilyLifeToday.com to order your copy; or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY, and we\u2019ll mail the book out to you. Again, the website is FamilyLifeToday.com; or you can order by calling 1-800-358-6329\u2014that\u2019s 1-800-\u201cF\u201d as in family, \u201cL\u201d as in life, and then the word, \u201cTODAY.\u201d The name of the book is <em>Longing for Motherhood <\/em>by Chelsea Sobolik.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, this weekend, we\u2019re going to have hundreds of couples joining us for one of our <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em><sup>\u00ae<\/sup> marriage getaways. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>22:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAll of these are happening in the Eastern Time Zone this weekend\u2014folks joining us in Chattanooga, Tennessee; in Hartford, Connecticut; Raleigh, North Carolina; and in upstate New York\u2014Saratoga Springs, New York. We are asking you to pray for these couples as they head out for a <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em>. Just pray that God would use this weekend getaway in their lives.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd for those of you who support the ministry of <em>FamilyLife Today, <\/em>thanks for making these getaways\u2014and all that we do at FamilyLife<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>\u2014possible. Your donations help support, not only this radio program\u2014keeping us on more than 1,300 radio stations and outlets all across the country, along with worldwide distribution through the internet\u2014but you also make possible our website; the resources we produce; and of course, events like the <em>Weekend to Remember<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs we approach the end of the year, we\u2019re asking all of our listeners to make a yearend contribution. We want to ask you to do whatever you can do to help support this ministry between now and the end of the year. Here\u2019s the reason why\u2014\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>23:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\u2014we have some friends of the ministry, who have offered to match every donation we receive, between now and December 31<sup>st<\/sup>, dollar for dollar, up to a total of $2.5 million dollars. That\u2019s a very generous matching-gift opportunity. If we want to take full advantage of that, we need listeners, like you, to make as generous a donation as you possibly can.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAs a way of saying, \u201cThank you,\u201d for that donation, we want to send to you a DVD copy of the movie, <em>Like Arrows<\/em>, which was in theaters just a few months ago. This DVD is not yet available for sale, but we have a limited number of copies available for those of you who can help support the ministry with a yearend donation. Go online at FamilyLifeToday.com to donate, or call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make a donation. Or you can mail your donation, along with your request for the DVD\u2014write to <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>at PO Box 7111, Little Rock, AR; our zip code is 72223.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>24:00<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd with that, we\u2019re done for this week. I hope you have a great weekend. I hope you and your family are able to worship together in your local church this weekend; and I hope you can join us back on Monday, when we\u2019re going to talk to Dr. Ramona Probasco. She was involved in an abusive marriage for many years. She now helps women and men, who are experiencing domestic violence. We\u2019ll talk with her about her own story and about what to do if your spouse is physically abusing you. I hope you can tune in for that on Monday.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today, Keith Lynch, along with our entire broadcast production team. On behalf of our host, Dennis Rainey, I'm Bob Lepine. We will see you back Monday for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas; a Cru<sup>\u00ae <\/sup>Ministry. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\tHelp for today. Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts to you. However, there is a cost to produce them for our website. If you\u2019ve benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright <sup>\u00a9<\/sup> 2018 FamilyLife. All rights reserved.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/\">www.FamilyLife.com<\/a>\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t1\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>","theme_header_position":"","post_header_is_sticky":"","is_header_overlay":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast\/300475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/podcast"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/91"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=300475"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/294104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=300475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=300475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=300475"},{"taxonomy":"podcast_series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/podcast_series?post=300475"},{"taxonomy":"cwp_profile","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cwp_profile?post=300475"},{"taxonomy":"series","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/series?post=300475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}