Christian Parent, Crazy World

Teen suicide is a subject no parent ever wants to face—but in today’s world, it’s a crisis that cannot be ignored. In this heartrending and hope-filled "Best Of" episode, Catherine sits down with featured guest Emma Benoit, a vibrant young woman whose hidden battle with anxiety led to a suicide attempt that changed her life forever, and with expert guest Jennifer Ellers, a Christian counselor and crisis responder specializing in youth suicide prevention.
Host Catherine brings listeners a gripping and candid conversation about the epidemic of teen suicide—a tragedy impacting families in every community. With staggering statistics showing suicide as the second leading cause of death among young people, the need for awareness and action has never been greater.
Special Guests:
Emma Benoit: Once a vibrant, high-achieving varsity cheerleader, Emma survived a self-inflicted gunshot wound at 16. Paralyzed from the waist down, Emma has transformed her pain into purpose, becoming a passionate advocate for mental health and suicide prevention.

Jennifer Ellers: Christian counselor, crisis responder, trainer, and author specializing in youth suicide prevention. Jennifer’s insights bridge clinical expertise with faith-based hope.

What You’ll Discover in This Episode:
Emma’s Hidden Battle
Hear Emma Benoit candidly recount how crippling anxiety and private pain led her to the brink—while outwardly, no one suspected she was suffering. “No one knew...because I was ashamed of it,” she shares, highlighting the dangerous power of stigma and secrecy (08:17).
Warning Signs & Early Intervention
Jennifer Ellers unpacks what every parent needs to know: the evolving age of onset (with cases now seen as young as six years old!), the often-masked signs of distress, and why honest, nonjudgmental conversations are the most important tool parents possess (10:12).
The Seductive Lie of Suicide
Both Emma Benoit and the experts stress that “no one wants to end their life—they want to end their pain.” The moment after her attempt, Emma was flooded with regret—a pattern echoed by many survivors. Suicide is rarely about death, but the desperate desire for relief (22:31).
The Spiritual Battle Beneath the Surface
Catherine, Emma Benoit, and Jennifer Ellers break the silence on the spiritual warfare at play—how despair is more than physical or emotional, but a real assault on hope itself. “You won’t convince me there’s not a spiritual component… that voice, that seduction, I absolutely believe is Satan,” Jennifer Ellers declares (34:56).
Hope, Healing, and Taking Action
This episode is not just a call to awareness—it’s a message of hope. Emma’s road to recovery, both physically and spiritually, is nothing short of miraculous. She offers a lifeline to every young person listening: “It’s okay to feel that way. Just hang in there. It gets better, and hope is so real” (40:34).
Practical Guidance for Parents:
Ask the uncomfortable questions, openly and directly.

Cultivate an environment where feelings are named and normalized.

Treat mental health as a body, mind, AND spirit issue—seek help, including professional and faith-based support.

If there is a threat of harm, remove potential means and seek immediate intervention.

Notable Moments:
“Death isn’t what [the suicidal] are after—it’s the escape from the turmoil and pain.” – Emma Benoit
“It’s a mind, body, spirit issue. If you leave out any one aspect, you’re not treating the whole person.” – Jennifer Ellers
“God has a plan to deliver everyone. We have to submit to His prescription, whatever that means.” – Catherine
About the Guests:
Emma Benoit shares her story widely through My Ascension, a documentary shown in schools and communities across the country. Jennifer Ellers is a leader in Christian counseling and crisis intervention, affiliated with the American Association of Christian Counselors.
Connect & Resources:
Learn more about Emma’s mission and the My Ascension film: myascension.us

Find counseling and suicide prevention resources: aacc.net

In a crisis? Call or text 988 for immediate help.

List of Scriptures to pray over those struggling with mental illness: Catherine's Resources
PARENT CHALLENGE:
Are you willing to look beneath the surface and have the hard conversations? This week, ask your child—even if they seem “fine”—how they’re really feeling. What would happen if you treated emotional pain as seriously as physical pain, and taught your family to do the same?
Listen now, and help bring hope into the darkness—because as Christian parents, we are called to fight for life, truth, and healing for our children.
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There’s an invisible crisis happening right before our eyes—men are suffering in silence, and too often, the warning signs go unseen until it’s too late. In this raw and deeply personal episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, host Catherine confronts the urgent mental health struggles facing the men and boys we love most.
Following a heartbreaking loss in her own circle—a former student and friend of her son who took his own life—Catherine welcomes accomplished physician and public health leader Dr. Tyler Evans to the show. With over four decades of crisis response in 110 countries and expertise in infectious diseases and addiction medicine, Dr. Tyler Evans shines a light on the hidden epidemic of men’s mental health.
What You’ll Discover in This Episode:
Staggering Statistics: Four out of five suicides in the U.S. occur among men—why are their cries for help so often missed?

Root Causes Unmasked: Dr. Tyler Evans breaks down the key drivers, including emotional suppression, cultural pressures, “emotional illiteracy,” and the uniquely lethal methods men often choose in a crisis.

Signs You Can’t Ignore: Learn how to spot the subtle and overt behavioral changes, increased substance use, and other red flags that surface before a crisis moment.

Practical Ways to Show Up: Catherine and Dr. Tyler Evans discuss actionable strategies—asking reflectively, listening without judgment, staying connected, and reducing access to lethal means.

Parenting Through Prevention: How can Christian parents—especially mothers—foster emotional intelligence in boys, help break generational cycles of silence, and make space for “big feelings” in everyday conversations?

Faith as a Lifeline: Catherine reminds listeners of the power of prayer and the importance of turning to Scripture, partnership with Christian counselors, and supporting one another in faith.

Notable Episode Moments:
Dr. Tyler Evans explains the difference in suicide methods and why men’s emotional struggles so often go undocumented—and therefore untreated—at 07:41.

“Giving men permission can come with such a sigh of relief,” Dr. Tyler Evans urges at 21:00, championing persistence and compassion over confrontation.

The vital role of removing lethal means like firearms or dangerous medications during acute crises is emphasized at 30:38.

“It is not too late to break generational cycles,” Dr. Tyler Evans encourages parents at 25:21, pointing to signs of hope among Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Why This Matters:
This episode isn’t just about statistics—it’s a call for Christian parents to become vigilant, compassionate first responders in their own homes and communities. The silence must be broken, and the cycles of emotional isolation interrupted, for the sake of our husbands and sons.
Modern Application:
Are you nurturing an atmosphere where your sons and husbands can share their deepest feelings? Are you ready to ask uncomfortable questions and respond with grace, even when it's hard? As believers, let’s lead the charge in seeing and supporting the men in our lives, before another tragedy takes place.
About the Guest:
Dr. Tyler Evans is an infectious disease physician, epidemiologist, and public health leader, author of Pandemics, Poverty, and Politics, and the former Chief Medical Officer for NYC’s COVID-19 response. He currently leads Wellness Equity Alliance, focusing on accessible mental health care for all.
Connect with Dr. Tyler Evans:
wellnessequityalliance.com

drtylerevansmd.com

Book: Pandemics, Poverty, and Politics (Johns Hopkins University Press)

EPISODE LINKS:
National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Dial 988

Scripture list for parents praying for mental health (on Catherine’s website)

Thought-Provoking Question for Listeners:
Are you creating space for the men in your life—sons, husbands, brothers, fathers—to admit when they’re not okay? What intentional steps will you take today to foster emotional honesty, offer support, and build a family culture where struggles are seen and hope is never out of reach?
Don’t miss this crucial conversation—and be sure to share it with someone who needs it most.
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

How Can a Good God Allow So Much Evil and Suffering? Wrestling with the Toughest Question in Faith
For many parents—and for the next generation—one question stands above the rest as the #1 barrier to Christian belief: If God is good and all-powerful, why does He allow evil and suffering in the world? This episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World dives bravely into that profound dilemma, equipping parents to address their children’s toughest doubts and their own deepest struggles.
Join host Catherine as she sits down with Dr. Douglas Groothuis, one of the most respected minds in Christian apologetics. Dr. Groothuis is Distinguished University Research Professor of Apologetics and Christian Worldview at Cornerstone University, and the author of over 20 books, including the acclaimed Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith. Beyond his accolades, listeners will be moved by Dr. Groothuis’s personal journey through heartbreak and grief, offering a unique blend of intellectual rigor and heartfelt empathy.
What You’ll Discover in This Episode:
Why Every Worldview Faces the Problem of Evil
Dr. Groothuis breaks down why not just Christianity, but every philosophy—atheism, pantheism, secularism—must wrestle with the existence of evil. Discover how Christianity uniquely anchors the concepts of good and evil.

A Personal Journey Through Suffering
In a moving account, Dr. Groothuis shares how the loss of his brilliant wife Rebecca to dementia challenged—and deepened—his faith, giving listeners a firsthand look at trusting God in the depths of pain 16:55.

The “Greater Good” and Soul-Making
Explore the idea that God can use pain, loss, and evil for a greater good—one we may not fully see from our limited vantage. As Dr. Groothuis says, “I can trust the God who I know for the things I can’t understand” 16:49.

Lament: Biblical Permission to Grieve with God
The conversation tackles the Biblical tradition of lament—bringing our confusion, anger, and sorrow honestly to God. Dr. Groothuis points to the Psalms and the disciples’ struggles, reminding us that doubt and pain are not signs of weak faith, but invitations to deeper trust 31:19.

Answering Teens’ Toughest Questions
From why God couldn’t create a world with free will and no evil, to whether evil actually exists, the episode tackles real questions from young people with honesty, logic, and compassion.

Heaven: The True Hope for Suffering Believers
Dr. Groothuis illuminates the ultimate Christian hope—a new heavens and new earth where suffering is redeemed, not forgotten, and God’s presence is our deepest joy 54:56.

Notable Moments & Quotes:
“I can trust the God who I know is there for the things that I can’t understand.” — Dr. Groothuis

“Every worldview has a problem with evil—it’s not just Christianity.” — Dr. Groothuis

“Jesus is the only one who has the words of life.” — Catherine 01:02:51

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain.” — CS Lewis, quoted by Catherine 44:37

“Where else are we going to go? Nothing else will satisfy.” — Catherine reflecting on Peter’s words 35:06

Why This Matters:
For Christian parents, the challenge of suffering is not just an abstract question—it strikes at the heart of faith formation in our families. This episode arms parents with both deeply reasoned answers and encouragement to walk alongside their children in seasons of doubt, suffering, or loss.
Modern Application:
No home is untouched by suffering. Parents, are you equipped to guide your children through questions about God’s goodness in a hurting world? Can your family find meaning in pain, and hold onto hope in hardship?
About the Guest:
Dr. Douglas Groothuis is Distinguished University Research Professor of Apologetics and Christian Worldview at Cornerstone University and the author of over 20 books, including Christian Apologetics and Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness—A Philosopher’s Lament. His insights come not only from scholarly study, but from a heart acquainted with sorrow and a faith refined by fire.
EPISODE LINKS:
Dr. Groothuis' Website
Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith

Walking Through Twilight: A Wife's Illness—A Philosopher’s Lament

Truth Tribe Podcast with Dr. Groothuis

Emerging Gen Z May Deliver Huge Blow to Religion in U.S. (Baptist News Global, 6/8/18)
Thought-Provoking Question:
How is your family responding to the painful “why” questions of life? Are you willing to walk with your children into the hard places—and point them toward the only One who holds the words of life?
Tune in for an episode that will challenge, comfort, and equip you to lead your family with courageous faith—even when the answers aren’t easy.
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

At some point, every Christian parent finds themselves facing “giants” — immense obstacles and seemingly impossible circumstances that stand between them and God’s promises. How you respond in these moments determines whether you move forward into the life God intends, or let fear and discouragement hold you back.
In this deeply personal and practical episode, Catherine invites listeners into her own challenging season—her husband’s unexpected job loss, a year of solo parenting, and a disastrous home renovation that threatened to derail everything. With remarkable honesty, Catherine unpacks the real struggles families encounter as they pursue God’s calling in the midst of overwhelming adversity.
But this episode is more than a story of hardship. Catherine shares six powerful, actionable steps for any believer facing a giant—whether in their marriage, career, finances, health, or faith:
Gain God’s Perspective: When circumstances look hopeless, seek to see your situation through God's eyes—not just the intimidating physical realities (08:01). Drawing inspiration from Elisha’s story in 2 Kings 6, Catherine encourages listeners to pray for spiritual vision that reveals God’s power at work beyond what’s visible.

Keep Your Eyes on God, Not the Enemy: It’s tempting to focus on the size of your problems, but victory comes from fixing your gaze on the God who is bigger than any obstacle (13:10). Stories of Moses and Peter remind us that fear grows when we focus on the enemy, but faith grows when we focus on God.

Find Your Fight Songs: Worship is a weapon. Catherine describes how building a playlist of battle songs, like "Greater is He" by Blanca, helped her replace fear with hope—even when nothing changed externally (18:09). She urges parents to let worship shape their outlook during trials.

Gather Your Weapons: Know and wield the Word of God. Catherine describes creating lists of personalized scriptures to pray daily over her children, her family, and her battles. She emphasizes the importance of having these spiritual “weapons” ready before the fight comes (22:41).

Partner in Prayer: Giants don’t fall through solo efforts—find others to pray with and for you. Whether it’s a spouse, small group, or prayer team, uniting faith with others shifts the battle (27:08).

Speak to Your Giant—Prophesy Its Future: Refuse to agree with the enemy’s narrative. Catherine recounts how publicly rejecting the enemy’s threats and speaking agreement with God’s promises led to unexpected breakthroughs—in her bathroom remodel, in her home sale, and in her family’s future (31:05). She clarifies: this isn’t “name it, claim it” theology, but the biblical principle of aligning your words and faith with God's revealed plan rather than fear.

By sharing her vulnerability, setbacks, and ultimate victories, Catherine both comforts and challenges parents: your fight with giants is part of God’s story for you. This episode provides not only encouragement, but also a spiritual toolkit you can use immediately—so you can keep moving toward God’s promises, no matter how daunting the battle seems.
Resources and Further Support
Free scripture resources and faith-building tools available at Catherine’s website

Blanca "Greater Is He"

For any parent standing at their own “Red Sea,” this episode equips you to see beyond your current circumstances, lean into practical faith, and trust the God who is always greater than your giant.
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Too often, our entire healthcare system is designed to chase symptoms, not solutions. We numb the pain, mask the problem, and patch the visible cracks—rarely pausing to dig for the real reason something is wrong. But what if this approach is quietly failing our children and families, creating lifelong challenges where there could have been correction and healing?
In this memorable episode of Christian Parent/Crazy World, host Catherine pulls back the curtain on one of the most overlooked arenas where symptom-chasing can rob families of true wellness: our children’s oral and airway health during sleep. Bringing practical wisdom, expert insight, and personal experience, Catherine is joined by Dr. Kallie Hale—one of the country’s leading dentists specializing in dental sleep medicine and airway health.
Free Dental Airway Assessment: Visit www.toothpillow.com/cpcw and use CODE: CPCW to get a free upgrade that includes a full video assessment, a $50 value.
Meet the Guest:
Dr. Kallie Hale is the co-founder and Chief Clinical Officer of The Airway Dentists and the founder of Tooth Pillow, a teledentistry platform helping families nationwide address airway-related root causes of health issues. With a national speaking career and a passion for pediatric sleep-disordered breathing, Dr. Hale has made it her mission to change how dentistry and medicine care for children’s well-being—by getting to the source of symptoms rather than merely managing them.
Episode Highlights & Key Insights:
The “duct tape” problem in medicine and parenting: Many health challenges—headaches, poor sleep, crooked teeth, even mental health—are met with short-term remedies rather than curiosity about their origins (Catherine, 03:38).

Oral health, airway function, and your child’s future: Dr. Hale describes how issues like crooked teeth, mouth breathing, tooth grinding, and even bedwetting can signal deep-seated airway problems that affect not just dental aesthetics, but growth, learning, and emotional health (Dr. Hale, 12:00).

Rethinking orthodontics: For generations, standard dental practice has started “too late,” waiting until adolescence to straighten teeth and sometimes extracting healthy teeth—while missing the root cause: underdeveloped jaw and airway structures. Dr. Hale urges, “The way we do our orthodontic treatment on our children now will determine how they live for the rest of their life, and how they age.” (Dr. Kallie Hale, 13:41)

Signs parents can’t afford to ignore: Grinding, snoring, chronic tiredness, allergies, dark under-eye circles, and persistent bedwetting are early warning lights on the dashboard. “That’s your check engine light,” warns Dr. Hale.

From symptom to solution: Tooth Pillow—a simple, child-friendly appliance—offers early, gentle intervention that addresses the root of airway-related dental and sleep struggles, and their virtual platform means families everywhere can access screening and help.

Spiritual parallels: Just like in health, our faith calls us to look below the surface—not just masking the manifest struggles but seeking the deeper heart issues, trusting God to reveal the true diagnosis and pathway to healing.

Catherine shares personal anecdotes—her own long path through dental fixes, her children’s struggles, and the frustration of being offered “duct tape” solutions, never a path to wholeness. Dr. Hale vulnerably discusses what it cost her to become a voice for root-cause medicine in a profession slow to change, and how she’s equipping parents to “challenge the narrative” in everything—from their dentist’s advice to the way they advocate for their children’s health and future.
Are you masking symptoms or courageously seeking the root?
As Christian parents, we’re called not just to fix what’s on the surface, but to ask better questions, seek deeper truth, and partner with God in healing—from head to heart. Don’t miss this episode for hope, wisdom, and a practical roadmap to get out of the symptom-chasing maze and into true wellness for your whole family.
Take Action: Has your parenting or healthcare journey been focused on surface fixes? Visit www.toothpillow.com/cpcw and use CODE: CPCW to get a free upgrade that includes a full video assessment, a $50 value. Instead of just a form response, one of their doctors records a video walking through your child's photos one by one, explaining exactly what they see, why it matters, and what they recommend. You watch it on your own time, revisit it later, or share it with family.
Where is God calling me to look deeper—to discover the root, restore what’s broken, and help my child become all He created them to be?
Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.