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"Breast cancer". The very words are terrifying. The first thing Sharon did when she heard that diagnosis was to find a woman who had already traveled through the foreign land of cancer. As Sharon said, "I needed a guide—someone to help me navigate the maze of unknown terrain." It is Sharon's hope that through this interview, she and her husband Chuck can come alongside you as you walk this new pathway. In this interview, you'll hear some practical ways to take the terror out of the word "cancer," and how to face your journey with hope and courage. It is Chuck and Sharon's prayer that this message will be one more tool that equips you for the days ahead. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link: https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Send us Fan Mail Support the show

“Who am I? What is my purpose? I thought I could have it all and I do. But I am restless, I feel like I’m missing something.” Statistics show many American women are weary, struggle with depression, and self-medicate with alcohol, flattery, etc. Suicide rates for women are on the rise. What’s happening? More importantly, what’s the resolution? In this conversation, Jen Oshman, author of Enough About Me, and Help & Hope host Sharon Betters talk about the problem, the diagnosis, and the treatment for this low-grade anxiety that often disrupts our thinking, whether in joyful or sorrowful seasons. In her book, Jen says, “We 21st century women have been running on ourselves, rather than on our God. We've been running on self-help, self-empowerment, and self-actualization. The fuel of self has run out, and that's why we're tired and discouraged and even in crisis. Enough about me. And enough about you. If we want to keep running, we need to run on the fuel we're made for — God Himself. We will indeed be restless until then.” (Enough About Me, Jen Oshman, page 48) Friends, join Jen and Sharon as they talk frankly about the reasons for the restlessness and dissatisfaction in a culture that demands we “do it all” and how we find our way back to God’s purpose for each of us. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link: https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In this episode of the Go Ask Your Mother mini-series on the Help & Hope Podcast, Sharon Betters talks with author, speaker, and counselor Christina Fox about one of the tender and often surprising transitions of motherhood: learning to let go as our children become adults. Drawing from Christina’s recent Daily Treasure devotions, this conversation explores the fears, grief, identity shifts, and spiritual stretching that come when a mother’s role begins to change. Christina shares honestly from her own experience as a mother of adult sons, including the lessons God is teaching her about releasing control, listening more, praying faithfully, and trusting the Lord with the lives of her children. Together, Sharon and Christina consider how God’s unchanging character anchors mothers in changing seasons, how prayer remains a powerful expression of love, and how the gospel gives grace to moms who look back with regret or feel unsure as they navigate this new stage. This conversation offers biblical encouragement for every mother learning to entrust her adult children to the God who loves them even more than she does. Christina Fox received her undergraduate degree from Covenant College and her master’s in counseling from Palm Beach Atlantic University. She is a retreat speaker, content editor for enCourage, and the author of multiple books, including Closer Than a Sister: How Union with Christ Helps Friendships to Flourish, Idols of a Mother’s Heart, and Like Our Father: How God Parents Us and Why That Matters for Our Parenting. She also works in alumni relations for Covenant College. Christina prefers her coffee black and from a French press, and enjoys antiquing, hiking, traveling, and reading. She lives in Chattanooga with her husband, where they are empty nesters. You can find her at @christinarfox. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link: https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

*The statistics below are from 2017, the year this episode was first published.* Suicide was the tenth leading cause of death overall in the United States, claiming the lives of 47,000 people. Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, and the fourth leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 35 and 54. There were more than twice as many suicides (47,173) in the United States than there were homicides (19,510). Sadly, suicide is trending upward, increasing 31% in the past eighteen years. Suicide among males is nearly four times higher than among females. (Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Leading Causes of Death Reports in 2017) These statistics are startling. Judy Springer doesn’t need statistics to reveal the anguish and pain of mental illness and suicide. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, she tells how she has lived it and continues to live with the aftermath of suicide. After a lifetime of the unrelenting pain of mental illness, Judy’s beloved husband, Scott, took his own life. Judy shares their story as a way to redeem some of the pain of Scott’s struggle to find healing and death. She is confident Scott would want her to transparently tell their story as a way to offer help and hope to others. This story will not only offer help and hope to those struggling with mental illness but equip others to walk beside them. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link: https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

The third leading cause of death in 15-to-24-year-old’s...suicide and depression amongst our teens is a topic that cannot be ignored in our culture. This is an honest conversation with two professionals who have helped teens and families through these struggles. Parents and teens alike will benefit from strategies to help teens find hope in the darkness of depression. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link: https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Depression affects more than 15 million American adults – 6.7% of the population 18 or older. Twenty percent of teens experience depression before adulthood and 70% will have more than one episode of depression before adulthood. 8.3% of these teens suffer depression for at least a year. Women are twice as likely to suffer from depression. Untreated suicide is the leading cause of suicide, and suicide is the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 – 24. These overwhelming statistics demonstrate that depression is a broad life crisis with many unique circumstances. Similarly, in this interview, Danielle’s story demonstrates that depression in young adults is often rooted in childhood. It’s easy to hide depression, and to slowly hide away rather than fight the dark feelings of sadness, loneliness, and worthlessness. Danielle offers help and hope as she describes the steps she took to find her way back to a life of purpose. For more help and hope about depression and counseling options visit The Christian Counseling and Education Foundation's page:  https://www.ccef.org/topic/depression The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link: https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Do these words haunt you: "Mom, Dad, I don't want your rules and morals. I don't want to act like a Christian anymore! And I'm not going to." Barbara Juliani (then Barbara Miller) made this declaration at the age of 18. As her father desperately attempted to reason with her, Barbara grew more resentful, choosing a path of immorality that only deepened her parents' pain. Such a declaration from a child, no matter their age, creates havoc and soul-searching in the hearts of their parents, who often ask, “What did I do wrong?” In this conversation with Sharon Betters and Jane Anne Wilson, Barbara Juliani shares her story and addresses some of the ways parents take on the guilt of their children and responsibility for their decisions. You might be surprised by some of her conclusions. Her dad, Jack Miller, wrote: "I am not ignorant of human depravity, but I had long denied that it could exist in our family." That reality, however, forced him to confront his own sin, seek forgiveness, admit his inability to change his wayward daughter, and begin loving Barbara on God's terms. In their book, Come Back, Barbara, "Jack" Miller and Barbara Miller Juliani chronicle their journey from grief and conflict to joyful reconciliation. Come Back, Barbara is thus an irresistible portrayal of God's grace to the Millers and us all. Our conversation with Barbara reminds broken-hearted parents about the freedom of experiencing such grace in the midst of their child’s rebellion. For more about Barbara’s journey as a prodigal child, check out Come Back, Barbara, and the Help & Hope Story Motherhood, Shame & Guilt with Barbara Juliani and Jane Anne Wilson. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministri..., or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store. For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

If you’re a parent, it’s likely you have had more than one sleepless night reviewing the mistakes and perceived failures of that day. We resign ourselves to carry the emotions of fear, guilt, shame, and regret for the rest of our lives. But do we have to just let these emotions hang around and take over our thinking? The answer is no! Co-hosts Sharon Betters and Heidi Nequist talk to Lauren Whitman, counselor, author, speaker, and mother, about when parents feel like failures. But they don’t stop with the bad news. They also discuss how Jesus can quiet our distress. Friends, there is hope! Lauren is a mother, counselor, author, and speaker who writes from her experience in her book, When Parents Feel Like Failures: How Jesus Quiets Our Distress. Even if you’re not a parent, this conversation will help equip you to come alongside a friend who is struggling with these difficult emotions. Learn more about Lauren: https://www.ccef.org/people/lauren-whitman Join us to listen to a prior Help & Hope Story with Lauren: A Painful Past – Healing and Moving Forward — MARKINC.org The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Miho Kahn and her husband, David Wiedis, share the story of Miho’s journey into a world of drugs, violence, and abuse. At the age of fourteen, Miho pushed against the boundaries of her parents’ quiet life and struck out on her own, telling her sister, “Don’t try to find me.” As you listen, you might think, “This story could be a compelling movie” as you imagine a young girl hitch-hiking alone across America and exposing herself to danger and abuse. Miho shares the story of her drug addiction, rape, co-dependency, abortion -- and all of this happened before she was seventeen years old. Miho transparently shares her journey and how she found peace and direction in a personal relationship to Jesus. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Gary Episcopo joins us on the Help & Hope podcast to share how God used his love for motorcycles and the brotherhood and comradery of motorcycle clubs to lead him into a life of demonstrating the love of Jesus to the "one percenters", or outlaw gangs. Growing up, and even into adulthood, Gary struggled with many of the same temptations of these men and women, and his understanding of the deep mercy God extended and continues to extend to him compels him to see many of these gang members as family who need the same mercy he has received. Gary transparently shares how the Lord used the death of his beloved wife and even the overdose death of a young man he mentored to deepen his passion for sharing the love of Jesus with those often misunderstood and rejected. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Sharon Betters interviews GRAMMY winner Laura Story, who shares details of how her life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The fairytale life she had dreamed of was no longer possible, yet Laura found a "better broken" with Jesus. Laura's story will remind listeners while your situation might never change or get better, with Jesus, YOU can. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

In this inspiring podcast, former baseball star, Dave Dravecky, and Dr. Chuck F. Betters talk about how cancer destroyed Dave’s successful baseball career and Dave’s struggle to deal with not only the loss of his career but understanding his true identity. In the 1980s, Dave Dravecky was a long-sought-after relief specialist. His pitching helped key the San Diego Padres' Word Series run. After a few years in San Diego, Dravecky moved on to San Francisco, where he was a key part of their World Series run. However, things in 1989 would take a bitter turn for the Youngstown, Ohio native. Experiencing weakness in his pitching arm, he was examined by the Giants team doctor. The doctor noticed a lump in Dravecky's arm and sent him to a specialist in New York. It was there that Dravecky learned his pitching arm was ripe with cancer. Draveckey underwent treatment in hopes on returning to baseball. In September of 1989, Dravecky returned to the pitching mound, mere months after undergoing treatment for cancer. In one appearance, Draveckey's arm, weakened from treatment, snapped and broke while he delivered a pitch. He would re-break the same arm weeks later celebrating his team's berth in the World Series. Any full-time comeback for Dravecky would be forever denied when, in 1991, in a surgery to save his life, his pitching arm was amputated above the elbow. Dave Draveckey's plight inspired the Giants, though they were unable to overcome an earthquake and an ultra-powerful Oakland A's lineup. Dravecky retired officially from baseball after losing his arm. But his story was just beginning.  The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media!  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

Jim and Karen Weaver’s international adoption journey led them to welcoming not one, but two boys into their family, making them parents of four daughters and two sons. In this transparent interview, Jim and Karen share the highs and the lows of their journey, from how they began their adoption adventure, to the realization that life would never go back to the normalcy of raising four daughters, to how the extreme emotional meltdowns created chaos in their home but also taught them about their own hearts. Through their story, listeners will get a glimpse into the reality of the hard places in adoption and also learn how they can come alongside adoptive families. Listeners will recognize how adoption has transformed Jim and Karen and drew them into a deeper awareness of their need for Jesus, the power of prayer, and how to look inward when hard times come. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media!  Send us Fan Mail Support the show

When you first meet Sue, you sense she is a woman who lives life through a kind and steady grid. Yet, still waters run deep, and for over thirty-plus years Sue and her husband have parented three sons, one of whom was born with Down Syndrome and a brain injury. Joseph will never care for himself in any way. He is totally dependent on his parents for his well-being. In this conversation, you will hear the story of a mother who has experienced a life crisis that is painful, sometimes hard to talk about, sometimes experienced in isolation, yet filled with the hope of a woman who leans into her Lord for wisdom and strength. Sue’s love for Joseph shines through as she reaches back into the early years of Joseph’s life and gives us a glimpse into the parenting of a child with special needs and a brain injury that will never get better. She describes how her pastor shepherded her and celebrated Joseph’s birth and life. She talks about preparing for that day when they are no longer physically able to care for Joseph or the possibility that they will die before Joseph. Sue gives us a front row seat of loving and parenting Joseph in a way that will not only encourage other families but also help equip those who love them to walk with them in this often-difficult place. This conversation is part of our miniseries that offers help and hope to families who have children with disabilities. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show

When a son, sister, or grandchild begins to behave in unexpected and disturbing ways, family members hope it is simply a phase. For some, it is instead a life-time illness – schizophrenia. The diagnosis of schizophrenia can bring shock, fear, and worry to everyone involved. But in the midst of the numerous challenges, hope doesn’t have to die. In this conversation with Sharon Betters, Simonetta Carr shares the story of her beloved son, Jonathan, and her experience of caring for him as he struggled with schizophrenia. Simonetta doesn’t sugarcoat the enormous challenges and emotions that were non-stop. She talks about how she fervently prayed for Jonathan, the fears she had to confront, and how the church came alongside Jonathan and her in this battle. You may not have a loved one with schizophrenia, but Simonetta and Jonathan’s story will give you insight into the enormous battle facing families with such a diagnosis. You can learn more about schizophrenia and find numerous helpful resources in Simonetta’s book, Broken Pieces and the God Who Mends Them: Schizophrenia through a Mother's Eyes. The Help & Hope podcast is produced by MARKINC Ministries. You can find more Help & Hope episodes and all that MARKINC has to offer, by visiting helpandhopenow.org. You can also download the FREE mobile app, Help and Hope, by using this link - https://subsplash.com/markincministries/app, or by searching Help and Hope in your mobile app store.  For MARKINC to continue to offer these helpful FREE resources, we need your help!! Please donate to MARKINC Ministries and invest in offering these helpful resources to those in need of hope. Safely donate on the website, mobile app, or by using this link https://markinc.org/donate/. Comment your questions on any of the videos! We cannot wait to hear from you all! Thank you for all of your support, and welcome to the MARKINC Family! We have this hope (Jesus) as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure… Hebrews 6:19 Be sure to connect with us on social media! Send us Fan Mail Support the show