You're listening to Family Talk, the radio broadcasting division of the James Dobson Family Institute.

I am that James Dobson, and I'm so pleased that you've joined us today.

Well, welcome to another edition of Dr. James Dobson's family talk.

I'm Roger Marsh sitting in the co-host seat today for a very special broadcast for anybody who has been challenged with and tasked with the responsibility of caring for someone with, as our family likes to say, different needs.

You know, caring for a loved one can really stretch your heartstrings. It can really

put you in a situation where you're facing some challenges that perhaps you never thought you'd

faced before. And, you know, when you are that caregiver for that person, maybe it's an adult in your

world who is battling dementia or Parkinson's disease, or maybe you're a parent and you get the

diagnosis that

one of your kids is going to be born with some physical or emotional or mental challenges.

It really does kind of put you in a whole different dimension.

And today here on the program, we're going to talk with a woman who kind of became an accidental

expert, just like a lot of people do, who, this is your story when you find out that you have a child with this diagnosis. Jessica Ronnie is with me, and she is the author of a brand

new book called Caregiving with Grit and Grace, 100 Days of Hope and Encouragement. Jessica

Ronnie is an author, a speaker, a podcast host, a film producer, and a caregiver advocate. She's also

the founder and executive director of the Lucas

Project, which is a non-profit organization that provides recognition, resources, and respite

for special needs caregivers. Jess and her husband Ryan live in Michigan with their, are you ready

for this? Eight children in their blended family, but one of those kids in particular is the

aforementioned Lucas of the Lucas Project, who was born with pretty severe disabilities. And Jess, welcome to Dr. James Dobson's family talk, Dr. Mrs. Dobson, send their warmest regards and appreciate you being on the program today. Yeah, thanks so much for having me. This is one of those areas of ministry where if people say, I felt called to do something for the kingdom, I just didn't think it would be this, right? I mean, this is not the type of ministry that I think anyone, I know Johnny Erickson Todd would say, hey, if it were up to me, I wouldn't be in a wheelchair, but this is the ministry that I have. And this is the ministry that God has called you to. you have been through a lot of milestones that would have knocked a lot of people off course,

and yet you have been able to press on with your faith.

When did your faith journey start before we get into the nuts and bolts of how your family

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