New Life LIVE: September 18, 2026

Brian Perez: Hey everyone, welcome to New Life LIVE. Thanks so much for joining us today. I'm your host, Brian Perez, and we've got Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor Becky Brown joining us. She's also the president of New Life Ministries. Always great to have Becky on the show. And we've also got clinical psychologist Dr. Alice Benton here. Great to have you both again. Alice, what's on your mind to start us off?
Alice Benton: A sad topic. I want to honor a loss in my family. My brother lost his baby girl. Her name is Maura James. My brother and his wife love children, and Maura was their sixth child. She's my niece, and she died, and I'll never get to see her again. Does it at all change your reaction to hear she died by miscarriage? I never met her. My brother and his wife never met her. I think that we, when we hear a miscarriage, that means it's not a significant loss. We think we can just move on in the conversation and not even bring it up because it was just a miscarriage. You didn't actually know the child. But it is a soul that was given to my brother and his wife. One in four women will have a miscarriage throughout their lifetime. There are four New Life women in our office. That means at least one of us has had a miscarriage, and yet it's a topic we're kind of not supposed to talk about. I did have a miscarriage, our fourth baby. His name is Vincent Martin, and I'll never get to meet him. I met a woman who had a necklace with five very unique beads on it. I said, "What a beautiful necklace. There's got to be a story behind that. What is the story behind your necklace?" "These are my five babies that I lost," she said. She'd had five miscarriages. It certainly is true it's a different kind of loss when you don't know them. But particularly for women who want to have babies and have not had a live birth and instead have multiple miscarriages, I've talked to some of those women and they especially feel pain when they see other ladies who maybe don't care as much about mothering and they keep getting pregnant and have live children, and some don't. Where is God in all of that? There actually are multiple stories in the Bible of women who couldn't get pregnant. I'd imagine miscarriages were part of their stories even if that is not mentioned in the Bible. So, if that is your pain, if you are one in four and you don't really get to talk about the death of that baby, and maybe it doesn't even have a name, I want to advise you of the next couple of steps. Name your baby if you didn't. Perhaps have a yearly remembrance. We have a cake for Vincent on the day that he died. On March 1st, we have a cake for him. Allow and express your anger that God let that loss happen. We won't get an explanation for it until eternity. Then share your tears with people who can understand because the loss of your baby, the loss of my niece Maura James, it is important. It's worth a conversation. It's worth a hug and some tears. I'm sorry to all you women and to the fathers who have lost their babies to miscarriage. It's a significant loss and I honor your loss.
Brian Perez: We have a couple of tip sheets that we can make available to you if you call us at 1-800-NEW-LIFE: Ten Tips for Healthy Grieving, Twelve Steps to Recovery from Grief. Very touching story, Alice. Thank you for sharing it today. We know that a lot of people listening have experienced this, and that's why we're here. We have Life Recovery Groups that can help you as well, so give us a call at 1-800-NEW-LIFE. We're going to go to the phones when we return. Carol in Tennessee, we'll talk to you. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today's program, call 1-800-NEW-LIFE. Now back to New Life LIVE.
Brian Perez: Let's go right to the phones. We have Carol standing by in Knoxville, Tennessee, listening to us on WRJZ. Welcome to New Life LIVE, Carol.
Carol: Thank you.
Brian Perez: How can we help you today?
Carol: I think one of the ladies there mentioned that she had an adult child, I think it was a male, who was living with her that had a disability.
Becky Brown: That was me, Carol. It's Becky.
Carol: Okay, Becky. I was just wondering about boundaries and how to make that work. My husband and I have been living just the two of us for quite a while now. Our kids are grown. One of them does have a disability and he's single, 45 years old, and he has epilepsy. He's never driven, never married, never even dated. For different reasons, we're thinking of having him come and live with us. But we just want to take into consideration that it's going to change. Our privacy's going to change, his privacy. We have a condo and we have a room upstairs, but I don't know if we live in the right situation for him to live safely. He did have a fall down his stairs. He's living in a condo that we rent to him right now. For financial reasons, we may have to sell it at some point and have him come and live with us. Plus, we're getting older and he has this disability. We often give him rides on a regular basis to different things. It's a lot to think about. He's used to living on his own, and we are too. How do you navigate all of that?
Becky Brown: Is he working, Carol?
Carol: Yes, he is, but it's not like he's crazy about his job. He's a very faithful employee.
Becky Brown: Does he have community? Does he have relationships with friends or coworkers?
Carol: Not real close. The only close ones he has are a few people that are epileptic, and he meets them at a support group.
Becky Brown: That's good.
Carol: But mostly ladies, not many men. Some of the ones are much worse than he is as far as other disabilities. He walks to work and he walks to church, but he's not close to many people in the church because they're mostly couples.
Becky Brown: Carol, one more question. Do you have other children?
Carol: Yes, I have an adult daughter and she's not married either, but she adopted a drug-exposed child. So we have a grandson who's special needs, too.
Becky Brown: Just as a side note, one of the disabilities that my son has is epilepsy. So we have that in common as well, Carol. I think this is a time for the family to have a conversation. You said that you and your husband are getting older, and this is a thing about boundaries. The one boundary is, what does your son want to do? Does he see the need that he would have a closer connection with you? If he's walking to work and walking to church and he can't do that at your house, that's going to be a big challenge because that's going to require more from you. It's also going to change his dynamic. I think what you've done is beautiful, Carol, with his ability to have community away from you. Even though it may not look the way that you would want it to, I think there's got to be a bigger conversation. Have you guys ever had that conversation?
Carol: We've talked about it from time to time over a few years. I think he understands the financial part that we may need to sell the place he's living in. He rents from us at a reduced price, but he wouldn't be charged rent if he came and lived with us. We might need the income from the sale of the property he lives in. He understands that and he thinks that's reasonable. I just don't know. I guess it would just mean a little give and take on both of our parts. He's willing to do it for the sake of finances if we need to do that, of course.
Becky Brown: But I think there's probably a third option. It may be that you and your husband and your son move somewhere together closer to where he works and goes to church because he will outlive you, God willing. So you're pouring into the future. It's really hard, I know, you probably lived in a place where you're very comfortable. But I think when we talk about boundaries, it starts with the conversation about what the two of you and even where your daughter comes in. There's some other things that can come into play. It would be helpful maybe even have a family counselor come in just to help with the dialogue of, this is what we're thinking and what do we need to do. I also would encourage you, if you haven't done this already, is if there's some sort of trust for him to be set up. It just depends on what the needs are.
Carol: Are you still doing this trust with yours?
Becky Brown: Yeah, we did, but he lives with us. So that's the other part of it. It's interesting, Carol, because you and I, we understand what this is like. It happens, I know lots of people that have a similar story to ours, and the worry of what's going to happen is real. And at the same time, this is part of just this journey that we're on. Alice, do you want to add anything?
Carol: I've been considering this for quite some time and thinking it through. We do live actually in a place where he could work and walk to a similar job. It's not like he is so attached, although he has some attachment to the people that he works with. I think it wouldn't be as much of a transition to walk to another similar type of place.
Alice Benton: So he could transfer somewhat easily and still have that independence. That's really good. I'll have you all consider what is best for all involved. I think when a child still has a dependency on adults because of epilepsy, the trick for you, Carol and your husband, is how do we help our son enough and not too much? How do we not enable him and decipher what can and should he be doing for himself versus what are his true needs that he cannot meet for himself and we should meet for him? Because he has a pretty good level of independence, I would want to be really careful about undermining that independence. That's not your intent, but it could be an unintended consequence of taking too much care of him. So vetting this out.
Carol: I agree with you because he has never learned to cook, and I would like him to do that, to learn. If he lives with me, I would want him to because I'm getting up there in years and I won't be around and I want him to be able to cook for himself and be healthy. He's just kind of living out of takeout.
Alice Benton: Overall, Carol, having the goal of helping your son become as independent from you and your husband as possible because you won't be around someday and he'll need to still navigate the world without you. It's good you're already wondering about it because he has some immaturities that could perhaps be overcome even though he deals with epilepsy. That's where a family therapist can help discern, don't do too much for him. Don't pay for too much for him. Even consider having him pay rent if you do decide it's best for him to move in with you. But I'd want you to think about whether a group home would be a good place for him to be independent but have peers. Would a roommate situation with someone else be better for him than coming home and being overly dependent on you all? What we see with so many calls we get about intergenerational living, we see an enabling of adult children. We see adult children taking advantage of their elderly parents, and we see a lack of appreciation from those adult children which then generates resentment and bitterness and arguments. Hopefully that has nothing to do with your family, but those are the very common pitfalls that intergenerational living often reveals. If you do decide to live together, talk through expectations first. Things like how much do we want to interact? How will we handle meals? Who cooks for themselves? Who cooks for each other? How do we handle laundry, money? Adult children who tend toward immaturity or irresponsibility, when they come back home with their parents, they usually expect to be the child of their parents and to be cared for like their parents always did. It's hard for adult parents to resist that. On the flip side, my husband and I moved in with my mother-in-law, and we cared for her until she passed away a couple of months ago. We were the ones who were responsible for her and we helped her, and there were ways she helped us too. So it was a mutually beneficial relationship. I'm not all doom and gloom; this can go well and it can help both of you. But have a lot of discussions first to figure out if it does seem like the best option.
Brian Perez: Do you think the book Doing Life with Your Adult Children would help in Carol's situation?
Becky Brown: It can. I just think in situations where there is impairment, there's a little bit different conversation. I love what you just said, Alice, about the intergenerational living. You could have a typical person, son, daughter, and they want to move in with you and you better be having all these conversations. Even with atypical, you're going to have these conversations. It just depends on their level of understanding and what they want. It's interesting, Carol, when you talk about how you don't see him having relationships, but he may be okay with the level of relationships that he has at the church that he goes to and at the job that he goes to. That's the other part of just being human; we all have different ways of experiencing other people. I'm glad that he's got a support group. There are a lot of good things that are happening.
Alice Benton: And think about forewarning him, "Son, when you move in, I'm going to make sure you start cooking for yourself," and find out if he wants that too because that actually could become a big sticking point if you have different goals for what will happen when he's living under your roof.
Becky Brown: To that point, Alice, I read a story about a woman who, after her husband died, she was like 89 and she lived outside of New York City in New Jersey in the suburbs and she made the move to the city because she wanted to leave behind what she had always done. She didn't want to live out the rest of her time, and she learned to walk everywhere at 89. New grocery store, new way of doing things, new place of living. We are amazing human beings. God has created us, and we can learn so many things. We just have to be open to what could be the possibilities and be hopeful for that.
Brian Perez: We have plenty of resources at newlife.com that can help you with whatever it is that you're in right now or about to be in, so check that out, newlife.com, and follow us on social media too. We'll be right back. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today's program, visit newlife.com. Now back to New Life LIVE.
Brian Perez: We are less than two weeks away from the start of the Hope Together Conference, which is happening in Allen, Texas. It's also happening online. Becky Brown is going to be one of the speakers. What are you going to be teaching about, Becky, at the conference?
Becky Brown: We are going to share the hope of Life Recovery with all these people because we know that God works through the 12 steps of Life Recovery. We've seen it happen so many times. Hope Together is a place where people who are working in ministry, whether you are a counselor, a chaplain, a layperson who is serving in your local church, to grow and learn about the ways that people can be supported through many different things. I looked through the list today about just the different sessions that they're having and it's everything from how to help marriages to how to serve where grief is present. As a lay minister, when you're serving people in the church, it's such a powerful way that God uses you and the Hope Together Conference is a way for people to be inspired, to get instruction, and to take back home some practical tools that it's going to impact their ministry and their local community. Come and see us.
Brian Perez: It's going to be October 1st through the 3rd in Allen, Texas, and if you can't physically be there, they're going to be doing it online as well. But you've got to sign up. You can do that at hopetogether.com. Use the code NLM20 to get 20% off the registration. Again, that's at hopetogether.com. Let's answer a question that was submitted online because we do have that option. In case you can't call when we're here in the studio, you can leave us a voicemail or send us an email. You can find out the instructions on how to do that at newlife.com/radio. Here is what Amanda in Florida, who watches us on YouTube, wants to know: "Why won't God reveal himself to me?" Amanda says, "I hear all these people saying they've had experiences that have confirmed for them that God is real. I've begged and pleaded for just a little something to know that he's listening and real, but I get nothing. Why is it he only chooses some and not others? How can I remove my doubt?" Alice, what would you say to Amanda?
Alice Benton: Amanda, I appreciate that you wonder how to remove your doubt, which makes me think you believe God is trying to reach you but perhaps your doubt is getting in the way of the interaction that you want with him. And yet, mysteriously, he does reveal himself more to other people. I don't know why. I don't know how he chooses the ways in which he speaks. I know a man who audibly hears the Lord. I never have. Not once have I heard God. I have multiple prayers that have never been answered. My daughter, she's 10. She has prayed every night of her life to have a puppy, and she sees people around her getting puppies and she still doesn't have one, and we're not getting one soon. She wonders, "Why doesn't God answer that? The Bible says he does hear and he answers our prayers." What's so confusing and painful about God is that some of his answers are "not yet" or "no." Those are silent answers. And yet I've come to understand and believe that even in his "not yet" or "no, I'm not giving you what you want in the way you want it," there's a reason why. He's usually protecting us from something that we are unaware of, and it is so hard to trust that. But if we can ask God to build our trust in him, which is the counter to decreasing your doubt—"God, build my trust in you"—he will, but he answers that in difficult ways. He usually gives us tests and struggles and maybe longer periods of time without you getting to have a tangible experience of him. Even that is an answer, although it's a mysterious, painful one. But I would say sometimes people don't hear from God because they're isolated and they don't let other people know them and speak into them. Because God usually doesn't speak directly to the majority of us. Instead, he sends messengers, and those messengers are human beings. I want you to evaluate your relationships, Amanda, and consider: Do you let people in close? Do you share your doubts, your fears, your shortcomings, your pain you've been through with other people, especially female peers? Having a sisterhood around you, developing and building one up, will actually very likely get you closer to having a tangible experience of God. That advice comes from an introvert that doesn't want to be around people. But when I learned that a true Christian life can only be lived out with an intimate group of friends, like Jesus had his 12 and then he had his intimate three that he would often call away with him, Amanda, I was determined. I don't want to be around people, but I'm going to go find myself a group. I got into a Life Recovery group and I started to feel safe enough to tell them about all my junk, and I started to experience God more—not because he ever talked to me directly, but because these ladies spoke into me and my doubts and my fears. That's how I experienced God.
Becky Brown: Amanda, the first step is belief, that you believe that God exists. I know that that may seem very elementary, but that's where it starts. Then get into the Word. The Word of God will reveal God in such a powerful way. It's not just one verse; it's a life with the Word. It could be like a Bible study group, like the groups that you're talking about, Alice. I also think that our expectations, when you say, "Why won't God reveal himself to me?" it reminds me of that old riddle that says about the man that was warned about a flood coming. A police car came and said, "You need to get to higher ground." Then the flood came and the boat came and wanted to save him. Finally, he gets to the roof and the water overtakes him and he gets to heaven and he's like, "Why didn't you save me?" And God said, "I sent a police car, I sent a boat, I sent a helicopter. You just didn't see that it was me." I think a lot of times we're not looking for God in the places that he's showing up. But we believe that you can find him.
Brian Perez: Yep, and we have plenty of resources at newlife.com that can help you with whatever it is that you're in right now or about to be in, so check that out, newlife.com, and follow us on social media too. We'll be right back. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today's program, visit newlife.com. Now back to New Life LIVE.
Brian Perez: We help lots of people this week here on New Life LIVE. Gill and Debbie and Stephen at the beginning of the week, and just a little bit ago we read a question from Carol and Roger, you're coming up next. But Becky, we do all this because of the financial support of our viewers and listeners, right?
Becky Brown: Yeah, when you think about all of the people that we've helped, almost 40 years of help, God has spoke into those who support us. He said, "We want to have good Christian counseling that's out in this world where there's so much craziness that's going on," that we're the voice that is speaking in the wilderness, and you can be part of what God is doing through New Life. Here's an example of somebody we helped. Her name's Olivia and she writes in: "It's been on my mind to give back, even in an insignificant amount. In desperate time for my daughter's mental health years ago, I did a frantic research for physical and spiritual assistance. I found New Life Ministries. And though my daughter had resisted taking time to listen to your program, it helped me in navigating the path to getting her to a better place. Our daughter's made great strides. And more recently, New Life Ministries has been a place for me to turn to for my husband and I and we continue to work in mending and healing and renewing due to betrayal on his part. We still have much work to do but it's going in much better direction. For all that your ministry is about, I am grateful. My approach in relationships without the same reactivity has improved as I've listened to your advice on how to frame a thought or question to better vocalize it has helped me improve. I am truly appreciative. And I would love to be more generous, but until then I want to be part of 99 for the 1 and give every month." The main support she gives is prayer and that at every opportunity she recommends your ministry. I am grateful for Olivia's testimony and I know there are many of you who are listening today who benefit from what God has done through New Life, and I just want you to pay it forward. When you give to New Life, you will help someone else hear the good news of hope and a way forward in their lives. If you're part of 99 for the 1, we'll send you this really cute little welcome gift with a cup, and everybody loves cups, and stickers and a magnet to remind you of the ones that we are reaching out to. I know that's a lot, but you can give knowing that New Life is doing everything it can to reach to those people who are hurting and need help. Start today.
Brian Perez: Yes, thank you for whatever you can do by becoming a 99 for the 1 monthly partner. The welcome gift Becky just mentioned, you'll get the 14-ounce coffee mug and the coaster and look at that cute little sticker and that magnet with the little sheep. I love it. Two little sheeps. We'll send you two little sheeps. No, it's sheep. I'm kidding. But yeah, you can find out more about becoming a 99 for the 1 partner online at newlife.com/99for1 or call us at 1-800-NEW-LIFE. Thank you for whatever you can do. Your generosity is truly changing lives. Let's talk to Roger in Cleveland, Ohio, who listens to us on Sirius XM, Channel 131. Hey Roger, thanks for calling in today. How can we help you, sir?
Roger: Thanks for taking the call. I'm calling because I heard just in a previous program one of the callers, a man, was talking about sexual abuse that he's had to deal with in his family and I have a similar story. My mother started when I was in second grade, and I remember that incident very clearly because there was another person there, a friend of hers. I don't remember the whole experience, but I can still see myself. It continued until I was a junior in high school, and I remember that event clearly because I finally stood up to her and told her that I wasn't going to do this anymore. During that time, I am a born-again Christian. I love the Lord, I pray to him daily and honor him. Even during that period of time, I would pray a lot, but I remember a couple instances just breaking down and crying and he didn't seem to answer that. I have to believe maybe there was a reason. I'm 78 and I'm really tired and worn down carrying this and I'm wondering if there's anything to that I can do to ease the burden. I don't know how else to put it.
Becky Brown: Roger, first of all, our hearts go to you for carrying this burden for all these years. You ask what the reason was for this. The reason is sin is in the world. And I know it very seems very simplistic, but that is what's at the core problem when we hear about these victimizations and the abuse that you suffered. I would encourage you, have you ever talked to a therapist about this or any kind of process?
Roger: No, I've thought about it, but my thoughts were that it's just such an embarrassing, personal thing and no, I haven't talked to anybody. You're the first people that I've talked to about it.
Becky Brown: We are honored, Roger. We are honored that you shared this with us and we can absolutely say that there is help and there is hope for freedom even at 78. And it started today when you called. Breaking the silence, this is what we talked about in one of the calls that we have taken because we've taken these calls for so many years. But the silence is what keeps that wound open. There is healing available, but it will require looking into it, sharing it with somebody who's trusted, and walking that path of freedom. Alice?
Alice Benton: Roger, embarrassment and shame hold a lot of us back for years and even for a lifetime. There have been many people, even elderly people in their 80s, who have told me, "I never told anybody this and I'm telling now." I know the Lord has been weeping over you that this has tormented you. What an awful story that your own mother sexually abused you from second grade until you were a junior, and she only stopped because you stopped her. I understood your story correctly?
Roger: Yes, that's exactly it.
Alice Benton: Roger, as embarrassed as you feel, the embarrassment is as if you are owning the abuse. What a good therapist will tell you is that your mother is the one that chose to abuse you. To start so young when you really didn't have the physical power to get away from her, it puts a person into a state of helplessness and powerlessness where we kind of come to believe that we're stuck and can't get out of the abuse. It's amazing that you broke free as a junior. That's heroic. I'm so proud of you that you told your mother to stop, and the strength of your words ended her evil reign in your life, at least her evil physical reign. But the sexual abuse has held you captive and in bondage. You think about this almost every day, and that's normal for a person who's gone through what you have, who has had to hold back from telling anybody and getting any relief. You might know the verse, James 5:16, that we're to confess to each other so we can pray for one another and be healed. That's why I know therapy works. Therapy is one long confession conversation. It's a confession, of course, about the sins that we ourselves have committed, but it's also a confession about the sins that have been perpetrated against us. Roger, there was an infidelity in my family of origin and one of my family members solicited a prostitute and then was picked up by the police because the prostitute was an undercover police officer. Roger, when that family member went missing, I was the one that called the jails to see if they were there. We called the morgues, we called the hospitals because we didn't know where they were. When I called the jail and I said, "Is this person there?" they said, "Yes, they're here for soliciting a prostitute." I said, "No, no, check again, please. This is the name." "Yes, they're here for soliciting a prostitute." Roger, that's very shameful for my whole family. It's very embarrassing that that happened, and that experience affected me all the way up through my marriage. I was 18 when it happened. Every time my husband would leave, Roger, I would think he might go find a woman, just like what happened when I was a kid. Roger, my fear didn't stop until I started talking to safe people about what I had been through and how it affected me. That's how I know there's freedom for you too, brother.
Brian Perez: Well, Roger, stay on the phone. We'll get you connected because I think that's the other thing that keeps people from getting help is where do I begin? Where do I begin? We have a network of counselors all over the country who are able to work through these difficult conversations. Roger, we're grateful that you trusted us for today's call, and we'll be praying for freedom. Absolutely. We'll be back on New Life LIVE. To find out more information about New Life or to order any of the resources mentioned on today's program, visit newlife.com. Now back to New Life LIVE.
Brian Perez: We just got off the phone, powerful phone call with Roger in Cleveland, Ohio. Everyone watching and listening, if you could keep Roger in your prayers. A victim of sexual abuse for ten years, and this was 60 years ago. He hasn't told a therapist. I don't know if he's told anybody else he knows, but what prompted his call was another caller who had this in their family.
Becky Brown: That's the power of New Life. When you hear this on New Life LIVE, you all of a sudden realize, oh, I'm not the only one, that other people have experienced terrible things and it's not my secret to keep. I can get help and get healing. Alice, you and I were talking at the break about how impactful this is in a person's life when they experience sexual abuse or sexual victimization, especially. It usually happens within the family. It's not typically strangers; it's the people that they know or somebody that's close. Alice, what would you say about that?
Alice Benton: Some of the complexities of what tends to follow sexual abuse of a child, the child thinks it's their fault and that something is wrong with them, especially if there was any physical pleasure involved, which there can be even though it's sexual abuse. If a child grows up believing, "I'm gross, something's the matter with me," especially that I liked it or that I didn't stop it sooner, that can really hold a person back from getting help. Like you're pointing out, Becky, we all have been through pain, not all the same levels of trauma, but when we start to open up in safe groups and communities, we do get to hear other people have really dark stories too. I'm not the only one. That is such a healing being enveloped in a community rather than "I'm the odd one, nobody else has had anything like me." All of us have had some very dark things happen in our life, and it's by bringing it to the light that it stops holding such a power over our heart and mind. It's why I appreciate, Becky, that the Bible is full of salacious stories. R-rated stuff is in the Bible because that's humanity. That's where sin takes humanity. The way out is to talk about it.
Becky Brown: We break the silence. If you have experienced this, I just want you to know there is hope and there is freedom available. I remember the phone call we had earlier this week from Stephen, and that is what prompted Roger to call us right now. Something that we told Stephen is today, you're going to make a difference in the lives of your family because you made this phone call. Here's Roger, who called in because he heard that conversation and he said, "I need help." And again, it took him all these years, all these decades to call in and ask for help.
Alice Benton: Because he heard somebody else say something. I think that's the hard part of family secrets. We don't know all of Roger's bigger story, like where was Dad when this was going on? We really do need to take care of one another, and part of that is being able to be shared with and help people carry those burdens. We don't have to fix it. I think a lot of times people get like, "I can't ask for help because nobody knows what to do or I'm betraying confidence of my mother or my family. This is family rules." There's all kinds of things like that that come into play. Also the shame that happens with people who have been victimized. The shame just keeps them cloaked in darkness. What we want is we want that freedom.
Brian Perez: I think too of people who maybe were told as kids, "Don't let anybody, don't ever tell anybody," and so all these years later they're still struggling with that and they feel that they're going to betray someone who betrayed them.
Becky Brown: The message of stranger danger, which is not exactly wrong in this world of trafficking that is just—matter of fact, here in Ohio, we just had 79 children rescued from trafficking. Some were family situations. They weren't—it wasn't all one reason or another. To think of these children, and then they grow up to be adults like you had said too, Alice, when we talk about keeping secrets, it affects us. But this is why we do what we do.
Alice Benton: God loves to turn awful stories into redemptive stories and even ministries. The fact that I can talk about what my family went through is because I've done some really hard work on it and now I have a heart to help other people who have been through similar situations. That's how God redeems us if we'll let him and if we're willing to do the tough work of picking up that phone, making the call, getting a clinician, and learning how to move from darkness into light.
Brian Perez: We can help you here at New Life LIVE. Reach out with whatever it is you're going through and you can also reach out to look for a counselor in your area. We've got a network of counselors through New Life that can help you with whatever situation you're going through. If you've been holding it in because you're afraid of what people might think about you or so many different reasons we give, so many excuses we make for not wanting to reach out to someone.
Becky Brown: It's not no one thing fixes everything. We talk about this all the time. So you might go to the first counselor and it could work, it could be wonderful, and it might not be. Or you go like, Alice, you talk about groups all the time where it's like you might go the first group and it's not what you expected, so then you don't go again. We have to stay at it. We have to stay at searching for our new life because there is work to be done. This is one of the reasons why you hear us talking about every man's battle. We have heard from so many men who just kept it quiet the struggle that I have. Bring it out into the open so that you can get the freedom that you need.
Brian Perez: If you had a car that stopped working and you took it to a mechanic and they wanted to overcharge you and all this other stuff, I don't think you'd say, "Well, I'm never going to a mechanic again." You would shop around. You would ask people, "Hey, who do you use? Give me their number." Reach out to us. Go to our website, newlife.com, or give us a call at 1-800-NEW-LIFE. Thank you so much for praying not just for our ministry here but also for the people who call in. The courageous phone calls that we've had this week from people are because you're praying for them. Financially support us too if you can. You can make a one-time gift at newlife.com or by calling 1-800-NEW-LIFE or you can become one of our monthly 99 for the 1 partners and we'll send you a 99 for the 1 welcome gift including the coffee mug and those cute little sheep magnets and stickers. God bless you guys. We'll talk to you next time on New Life LIVE. Thanks so much for listening. We hope something you heard will help you live in freedom today. If this content was helpful for you, we would love it if you would take a minute, leave a review, post about it, and rate it. Remember, we have resources and workshops online for you as you continue your journey. Go to newlife.com to find out more information. And thank you for being part of the New Life community. We know that God desires all of us to live a life of wholeness and healing, and we're so glad that you're here.