S8 Episode #2- Bethany Hall
THE ONE With Bethany Hall
This week, we are excited to welcome Bethany Hall to the podcast! Bethany shares her journey of discovering the sufficiency of Jesus through heartbreak, surrender, and unexpected redirection. She shares personal stories of encountering God’s tenderness and faithfulness in powerful ways that led her to a new calling through Chosen Care—a trauma-informed ministry equipping foster, adoptive, and kinship families. She speaks candidly about comfort as an idol, the beauty of saying “yes” to God’s hard call, and how trusting the Author of her story has brought healing not only to others but to herself. Whether you’re in a season of waiting, wrestling with shame, or considering the challenge of foster care, this episode reminds you that God’s way is always better.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT BETHANY
Bethany Hall is a licensed Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in Complex Developmental Trauma (CDT). She is passionate about helping teens and older children heal from years of abuse and neglect as well as helping families navigate biological family relationships in the context of foster care and open adoption.
In addition to working with children, Bethany has extensive experience training those who most closely work with children suffering from CDT. She has provided this specialized training to nonprofit organizations, foster care providers, adoptive families, educators, social workers, and others. Hall is certified as an affiliate trainer in trauma competent caregiving by Trauma Free World, where she utilizes in-person and virtual platforms to educate on the neuroscience of trauma as well as screenings, assessments, and interventions which can be utilized to increase therapeutic and healing interactions with children who have experienced CDT.
Bethany earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Cedarville University, a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Kentucky and has over 10 years experience as an Emergency Department Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. In addition to her work in medicine, she spent three years in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico, as a missionary providing medical services and trauma competent training with Back2Back Ministries.
She has been married to her husband, Kevin for 15 years and they have 3 children at home (biological and adopted) as well as 6 adult foster children, now starting their own families.
LISTEN
WATCH
SHOW NOTES
Bethany grew up in the church and always knew Jesus, but He became very real for her in college. She remembers going through breakups where she realized that Jesus is enough– even if she never gets married, Jesus would carry her through. In these moments of heartbreak, she experienced the tenderness of Jesus in a new way.
When you are in a season of waiting, remember that God’s way is always better! The goodness of The Lord may not happen in the way that you wanted or in the timing that you wanted, but His way is better. He sees the full picture and knows exactly what you will need now AND what you will need in the future.
CHOSEN CARE
During COVID, Bethany lost her job very suddenly. This was very traumatic at the time, but God used it to get her on a new path. She began doing coaching and training for foster and adoptive families and this eventually led her to the position that she is in now at Chosen Care.
Chosen offers personalized, parent-directed services and trauma-informed training for foster, adoptive, kinship, and reunified parents and caregivers to help them build strong, connected families. From one-on-one coaching to expert-led courses, we equip you with practical tools, compassionate support, and a clean path forward.
Parent Coaching– they help to regulate the regulators. If you are a parent struggling not to lose it, you have support!
Training and Education about how trauma impacts the brain and the body.
They offer amazing and free resources at Chosen.care!
THE FAITHFULNESS OF GOD
God not only wants to heal your child’s story, He also wants to heal your story. God is so faithful. No matter what emotion you have or sin you struggle with– God does not change. When you can bind your heart to Him, then His faithfulness carries you forward, no matter what you might be feeling or thinking in any given moment. We can depend on His unchanging character.
“He who promised is faithful.”
Bethany shared that her number one idol had always been comfort. God has used foster and adoptive care in her life to keep her in a place of surrender and dependency on The Lord. There are so many things out of her control, that she must rely on God every step of the way. God does not want to see us be self-sufficient, He wants us to fully trust Him and be in a position of complete dependence on Him.
GIVING GOD YOUR YES
God equips the called. If God is calling you to foster care or adoption, He will walk alongside you and equip you along the way. You will be tested throughout the journey and it will be way harder than you may have expected, but you will also be a part of something holy. You will be partnering with God is His beautiful work of redemption. He will not leave you stranded and you will see parts of His character that you may not have experienced if you had chosen a different path.
You may never be enough on your own, but God will meet you in the struggle and fill the gaps in the areas where you lack. We must consistently lay down our plans and desires to The Lord and allow Him to work.
DISPLACING SHAME
A critical shift is needed. In addition to social shame, rejection, and isolation, Problematic Sexual Behavior brings a stigma that creates enormous barriers to permanency. Proper support and training is critical to reduce these negative impacts and foster positive outcomes.
Check it out here: https://chosen.care/displacing-shame/
God is not a God of shame. Shame is not from The Lord. When you are falling short, God is calling you to something so much greater for your life. He longs for you to experience His love and His light.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Trust the writer of the story. God is worth following and trusting. He loves to see our delight and to write stories that we could never have imagined on our own.
Wake up everyday and ask, “Lord, what do you have for me today?” This will take you out of your comfort zone and beyond yourself and put you in a position of dependence that might feel hard at times. However, The Lord is worth trusting and the stories He is writing are far better than we could have ever imagined.
NEXT STEPS
Here are a few action steps to help you dip deeper this week!
Reflect on where you're hoping for breakthrough and ask God to reveal how His timing might be shaping you.
Each day this week, begin your morning with surrender by praying, “Lord, what do You have for me today?”
Take time to ask what comforts you may be prioritizing over God, and invite Him to reshape your desires.
CONNECT WITH BETHANY:
| Instagram | CHOSEN CARE|
Thank you, as always, for listening! Please remember that everything we do is funded by those who benefit from our ministry. Our ministry a 501(c)3, so your contribution is tax-deductible.
CHECK THIS OUT:
The Collected Podcast is a production of Collected Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping disciples of Jesus discover and live from their true identity in Christ, recognize and walk in their divine purpose within the Kingdom of God, and experience growth in their capacity for mature, healthy relationships.
Follow us!
Jes French: @jesafrench
Jes’ Hand Lettering: @sprezzafoundry
The Collected Podcast is produced by Jes French and edited by Jacob Early. Cover art designed by Ben Biondo.