Jillian Benfield’s Freedom Story!

On today's episode, Jillian Benfield talks about her life and the unexpected twists and turns it has taken. She talks about her childhood experiences with church and how there was a lot of "rule following" and not as much grace. She said she became agnostic for about 12 years until she began dating her husband. That is when she began to ask the difficult questions and met the real Jesus of the Bible, not the shiny Jesus. Then we get into the story of her son, Anderson, which is discussed in her book, The Gift of the Unexpected. His diagnosis of Down's Syndrome changed the trajectory of her life. She said that "Jesus's life became more real to me when a child with a disability entered my home." I loved this conversation with her and I pray it encourages you to look at events or things that have happened in your life in a brand new light, maybe for the first time. Bio: Jillian Benfield is a former journalist and news anchor. She holds a broadcast journalism degree from the University of Georgia. As a freelance writer, her essays about living an unexpected life have appeared on sites such as TODAY, Good Morning America, Yahoo! News, and ABC News. Jillian regularly advocates for the full inclusion of people with disabilities in her writings, in her community, and as a part of the National Down Syndrome Congress’s National Down Syndrome Advocacy Coalition. Jillian and her husband, Andy, and their three children make their home on Florida’s Space Coast. Anchor Verse: Psalm 13 Connect with Jillian: Website: http://jillianbenfield.com IG: https://instagram.com/jillianbenfieldblog FB: https://www.facebook.com/jillianbenfield ***This podcast is a proud member of the Spark Network! It is a network of Christian podcasts that cover so many different topics! Head over to: https://www.sparkmedia.ventures/spark-network#/ to find more amazing podcasts!!***