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Water Prairie

Water Prairie Weekly Newsletter - 3/6/26

Published 8 days ago • 1 min read

When the "expected" life changes: A raw conversation

Hi Friend,

I’m coming to you today with a conversation that I think you’re going to need to sit with for a while.

In this week’s episode (#147), I sat down with Disability Advocate and author John Fela. I didn’t want to spend our time talking about the perfect IEP or the best therapy techniques—I wanted to talk about the things we often hide: the terrifying moment of a sudden medical crisis, the reality of marital strain, and the deep, heavy loneliness that comes when life just doesn't look like the brochure.

John shared his "Tale of Two Parking Lots"—a story that I think will resonate with every single one of you who has ever felt like you were drowning while the rest of the world kept swimming.

Because this conversation was so deep, I decided to split it into two parts. In this first part, I’m pulling back the curtain on the "trenches": the diagnosis, the brain surgery, and the impact on marriage. It’s hard stuff, but it’s real.

If you are currently feeling that marital strain, please know you are not carrying this load by yourself. I’ve linked my past episode with Todd and Kristin Evans in the show notes and will link it below as well; they specialize in ministering to marriages impacted by disability, and their insight has been a lifeline for many of my listeners.

Listen to Episode 147 HERE.

Need support for your marriage? I highly recommend listening to my past conversation with Todd and Kristin Evans HERE.

What’s coming up:

This is just Part 1 of my interview with John. Next week, in Episode 148, I’ll release the second half of our conversation, where we discuss the role of faith, the importance of true community, and how to advocate for real inclusion in our churches.

Take care of yourself this week.

With gratitude,

Tonya

PO Box 545, Cary, NC 27512

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