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David Dingess shares his deeply personal journey of caring for his mother through her Alzheimer's diagnosis and the complex realities of elder care. This conversation explores how faith, compassion, and surrender became essential tools when confronted with circumstances beyond his control.

• Recognizing early signs of Alzheimer's can be difficult, especially when eccentric personality traits mask cognitive decline
• Elder financial abuse devastated David's mother's savings when a "friend" gained control of her accounts and turned her against her son
• Legal preparation through power of attorney documents and consultation with elder care attorneys is crucial before cognitive decline progresses
• The principle "you can't argue with irrational" helped preserve their relationship during difficult interactions
• Transitioning a parent to assisted living requires balancing their desire for independence with safety concerns
• Professional caregivers demonstrate extraordinary compassion and become emotional anchors for both patients and families
• Prayer became David's essential coping mechanism, deepening his relationship with God through this challenging season
• The wisdom "don't try to whip your daddy" taught David to stop fighting God's plan and surrender to the journey

If you're caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's or another form of dementia, David's book "I've Got My Gun" shares his complete story and the lessons he learned along the way. To summarize David's top 10 lessons:

Follow your calling
When you feel compelled to do something deep inside, listen—it’s a sign of purpose.

Share your story
Facts may be debated, but your personal experience carries an unshakable truth.

Look for grace in hardship
Even in struggle, notice the repeated moments where help, love, or faith show up.

Face reality with courage
Naming the truth, even when it hurts, is the first step to wise action.

Balance honor with safety
Sometimes caring well means making hard choices that protect someone despite their protests.

Ask for expert help early
Complex challenges require guidance—don’t wait until you’re overwhelmed.

Trust unexpected openings
When doors open in unlikely ways, see them as more than coincidence.

Let hardship transform you
Trials can deepen compassion, strengthen faith, and grow resilience.

Don’t argue with irrational
Preserve relationships by stepping away when emotions or confusion take over.

Surrender control
Stop wrestling with the way things “should” be—trust that God’s way may be better.

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Charles Achampong shares his family's transformative experience taking a seven-month global sabbatical and the valuable life lessons they gained by stepping away from their structured lives. His book "Around the World in Family Days" captures not just their adventures across eight countries, but the profound insights about presence, connection, and finding joy in simplicity that can be applied to everyday life without leaving home.

• Following a dream sparked during their honeymoon in Brazil 13 years earlier
• Planning and saving for 10 years through intentional choices like cooking at home and limiting extras
• Covering 75% of flight costs through loyalty points and offsetting expenses by renting their home
• Transforming travel into education by creating country-specific learning binders
• Using real-world experiences like market haggling as practical learning opportunities
• Discovering that happiness doesn't depend on material wealth in places like the Philippines
• Learning that "you don't need a passport to pause" - finding presence in everyday moments
• Building "failure immunity" - not immunity to failure but to its emotional impact
• Creating connection through simple actions like neighborhood traditions
• Approaching travel not to "see everything" but to deeply experience each place

Find Charles Achampong's book "Around the World in Family Days" on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, and connect with him on Instagram @aroundtheworldinfamilydays or on his website charlesachampong.com.

Order Stephanie's new book Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential

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Clarissa Moll shares how her husband's tragic death in a hiking accident transformed her into a widow with four children and ultimately led to her calling helping others navigate grief and loss.

• Author of books on grief including her newest children's book "Hope Comes to Stay"
• One in five million children will experience the loss of a parent or sibling before age 18
• Importance of using real words like "died" and "dead" with children rather than euphemisms
• Grief is not something we "get over" but becomes a lifelong companion
• Learning to hold joy and sorrow in the same hand
• Grief has its own language that includes more than just sadness
• Most helpful support comes from people who simply sit with us without trying to fix our pain
• Remove the word "still" from conversations about grief as it implies a timeline
• Grief is both universal (everyone experiences it) and unique (no two experiences are identical)
• Clarissa produces Christianity Today's news podcast "The Bulletin"

Visit clarissamoll.com to learn more about Clarissa's work, and find her on Instagram and Substack.

Order Stephanie's new book Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential

Learn more at StephanieNelson.com
Follow us on Instagram @stephanie_nelson_cm
Follow us on Facebook at CouponMom