In this episode of the Music for the Soul Podcast, we are so blessed to sit down with author, speaker, and mentor Dawn Damon for a deeply honest conversation about healing after childhood sexual abuse. Dawn shares parts of her personal story and the journey that led her from silence and trauma to a life of encouragement, leadership, and ministry.

Dawn explains how healing often requires actively pursuing wholeness through seeking truth, confronting shame, and allowing God to restore the deepest places of the heart. She also reflects on the physical, spiritual and neurological impacts of trauma, the importance of speaking truth over shame, and the courage it takes to share one's story.

With compassion and wisdom, this conversation offers hope to those of you who may still be navigating the hidden wounds of the past. Dawn reminds us that abuse does not define a person's identity and that healing, while often a long and difficult journey, is possible through truth, faith, and community. You are not defined by what happened to you and you can chase your healing just as Dawn chased hers.

Dawn Damon is an Influencer, Global Communicator, Podcaster, High Performance Coach, and Best-Selling Author

Her 5 award-winning books, include When a Woman You Love Was Abused, published by Kregel Publications, When the Woman Abused Was Me, The Freedom Challenge: 60 Days to Untie the Cords that Bind You, Redemption Press, and most recently the Amazon Best-Selling Book The Freedom Challenge for Men: 60 Days to Untie the Cords that Bind You.

Dawn is the founder and CEO of New Dawn Rising and the BraveHearted Woman, an enterprise and a non-profit designed to cultivate the vision of women dreamers, and equip them to live their best life.

Resources:

Learn more about Dawn, her books, and more on her website here: https://www.dawndamon.com

In this episode of Music for the Soul, we welcome writer and caregiver Richard Peterson to share his experience walking alongside his wife Elizabeth through her journey with multiple sclerosis. Together, they explore the emotional and spiritual tension that often accompanies long-term caregiving — the sense that illness can feel like an unwelcome intruder that suddenly rewrites the rules of everyday life.

Richard reflects on the shift from seeing a diagnosis as an intrusion to learning, over time, to accept it as an unexpected guest. Through stories of faith, humor, music, and perseverance, this conversation offers an honest look at what it means to love someone through suffering when there are no easy fixes. It's a thoughtful reminder that caregiving is not only about managing physical needs, but about navigating grief, acceptance, and hope in the midst of profound change.

Richard Peterson is a retired journalist and military veteran whose life has been marked by faith, service, and devotion to family. After briefly attending the Moody Bible Institute, Richard enlisted in the United States Navy during the Vietnam era — a decision that would ultimately shape both his career and personal life.

While stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, he met his wife Elizabeth at church. Married for more than 55 years, the couple share two children, eight grandchildren, and a deep commitment to their faith.

Richard has worked as a newspaper reporter, feature writer, and freelance journalist, while also serving in both the Navy and Air Force Reserve. Since Elizabeth's multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1995, he has served as her full-time caregiver — a role that has become central to their shared journey.

Resources:

Learn more about Richard's blog on the website here: https://www.walkwithusblog.com

Listen to the song from today's episode at the link here: https://www.musicforthesoul.org/resources/dignity/

In this episode of Music for the Soul, Becky and Steve welcome Reverend Dr. Russell Mauldin — a songwriter, pastor, counselor, and longtime creative whose life bridges music, ministry, and deep pastoral care. Russell shares his journey from decades in Nashville songwriting and producing to stepping into a new calling as a shepherd for creatives, counselors, and the weary.

Through stories of silence, obedience, and learning to make space for God's still voice, this episode explores how creativity, vulnerability, and encouragement intersect. Russell reflects on what it means to listen deeply to others, to ourselves, and most importantly to God. He also describes how true ministry often looks less like having the right words and more like simply being present. Russell's conversation is a thoughtful reminder that God often prepares us for future callings long before we realize it.

For 37 years, Rev. Russell Mauldin has sustained his music career in Nashville as one of the most prolific and best-selling composers in church music with millions of choral books sold and confirmed performances on six continents. Working also with major artists and orchestrating for Inspirational film compositions, he is a Grammy nominated record producer and five-time GMA Dove Award winner. He has also owned and lead several music industry businesses through the years.

On his 17th international mission trip in early 2014, Russell answered God's call to additional ministry through pastoral shepherding. He was ordained in 2015 and completed a Master's degree in Religion in 2018. In 2017, he helped plant a new church and became Associate Pastor and Trustee at Seeds Church, a growing and flourishing interdenominational church in Middle Tennessee.

In early 2024, Russell was certified through the NCCA as a Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor and has recently earned a Ph.D. in Clinical Christian Counseling. He is also a certified Life Coach through the AACC. While deeply respecting and integrating techniques from social science, his approach to counseling leads from a biblical worldview.

Resources:

Our listeners can learn more about Russell's work in music at the link here: https://brentwoodbenson.com/ready-to-sing.html

You can also reach out to Russell through the website https://www.threetreescounseling.com, through his email rm72@comcast.net, or on his social media pages on Facebook or Instagram.