Today is our Season 2 Finale and we have the priveledge of talking to our beautiful daughter, Bethany Lane Gocking. We talk about her a lot here on the podcast. She is funny, kind, and thoughtful. She’s a deep thinker. She’s very artistic. And right now, she is coming out of one of the hardest battles for joy she’s ever faced. 

When we prayed and planned Season 2 of the Not Today, M.S. Podcast and settled on our theme, Fighting for Joy, we had no idea the battle we would be fighting in our own home just a week later. In early August, just as recording began, Bethany began suffering from crippling anxiety attacks that lasted through most of September. 

Before she shares her story today, we want to remind everyone WE ARE NOT PROFESSIONALS. If you are battling anxiety or depression or walking a loved one through mental illness, please seek professional help. Do not walk this alone. Schedule the appointment, reach out to your pastor, confide in a trusted friend or family member. But do not walk this road alone. 

Listen today as Bethany shares her story of anxiety, depression, faith, music, and fighting for joy.

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Wyatt Mann is a junior at Johnson University in Knoxville, Tennessee, majoring in Preaching and Youth Ministry. Wyatt is a bright 21 year old who has a passion for God, tech stuff, and everything Dungeons and Dragons. Listen today as we talk to Wyatt about the loss of his mother and how he was able to choose joy in the midst of grief.

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Brian Paul Gocking is husband, father, musician, podcaster, Enneagram 9, peace-loving, jokester who is adored by all who know him. Brian has a bachelors of science in ministry and leadership and sees his mission field between his own two feet, wherever God calls him whether that’s in his medical office job or at the grocery store. Brian has walked through some lonely and heartbreaking years, but has learned to examine the mistakes he has made so he can learn from them. Listen today as he tells his story of marriage, complacency, infidelity, divorce, and healing.

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Meighan and Mike have experienced some pretty tough seasons during their 6-year marriage, most recently being the passing of their daughter, Eloise Joy to Trisomy 18. They have adopted the mantra “Choose Joy” and have allowed the Lord to use Ellie’s life in some pretty powerful ways. Meighan and Mike live in Vine Grove with their two cats and 45 pound “teacup chihuahua”

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On today’s show, we have our new friend and Run a Myelin My Shoes teammate, Emily Reilly. Emily is originally from Flagstaff, AZ but currently resides in the Washington DC area. Emily is proud air force wife and dog mom. She has lived with MS for over 13 years now and refuses to let this disease stop her. Amid the challenges that come with living with MS, she attributes her joy and hope to her faith in Jesus!

After graduating from college, she became a military spouse and quickly realized the lack of adaptive exercise classes for those living with MS. This prompted her to become a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor to create and provide adaptive fitness classes for her local MS community and encourage others that "no matter what your limitation, you can keep moving".

Emily now works for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and continues the fight on the front lines to help end MS forever.

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Scott and Jane Conway have been together since college and have been married for over 25 years. Scott has his MBA and works for a local bank and Jane has taught Spanish and ESL for many years. They built a beautiful life and raised two amazing daughters, Madison and Ann-Morgan. But in 2013, their world was flipped upside down. Listen today as Scott and Jane share their story of health, fear, pain, faith and trusting God.

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Heather Goodrich is a daughter of Christ, a wife, a mother, a grandmother (Nana) of six beautiful grandchildren, and a veteran runner with a marathon heart. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in June of 2012.  MS has left her with severe bilateral foot drop, occasional cognitive issues, and a constant fatigue that haunts her daily. As a MS warrior and survivor, Heather has chosen to remain faithful and humble. Heather trusts that God has a wonderful journey chosen just for her. She believes the Lord commands us to live our life to the fullest both spiritually and physically. Heather says that 1 Corinthians 6:19 -20 teaches us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit.  Our bodies do not belong to us, they belong to God. Therefore, no matter what ‘our’ circumstances, we must live our lives honoring God every step of the way.” She says, “What an amazing journey it has been thus far. I feel honored and blessed.” And we feel truly honored and blessed to have her join us today on the podcast.

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Daniel Robert West is a senior in college, majoring in Criminal Justice Administration. Daniel has big dreams of becoming a law enforcement officer so that he can be a voice for the voiceless and bring justice to perpetrators. Maintaining a 3.5 GPA, Daniel participates in marching band and also works as a resident assistant for his dorm. Daniel is smart, funny, sensitive and hard-working. And I’m not just saying that because I’m his mother. But Daniels life has not been easy. Growing up with two single teenage parents who had a lot of growing up to do certainly made life challenging. Daniel has also had to fight his own need for perfectionism and discover who he is in Christ. Join us today as we sit down with our favorite boy to discover how he seeks joy in his daily life.

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On today’s show, we have an incredible interview with our dear friends, Jason and Emily Fox. For our listeners who don’t personally know this amazing power couple, here’s a little background. Jason is the Small Groups Minister at our church. Emily is the powerhouse behind the “Forget the Frock” movement. They are raising three incredible kiddos: Stella who’s 13, Vivian-10, and Boone-2. Surprise baby boy, Boone came with an extra chromosome and his parents have fought tirelessly as his advocate. In May of 2019, Boone was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia… a disease that carries a heavy fear for many in our church family. But, if two people could excel at being the parents of a sweet little boy with down syndrome and leukemia, it’s Jason and Emily Fox. In this interview, we got down to the core of just how hard it is to fight for joy while fighting cancer. Our prayer is that after you listen in today, you will have renewed faith and courage that you too can have JOY in the midst of any and all circumstances.

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We have heard Nora's MS story, but there is much more to her story that you may not know. Today, she shares about her early life and how she fought for joy in the midst of some tough circumstances. 

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