Seasons of Change For Us & the Podcast
- echodorr5
- 2 hours ago
- 4 min read
Stephanie C. Holmes
Parker Palmer wrote,
"Summer's keynote is abundance. Forests fill with undergrowth, trees with fruits, meadows with wildflowers and grasses, fields with wheat and corn, gardens with zucchini, and the yard with weeds. Summer teaches me that when I embrace only scarcity, I create the very scarcity I fear. And summer teaches me that abundance is a communal act of an incredibly complex ecology. Each part functions on behalf of the whole, and in return is sustained by the whole. Community doesn't just create abundance, community is abundance."
As I read those words recently at a silent retreat, I found myself reflecting on the season Dan and I have been privileged to live in for the past five years. Every Monday for nearly five years, we have released a new podcast episode focused on autism, neurodiversity, marriage, faith, research, family life, and the real stories that shape our journeys. Sometimes we have shared research. Sometimes we have interviewed guests. Sometimes we have simply shared our own struggles, lessons, and hope.
This fall, we will reach an incredible milestone: five years of continuous weekly content.
Nearly 300 episodes.
More than 300,000 downloads.
And every one of those episodes has been offered freely.
We chose that intentionally.
Over the years, we have heard from people living under financial control where spending money without permission could create conflict or even danger. We have heard from missionaries and ministry families serving around the world with very limited resources. We have heard from exhausted parents, isolated spouses, and adults discovering their own neurodivergence later in life. Many have told us that the podcast became a lifeline during a difficult season. Because of that, we never wanted cost to be the barrier between someone and hope.
For much of these five years, Dan and I have lived in a season of summer and abundance. We have simply absorbed the costs ourselves. There have been no advertisements, no sponsorships, and no monetization strategy. The podcast has been a labor of love. What many people do not see is that an hour-long podcast is never just an hour-long podcast.
There are books to read, research to review, interviews to schedule, notes to prepare, conversations to have, editing, production, publishing, social media, YouTube preparation, and countless unseen hours that happen before and after the microphone is turned on.
The money spent on production was money that could have gone elsewhere. The time spent creating content was time that could have been devoted to other work. Yet we have gladly given both because we believed this ministry mattered.
We still do. But seasons change.
Literally and figuratively, Dan and I are entering a new season of life. There are moves, transitions, diagnoses, family responsibilities, and changing demands on our time and resources. As we seek to be faithful stewards of our time, talents, and finances, we have realized that the way we have operated for the last five years is not sustainable indefinitely.
I will admit that writing this makes me feel vulnerable.
Part of me fears that asking for support may cost us, listeners. Part of me worries that some people will misunderstand why we are making changes. Then I remember why God called us to start this work in the first place.
We did not begin this podcast to build a platform.
We began it for the one person searching late at night for answers.
For the exhausted spouse, wondering if anyone understands.
For the parent trying to help a child.
For the couple looking for hope.
For the individual who discovers one episode and realizes they are not alone.
If our audience becomes smaller but the impact becomes deeper, then so be it.
At this five-year milestone, we are asking for your help.
Our podcast production, editing, hosting, and video expenses average between $650 and $750 per month. At present, we are funded through the summer of 2027. What happens after that depends largely on whether this community chooses to sustain the work.
We are not a 501(c)(3), nor do we intend to become one. There are many reasons for that decision, including preserving the freedom to speak openly about faith, marriage, autism, and the topics we believe God has called us to address.
If this podcast has encouraged you, helped you, educated you, challenged you, or given you hope, would you consider paying it forward?
Community & Abundance
You can support us by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack for $8 or more per month or by joining us on Patreon for $15 or more per month.
Beginning in 2027, we also plan to transition to a seasonal format with three content seasons each year and intentional breaks between them. This will allow us to continue creating meaningful content while also caring well for our family, our clients, and our own health.
For those who desire deeper conversations about these life transitions and what God is teaching us in this season, we share more of that journey with our Patreon community.
We hope that this podcast continues for many years to come.
But if the support is not there, we will view these five years as a gift, a season well lived, and a job well done. We will focus our efforts on the communities that choose to walk more closely alongside us through Patreon and Substack.
Either way, we remain deeply grateful.
Thank you for listening.
Thank you for sharing episodes.
Thank you for inviting us into your lives.
Most of all, thank you for being part of this community of abundance.
Because Parker Palmer is right.
Community doesn't just create abundance.
Community is abundance.
If you would like to help us continue this work, the links are below.
Substack:
Patreon
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