On this episode of Restoried, Mel sits down to talk with Jen Zwick and Cat Tortola about hope, faith, and transformation. Cat isn’t just a graduate of the Hope Bridge Single Moms Program; she’s now the Single Mom Program’s coordinator, helping other single moms navigate life, growth, and family. She shares her journey from feeling stuck and overwhelmed to finding support, community, and confidence through Hope Bridge.

Cat shares about her experience moving into transitional housing, stepping into church for the first time, getting baptized, and even partnering with Habitat for Humanity to rehab her own home. Along the way, Cat learned practical life skills, discovered her potential, and gained the confidence to take bold steps forward. She also shares her hopes for the future: mentoring other single moms and creating a space where they feel truly seen, heard, and supported.

If you’re looking for inspiration or want to see how community and God’s faithfulness can change lives, this episode is for you. Whether you’re a single mom looking for support or just want to see hope in action, tune in to hear how you can get involved, get connected with Hope Bridge, or cheer for these amazing women on their journey.

Episode Highlights:

• Meet Cat!
• Overcoming fear and doubt
• Embracing community support
• Growth through guidance
• Faith-fueled transformation
• Empowerment for single mom

Find More on Hope Bridge/Links from this Episode:

• Single Mom Connection Form
• Empower U March
• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

In this episode of Restoried, Brian and Anne revisit the spiritual formation practice of Pilgrim Feast, a rhythm inspired by the biblical feasts where God’s people gathered to remember His faithfulness and celebrate together. Pilgrim Feast invites families to reframe vacations and special time away as gifts from God; moments to worship, reconnect, and intentionally celebrate His goodness.

Anne shares how her family prayerfully planned a focused trip with their four older children after a long fostering season, choosing unplugged time in the mountains to reconnect and reflect on God’s faithfulness. Brian shares about his family’s trip to Missouri and how shifting their mindset, seeing vacation as God’s generosity rather than something earned, changed the experience.

They acknowledge the realities of parenting, tight budgets, and blended family dynamics, encouraging listeners to lower expectations of perfection and focus on connection. Pilgrim Feast does not have to be expensive or elaborate. It can be a staycation, a weekend getaway, or even a single intentional day marked by rest, favorite foods, tech boundaries, and meaningful conversation.

The challenge is simple: dream about it, pray about it, put it on the calendar, and trust God to restore your family through celebration.

Episode Highlights:

• Celebrate God’s faithfulness.
• Receive rest as a gift.
• Choose connection over perfection.
• Intentional > expensive.
• Pray, plan, calendar it.

Links from this Episode:

• Pilgrim’s Feast with Young Kids
• Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026
• Register for the Pastor + Ministry Leaders Brunch

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

In this episode of Restoried, we sit down with Jamie Fuller to hear her family’s unexpected journey into kinship care. It’s a story shaped by loss, faith, and God’s redemptive work. What Jamie thought would be a season of empty nesting turned into something she and her husband, JP, never imagined. They welcomed their two nephews after the tragic loss of their parents.

Jamie shares honestly about what it’s like to suddenly step into trauma-informed parenting while also grieving the life she thought she would have. She talks about the emotional weight, the impact on her whole family, and the loneliness that can come with caring for kids from hard places.

One of the most powerful parts of Jamie’s story is how finding people who truly understood changed everything. From her first Hope Bridge moms’ night to attending Mobilize Ohio, Jamie describes what it meant to finally be in rooms where she didn’t have to explain her story. It was a place where she and JP felt seen, supported, and less alone.

This episode is a reminder that healing takes time, that joy and grief can exist at the same time, and that community really matters. If you’re walking a foster or kinship journey or supporting families who are, this conversation is for you. Mobilize Ohio and Hope Bridge are places where your story can make sense, too.

Episode Highlights:

• Jamie’s Story
• Kinship Care
• Trauma Informed Parenting
• Mobilize Ohio
• Finding Community

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook
• Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

Foster care doesn’t just enter a home; it enters a marriage. With Valentine’s Day approaching, this episode of Restoried opens an honest conversation about how foster care changes marriage when court dates, therapy, and survival replace date nights and quiet conversations.

Lisa is joined by her husband JJ as they reflect on eight years as licensed foster parents and over a decade supporting children and families in foster care. They share how foster care changed their marriage, from communication and emotional connection to dividing responsibilities and making decisions together.

They discuss real challenges, including exhaustion, grief, spiritual warfare, and times of being out of sync. They explore how spouses carry weight differently and how tension can arise if not addressed.

The conversation also covers practical realities, including managing responsibilities, navigating caseworker roles, and checking in regularly to avoid resentment.

At the heart of the episode is hope. Lisa and JJ share how God used the hardest seasons to strengthen their marriage. Through prayer, shared heartbreak, and choosing each other daily, their marriage grew deeper and anchored in Christ.

Episode Highlights:

• Foster care impacts marriage
• Balancing grief and logistics
• Communication is key
• Shared hardships strengthen love
• Relying on God
• Intentional connection matters
• Practical tips for parents

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

In this episode of Restoried, we sit down with Ryan North of One Big Happy Home for a real and encouraging conversation about foster care, adoption, connected parenting, and staying faithful in hard seasons. With more than 30 foster placements and years of lived experience, Ryan shares what he and his wife, Kayla, have learned about building strong relationships with kids impacted by trauma.

Ryan talks about why connection matters more than predictions or diagnoses, how creativity and flexibility can make a huge difference, and what it looks like to keep showing up even when things feel overwhelming. He also shares honestly about marriage, self-care, and how caregivers can support one another so they don’t burn out along the way.

This episode is full of practical wisdom, hope, and reminders to celebrate progress — even the small wins. If you’re in the thick of foster care, adoption, or kinship parenting, this conversation will encourage you to keep going and remember that the work you’re doing truly matters.

Don’t miss hearing Ryan speak in person at Mobilize Ohio 2026! Register using the link below.

Episode Highlights:

• Connection over outcomes
• Creativity and flexibility
• Staying faithful long-term
• Marriage under pressure
• Celebrating small wins

Find more on Guest:

• One Big Happy Home
• One Big Happy Home on Social
• The Empowered Parent Podcast
• Follow Ryan on Instagram

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

Today, we’re continuing our spiritual formation series by talking about the discipline of generosity. Jesus has so much to say about generosity in the Bible, and we’re reminded that it truly is more blessed to give than to receive.

We discuss how generosity isn’t just a spiritual concept; it also has real mental and physical benefits, backed by science.

We’re also joined by Lewis Yoder, Executive Director of the Christ Foundation, who shares how their organization lives out generosity by funding nonprofits through grants to help them make a bigger impact in their communities.

And we talk about how generosity isn’t only about money. It can look like giving your time, using your gifts, showing up for someone, or simply being kind and intentional in everyday life.

This episode is all about rethinking generosity and how it can become a natural part of how we live and love others.

Episode Highlights:

• Spiritual Discipline of Generosity
• The Science of Giving
• Stewardship
• Faith in Action

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Pastor & Ministry Leader Brunch
• Mobilize Ohio
• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

Today on Restoried, we’re joined by Kim Bezek, one of our breakout speakers for Mobilize Ohio. Kim is a children’s ministry director at a local church and a mom of five, parenting kids with a wide range of abilities, including Down syndrome and ADHD.

Kim shares honestly about what it’s like to embrace a life that doesn’t look the way you originally imagined, and how that experience connects so deeply with foster and adoptive parenting. She talks about raising kids who don’t fit the “mold” and how that journey has stretched her, shaped her perspective, and deepened her faith along the way.

We also discuss into the importance of advocating well for your kids, and learning how to extend grace while still speaking up with confidence and authority. Kim reminds us that whether you’re parenting kids with different needs or kids who’ve experienced trauma, advocacy starts with education.

This is a conversation full of honesty, encouragement, and practical wisdom. It is one you won’t want to miss!

Episode Highlights:

• Meet Kim Bezek
• Parenting Differently Abled Children
• Releasing Control
• Advocating for your children
• Mobilize Ohio 2026

Find more on Guest/Links mentioned in this episode:

• The Adapted Way
• Key Ministry
• Raising Autistic Disciples on Instagram
• How to Advocate and Stay Christian Book

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026
• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026

This week, we’re replaying one of our favorite conversations with Trisha White Priebe, an adult adoptee, writer, and speaker, and a mainstage speaker at Mobilize Ohio 2026.

As we lead up to Mobilize Ohio, this week we’re replaying a powerful conversation with one of our mainstage speakers, and next week we’ll be sharing a brand-new episode featuring another Mobilize Ohio mainstage speaker. These conversations are meant to help prepare our hearts and minds for what’s ahead and highlight the voices shaping this year’s mainstage.

In this episode, Trisha joins the show to talk about something we don’t always think about: how families outside of the adoption or foster care world can help their children understand it. While many resources exist for adoptive and foster families, what about parents whose kids have classmates or friends who are adopted or in foster care? How do those families begin the conversation?

Trisha shares practical, thoughtful ways to help children build empathy and engage in respectful, age-appropriate conversations about adoption and foster care. She believes every child benefits from learning how to talk about different kinds of families—and that small, intentional conversations can make a big difference.

With honesty and compassion, Trisha brings her lived experience as an adoptee to the table, offering encouragement and hope to adoptees, birth families, and adoptive families alike. Her mission is simple: to help more people feel seen, supported, and understood.

Episode Highlights:

• Meet Trisha White Priebe
• Foster Care & Adoption
• Giving Children the Language to Talk about Adoption

Find more on Guest:

• Trisha’s Website
• Find Trisha on Facebook
• Find Trisha on Instagram
• Life Song

Find More on Hope Bridge:

• Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026
• Visit Our Website
• Follow us on Instagram
• Follow us on Facebook

Register for Mobilize Ohio 2026