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Episode 24: How to Love Others Well When It’s Hard

In this episode of Courage is Built Here, Justine opens Pathway Four, Love Others Well, with a deeply moving conversation about what it means to choose love when it feels hardest. She invites Marcy Bursac to share her journey of adopting her children through foster care and the courage it took to fully step into that role.

Marcy shares the emotional reality of the adoption process, including long periods of uncertainty, difficult transitions, and moments of doubt. She reflects on a defining moment where she chose to love her children completely, even without knowing what the future would hold. That decision became the foundation for how she showed up for them throughout the journey.

Together, Justine and Marcy explore how loving others well requires both internal and external work. They talk about the importance of healing your own wounds, creating intentional family practices, and building trust through consistent presence. They also discuss how assuming the best in others can shift relationships, even when interactions are difficult or uncomfortable.

Marcy also offers insight into the foster care system, highlighting the realities families face and the need for greater awareness and understanding. Throughout the episode, they return to the idea that love is not always easy or comfortable, but it is always worth choosing.

Key Takeaways

  • Pathway Four, Love Others Well, requires practicing empathy, trust, and courageous conversations.
  • Loving others well often means choosing love even when there is uncertainty or risk.
  • Marcy made the decision to love her children fully, even without knowing the outcome of the adoption process.
  • The foster care and adoption journey can be long, emotional, and unpredictable.
  • Support from others can make a significant difference during difficult seasons.
  • Intentional parenting practices help create safety, trust, and open communication.
  • Doing your own inner work is essential to loving others well.
  • Assuming the best in others, rather than malice, creates space for empathy and understanding.
  • Many misconceptions exist about adoption and foster care that require education and awareness.
  • Loving others well often requires embracing interruptions and being present in everyday moments.


About the guest

Marcy Bursac is an adoption advocate and adoptive mom who shares her experience navigating the foster care system and building her family through adoption. She is passionate about helping others understand the realities of adoption, providing education and resources, and supporting families through the process. Her work focuses on making adoption more accessible and encouraging more people to consider it as a way to build their family.

Connect with Marcy

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Author:

A Licensed Professional Counselor, Justine Froelker has over 25 years of experience in mental health, personal growth, and professional development. For eleven years, she was certified in Dr. Brené Brown’s work on vulnerability, courage, and empathy. Justine now shares her own curriculum, Courage is Built Here™. This transformative program empowers individuals to live and lead with self-awareness, authenticity, and resilience, building a foundation for courage-centered leadership. In addition to writing her blog since 2013, Justine is an accomplished author of thirteen books—including five Amazon bestsellers—Justine has written across genres, from children’s books to in-depth explorations of infertility, faith, grief, and leadership. She has delivered two TEDx Talks, The Permission of the And and The Donut Effect, which highlight her unique perspective on navigating life’s complexities with grace. Justine is a sought-after speaker who travels nationally and presents virtually to global audiences, delivering keynotes, workshops, retreats, and trainings on topics such as leadership, resilience, mental health, coping with burnout, courageous and curious conversations, and fostering cultures of inclusion and belonging. Justine lives in St. Louis with her husband Chad and their two dogs, Gertie and Winston. You’ll often find her volunteering at Wild Bird Rehabilitation—supporting the medical team and feeding hundreds of tiny, hungry babies during baby bird season. And during butterfly season, her home comes alive with the flutter of wings as she raises hundreds of monarch and swallowtail butterflies.

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Justine is an author, speaker, and corporate trainer. She travels nationally and presents virtually to global audiences delivering keynotes, workshops, retreats, and trainings on topics such as leadership, courage, resilience, mental health, preventing and coping with burnout, and courageous and curious conversation.

info@justinefroelker.com
info@justinefroelker.com

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