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April 28, 2025 14 mins

Karen Peck joins the Morning JoyRide for a heartfelt conversation about grief, hope, and faith. She shares the story behind her upcoming album Good Answers, inspired by her mother’s final words before passing: “I pray to God and God gives good answers.” Just a week later, Karen faced another tragedy—the loss of her best friend Kelly Nelon in a plane crash—deeply shaping her music and faith. Through tears and hope, she reflects on the nearness of heaven, the comfort of family, and the truth that we were never meant to carry burdens alone. Her story offers a powerful reminder this Easter season: in life’s hardest moments, God still gives good answers. Subscribe now for more conversations blending everyday life with deep spiritual insight.

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Episode Transcript

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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Melody and I'm Candy and you're listening
to Quirks, bumps and Bruises.
Good morning and welcome to JoyFM.
Welcome to the Morning, joyRide.
It is Melody, along with you,as always, and Candy's still
going to be out a bit with thatsweet new baby.
But I have someone that I adoreon the phone with me today.

(00:20):
We actually have not talked inso long and I just want to hug
her.
It's Karen Peck.
Hey, karen.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Hey, my friend, you know what?
I'm hugging you through thephone.
I miss y'all.
I know I miss talking to y'all,but you know what?
We have been friends for solong and I just appreciate y'all
because you know we just haveso much in common with.
You know our families andgrandbabies, and now Candy's got
a baby girl and I'm so happyfor her and I hope she's

(00:48):
listening.
And, candy, I love you andcongratulations and wow, so much
is going on.
But God has been so good andfaithful.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Fill us in on Karen Beck and New River.
What do y'all got going on?
I know it's always somethingall the time, so go ahead and
just tell us what's happeninggoing on.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
I know it's always something all the time, so go
ahead and just tell us what'shappening.
Well, we have a new recordthat's coming out in May.
It's called Good Answers, andI'm very, very excited about
this.
It has the songs that I knowyou've been playing Be Ready and
also that's what Faith LooksLike.
Both of those, yeah, thank youfor playing those songs.
And so this is the longestwe've ever taken getting a new

(01:25):
record out.
But our mom had been very sicklast year and then she passed in
July, and two weeks before Mamapassed she said I pray to God
and God gives good answers, andwe put that in her obituary and
it stayed with me for so longthat I got with songwriters
Kenna West and Jimmy Urie and wewrote the song God Gives Good

(01:48):
Answers.
Oh, that's awesome, and it'sthe first song on the track, and
so we decided to name the albumGood Answers.
And then, of course, kellyNealon and her family passed
away the next week, and so itwas just the week after Mama had
passed.
Kelly was at the funeral ofmamas and it was just.
You know, it was a series ofjust life, just dealing with

(02:12):
grief and devastation, andstarted writing more songs that
are on this record as well.
So it's.
You know it's been a process,but god's been good and faithful
to help us through it.

Speaker 1 (02:23):
Oh, I know so much happening, but I've got to stop
you right now because we haven'ttalked in so so long and so I
have to ask you first thingabout those grandbabies.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
Out of my mind.
I am completely, utterlycommitted by those babies.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
Oh, and I know, because we kind of followed suit
my family with yours, and soI've got the two boys, though oh
, how sweet.
One is blonde haired and blueeyed and the other one is black
haired and black eyed.
It's hilarious.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
How sweet, oh, and you're never the same, I know.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
No, you know, I think you and I have talked about
this.
Before they tell you that youknow, before you have grandkids,
they'll say you just can'texplain it.
You can't explain it, and youknow, you think, well, how
different could it be?
And it is.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
I know it is absolutely the most glorious
thing.

Speaker 1 (03:18):
And yesterday I went to see them just for a minute
and when I walked in theystarted screaming and running
toward me and I went this isheaven, this is just a little
part of heaven right here, andmine call me, uh me, mommy, and
so when they say I love you, memommy, I mean they can have
anything.

Speaker 2 (03:37):
They want anything oh , anything, anything, I mean
it's, that's it.
They just melt your heart oh,oh, they absolutely do.

Speaker 1 (03:45):
There's just nothing like them, that's for sure.
Well, let's change topics alittle bit.
Hearing your music touches somany hearts in so many different
kinds of ways.
I was talking to a listener alittle bit ago and his name is
Randy and he said please tellher how much she has meant to me
in my life, and so you and yourfamily have certainly just made

(04:08):
such a positive difference inso many lives.

Speaker 2 (04:11):
Tell Randy I said thank you.

Speaker 1 (04:14):
I will.
I will, let me ask you this,because I know that grief can be
such a hard thing, a veryunique thing as well, and I know
I lost my mom about six yearsago, so I know what that feels
like losing a mom.
There is just something thatyou can't explain.
When you lose your mom and thenyou, of course, lost I guess,

(04:36):
kelly was she your very bestfriend?

Speaker 2 (04:39):
Kelly was.
She was absolutely that friend.
That was a sister.
We had a43-year-slash-friendship
sisterhood and, matter of fact,we were texting the day that
they were leaving and that wewere both leaving and some of us
artists were trying to see outof Washington to board a Bill

(04:59):
and Gloria Gaither Alaska crew,and so we were just texting on
the Thursday before we wereleaving.
On Friday we were texting youknow what are we going to wear?
You know, take a coat, it'sgoing to be cold up there, just
those kind of things.
And I don't know what to pack,you know.
And she said well, I'm going togo get my coat right now and

(05:20):
pack it.
And then the next morning Itexted her and she left my text.
And then that afternoon is whentheir plane went down, and so
they all perished, except forher one daughter, autumn, which
was flying commercial with herhusband because she's expecting
a baby.
But then, autumn, she wound uphaving her baby on Kelly's

(05:40):
birthday, on December 1st.
So that was so sweet.

Speaker 1 (05:45):
That was a God moment there.

Speaker 2 (05:48):
That was a God moment it was and I can see how the
Lord is helping her.
I mean, there are so manyfamilies that are affected.
I mean Amber would have been 36years old last month and her
husband, nathan, I mean hisfamily, you know, they're good
families, you know, and all ofthese people, and Melody that

(06:11):
was, you know, she was fromNorth Carolina actually, but she
was a friend, you know, to allof us and she worked hard with
kelly and their family as theirassistant.
So it was just.
There was just a lot going onand uh.
But one thing that I learnedabout grief at oh, and about
your mom, I will say this Idon't think I've ever

(06:32):
experienced anything as soheartbreaking as losing a mother
.
There's just, you know, withthat, because your mom is part
of you and it's like part of myheart has gone with her.
And then with Kelly, with youknow, with seeing, you know, one
of my dearest friends and, youknow, gone.
So suddenly it was justdevastating.

(06:52):
But one thing that I'vediscovered about grief is that
God did not create us carryburdens, and that's why he says
to cast our cares upon him,because he cares for us and we
are never to bear these burdensalone, and so that's why, you
know, it's really been a process, but God has been so faithful.

(07:13):
Honestly, it's just a dailything of just praying and
staying connected with him andknowing that if he allows it to
happen.
He will get you through it.

Speaker 1 (07:23):
Yes, and just knowing that, oh, we will one day see
them again, it keeps everythingkind of in perspective as well.
We have Karen.
A lot of our listeners herehave gone through grief with
losing spouses and familymembers.
We just recently finished ourfundraiser and so many call in
and give in memory of someone orin honor of someone, and I'm

(07:44):
just astounded at how manyparents were giving in memory of
their children and because it'snot supposed to happen that way
, and they tell us that theyjust struggle with with grief.
And I know and I don't know ifyou have gone through this or
not but grief can kind of hityou out of nowhere.
You'll be having just a normalday and you're just trying to do
your thing and get all donethat is required of that day,

(08:08):
and then I will smell a poundcake and my mother was known for
her pound cakes.
Or I will see someone with abeautiful handwriting my mother
was known for that with abeautiful handwriting.
My mother was known for that.

Speaker 2 (08:21):
But something will just trigger a moment a smell a
song and it will just wash overyou.
I don't know if you'veexperienced that yet.
Yeah, it does.
I mean it would be in way.
And you know it was like, oh mygoodness.
But you know I had finally gotover the last few days, last

(08:42):
maybe three weeks that I wasn'tcrying every day.

Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
And then, just lo and behold, this week I was driving
through where my hometown and Iwas headed for an appointment
and went by where mama wasstaying and, oh man, it just
everything just flooded itwashes you, it just washes over
you it washes over you that's agood way to put it and it was

(09:09):
like my goodness, it was it.
You know it was hard.
So this past week I've had areally hard week.
This week just missing, missing, mama.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
So so much and I think during the times of
holidays too, with uh gettingthrough christmas and now
easter's coming up and holidayswere and thanksgiving were huge
parts of our family and my momwas the center of that.
You know, she was the, she waskind of the one that you know
planned the meals and theget-togethers and cooked a lot

(09:40):
of it as well, and so it wasmama and one thing is, mama had
a, an azalea bush that is in herfront yard and it was just
actually turned into a tree.

Speaker 2 (09:49):
It was so beautiful and every year it has this
vibrant pink colors and shewould always, every year, say my
tree's blooming, and so wouldalways take pictures of it or
have pictures outside with herin front of her tree.
And our sister, sandra, textedSusan and me, uh, last week and
said mama's tree's blooming andso, and sent a picture of it and

(10:11):
it was like and I'm thinking,mama loves flowers so much, but
I wonder what the flowers smelllike in heaven.
And I wrote a song about itafter mama passed, called mama
knows, and it's really sweet.
I mean it's just, you know,because I wonder what the manna
tastes like, because it went inheaven.
We cannot even comprehend howwonderful heaven is no and.

(10:32):
But you know, one day we'll,we'll know.

Speaker 1 (10:34):
But mama knows and heaven is so close because she's
there and kelly's there and herfamily's there I mean heaven,
it just feels very close yes,yes, I, I agree, and uh, again,
that's uh just maybe someencouraging words to those that
are listening today here on joyfm.
If you're going through thattime that, uh, I can't say that

(10:57):
it gets easier because I don'tknow that it does, but time does
tend to heal some of thosereally deep wounds.
But, thank goodness, you had awonderful mother.
I did not ever get theopportunity to meet her, but the
way you would write about herand social media and that kind
of thing I was able to just, andshe was beautiful, by the way,
what a beautiful lady you wouldhave loved her.

Speaker 2 (11:20):
She was so funny, I mean just so much fun.
And her laugh, I mean we wouldget hysterical in places.
We weren't supposed to belaughing and it was just.
It was great.
But one thing I want to say forthose that are listening just
remember that God has adifferent perspective on death
than we do, because when abeliever, when a believer,

(11:41):
passes over, when they crossover, it's just the beginning of
life.
So really, the way I mean we see, we feel like it's an ending,
and it may be an ending on thisearth, but it's just the
beginning of eternal life,ending on this earth, but it's
just the beginning of eternallife.
And it's so important that weall are sure that we are saved,

(12:03):
that we are secure with the Lord.
And that's why this station'shere to play songs of faith and
hope and salvation and to remindyou that the scripture says the
only way to get to heaven isthrough the blood of Jesus, that
if we accept Jesus as our Lordand Savior, then we have a place
in heaven.
So I just want to encourage anyof you that if you're

(12:23):
questioning I don't know if I'msaved or not, well then, just
you know, talk to the Lord andjust or get with a preacher or
get with someone that you knowprays and can help lead you to
the Lord, but you can do itright where you are.
You can just pray, lord, youknow praise that can help lead
you to the Lord, and but you cando it right where you are you
can just pray, lord, I you know,I realize I'm a sinner and I
can't save myself, but I knowyou can and please come into my

(12:44):
heart and forgive me of my sinand save me, and you know, and
be Lord of my life and then livefor him and get in a good,
bible-based church and learnmore about Jesus.
But I just wanted to throw thisout there, because that is
really why we do what we do.
That's why Joy FM is doing whatthey do and that's why Karen
Peck and Me River and all ofthese other ministries are out

(13:07):
here telling people about theLord, because time is running
out.

Speaker 1 (13:11):
And we never know.

Speaker 2 (13:12):
You never know when you're going to take your last
breath.

Speaker 1 (13:15):
And what a beautiful season of the year to do just
that, to invite him into yourlife.
This Easter season, where we,as Christians this is our time
where we celebrate the risenSavior.
And I can't think of a morebeautiful time than this season,
particularly as we are intoHoly Week, to be able to say, I

(13:35):
know with certainty that I willspend eternity with Him.
Amen, karen, thank you.
I pray that all good thingshappen for you and your family,
and for Karen Peck and New River.
You are absolutely one of ourfavorites.
We adore you.

Speaker 2 (13:50):
Thank you, I adore y'all.

Speaker 3 (13:52):
Thanks for listening to the Quirks Bumps Bruises
podcast with Candy and Melody.
If you enjoyed the show, pleasetake a moment to subscribe,
rate and share the podcast.
You can learn more at joyfmorg.
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