If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world? If God is good, why did my babies die? Today we're chatting all things Sunlight in December: A Mother's Story of Finding the Goodness of God in the Storm of Grief with our very own Kristin Hernandez. It's been one month since the book launch, and we're having a conversation about the entire book writing process- from the idea for the book, to challenges and discoveries made while writing it, to where Kristin hopes things will go from h...
Aug 20, 2021•57 min•Ep. 48
How should we approach counseling as believers? What does the Bible say about counseling and how can we find a counselor that is a good fit? In today's episode, we're sharing our personal experiences with counseling, exploring ways to find a counselor who is a good fit, and providing Biblical encouragement to consider when seeking support. Our hope is to simply encourage you by sharing our own experiences, and even more so, by sharing Biblical wisdom to consider as you assess whether counseling ...
Jul 10, 2021•47 min•Ep. 47
Episode 46 of Through the Lens Podcast is here and today we’re chatting all things exercise + fitness! But don’t shut this off just yet if you’re not much of a fitness enthusiast - we promise there will be some helpful tips in here that we think anyone in grief will find interesting. In this episode on Moving Through Grief, we share the connection between fitness + grief, what types of fitness formats are recommended for the griever, and what about when you’re just not motivated? How about you -...
Jun 04, 2021•59 min•Ep. 46
We’re baaaack!! Hey Through the Lens friends, we definitely went radio silent there for a bit but we are back on the airwaves and kicking things off with a conversation about Grief These Days. Tune in as Kristin and Holly discuss what our grief looks like these days in this pandemic season and 6 years out from the losses of our sons. Everything from counseling to books and what’s making us happy these days as we continue to lament, hope, and process our suffering through the lens of the Gospel. ...
Apr 22, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 45
12 losses. That's what mama Christy Miller has lived and learned through, and today we get to hear her story of growing and grieving, clinging to Christ, the hope of heaven, and the joy + peace on THIS side of eternity that can only be provided by way of the Holy Spirit. Christy has 4 living children, with one on the way. She and her husband are advocates for foster + adoption, and her loss journey includes an ectopic pregnancy, blighted ovum, early and late-term miscarriages, IVF + infertility,...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 44
Holly here-I've had empathy on the mind lately. There's been a lot of horrible things happening in the world lately, in America right now. Between COVID and the brutal killings of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd in past few weeks...these are some very big events that, while I am learning, and I fear I don't know enough to effectively speak on a podcast about. But then again, we're not here to have all the answers to be experts on anything other than sharing in our human experiences of suffering a...
Jun 12, 2020•15 min•Ep. 43
Today we get the honor of learning from Kim Erickson, author of Surviving Sorrow: A Mother’s Guide to Living With Loss. Kim began following Christ in 2008 after the death of her 3 year old son. She is a lawyer, she lives in Florida with her husband Devin and her son Ethan. As I (Holly) read through Kim’s book in preparation for this episode, something that really stuck out to me was in the intro—Kim speaks to the reader-to the grieving mom-and she says something really simple, yet profound. She ...
Apr 07, 2020•45 min•Ep. 42
One of the things that has been the most encouraging to us in our grief has been connecting with others who "get it". People who can link their arms around us, cry with us, pray with us, point us to the truth, all while nodding their heads along with us and saying “me too”. Our grieving experiences have been greatly impacted by so many books, blogs, songs and organizations and we want to share some of our favorites with you! In today’s episode, we're sharing some of our favorite grief-related re...
Mar 24, 2020•54 min•Ep. 41
As we kick off 2020, we’re joined by our friend Rachel George to talk about clinging to God when you don’t feel His presence, the unique sorrow of loss upon loss, and processing grief through creativity. Rachel shares her story of miscarriage, losing her 1-month-old son Clive, and losing her 9-day-old daughter just 14 months later. Rachel authentically shares about the ways she wrestled with God and questioned her faith as she grieved her children. We chat about the truth we can cling to when we...
Jan 21, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 40
Twinkling lights, familiar carols, and family gatherings can make the void feel that much deeper when you're missing someone special. Christmastime can feel bittersweet and even downright painful when there is an empty stocking on the mantle or an unfilled seat at the table. For anyone who’s grieving, this can be a particularly difficult time of year. In today's episode, we're talking about grief at Christmastime and chatting about Nancy Guthrie's article "What Grieving People Wish You Knew at C...
Dec 10, 2019•48 min•Ep. 39
As we continue the conversation on hope in the hospital, we’re joined by our friend Tanisha Garnier of Namesake Ink. Tanisha shares her story of hope in the hospital, including the pain of infertility, the loss of her precious son Xavier at 21-weeks gestation, and the miraculous life of her daughter Ezra, who spent the first 3.5 months of her life in the hospital. Tanisha beautifully shares how the church reflects Christ in how we love one another through suffering and of the unshakable hope we ...
Nov 19, 2019•1 hr 29 min
The hospital is a place of new beginnings and heartbreaking endings. It is simultaneously full of the hope of birth and new life, and the sorrow of death and earthly loss. As loss mamas, memories of the hospital evoke emotional pain and even PTSD, and in other ways these memories can be quite comforting. I guess you could say our emotions surrounding the hospital are quite complicated. In today's episode, we're talking about both the joy and trauma of our own hospital experiences and how God’s g...
Nov 05, 2019•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 37
This month we're continuing to address loss upon loss, sorrow upon sorrow. Rather than a life of comfort, Jesus promised us that His children would face heartache in this world. Even if we never walk through two identical losses, it is likely that the trials of this life are not all behind us and will result in the loss of something--perhaps our health, a friendship, a dream. Even when the hits seem to keep coming, Jesus encourages us with the truth that He has overcome the world. As we continue...
Oct 22, 2019•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 36
When we’ve walked through a traumatic event such as the loss of a child, it is easy to feel like we “paid our dues”. It seems as if we’ve had more than our fair share of suffering and things can only get better from here. But what about when things don’t seem to get better? How can we reconcile the goodness of God when the worst happens again and it feels like lightning keeps striking in the same spot? In today’s episode, we’re sharing some of our own experiences with recurrent loss, as well as ...
Oct 08, 2019•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 35
“I don’t care, as long as they’re healthy!” Chances are, you’ve heard this phrase spoken by or to a pregnant woman. You’ve likely said it yourself a few times. We’re right there with you and have uttered these words more times than we can count. It wasn’t until our firstborn sons came into the world, both with conditions deemed incredibly “unhealthy”, that we began to take a deeper look at the implications of this phrase. Where do we place our hope when our babies aren’t healthy? As we wrap up t...
May 28, 2019•49 min•Ep. 32
While Mother’s Day is a day of celebration for many, we know it can be bittersweet for our sisters who have lost children, have lost mothers, have strained relationships with their mothers or their children, are walking through infertility, or are walking through a variety of challenges unique to their motherhood. As we come out of Mother’s Day weekend, we’ve compiled an audio Mother’s Day card containing words of encouragement and support from mamas within this community. Join Amy Balentine ( @...
May 12, 2019•35 min•Ep. 31
In today’s episode, Holly sits down to chat with our friend Kristin Ironside about the difficult journey of carrying a baby who isn’t expected to live outside the womb. Kristin shares the grief that came with her daughter’s diagnosis, as well as the ways God has revealed Himself to her and given her strength in the midst of the heartache. She explains how people have demonstrated the love of Christ, practical ways she is preparing for her daughter’s birth, and the way this diagnosis has shaped h...
Apr 30, 2019•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 30
Pregnancy is arguably one of the most exciting times in a mother’s life. But for some, it can also be one of the most painful and challenging seasons--especially for a mother carrying a baby with a terminal diagnosis. We often talk about the grief that follows the loss of a child, but today we’re talking about the complicated mixture of grief and expectation that comes with carrying a child who may not come home. We’re sharing our stories of prenatal diagnoses, as well as the ways we “prepared” ...
Apr 16, 2019•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 29
No matter how painful or broken they may seem, our stories can be used by God as an avenue for sharing the gospel and speaking truth to a hurting world. In sharing our stories--whether with groups or new friends over coffee--we create space for the gospel to be shared, to point others to the hope of heaven, and to continually preach the gospel to ourselves as we continue to work out our grief. In today’s episode, we’re chatting about the beauty that can come from sharing our stories and what God...
Apr 02, 2019•38 min•Ep. 28
In today's episode, Kristin is joined by her husband, Chris, to chat about marriage--specifically the challenge of marriage tested through the fire of grief and loss, loving your spouse well, even when you grieve differently, and the encouragement and admonition we can find in scripture. Chris shares the story of their firstborn son, Ethan, and talks about this painful loss from his perspective as a husband and a father. We hope you'll join us for Episode 27: For Better or Worse with Chris and K...
Mar 19, 2019•54 min•Ep. 27
In today's episode, Holly sits down to chat with our friend Sarah Showalter about grief, loss, and seasons of waiting. Sarah shares her story of losing her 2-month old son and walking through multiple miscarriages in the season after. She talks about the hope we can cling to when nothing seems to go "right" and the way that God never puts our seasons of grief or waiting to waste. We hope you'll tune in for Episode 26: Waiting with Sarah Showalter. Sarah's blog can be found here . Connect with us...
Mar 05, 2019•57 min•Ep. 26
We all have different stories. We come from different backgrounds. We each have different strengths. Comparison in itself isn’t a bad thing. Noticing and celebrating our different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds can be glorifying to God and can even foster unity as the body of Christ. The problem with comparison arises when we measure one another in a way that is rooted in pride, bitterness, or self-centeredness. We’ve both been tempted to fall into the trap of self-seeking comparison in...
Feb 19, 2019•44 min•Ep. 25
We’re back! To kick off the spring season, we’re talking about pregnancy after loss--coping with fears surrounding pregnancy after loss, navigating if and when to “try again”, and even the pain of secondary infertility. We recognize that pregnancy is a delicate topic. We know that talking about pregnancy can be difficult and painful, especially when you’ve experienced the loss of a child at any age or gestation or if you’re facing infertility. Regardless of whether you are in a season of waiting...
Feb 05, 2019•1 hr
There was a moment in time when everything changed. We'd imagine so many of you can relate when we say that our lives seem to be split into two major seasons--one before the diagnoses and deaths of our firstborn children and one after. Perhaps your moment was the day the doctor delivered the devastating diagnosis or the day you said goodbye to someone or something so very dear to you. While the deaths of our children demand the most grief, we’ve mourned the secondary losses of the people we were...
Dec 11, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 23
Today we're joined by our dear friend Rachel George to discuss practical, yet meaningful ways to support a hurting friend. We talk about the importance of stepping into the "mess" without being so quick to clean it up, the value in a good meal, and the way God comforts us so that we may comfort one another. Whether you are deep in the valley of grief, or walking alongside someone else who is, we'd love for you to join us as we chat about this further. Find Rachel's blog post we referenced in thi...
Nov 27, 2018•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 22
As we wrap up our 4-part series on prayer and healing, we’re chatting with our friend Brittany Allen about the treasure we have in Christ, even in seasons of loss and waiting. Brittany is a mama to three babies lost through miscarriage. Her hope is to make Christ her ultimate Treasure in every circumstance and encourage other women to do the same. Brittany candidly shares her story of multiple miscarriages, and the ways she wrestled with God as she lost her babies while He seemed to be prompting...
Nov 13, 2018•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 21
As we wrap up Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we're sharing our Facebook Live "Ask us Anything" session with our friend Sarah Rieke of the Heart Lessons Podcast as a podcast episode. Join us as we answer your questions regarding baby loss, including coping with anxiety during pregnancy after loss and navigating conversations with well-meaning friends and family. Episode 20: Ask us Anything is now available for download. [...and check back here in 2 weeks as Brittany Allen joins us to ...
Oct 30, 2018•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 20
In the last two episodes we’ve discussed the miracles of Jesus, culminating with the ultimate miracle of his resurrection. We’ve shared scriptural examples of why we are to pray, and heard a powerful testimony from a mama friend who witnessed God’s miraculous works in her life. But what about when the healing doesn’t come? We serve a God who has the power to do miraculous works in our lives and invites us to boldly approach his throne with our requests--so what can we cling to when the answer is...
Oct 16, 2018•54 min•Ep. 19
Today we’re hearing a personal testimony from our friend, Alex Johnson, At her 18-week anatomy scan, Alex learned that her daughter was missing an essential piece of her brain and would likely fight for her life. As she began to mentally prepare for an unbearable loss, Alex cried out to God for a miracle that would astonish her daughter’s medical team. We know that many of you did not receive the miracle you asked for. We understand that many of you may feel “burned” by God, after begging on you...
Oct 02, 2018•45 min•Ep. 18
In the months following our sons' diagnoses, we often found ourselves on our knees praying for miracle. God, in all his loving kindness, chose to heal our children in the eternal sense rather than a physical one. Perhaps you’ve found yourself there too--perhaps you’ve prayed with such faith and been handed sorrow rather than the celebration you had hoped for. Perhaps you’ve even felt burned by God and have questioned the purpose of prayer. We’ve been there. Today we’re releasing the first in a f...
Sep 18, 2018•49 min•Ep. 17
