Through the Lens Podcast

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 here.

If you, or someone you're close to, has walked through infertility, miscarriages, and/or the loss of an infant, you'll want to keep a copy of this powerful memoir about death, doubt, and hope; you'll also want to tune into today's episode to discover more about Kristin's heart for the book, and stay for a fun book-themed lightening round to close things out!

Through the Lens Podcast Episode 48: Sunlight in December with Kristin Hernandez is now streaming on your favorite podcast app.

Our girl wrote a book and it’s launching today! 🎉

Have you ever wondered, “If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world? If God is good, why did my babies die?”

Kristin Hernandez found herself asking these questions countless times as she walked through the bitter storm of grief and loss.

After years of unexplained infertility, Kristin and her husband Chris were thrilled to discover they were expecting their first child. Their elation came crashing down when a routine anatomy scan revealed their miracle child would be born with a terminal condition. In the wake of their newborn son’s death, Kristin began to wrestle with God’s goodness and the purpose of suffering. As she and her husband walked through the loss of four more babies, Kristin discovered the unshakeable truth we can cling to when physical storms linger and all seems hopeless.

In Sunlight in December, Kristin Hernandez authentically expresses the raw emotions that come with grief and invites readers to journey with her as she wrestles with God and discovers His goodness in unexpected places. This powerful memoir dives headfirst into difficult topics such as death, doubt, and seemingly unanswered prayer, all while leaving the reader with encouragement and hope.

Order your copy today at Amazon. 💕

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 would be a helpful next step for you.

We hope you'll join us as we dive deeper into this topic. Through the Lens Podcast Episode 47: On Counseling is now available wherever you listen to podcasts!

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. ⁣
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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?⁣
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How about you - are you using movement as a healthy outlet to support your grief journey? For many of us, starting on an exercise regimen after loss can feel uninspiring at best, daunting at worst. On today’s episode, we’re sharing our personal pre- and post-loss fitness journeys, including how our relationships to fitness have changed in light of our grief. ⁣
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We also discuss the physical and mental benefits of exercise for the grieving person and share some simple, practical strategies and mindset tips for getting moving again.⁣
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Through the Lens Podcast Episode 46: Moving Through Grief is now on air via your favorite podcast app - we hope you’ll join us💪💛

Hey there, friends! Our girl Kristin is getting ready to launch her first book into the world this year and is now on Facebook at Sunlight in December. Head over to connect with her and receive updates about her upcoming book, Sunlight in December: A mother’s story of finding the goodness of God in the storm of grief.

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.⁣⁣
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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 o**m, early and late-term miscarriages, IVF + infertility, and lots and lots of grief, joy, hope, pain, and love.⁣⁣
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Christy is a close personal friend of mine (Holly) and is a worship leader at a local church here in Virginia Beach, VA. While I'd heard her story before, I found myself speechless + humbled all over again Christy's testimony. "Years ago I would have said, 12? No way, I'm not doing this. But-here I am, and we're on the other side, and yes-there's sadness and there's heartbreak-and there's also been a lot of healing and blessings (that don't wipe away the grief)."⁣⁣
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Through the Lens Podcast Episode 44: Growing and Grieving with 12x Loss Mama Christy Miller is now available where podcasts are served.⁣
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Holly here-whew, it’s been a minute since we’ve popped up in your earbuds! I hope you are all as well as possible and that you’re feeling the nearness of Jesus as we all navigate through some incredibly challenging, heartbreaking times-⁣
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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.⁣
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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 and grief and striving to keep our eyes fixed on heaven, on Jesus, the only one who can redeem and restore. ⁣
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So I hope that’s what you’ll take away from this conversation starter today-that He alone can redeem, yet He has chosen us, His church, to be conduits of His grace and truth. And in order to be effective vessels for Gospel Hope, especially in times of suffering and grief when hope is most needed, we must seek to grow in empathy. To move from apathy to empathy.⁣
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So here is a brief overview of how I personally have experienced growth in empathy due to my own personal trials, and how I'm pursuing continued growth in empathy as I grow in learning and love for my neighbors who are different from me. Because, as 1 Corinthians 12 says, if one part of the Body suffers, we all suffer.⁣
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Through the Lens Podcast Episode 43: From Apathy to Empathy is now available where podcasts are served. After tuning in, will you pop back over here and share some of your own story of moving from apathy to empathy?⁣
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Today on Episode 42 of Through the Lens Podcast 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 says, “take my hand. Borrow my hope.” ⁣
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In today’s interview, Kim does just that. She takes us on a journey of hope that only the restoration of the Gospel can bring. Over 10 years into her grief journey, Kim has so much to offer in sharing her story and the freedom Christ brings to us loss mamas. We chat about anger/angry prayers, the temporary nature of this life, scriptural examples of lament, and a stunning glimpse into heaven provided by her precious son Austin, which ultimately led Kim to begin following Jesus.⁣
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Tune in today. Borrow Kim’s hope, hurting mama. You’re not alone in your grief, in your anger, in your hope. Through the Lens Podcast Episode 42: Surviving Sorrow with Kim Erickson is now available where podcasts are served.⁣
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Whether it's to have a good cry, feel comfort, or draw near to God, music has such a way of connecting with us in our grief. What songs have been part of your grief soundtrack?

In our latest episode, we're sharing some of our favorite "griefsources" (grief-related resources...get it?) and we want to hear yours too!

Some of the songs and artists in our grief playlists include...
Josh Garrels
John Mark McMillan
Where I Belong- Switchfoot
More - Halsey
Hope Where There Was None (album) - Loud Harp
Find You Here - Ellie Holcomb..and a whole lot more.

Let's talk books! What have you been reading lately? Have you been reading more lately? What books have been the most impactful to you in your grief?

We have a tough time narrowing down our favorite grief-related books, but we both agree that the Bible is the primary text for truth and encouragement. Even when it seems confusing or uncomfortable, we encourage you to open your Bible and start reading. Find someone to study with. Feel the freedom to ask the hard questions.

For further reading, we definitely have some favorite Bible-based "Griefsources" that we can't help but share with you! A few of our favorites are...

"The Scars that Have Shaped" Me by Vaneetha Rendall Risner
“Holding Onto Hope” and “Hearing Jesus Speak Into Your Sorrow” by Nancy Guthrie
"God on Mute" by Pete Greig (God on Mute )
“I Will Carry You” by Angie Smith
“When God Doesn’t Fix it” by Laura Story Music
"A Grief Observed" by C.S. Lewis
"Even Broken Can be Beautiful" by Sarah Rieke
..and sooo many more. Check out Episode 41: Griefsources for even more of our favorite titles.

What about you? Let us know in the comments below!

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 resources...or “Griefsources” as we’re calling it. We’ve divided these resources into several categories: books, music, small business, podcasts, nonprofits, and blogs, and we're passing along some of our favorites to you, as well as some of your favorites that you’ve shared with us!

We recorded this episode a few weeks ago, before many of us realized the seriousness of COVID-19 and before a majority of our country went into social isolation. We are thankful that God remains the same even when things feel so uncertain, and we can't think of a better time to share some of our favorite resources with you!

Episode 41: Griefsources is now available for download on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify.

In our latest episode, Rachel George opens up about feeling abandoned by God and questioning her faith after losing her 9-day-old daughter Winnie. Through wrestling, questioning and community, Rachel found comfort knowing that Jesus was there with her, even when she couldn’t hear Him.

We’ve personally been encouraged by Rachel’s story and we hope you will be too! Episode 40 is now available for download.

We hope you enjoyed Episode 40: Grieve, Create, Believe: An Interview with Rachel George. If this episode encouraged you or if you’d like to purchase Rachel’s book, we’d love to connect you with her! You can reach Rachel in the following places…

Instagram:
Facebook: facebook.com/rachelgeorgewrites
Website: samandrachelgeorge.com/
Amazon: Search “Grieve, Create, Believe: Process Your Loss with Intention and Truth” by Rachel George.

I can be challenging to wrestle with and to “lean in” to the truth when our hearts are hurting. In our latest episode, Rachel George speaks of the importance of reading scripture and immersing yourself in truth even when you don’t *feel* anything, have a hard time focusing, or have doubts. Have you been here too? What scriptures have been the most comforting to you in seasons of hurt or doubt?

In our latest episode, Rachel George shares about her new book and her hope that it would invite readers in to wrestle, ask tough questions and lean into the comfort only God can bring. We hope you'll join us as we wrestle and seek truth together. You can catch the entire conversation in Episode 40, now available on iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify!

“There’s these promises in scripture that talk about (how) God will never leave you or forsake you, and I know that He doesn’t promise us that we’re going to have healthy children...He promises us that He’s going to be with us through the pain of this life, and that this life will have pain.” - Rachel George, Episode 40

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 don’t *feel* the Holy Spirit and when God feels silent. Rachel also shares about her new book “Grieve, Create, Believe: Process Your Loss with Intention and Truth”. You definitely don’t want to miss this episode. We invite you to brew a hot pot of coffee, cozy up with a blanket and some tissues, and join us as we dive in to the new year with Rachel George. Episode 40: Grieve, Create, Believe: An Interview with Rachel George is now available on all your favorite podcast apps!

Share your favorite "griefsources" with us! What resources have been the most helpful to you in your grief? It can be a book, a shop, a song, a podcast, an organization...we want to know! We'll be talking more about some of our favorite resources next month and sharing some of yours too! Help us compile our list so we can pass it on and broaden this community table by connecting each other with even more great resources.

We've taken the last few weeks to rest, recharge and pray over 2020. It has been such a refreshing season and we hope it has been for you too! Through the Lens will be back this Tuesday and we look forward to reconnecting with each other! Mark your calendar, save the date and subscribe so you don't miss a thing. See you Tuesday!

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 Christmas" (found on desiringgod.org). We hope you'll find encouragement and support here as we chat about our struggles with this season, as well as the hope we have in Jesus--our Emmanuel, God with us.

Episode 39: Grief at Christmas is now available.

We hope you were encouraged by Tanisha’s story of hope in the hospital! If you were particularly encouraged by this episode, we’d love to hear about it! Leave us a comment and let us know what stood out to you.

If you’d like to connect with Tanisha or read more of her story, you can connect with her in the following places:

Facebook: facebook.com/NamesakeInk/
Instagram:
Blog: namesake-ink.blogspot.com

When all else seems to fail and our hearts shatter into a million pieces, we cling to the promise that God fills our arms with good things. Those things may not come in the form of physical healing, earthly comfort or in the way we would have chosen. But our weary bodies and tearful eyes can rest in the promise that our Redeemer lives and because of Him we have the incredible gift of salvation, redemption, and eternity with Christ.

We know the holidays can be especially painful when there is an empty seat at the table. Imagining how life would look different in a perfect world, navigating well-meaning comments from family (or lack of any acknowledgement), and simply dealing with the constant activity of the holidays can feel overwhelming at times. We are praying for you and your weary heart this Thanksgiving. May we all rejoice in the immeasurable treasure we have in Jesus, today and every day.

We'd love to hear what you're up to today and what you're thankful for. Leave us a comment and let us know!

“How is God going to be glorified through this, regardless of what the outcome is?" In our latest episode, Tanisha Garnier shares how she asked herself this question over and over while on hospital bedrest with her daughter, Ezra.

Our greatest purpose as humans is to glorify God with every aspect of our lives--on the sunniest mountaintops, in the darkest valleys, and everywhere in between. It is for this very reason that we were created--knit together in the image of God to bring Him glory.

In Romans 8:28, we see that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him. He works all things--even the most evil things we can comprehend--for good. It does not mean that he calls those things "good", but rather than He is sovereign even over the darkest darkness.

We hope you'll join us for Episode 38, as Tanisha Garnier shares more about God's goodness and His glory in the midst of deep suffering.

In our latest episode, Tanisha Garnier shares the way her time in the hospital revealed her need for community and challenged her to allow others to help. She shares the way friends and family reflected the love of God in tangible ways.

“That’s the one thing the Lord has shown us through both of our pregnancies," Tanisha says. "The importance of community and how much we reflect Christ in how we love one another in really hard times. The people that were around our hospital bed that day, those are our people through thick and thin. It’s been a joy to see how God has woven us together.”

We love this picture. Grief sure does have a way of humbling us and revealing our own weaknesses, as well as the beauty of the body of Christ. How has the Lord encouraged you through the body of believers?

After losing her son Xavier and facing an extended hospital stay with her daughter Ezra, Tanisha Garnier shares of the way her hope in the gospel encouraged her in the midst of grief and worry.

“You have to rely and lean on that truth that this life is not all there is...There is more than we could ever imagine. It makes everything that we can get all in a tizzy over down here seem so small.”

“God gave us His son, He died on the cross, He came back for us, and we will be reunited with Him. Nothing else matters. That really shapes my marriage, it shapes my friendships, it shapes the way I parent Ezra.”

What an encouraging truth. What an incredible gift we have in Jesus. May this realization shape the way we all live, even when (perhaps especially when) we find ourselves deep in sorrow.

Episode 38: Hope in the Hospital Pt. II: An Interview with Tanisha Garnier is now available.

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 have in Jesus in the midst of our deepest grief. We were so incredibly encouraged by Tanisha’s story and we hope you will be too!

Episode 38: Hope in the Hospital Pt. II: An Interview with Tanisha Garnier is now available.

Today, November 17, is Prematurity Awareness Day. As we continue our November focus on “Hope in the Hospital”, we want to take the time to recognize our listeners who have been affected by preterm birth and prematurity--often resulting in a hospital stay. We reflect and remember the long days, tearful nights, constant beeps, panic-inducing Brady alarms, cracked hands from endless washings, dark rooms and hushed voices. We think back on the caring doctors and incredible nurses who treated our children as their own, and cared for us as parents in ways they didn’t have to. We celebrate the NICU grads and we remember the precious babies who never came home. What a sacred space we have found the NICU to be.

What emotions rise to the surface when you think back to your time in the hospital? How has God met you in this space? We’d love to hear from you.
..and join us as we chat more about this topic in Episode 37: Hope in the Hospital, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

My husband took this photo within the first few hours of what would stretch out into a 10-week hospital stay. Just hours prior, I had stepped into my perinatologist's office expecting nothing more than a routine cervical length check and left with instructions to report to the Labor and Delivery unit of the hospital immediately.

I was completely broken. Returning to Labor and Delivery for the first time since the birth and death of our son Ethan was something I thought I had months to prepare for. I felt like I was suffocating as I stepped onto the hall for the first time since that precious, devastating day. I certainly wasn't ready.

"My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in your weakness" (II Corinthians 12:9).

As I battled feelings of helplessness, despair, and incredible weakness, God's presence met me there. He was and is my sufficiency. He provides manna for each day. We need not desperately work to fill storehouses of bread for the coming days, weeks, and years--He provides our daily bread. His power is made perfect in weakness.

As Holly and I have prepared for Episode 37, memories of these days have been at the forefront of my mind. I find myself rejoicing over the miracle that transpired over the next 10 weeks (14 including our NICU & Ronald McDonald House stay) and incredibly grateful for the undeserved privilege of medical care, while simultaneously fighting back the pit in my stomach that forms when I think back to day 1 of 100 (WOW--100. I've never added the 72 days of bedrest and the 28 days in the NICU until now).

In our latest episode, we're chatting more about our complicated relationship with the hospital, as well as the confidence we have in the Great Physician even when our earthly bodies fail. We hope you'll join us for Episode 37: Hope in the Hospital, now available wherever you listen to podcasts.

As we live out our earthly lives, hospital visits, sicknesses and diseases are bound to happen. While we are free to approach the Lord with requests for healing, may we take comfort in His sovereignty and take joy in His ability to heal us from the wretchedness of our sins--something not even the best doctors on the planet have the authority to do.

Regardless of whether you or someone you love has experienced suffering within a hospital setting, we hope you’ll be encouraged as we discuss our own hospital experiences and the unshakeable hope we have in Christ. Episode 37: Hope in the Hospital is now available.