Today I’m offering you a masterclass in grieving well. One day—maybe even today—you will look at your story and see the very thing you prayed you'd never see. You could numb out and absolutely no one would blame you. But you have another option. It's harder, but so much better.

Today, in my most tender conversation ever on The GoodHard Story Podcast, my strong-yet-soft sister-in-law Mary Austin Wolf Hall shares the treasures she's found in the deep darkness of a late term miscarriage. She’s faced her grief head-on as an act of faith and I’ve been changed by witnessing it.

Here’s a preview of what we’ll unpack:

• How we can prevent unprocessed grief
• What felt most comforting after her loss
• Finding the right proportions of mourning and distraction
• What to do when the platitudes don’t feel satisfying

If you want to face your grief head-on when the time comes, this episode is for you.

Friends, my conversation with Mary Austin will focus on late term miscarriage and infant loss. I pray God will use our words to encourage those of you who are ready to hear them. If this discussion doesn’t feel supportive to you today, please feel free to skip today’s episode.

Show Notes:

MEND Coffee and Goods: https://www.mendcoffee.com/

Treasures in the Dark: https://a.co/d/7JrkmFv

Dark Clouds Deep Mercy: Discovering the Grace of Lament by Mark Vroegop: https://a.co/d/bC8aXBN

Empty Arms: Hope and Support for Those Who Have Suffered a Miscarriage, Stillbirth, or Tubal Pregnancy by Pam Vredevelt: https://a.co/d/enkfvtb

Risen Motherhood Podcast Grief mini-series: https://www.risenmotherhood.com/grief

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

Job 42:10-13

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664bebWant a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenoteGet to know us:⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

You’ll reckon with depression at some point in your life, if you haven’t already. Whether it’s seasonal, circumstantial, or a lifelong reality, it’s possible to “partner with God” as we navigate depression. 

I had the privilege of taking notes from the winsome and wise Hannah Brencher about the disciplines she’s putting into place to live faithfully with depression. Whether you’re dealing with darkness today or simply looking to optimize your mental wellness, this conversation is packed with practical tips and refreshing takes on caring for our minds and souls.

This is what’s waiting for you on this episode of The GoodHard Story Podcast:

• Building a battle plan for depression
• Reframing wrestling with God as intimacy with God
• Developing a soft heart and thick skin
• Quitting our addiction to distraction and numbing out

If you’re looking for trustworthy straight talk about being a person of faith living with depression, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Hannah Brencher on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hannahbrencher

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

John 9

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:⁠⁠

Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp⁠⁠

Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals

Chronic pain is an (often) invisible form of suffering that can swallow someone whole—body, mind, and soul. Persistent pain is a daily reality for so many of us. It’s vitally important that we learn to cope and hope in healthy ways.

Today I'm speaking with Olivia Feller-Gerber. She’s an  author, entrepreneur, and advocate who has lived with the “invisible wheelchair” of chronic pain since she was a teenager. For those of us dealing with the felt-but-not-seen reality of chronic pain,  I want you to lock into this conversation. I’m praying it feels like a pep talk from God himself about holding onto hope when the pain just won’t stop.

Here’s what this conversation holds for you:

• Letting go of the story you thought you should have

• Living like a victor rather than a victim

• Rejecting our entitlement to health, comfort, and ease

• Facing a lifetime of pain with a “manna mindset”

• Supporting friends living with chronic pain

If life with chronic pain feels lonely and overwhelming, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Olivia Feller Gerber on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/letterstoholdhope/

Olivia’s website - https://www.letterstoholdhope.com/

Hold Hope: Encouragement for Christians with Chronic Pain by Olivia Feller - https://www.letterstoholdhope.com/holdhopebook

Ep. 85 - My New Way of Understanding Beauty with Brook Hensley - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-85-my-new-way-of-understanding-beauty-with/id1496882479?i=1000689600342

Olivia’s conversation starters Instagram Reel - https://www.instagram.com/p/DFJJOXPpdHf/

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

2 Chronicles 20:21

Romans 8:28

Exodus 16

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopehealsSubscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9...Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenoteGet to know us:⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals

I’m not gonna lie to you. Yes, my stroke set me free from cultural beauty standards in so many ways. But I do NOT have it all figured out. Strongholds and struggles remain. (Like the fact I obsessively highlight my hair every 8 weeks...) So I was a little intimated by this “Ask Me Anything” episode about beauty and body image. I feel like a fraud sometimes!

You showed up with honest questions, so I tried to show up with honest answers in return. And my teammate Leah joined in to add some of her signature, straight-talk wisdom—and it's SO refreshing!

You need to tune in to The GoodHard Story Podcast this week if you've asked yourself any of these questions:

• How do I learn to love a body that contributes to my suffering?
• What does God think of Botox? (My answer might surprise you!)
• How do I reckon with the reality of “pretty privilege?”
• Why do I let numbers on a scale determine my value?
• How can I rewire my brain from thinking habitual negative  thoughts?

If you’re looking for an honest, outside-the-box conversation on approaching beauty and body image with hopeful realism, this episode is for you!

Most of us have been told a lot of lies about beauty. We’ve been given the wrong story about what beauty is, why it matters, and who it belongs to.

Today I want to replace at least a few of those lies with five truths I uncovered when my outer appearance changed completely. These truths aren’t popular and they might even make you uncomfortable. (In fact, I kinda hope they do!) Facing these realities took me decades and a lot of heartache, but the pain has been worth the freedom I now feel from our culture’s ludicrous definition of beauty.

During our time together, I’ll share…

• Why beauty won’t get you what you actually want
• What happens when our priorities get out of order
• How sacrifice can lead to the truest beauty 
• What our fixation on beauty is actually trying to tell us

If you feel compelled to refresh and realign your beliefs around beauty, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Suffer Strong: How to Survive Anything by Redefining Everything by Katherine and Jay Wolf - https://a.co/d/hR7Yj4l

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664bebWant a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenoteGet to know us:⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

The first time I looked in a mirror after my stroke, I didn’t know who was staring back at me. My face was unrecognizable, and my body might as well have been a stranger’s. It took me years to accept the reality of my new appearance. Feeling anything close to "positivity" was not in the realm of possibility.

We’re living in the era of body positivity and I am HERE for it! But as a woman living with disabilities, I can’t always muster up positive feelings about a body that doesn’t function well much of the time. This reality could set me up for some major body negativity, but I’ve found another option.

Today we’re talking all about body neutrality—what it means, how I got here, and why I’m convinced it’s the healthiest relationship I can have to my body. In this unguarded episode, my teammate Leah and I get vulnerable about our physical insecurities, the cultural beauty standards we have (and haven’t) internalized, our experiences with weight loss, and the weirdness of postpartum body changes.

If body positivity feels out of your reach, you need to hit play on this episode in your favorite podcast app.

Show Notes:

Suffer Strong - https://a.co/d/8DKyzM7

Jess Connolly - https://www.instagram.com/jessaconnolly/

Breaking Free from Body Shame by Jess Connolly - https://a.co/d/fAj7sL8

Episode 85: My New Way of Understand Beauty with Brook Hensley

My Body Neutrality writing that appeared on Live Original: https://liveoriginal.com/author/katherine-wolf/

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

2 Corinthians 4:16

2 Chronicles 20:12 (Katherine did not make it up!)

***

There's so much more to the story.
For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

“I am the embodiment of the worst case scenario. I am what every athlete fears and what pregnant parents dread. I am the catalyst for losing faith and questioning God.”

Those stunning words were written by today’s guest Dr. Amy Kenny, a brilliant author and scholar who lives with disabilities. That phrase— “worst case scenario”—resonates so deeply with me since I was born with a congenital brain defect that, essentially, exploded out of the clear blue when I was in my twenties.

Today I have the privilege of hearing from Dr. Amy Kenny. This brilliant woman’s work has helped me see that the “worst case scenario” might actually be the best case scenario for my life. She’s guided me in learning that my body—disabilities and all—is not an impediment to being an image bearer of God; it’s actually a channel through which I can bear God's image most fully. 

On this episode, we will…

If you need permission to believe your body bears God’s image—whether you have disabilities or not!—this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

My Body Is Not a Prayer Request: Disability Justice in the Church - https://a.co/d/3DZTIt1

Dr. Amy Kenny at Calvin University - https://youtu.be/URPc3nMll5s?feature=shared

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

Luke 14 - The Parable of the Banquet

John 9

***

There's so much more to the story.
For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite chapters of a book I’ve ever written. Several years ago, my husband Jay and I released a book calledSuffer Strong. It’s all about how we were able to survive anything because we were willing to redefine everything—from failure to trauma to commitment. Even beauty. That’s the chapter you’re about to hear.

Before my stroke, I had never put too much focus on the way I looked. But once my face became paralyzed and my body lost a lot of its typical function, I had no choice but to confront the deep-down story of beauty that I had been told…and believed. After years of grappling with that story, I came to understand that it’s actually a story about fear, control, and shame. The truest beauty, it turns out, comes from putting down the shame and embracing our belovedness.

If you’re ready to trade in your old definitions of beauty and start living in freedom, I pray hearing these words invite you to take the first step in walking away from shame.

Suffer Strong - https://a.co/d/8DKyzM7

There's so much more to the story.For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visithttps://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content:https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠:https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠:https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠:https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠:https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

I’m going to make a big claim: This will probably be the most sweeping, inspiring conversation on beauty you’ll hear in your life. I say this with such confidence because Brook Hensley changed the way I understand beauty. And she’s about to do the same for you. 

Over the next several weeks, we’re going to focus deeply on the story of our beauty and our bodies—what the story is, who is telling it to us, and what needs to change. But before we get into the flesh-and-bones of it all, I want to talk about beauty as a concept. Why, oh why, does it matter to us so much?

That’s where Brook comes in. This brilliant friend of mine is inviting you and me into a surprising and subversive new way of thinking about beauty. Join in on this unmissable conversation to understand…

• What the “third way” of beauty means for your life

• Why beauty and vanity are not the same thing

• How beauty can be an act of resistance and rebellion

If you’re waiting to unlock a mind-blowing expansion of your relationship to beauty, this episode is for you.

Show Notes:

Hope Heals Camp - https://hopeheals.com/camp/

Upcoming speaking events: https://hopeheals.com/upcoming-events

The Soul of Desire by Dr. Curt Thompson - https://a.co/d/0J89OXU

Beauty Will Save the World by Brian Zahnd - https://a.co/d/3N6yPdA

Walter Wink - https://a.co/d/4xjwKxz

“Why It Matters” by Sara Groves - https://www.saragroves.com/song-lyrics/why-it-matters

The Overview Effect - https://www.nasa.gov/podcasts/houston-we-have-a-podcast/the-overview-effect/

Earth rise photo - https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230511-earthrise-the-photo-that-sparked-an-environmental-movement

Blue marble photo - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Marble

“This Is What I Do To Feel Close To You” by John Guerra - https://youtu.be/nSozD9_vHo0?feature=shared

Andrew Peterson - https://www.andrew-peterson.com/

On Beauty and Being Just by Elaine Scarry - https://a.co/d/bj0RBTC

“The last act is the greatest treason: To do the right deed for the wrong reason.” - T.S. Eliot

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

1 Samuel 14:7

Romans 1:20

Psalm 27:4

Psalm 90:17

Matthew 5:30-41

John 8:12

Matthew 5:14-16

***

There's so much more to the story: ⁠⁠Click here⁠⁠ for more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me!

Follow me in Instagram: ⁠⁠@hopeheals⁠⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

⁠Apple Podcasts⁠

⁠Spotify⁠

Want a little hope in your inbox?

⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, my monthly digest of only the good stuff, like short reflections from me and a curated roundup of the Internet’s most redemptive content. Subscribe here.

YouTube Show Notes

There's so much more to the story.For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/

Recently I received emails from two people in very different circumstances who were grappling with (essentially) the same question: Who is telling me the story of who I should be?

Their messages struck me so deeply because, for the first half of my life, I asked other people to tell me that story. I desperately wanted to please people by giving them the power over who I was and what I should do. Then I was set free by, of all things, a massive stroke. My new physical limitations meant I was no longer capable of pleasing everyone, all the time.

And neither are you, whether you live with disabilities or not. So let’s get real about it. 

We simply cannot go any further into our conversation on identity formation without coming to terms with who we’re trying to please. My teammate Caroline Young is joining me on this week’s episode of The GoodHard Story Podcast to offer a glimmer of hope (and maybe a big deep breath) for all of us people-pleasers and perfectionists. Here’s what we get into:

If you want to prioritize pleasing God over pleasing people, this episode is for you!

Show Notes:

I Shall Not Want by Audrey Assaud - https://youtu.be/e5xEYgGr6ms

Star for Jesus and Other Jobs I Quite by Kim Stuart - https://a.co/d/4GnHtlN

Scriptures referenced in this episode:

Hosea 6:3

***

There's so much more to the story. For more messages of hope, free resources, and opportunities to connect with me, visit https://hopeheals.com/katherine.

Follow me in Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/⁠

Subscribe to The GoodHard Story Podcast!

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-hard-story-podcast/id1496882479

Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/0OYz6G9Q2tNNVOX9YSdmFb?si=043bd6b10a664beb

Want a little hope in your inbox? ⁠⁠Sign up for the Hope Note⁠⁠, our twice-a-month digest of only the good stuff, like reflections from Katherine and a curated digest of the Internet’s most redemptive content: https://hopeheals.com/hopenote

Get to know us:

⁠⁠Hope Heals⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/

⁠⁠Hope Heals Camp⁠⁠: https://hopeheals.com/camp

⁠⁠Mend Coffee⁠⁠: https://www.mendcoffee.org/

Instagram⁠: https://www.instagram.com/hopeheals/