Purpose Beyond Motherhood

What happens when life brings one loss after another, and you barely have time to process what you've been through?

In this episode of the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast, Nicole sits down with Jen Conrad, author of Finding God in the Trenches, for an honest conversation about compounded grief, identity, and finding God in seasons when He feels distant.

Jen shares how losing a business, navigating a difficult adoption journey, and grieving the death of her mother left her struggling emotionally and spiritually. For a long time, she tried to keep moving forward rather than face what she was feeling.

Together, Nicole and Jen talk about the different forms grief can take, including infertility, pregnancy loss, and the loss of dreams we imagined for our lives.

Jen also shares practical ways she began processing her grief, including journaling, building a support system, seeking counseling, and learning to be honest with God about what she was experiencing.

If you've been walking through one difficult season after another, this conversation is a reminder that you don't have to have everything figured out before coming to Jesus.

Connect with Jen Conrad:

Website: https://jenconrad.com

Book: Finding God in the Trenches, available on Amazon.

Connect with Twelve 12 Ministries:

Visit weare1212.org for Christ-centered resources and support for infertility, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and childlessness.

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

Some days, infertility feels especially heavy. Maybe you're heading into another doctor's appointment, waiting for answers, or simply trying to make it through the day without letting fear and disappointment take over.

Today on the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast, Holly is taking a few minutes to pray with you.

Drawing from Hebrews 10:23, a scripture she held onto throughout her own journey of infertility and loss, Holly prays for peace, clarity, and the strength to trust God one step at a time.

She also shares a reminder worth holding onto: your longing for a child is not a lack of faith, and your grief is not a failure to trust God.

Wherever you're listening today, we hope you'll take a few minutes to pray with Holly and be reminded of the faithfulness of the One who holds your story.

Scripture: Hebrews 10:23

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

Find support through Twelve 12 Ministries:

Visit weare1212.org for Christ-centered resources, support groups, and ways to connect with women who understand infertility and pregnancy loss.

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

After losing her daughter Grace at 18 weeks pregnant, Carol Kraemer found herself grieving, angry with God, and struggling to understand why this had happened.

She didn't have answers, and for a season, she wasn't even sure how to pray.

In recognition of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, Carol joins Nicole and Holly on the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast to share her experience with second-trimester pregnancy loss, the role of counseling and community in her healing, and how she began rebuilding her relationship with God while still carrying unanswered questions.

Carol also shares how her daughter Grace's life inspired her to create Evergrace Coffee, a business built around helping others find the community and support that made such a difference in her own grief.

If you've experienced miscarriage or pregnancy loss and have struggled with anger, questions, or even your relationship with God, we hope this conversation reminds you that you can come to Him honestly. You don't have to have all the answers before you begin talking to Him again.

In this episode:

• Grieving a second-trimester pregnancy loss
• Feeling angry with God after miscarriage
• Finding support through counseling, prayer, and community
• Learning to trust God without understanding why
• Honoring a baby's life and finding purpose after loss
• The story behind Evergrace Coffee

Connect with Carol:

Evergrace Coffee: https://evergracecoffee.com

Instagram: @evergracecoffeeco

Connect with Twelve 12 Ministries:

https://twelve12.org

You don't have to walk through infertility or pregnancy loss alone. Explore our Christ-centered resources, support groups, and ways to connect.

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and we're beginning the month with prayer.

If you've experienced miscarriage, pregnancy loss, infant loss, infertility, or you're carrying grief that feels especially heavy this month, this prayer is for you.

Nicole prays for the woman who needs to be reminded that God sees exactly where she is, knows what she's carrying, and is present with her in her grief. Our prayer is that this month, even in the hard moments, you would notice His presence and find comfort in knowing you are deeply loved by Him.

October 15 is the International Wave of Light, a day when families around the world remember babies who are loved and missed. Throughout October, Purpose Beyond Motherhood will be sharing weekly episodes with prayer and personal stories as we make space to remember, grieve, and turn our hearts toward Jesus.

Learn more about Twelve 12 Ministries and our Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month resources at Twelve 12 Ministries.

Episode Highlights

•  A prayer for women grieving miscarriage, pregnancy loss, and infant loss 
•  Prayer for women walking through infertility and waiting 
•  Finding comfort in God's presence 
•  Remembering that God sees you in your grief 
•  Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month 
•  International Wave of Light

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

We're bringing back one of our most-listened-to conversations on the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast.

Caitlin Estes, Certified FertilityCare Practitioner and founder of Woven Fertility, joins Nicole and Holly for an honest conversation about understanding your reproductive health, advocating for yourself, and exploring restorative approaches to fertility.

Caitlin shares about the Creighton Method, NaProTechnology, whole-body health, and why understanding what is happening in your body matters, especially when you're walking through infertility.

At the heart of the conversation is a reminder we still believe today: you deserve to understand your body, ask questions, and have a seat at the table when decisions are being made about your fertility.

And since this conversation originally aired, Caitlin has continued this work in a new way with her book, Woven Well. We're excited to share more about the book and the resources Caitlin has created for women who want to better understand their bodies and fertility.

In this episode:

•  Understanding the Creighton Method 
•  What NaProTechnology is and how it approaches fertility 
•  The connection between reproductive and whole-body health 
•  Advocating for yourself in fertility care 
•  Recognizing the complexity of the body God created 
•  Finding options when traditional fertility care doesn't feel like the right fit 

Resources:
Woven Fertility

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

What happens when you’ve prayed for healing, believed God could do it, and the answer doesn’t look anything like you hoped?

In this episode of the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast, Nicole and Holly sit down with Stephanie Daniels for an honest conversation about infertility, fibroids, hysterectomy, grief, and surrender.

For years, Stephanie held onto the dream of carrying a child while also believing God could heal her body. As her fibroids worsened and a hysterectomy became necessary, she found herself facing a decision that meant grieving a future she had pictured for most of her life.

Stephanie shares what it looked like to finally release the outcome she had been trying so hard to hold onto and trust God with a story she would not have chosen for herself.

Together, we talk about the pressure to make something happen, the grief that comes when life changes course, why community mattered before and after Stephanie’s surgery, and what she discovered about God in the middle of suffering.

This isn’t a story tied up with the ending Stephanie originally prayed for. It’s a conversation about discovering that grief and hope can exist together, that surrender doesn’t erase what you’ve lost, and that Jesus can meet you in a place you never wanted to be.

In this episode:

• Infertility and Stephanie’s years of living with fibroids
• Making the difficult decision to have a hysterectomy
• Letting go of the pressure to control the outcome
• Grieving the loss of carrying a biological child
• How community supported Stephanie through surgery and loss
• Holding grief and hope at the same time
• Trusting God when healing looks different than expected
• Finding peace and hope after surrender

Resources Mentioned:

Resurrection Year by Sheridan Voysey

Refined Women’s Night
October 16, 2026
In person in Frisco, Texas + online

Learn more about Twelve 12 Ministries and find support at twelve12ministries.org.

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

Have you ever wondered if God forgot about you?

Maybe you've prayed the prayers, trusted Him with your story, and waited longer than you ever thought you would.

In this solo episode of the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast, Nicole shares a personal reflection on God's timing, faithfulness, and what it means to trust Him when the answer hasn't come yet.

After a recent milestone for Twelve 12 Ministries reminded her of God's perfect timing, Nicole opens up about waiting, disappointment, purpose beyond motherhood, and the tension of believing God for a miracle while also trusting Him if the answer looks different than expected.

In this episode, you'll hear encouragement around:

• God's delay is not His denial
• Trusting God's character when life doesn't make sense
• The difference between God's promises and our expectations
• Finding purpose beyond motherhood and beyond your circumstances
• Why community matters when you're tired of waiting
• Scriptures that bring hope in seasons of uncertainty

Whether you're waiting for a baby, healing, restoration, direction, or simply your next step, this episode is a reminder that God sees you, loves you, and is still at work in your story.

Scriptures Mentioned:

Habakkuk 2:3
2 Peter 3:9
Isaiah 60:22
Galatians 6:9
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Resources:

Twelve 12 Ministries Website
Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast
YouVersion Bible App Reading Plans

Connect with Twelve 12 Ministries:

Instagram: @twelve12ministries
Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

Sometimes after miscarriage, it can feel like you and your husband are grieving in completely different ways.

You may be carrying the physical loss, the emotions, and the questions every single day… while he seems quiet, distant, or focused on everything else that needs to get done.

But what if he is grieving too, just differently?

In this episode of the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast, Nicole sits down with author Eric Schumacher for an honest conversation about miscarriage, marriage, and the grief fathers often carry silently.

We talk about:

•  Why men and women often grieve differently after pregnancy loss 
•  How to create space for honest conversations in marriage 
•  What husbands may be feeling but struggling to say out loud 
•  Practical ways couples can support each other through grief 
•  How faith, lament, and the hope of Christ meet us in loss 

Eric also shares biblical encouragement for couples walking through miscarriage and reminds grieving parents that their baby mattered, their grief matters, and they do not have to carry it alone.

This conversation is gentle, honest, and deeply validating for both mothers and fathers navigating loss.

Connect with Eric + Resources Mentioned
Eric’s website: https://emschumacher.com/
Dad’s Hurt Too: A Father’s Memoir of Miscarriage
Ours: Biblical Comfort for Men Grieving Miscarriage
Worthy: Celebrating the Value of Women

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

Mother’s Day can feel complicated when you’re walking through infertility or loss.

You want to show up.
 You want to celebrate others.
 But there’s also a part of your heart that feels heavy, tender… maybe even exhausted.

In this episode, we’re having an honest conversation about what this day can bring up—and how to walk through it with grace, honesty, and support.

We talk about:

•  what it looks like to protect your peace without guilt 
•  how to set boundaries (with people, social media, and expectations) 
•  simple ways to prepare for the day so it doesn’t catch you off guard 
•  how to respond to questions you may not feel ready to answer 
•  navigating church on Mother’s Day and what to do when it feels hard 

Most of all, this is a reminder that you are not forgotten in this story.

You are seen.
You are loved.
And you don’t have to carry this day alone.

If Mother’s Day has felt heavy before, or you’re unsure how to walk into it this year, this conversation is for you.

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

If infertility is part of your story, or part of the story of someone you love, this episode is for you.

In this conversation, we share practical ways to support a spouse or friend through infertility, talk about using declarations to stay anchored in God’s truth, and offer gentle next steps for finding support and community along the way.

This episode of the Purpose Beyond Motherhood Podcast is a reminder that encouragement matters, support matters, and no one should have to walk this road alone.

In this episode, we discuss:

•  3 ways to support your spouse or friend through infertility 
•  using declarations to stand firm on God’s Word 
•  how to get connected to support and community

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop 
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]

Support + community
Twice-a-month virtual support group 

Twelve 12 Ministries
Website
Shop
Instagram + Facebook: @twelve12ministries
Email: [email protected]