The Iman Diaries

This podcast will not help you go back to being the person you were before experiencing loss. Most people associate grief and loss with only the death of a loved one. Yes, that is true. And it is big. But I’m also here to remind you that other losses can cause a disturbance to your sense of self and a significant change in your worldview. When you go through loss, for better or for worse, you change. You’re never the same person.

I propose to you that grief, sorrow, and loss, including love, are also about grieving for yourself not just for the ones you lost. Why? Because grief changes you and it changes your world. Here’s another truth, while it is hard to see it while you are in the thick of grieving, that super typhoon of grief did not destroy everything. As I said, the loss left an aftermath of damage, but it did not destroy everything.

Welcome to The Iman Diaries, your sanctuary for exploration and introspection about life, loss, and love, helping you find clarity and perhaps meaning and purpose despite it.

If you go through life seemingly stuck in the middle, in the liminal between where you have been and where you want to be, on the threshold of an unsettled season and in a place where you can’t go back and you can’t stay here - wherever here is for you - but you also don’t know where to go. This podcast is for you.

If you are experiencing loss or have experienced sorrow in all its depth, shapes, and form - whether it is losing your faith, your hope, your dreams, your relationships, your loved one passed away, or you’re about ready to give up on life, listen in.

If you want to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, love others, and learn self-compassion in the middle of all these, then you are in the right place.

Perhaps, you are waiting to be healed from depression. You are waiting for anxiety to stop coming for you. Maybe you are waiting for your husband to come home, your wife to return, or your children to be a little more responsible. Maybe you’re waiting for a job interview, a job to open up, or an opportunity to earn an income again. Maybe you are wondering how your next bill will be paid for or waiting to be freed from addiction no one knows but you.

Hindi man po natin maiintindihan bakit po kailangan nating maghintay. Ang totoo po ay may mga bagay na natututunan tayo sa pag-aantay - isa na po dito ang pagtitiwala. Kapag tayo ay naghihintay, binibigyan natin ng pagkakataon ang mga bagay na maganap sa tamang panahon. We give space for things to happen naturally and in due course. Hindo po pre-mature. Hindi po natin minamadali. Wala pong shortcuts. Hindi po instant ang life. Real growth takes time. Toxic po sa buhay ang instant.

Welcome to The Iman Diaries, your sanctuary for exploration and introspection about life, loss, and love, helping you find clarity and perhaps meaning and purpose despite it.

If you go through life seemingly stuck in the middle, in the liminal between where you have been and where you want to be, on the threshold of an unsettled season and in a place where you can’t go back and you can’t stay here - wherever here is for you - but you also don’t know where to go. This podcast is for you.

If you are experiencing loss or have experienced sorrow in all its depth, shapes, and form - whether it is losing your faith, your hope, your dreams, your relationships, your loved one passed away, or you’re about ready to give up on life, listen in.

If you want to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, love others, and learn self-compassion in the middle of all these, then you are in the right place.

Can I keep believing even when God appears to me as an enemy? Will I continue to trust in the goodness and kindness of God?

Several theological reasons are offered for the problem of suffering. Some say it is because of sin, others say it’s because God wants to test us, or because of the freedom God has given humans to choose evil or good. These are not necessarily wrong, but when you are in the middle of disappointment, like I was, they often do not suffice. When we are suffering and disappointed, it is more helpful to know how God uses our pain than to know why we experience pain. I do not know which of these are correct. I cannot give you an absolutely, correct theological reason. Maybe they are all true. One thing I know though is that our sufferings and disappointments make or break our faith and relationship with God.

Welcome to The Iman Diaries, your sanctuary for exploration and introspection about life, loss, and love, helping you find clarity and perhaps meaning and purpose despite it.

If you go through life seemingly stuck in the middle, in the liminal between where you have been and where you want to be, on the threshold of an unsettled season and in a place where you can’t go back and you can’t stay here - wherever here is for you - but you also don’t know where to go. This podcast is for you.

If you are experiencing loss or have experienced sorrow in all its depth, shapes, and form - whether it is losing your faith, your hope, your dreams, your relationships, your loved one passed away, or you’re about ready to give up on life, listen in.

If you want to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, love others, and learn self-compassion in the middle of all these, then you are in the right place.

Welcome to The Iman Diaries, your sanctuary for exploration and introspection about life, loss, and love, helping you find clarity and perhaps meaning and purpose despite it.

If you go through life seemingly stuck in the middle, in the liminal between where you have been and where you want to be, on the threshold of an unsettled season and in a place where you can’t go back and you can’t stay here - wherever here is for you - but you also don’t know where to go. This podcast is for you.

If you are experiencing loss or have experienced sorrow in all its depth, shapes, and form - whether it is losing your faith, your hope, your dreams, your relationships, your loved one passed away, or you’re about ready to give up on life, listen in.

If you want to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, love others, and learn self-compassion in the middle of all these, then you are in the right place.

I invite you to join me in tracing the landscapes of our human heart. Through laughter and tears, heartache and celebrations, we'll unravel the stories that shape us and the impact that linger long after the event. Together we will take a look at the spectrum of our raw emotions with appropriate honesty, vulnerability, and steadfast commitment to growth, maturity, and healing. We will uncover the beauty in life’s imperfections, explore what it means to live a better life, learn to gracefully accept loss in all its depth, shapes, and forms, and compassionately love those who matter most. We will find timeless wisdom in the quiet corners of our experiences and in the stories that shape us, the losses that humble us, and the love that keeps us going.

Research for over 20 years has shown that when a person is in psychological distress, they’re going to their church and faith communities before they ever step foot with a mental health professional. This is why it’s important to talk about this. 

Scripture: Psalm 4:8

I would very much like to hear from you. Send questions and reflections to [email protected]

Keep up with me on Instagram: @emmylouiman or visit the blog

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Thank you for joining me today.