Through the Lens

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 has done, and is continuing to do, in our lives. We talk about the difficulties we have faced in sharing our stories, as well as the ways speaking our stories out loud has changed over the years. Episode 28: Hear Me Out is now available and we hope you'll join us.

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 Kristin Hernandez, now available on all your favorite podcast apps.

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 our grief. We've found ourselves tempted by the questions: Who has it harder? Whose pain is worse? Who is grieving better? Who is having the bigger impact? Why can't my life be more like theirs? Perhaps you've been there too. This week we're talking about comparison, specifically as it applies to grief and loss. We're talking about our personal struggles with this, the inner drive to find common ground with our peers, the temptation to measure pain against the next griever, and the example we have in Christ, who humbled Himself in the greatest way. Episode 25: Comparison in Grief is now available on your favorite podcast platforms and we hope you'll join us.

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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, currently navigating through a pregnancy after loss, or do not have plans of becoming pregnant again, there is a place for you in this conversation and we'd be honored for you to join us. Episode 24: Pregnancy After Loss is now available on your favorite podcast apps.

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 before we walked through such deep heartache. Like many of you, we've both found ourselves asking, "Who even am I anymore?" In today's episode, we're talking about identity--what it is, the parts of ourselves we lost with our children, the aspects of our identity we've gained, and the unchangeable core of our identity we can cling in each and every season.

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 this episode, as well as Rachel's other blog writings, here.

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 her and her husband to grow their family. Regardless of what this season looks like for you, we think you'll be encouraged by Brittany's heart and the Truth she shares for those of us in a season of waiting. Episode 21: Healing Pt. IV: An Interview with Brittany Allen is now available.

Visit Brittany's blog

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 wrap up our 4-part series on prayer.]

Connect with us via Instagram @throughthelenspodcast or Facebook. We'd love to hear your story.

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 "no"? How can we reconcile God's goodness and the power of prayer with a miracle that never comes?

We invite you to join us as we continue in our 4-part series on prayer and healing. In our latest episode, we share the ways we wrestled with the purpose of prayer after losing our children, take a closer look at what the Bible says about prayer and submission, and point one another toward the unshakeable hope we have in Christ's faithfulness even when the answer is "no". Episode 19: Healing Pt 3: When the healing doesn't come is now available.