Description

What do you do when the life you built falls apart, and the future you expected is suddenly gone?

In this episode, Jim sits down with Michelle Bader Ebersole, author, speaker, podcast host, and founder of Widow Goals, for a conversation about grief, healing, and what it looks like to rebuild after devastating loss. After losing her husband Luke in 2020 following a long battle with cancer, Michelle found herself navigating widowhood, parenting, faith, and the hard work of learning how to live again.

Together, Jim and Michelle talk about the loneliness of grief, the phrases people say that are meant to help but often hurt, and why healing is not just about time passing. Michelle shares how God met her in her darkest season, how the idea of being “chosen” changed her perspective, and how that journey eventually gave birth to her podcast, nonprofit, retreats, books, and support programs for widows across the country.

If you are carrying grief, walking through change, or trying to find your footing after life hit harder than expected, this conversation will remind you that pain is not the end of your story.

In This Episode, You Will Learn

Time Stamps

00:00 Intro to grief, healing, and rebuilding life after loss

00:35 Michelle shares who she is and the mission behind Widow Goals

01:34 Michelle’s background in entrepreneurship and teaching

05:03 The emotional shift from a vibrant life into grief and loss

05:50 Luke’s cancer story, amputation, and the family’s long road through illness

08:13 Raising children while facing terminal cancer in the home

10:48 Jim asks about faith, bitterness, and blaming God

11:30 Michelle shares the moment God reframed her pain through the idea of being chosen

13:27 What not to say to someone who is grieving

16:38 Why grief support needs to be practical, specific, and present

18:32 The turning point from personal pain to serving other widows

19:03 How the Widowed Too Soon podcast and Widow Goals nonprofit began

21:29 Why grief does not heal just because time passes

22:12 What grief work actually looks like

23:36 Michelle explains her book, workbook, and church support program

25:10 A challenge to churches to better care for widows

26:20 Where to find Michelle, her books, podcast, and local groups

Key Takeaways

Connect with Michelle Bader Ebersole

🌐 Website: WidowGoals.org

Connect with Jim

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