While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss

What does it look like to trust God when you've prayed for a miracle, but the answer isn't what you hoped for?

Jessica Mitchell was nearly 37 weeks pregnant when she learned that her daughter, Lucy Grace, had died. Just three years earlier, her family had experienced the loss of her infant niece, Madison Joy, at only 35 days old.

In this first half of our conversation, Jessica shares the stories of both girls, the remarkable ways their families were supported by their communities, and a defining moment in the hospital when she prayed for a miracle — but also surrendered herself to trusting God regardless of the outcome.

We also talk about the challenges of returning to everyday life after the loss of a baby, learning to give ourselves and others grace, and the season Jessica calls her "grief bottom," when she realized she needed help working through some of the deeper struggles that grief had brought to the surface.

Jessica's story reminds us that trusting God doesn't mean we won't struggle, and that allowing others to walk alongside us is an important part of the grief journey.

In Part 2, we'll talk about how Lucy's death affected Jessica's marriage, how she and her husband helped their two young children navigate the loss of their baby sister, and how God continues to work through Jessica's writing ministry, Old to New Creations.

Connect with Jessica Mitchell

• Website and blog: Old to New Creations
• Instagram: @oldtonew_creation
• Grief, marriage, and parenting resources: Available on Jessica's website
• What Happens to Babies Who Die? A collection of biblical reflections and resources available through her website.
• Upcoming children's book: Mommy, Is Madison Sleeping? — Inspired by her niece Madison Joy and written to help families talk with young children about death and Heaven. Follow Jessica's website or Instagram for publication updates.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

How do you keep going when the heaviness of grief is such a big part of every day life? How do you embrace new blessings while continuing to mourn all that you've lost?

In this second half of my conversation with Markie Ribera, we explore what it means to keep going after unimaginable loss ... not by moving past our grief, but by learning to carry it alongside the joy and hope we have in Christ.

After losing their four young children and Markie's mother in a devastating house fire in February of 2022, Markie and her husband, Carlos, have continued to see God's faithfulness in unexpected ways. They've welcomed three more little boys into their family, and Markie shares how they've learned to embrace the joy of raising them while keeping the memories of their older siblings alive.

We also talk about the importance of lament, why the church needs to make room for sorrow, and practical ways to navigate those especially difficult dates on the calendar. Markie shares how the body of Christ surrounded her family in the aftermath of their tragedy, and how that experience inspired a developing ministry called Keep Going, Really!

The name itself carries a special meaning, honoring the initials of their four children in Heaven while offering a simple but powerful message to others who are suffering: You really can keep going. Not because the road is easy, but because Jesus walks it with you.

I hope you'll be encouraged by this conclusion of our conversation and reminded that grief and joy can coexist, that God is worthy of our trust even in our deepest sorrow, and that because of Jesus, we can keep going, really!  

Links and Resources

Markie's Website and Writing

• Keep Going, Really! — Markie's website, family story, blog, and developing ministry.
• Even IF — Markie's reflections on God's sovereignty and trusting Him through suffering.
• Tunnel Week — Navigating the difficult anniversaries and dates surrounding her family's loss.
• Invisible Dates — Remembering the milestones that often go unnoticed by others.

Books and Music

• Just Be Honest by Clint Watkins — An invitation to bring our grief and difficult emotions honestly before God.
• Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop — A resource on biblical lament. Markie mentions Vroegop's teaching during our conversation.
• Worthy of My Song – Phil Wickham — A worship song that has been especially meaningful to Markie in her grief.
• Crazy People – Casting Crowns — A song that reminds Markie of the people who surrounded her family with love and practical support.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

How do you keep going when your whole world has been turned upside down? When the life you knew is gone, and the future you imagined looks nothing like you expected?

In February of 2022, Markie Ribera and her husband, Carlos, lost their four young children - Kathryn, Kaleb, Kristian, and Kasper - along with Markie's mother in a devastating house fire. In a single night, they lost not only the people they loved most, but also their home and nearly everything that connected them to the life they'd known.

In this first half of our conversation, Markie shares sweet memories of each of her children and takes us back to the events surrounding that tragic night. She talks openly about the early days of grief and the difficult questions she's wrestled with about God's sovereignty.

One especially powerful moment comes as Markie reflects on the biblical account of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. God was able to rescue them from the fiery furnace, yet He did not spare her children from the fire. How do we reconcile those realities and continue trusting Him?

Markie's story reminds us that keeping going doesn't mean leaving our grief behind. It means learning to carry our sorrow while holding tightly to the One who promises never to leave us.

I hope you'll come back next week as Markie and I talk about finding joy alongside grief, welcoming new life into their family, and the beautiful meaning behind the words Keep Going, Really!

Links and Resources

• Markie's website: Keep Going, Really! — Her family's story, blog, and the worship video recorded shortly after the fire.
• Markie's blog post: Even IF — Her reflections on God's sovereignty and the story of the fiery furnace.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

How do we choose to hold on to God's truth when grief makes it so easy to doubt?

In the second half of my conversation with Dennis and Debbie Jordan, we continue exploring Debbie's book, Grief's Deception: Overcoming the 12 Lies Whispered to a Broken Heart. Dennis and Debbie lost their six-year-old son Ryan to leukemia in 1985, and their nearly 41-year journey has given them a unique perspective on grief, faith, and God's sustaining grace.  (If you missed the first episode in this series and would like to listen before proceeding, you can find it HERE).  

Today, we examine the remaining six lies, including the belief that we need to make a change, that we'll never be able to forgive, that we must always be strong, and that surviving siblings are somehow more resilient in grief. We also confront two of the most difficult lies of all: that we have no hope, and that nothing good can possibly come from our loss.

Dennis and Debbie share candidly about the impact of grief on their marriage and their surviving son, the importance of allowing ourselves and others to grieve openly, and the ways God has used their story to encourage hurting families around the world.

We also discuss the well-meaning but sometimes hurtful things people say to bereaved parents, and how the simple ministry of presence can be far more meaningful than words.

Ultimately, our conversation brings us to the powerful message of Habakkuk: Even when life looks nothing like we hoped it would, we can still choose to trust God.

We would never have chosen this journey, but we can trust that God is still at work in the midst of it. The lies grief whispers do not have the final word. God's truth does.

Debbie's book: Grief's Deception: Overcoming the 12 Lies Whispered to a Broken Heart — available through online booksellers.

Companion workbook: Find the Grief's Deception workbook — designed for individual reflection or group discussion.

Debbie's podcast: Grief's Deception ... Because Grief Doesn't Tell the Truth — short episodes of biblical encouragement for grieving people. 

Connect with Debbie: Instagram or email [email protected]. 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

What happens when the lies grief whispers begin to feel more believable than the truth of God's Word?

Dennis and Debbie Jordan know that struggle well. In 1985, their six-year-old son Ryan went to Heaven after a three-and-a-half-year battle with leukemia. In the nearly 41 years since, they've experienced the depths of grief, wrestled with difficult questions, and discovered the faithfulness of God in ways they never could have imagined.

Debbie is the author of Grief's Deception: Overcoming the 12 Lies Whispered to a Broken Heart, a book born out of their personal journey and years of ministering to grieving families.

In this first half of our two-part conversation, Dennis and Debbie share Ryan's story and help us recognize the first six lies grief often whispers: that we're prisoners of our regrets, that our child's death was somehow our fault, that we'll never survive, that no one understands, that God has abandoned us, and that we should be over it by now.

Through personal stories, biblical truth, and over four decades of perspective, they remind us that just because something feels true doesn't mean it is true.

Next week, we'll continue our conversation as we explore the remaining six lies and discover more about how God's truth can bring hope and freedom to grieving hearts.

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

• Grief's Deception: Overcoming the 12 Lies Whispered to a Broken Heart by Debbie Jordan
• Dr. Lee Warren's appearance on the While We're Waiting podcast
• Davey Blackburn's appearance on the While We're Waiting podcast (Part One) (Part Two)
• Our Hearts Are Home
• While We're Waiting retreats and support groups

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

What happens when everything we thought we understood about God is suddenly turned upside down?  That's what Scott and Shelly Myers had to grapple with after the sudden death of their 11-year-old son, Will.  

Will was an old soul ... a bright, compassionate boy who loved books, stories, Scripture, and Jesus. He also lived with some significant health challenges, including a serious heart condition. And in October of 2012, Will unexpectedly went to Heaven.

Scott and Shelly share about the fog of those early days of grief, the impact of Will’s absence on their family, and the way loss caused Scott to take apart much of what he thought he understood about his faith, examine it, and put it back together again, piece by piece.

Scott also shares several powerful images from his book:  faith being dumped out like the contents of carefully organized drawers and having to be sorted through again; God walking with us at whatever pace we can manage; and a beautiful reminder that in our deepest grief, God doesn’t stand at a distance ... He comes down into the hole and grieves with us.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

I’m giving away a copy of Scott’s book, Not My Will, to the first three listeners who email me at [email protected] and request one. Just mention the Not My Will book giveaway in your email. The first three to respond will receive a free copy!

You can also click HERE to purchase your own copy of Not My Will.  

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

How do we keep moving forward after the loss of a child?  

In the second half of my conversation with Jackie Baker, author of Messy Mourning: Hope for Mothers Grieving the Loss of a Child by Suicide, we turn to some of the practical challenges grieving parents face as they learn to live with loss.

Jackie shares four lies grieving mothers often believe - including the painful thoughts that we somehow failed our child or could have prevented what happened - and points us back to what is true. We also talk about why the second year of grief can sometimes be harder than the first and how to answer that difficult question, “How many children do you have?”

We discuss why we can’t walk this road alone, the importance of finding safe people, and some very practical ways friends and family can support a grieving parent. And Jackie shares how she has learned to intentionally look for “beauty in the brokenness” ... noticing the evidence of God’s goodness all around her.  

In this episode, we discuss:

• Four lies grieving mothers often believe
• Why the second year of grief may feel harder than the first
• Navigating the question, “How many children do you have?”
• The importance of safe people, support groups, and counseling
• What helps—and what doesn’t—when supporting a grieving parent
• Intentionally looking for beauty in our brokenness
• The hope we have in Jesus

If you missed the first half of my conversation with Jackie, where she shares more about Sebastian and the unique challenges surrounding suicide loss, you can listen to last week's episode HERE.  

You can learn more about Jackie, connect with her writing on Substack, and find links to her social media through her website. You’ll also find information about her book, Messy Mourning: Hope for Mothers Grieving the Loss of a Child by Suicide, on our website, linked HERE.  

Register for the fall Our Hearts Are Home conference HERE!  You will be blessed by attending!  

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

Every child has a story that is so much bigger than the way their life ended.

In this first half of my conversation with Jackie Baker, author of Messy Mourning: Hope for Mothers Grieving the Loss of a Child by Suicide, Jackie introduces us to her son Sebastian—a bright, curious, athletic, artistic young man who was deeply loved. She also shares about the struggles he faced and the journey her family walked before his death by suicide nearly nine years ago.

Jackie speaks honestly about those early days of grief and the long process of learning to live again. We talk about some of the unique questions and emotions that can accompany suicide loss, the importance of remembering our children for far more than the way they died, and the impact child loss can have on a marriage.

We also discuss the stigma that can surround suicide in the church and why our churches need to be safe places where grieving families are met with compassion, grace, and the hope of Jesus.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Sebastian’s life and the struggles he faced
• The unique challenges of suicide loss
• Remembering our children for how they lived, not simply how they died
• Grief and its impact on marriage
• Suicide, stigma, and the church
• Finding hope in Jesus in the midst of devastating loss

This is Part One of my two-part conversation with Jackie Baker. Be sure to join us next week for Part Two!   

You can learn more about Jackie, connect with her writing on Substack, and find links to her social media through her website, linked HERE. You’ll find information about her book, Messy Mourning: Hope for Mothers Grieving the Loss of a Child by Suicide on her website as well.   

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

Josie Doll joins me again today, as we continue our conversation from last week.  Together we explore the meaning behind her book’s title - "Courage in the Corners" - a phrase her son Christian often used in hockey. For Josie, it's become a powerful picture of grief: having the courage to take the hits, get back up, and keep going.  If you missed the first half of our conversation last week, you may want to click HERE to listen.  

Josie shares openly about her struggle to trust God after Christian’s death, the moment she came to the end of herself and surrendered to Him, and the ways her understanding of God has changed. We talk about wrestling with His goodness, being angry with Him, and learning that trusting God doesn’t mean we will always understand what He allows.

We also discuss forgiveness, the Christian Doll Foundation created in Christian’s memory, and how Josie hopes his life will continue to impact others.

Josie closes our conversation with encouragement for grieving parents and the hope that sustains her: Because of Jesus, our children’s stories - and ours - are not over. The best truly is yet to come.  

Links mentioned in this episode:
• Courage in the Corners by Josie Doll
• The Christian Doll Foundation
• Connect with Josie at [email protected]

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected] 

My guest on the podcast today is my friend Josie Doll, who I had the opportunity to meet when we hosted a While We're Waiting Weekend in Alberta, Canada last spring.  In this first half of our conversation, we get to know her 15-year-old son, Christian—a funny, compassionate young man and natural leader who loved hockey, golf, his friends, and his family.

Josie takes us back to the summer night in July of 2024 when Christian was struck by a vehicle while riding his moped with friends. She shares about the seven difficult days that followed, the desperate prayers for a miracle, and the heartbreaking reality that Christian would not survive his injuries.

We also talk about the ongoing legal process surrounding his death, Josie’s efforts toward “Christian’s Law,” and what grief has looked like as she approaches the two-year mark without her son. She describes the second year as “quieter” and shares how she has begun to view moving forward not as moving farther away from Christian, but as moving closer to the day she’ll see him again.

Next week, we’ll explore the meaning behind Courage in the Corners and go deeper into Josie’s journey of learning to trust God in the midst of devastating loss.

Josie’s journey has required the kind of courage Christian himself used to talk about ... the courage it takes to go into the corners.  I believe you’ll be blessed by listening in.

Click HERE to find Josie's book on Amazon.  

Click HERE to learn more about the Christian Doll foundation.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! ~Jill

** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry. 

We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

Contact Jill by email at:  [email protected]