Steve and Heather Colvin are my guests again today as we continue our discussion of infant loss and its impacts on a family.  When their daughter AnnaJoy was born at 27 weeks gestation and went to Heaven one short week later, they found themselves on a journey they never would have chosen.  Today they share some thoughts for other moms and dads who have recently experienced infant or womb loss, including a discussion of the immense value of every life, no matter how brief.   They also discuss AJ's Place, a nonprofit ministry they've founded that seeks to come alongside infant-loss parents in some very unique and meaningful ways . 

Connect with AJ's Place - A Foundation of Hope
Website:   https://ajsplace.org/
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/ajsplaceafoundationofhope/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/ajsplaceafoundationofhope
Email:  [email protected]

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

October is pregnancy and infant loss awareness month, and I’m joined on the podcast today by my new friends Steve and Heather Colvin, the founders of AJ’s Place, a nonprofit organization that works to bring healing and hope to families who have been struck by the tragedy of infant and womb loss.  In the first half of this two-part episode, they share the story of their precious daughter AnnaJoy, who was born at 27 weeks gestation and went to Heaven one short week later. They honestly and candidly discuss the impact of AJ’s homegoing on their faith and on their marriage, and I’m grateful to have them as my guests today.  

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

Today’s episode is a continuation of my conversation with Ron and Nan Deal.  Ron is a Director with FamilyLife, the author of more than a dozen resources, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. Nan is a teacher with over 25 years of experience in public and private schools and she also volunteers in a recovery ministry. Ron and Nan travel and speak all over the country on marriage and the loss of a child, and I am grateful to have them join me again today.  We had a great discussion about the marriage relationship after child loss in last week’s episode, so if you didn’t catch that one, you’ll want to go back and listen.  Today we extend our conversation to include issues faced by blended families and parenting surviving children.  I believe you’ll find our discussion both helpful and uplifting.

Links related to Ron Deal:

Click HERE for Ron Deal's author page on Amazon
"As for Me and My House" ministry website:  https://rondeal.org/
"Smart Stepfamilies" website:  https://smartstepfamilies.com/about/about-ron-deal
"FamilyLife Blended" website:  http://familylifeblended.com/


Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WhileWeRWaiting

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry: 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

One of the topics that frequently arises at our While We’re Waiting Weekends is the impact that child loss can have on the marriage relationship … so we’ve brought some folks who are very knowledgeable about that subject onto the podcast today!  My friends Ron and Nan Deal have been married since 1986 and have three sons. Ron is a Director with FamilyLife, the author of more than a dozen resources, and a licensed marriage and family therapist. Nan is a teacher with over 25 years of experience in public and private schools and she also volunteers in a recovery ministry.  Their 12-year-old son Connor went to Heaven in 2009, so they are “waiting” parents as well.  Ron and Nan travel and speak all over the country on marriage and the loss of a child, and I am grateful to have them join me on the podcast today.

Links related to Ron Deal: 

Click HERE for Ron Deal's author page on Amazon
"As for Me and My House" ministry website:  https://rondeal.org/
"Smart Stepfamilies" website:  https://smartstepfamilies.com/about/about-ron-deal
"FamilyLife Blended" website:  http://familylifeblended.com/


Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WhileWeRWaiting

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry: 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

I’m excited today to introduce you to my friend Celeste Helcel, who has so much wisdom to share after three decades of missing her son Klint.  When Klint went to Heaven in 1991, support systems for bereaved parents really did not exist.  There were no cell phones, no internet, no Facebook groups for grieving parents, and certainly no podcasts.  The handwritten notes and cards she received during those early years were a lifeline to her and helped her realize she was not alone.  In time, she learned that God comforted her, not to make her comfortable, but to make her a comforter, and she certainly is that. Sit back and listen in for some words of wisdom and encouragement today. 

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WhileWeRWaiting

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at:   [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

Welcome to episode #114, which is a continuation of my conversation with my friend Becky Russell as we discuss a wide range of issues faced by parents who have experienced the loss of a child.  If you missed last week’s episode, you’ll want to be sure to back and listen to hear the story of her daughter Jae Lynn, who went to Heaven in 2004 due to a car accident. God has gifted Becky with a unique ability to share wisdom mixed with humor, which she does in her blog called Weepyseeds, and I know you’ll be blessed by listening in to our conversation.   

Click HERE to connect with Becky's Weepyseeds Facebook page (her current writings)
Click HERE to link to Becky's Weepyseeds blog (her writings from 2007-2018)

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WhileWeRWaiting

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at:   [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

I’m so excited today to introduce you to my friend Becky Russell, who has been a personal mentor to me ever since my own daughter Hannah went to Heaven thirteen years ago.  Becky’s blog "Weepyseeds" was a lifeline to me in the early days of my grief and gave me hope that I could survive my loss.  In the first half of this two-part episode, Becky shares the story of her beautiful 16-year-old daughter Jae Lynn who died along with two other girls in a car accident in 2004.  She talks about how she dealt with the “What Now?” in the aftermath of that terrible day and shares words of encouragement to others who find themselves reeling after the sudden loss of a child.  I believe you’ll be blessed by listening in.   

Click HERE to connect with Becky's Weepyseeds Facebook page (her current writings)
Click HERE to link to Becky's Weepyseeds blog (her writings from 2007-2018)

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/WhileWeRWaiting

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at:   [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

Welcome back for the second half of my conversation with Chrisy Slate, whose son Caleb took his own life with absolutely no warning just as he was beginning his senior year of high school in 2019.  Today we expand our discussion to include some very practical issues faced by bereaved parents, particularly those who have lost children to suicide. Chrisy shares some encouraging words from her blog and talks about the Caleb Cares Project she and her husband Joe have begun in honor of their son. 

To access a transcript of our conversation, please click HERE.

Links related to The Caleb Cares Project:

Click HERE for The Caleb Cares Project Facebook page.
Click HERE for The Caleb Cares Project website.

Click HERE to read Chrisy's blog, "A Journey for Caleb"

For more information about the While We're Waiting support group the Slates facilitate in the Clarksville, Tennessee, area, contact them at [email protected].

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at:   [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

Chrisy Slate joins me today to share the story of her remarkable son Caleb, who died by suicide just as he was beginning his senior year of high school with absolutely no signs or indications of what he was about to do.  Chrisy is still in the thick of her grief, but she is beginning to see glimmers of beauty coming from the ashes of her loss.   I hope you'll listen in for a very honest and open discussion of teen suicide and its impacts on a family.

To access a transcript of our conversation, please click HERE.   

Links related to The Caleb Cares Project:

Click HERE for The Caleb Cares Project Facebook page. 
Click HERE for The Caleb Cares Project website.

Click HERE to read Chrisy's blog

For more information about the While We're Waiting support group the Slates facilitate in the Clarksville, Tennessee, area, contact them at [email protected].

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at:   [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]

Jason and Amy Carter are my guests again today as we continue our discussion of their book "Oaks and Ruins - Letting God Redeem Your Loss", which they wrote after the death of their daughter Katie Beth in the fall of 2016.   This book is based on Isaiah 61:3-4 and includes eight chapters brimming with wisdom and encouragement for grieving moms and dads.  Last week we talked about the first four chapters (Loss, Listen, Look, and Learn), and today we discuss the last four - Live, Love, Laugh, and Legacy.

Click HERE to purchase your own copy of "Oaks and Ruins - Letting God Redeem Your Loss" by Jason and Amy Carter on Amazon.

Click HERE to learn more about Live & Love Ministries.

Links related to the While We're Waiting ministry:

Our website with information about our free retreats for bereaved parents at The Refuge in Hot Springs, Arkansas, and other venues around the United States:  www.whilewerewaiting.org

Our public WWW Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/whilewearewaiting/

Our private WWW  Facebook group just for bereaved parents:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/WhileWereWaiting.SupportForBereavedParents

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/while.were.waiting/

Make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry:  https://whilewerewaiting.org/donation/

You can reach Jill by email at:   [email protected] 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message! (Though I read every message, I am unable to respond through this format.)

** 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]