

The Nothing Is Wasted Podcast
That Sounds Fun Network
The Nothing is Wasted podcast explores the deep impact of trauma, loss, grief, and tragedy, while providing listeners with the hope and healing of Jesus. Born from Host Davey Blackburn’s own story of trauma and grief after the tragic loss of his wife Amanda and unborn child during a home invasion, this show features powerful stories of resilience and faith and practical tools to navigate pain and heartache. Listen each week for encouragement and insight as guests share how they’ve found that even in life’s darkest, most tragic moments, pain can lead to purpose and with God–nothing is wasted.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 11, 2025 • 1h 23min
Episode 394 - Crushing Chaos with Dr. Manny Arango
How do you bring order to the chaos of dysfunctional family patterns? What does it look like to experience lasting peace in the midst of relational disorder?Pastor and Bible teacher Dr. Manny Arango knows firsthand what it’s like to grow up surrounded by chaos. Raised in a home where his father battled addiction, Dr. Manny became a stabilizing force for his mother, but what seemed like support at the time eventually revealed itself as a deeply dysfunctional dynamic. It wasn’t until he became a husband and father that he began to recognize how these patterns were impacting his own family.Through the help of therapy and a deeper understanding of God’s design in Scripture, Dr. Manny discovered a powerful truth: true peace comes not from people-pleasing or control, but from aligning with God’s order. In his new book, **Crushing Chaos: Calm Your Storms. Order Your Life. Find Your Peace**, he unpacks how God is never intimidated by disorder and how He consistently brings order to chaos in the lives of His people.In this rich conversation, Davey sits down with Dr. Manny to explore the importance of identifying not just immoral behaviors in our families of origin, but also the subtle and often overlooked patterns of dysfunction, how setting healthy boundaries can become a gateway to peace, and why understanding the biblical pattern of God’s redemptive order is key when navigating personal storms.If you've ever felt overwhelmed by anxiety or like your life is spiraling into chaos, this episode will equip you with the insight and spiritual authority to confront disorder and embrace the peace that comes through God's divine order.
Website: www.MannyArango.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/mannyarango Facebook: www.facebook.com/mannyarango ARMA Courses: www.armacourses.comBook: Crushing Chaos: Calm Your Storms. Order Your Life. Find Your Peace. https://amzn.to/41I9Wnu Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 4, 2025 • 1h 8min
Episode 393 - Brokenness, Redemption, and the Power of a Biker’s Prayer with Angie Howell
What do you do when life leaves you desperate for hope? How do you find redemption when all you see is brokenness?Angie Howell knows these questions all too well. On the verge of her third divorce and pregnant with her eighth child, Angie found herself in a place of deep pain and loss. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, Jade, Angie sensed something was wrong. What followed was a long and difficult journey of medical tests and diagnoses, leading her into the complex world of parenting a child with special needs.In the midst of uncertainty and while still a lukewarm Christian, Angie encountered an unexpected moment of divine intervention. Her cousin, along with his biker friends, came to pray over her and Jade. In that powerful moment, something inside Angie shifted—she experienced a miracle not in her circumstances, but in her heart. It was the beginning of a profound transformation.Angie shares her story of struggle, faith, and redemption in her book, **Jewel of Heaven: A Beautiful Story of Brokenness, Redemption, and the Power of a Biker’s Prayer**. She calls herself a misfit, and through her writing, she vulnerably reveals how an unconventional group of believers helped her find hope and healing.In this episode, Davey sits down with Angie to talk about how the true miracle in our lives is often the change God brings to our hearts through pain, how He uses unlikely people to speak life and hope into us, and why our stories are never meant for us alone—they’re meant to bring healing to others too.If you've ever felt too broken for redemption, this conversation will remind you: no matter how far gone you feel, God is relentlessly pursuing you—even in your brokenness.
Website: www.angiehowell.com Instagram: instagram.com/angiehowellauthor Facebook: www.facebook.com/angiehowellauthor Book: Jewel of Heaven: A Beautiful Story of Brokenness, Redemption, and the Power of a Biker’s Prayer https://amzn.to/4mWnVOR Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 28, 2025 • 1h 3min
Episode 392 - Blessed Are The Spiraling with Levi Lusko
What do you do when anxiety suddenly takes hold and you find yourself spiraling? How do you begin to unravel the past wounds and circumstances that have led you to a place of chaos and uncertainty?For author and pastor Levi Lusko, a season of anxiety emerged seemingly out of nowhere. After years of pushing hard in ministry and leadership, he found himself waking up in the middle of the night gripped by an intense panic attack. The journey to uncover the root causes of that experience took time—but it was through that very process that he discovered how God meets us not only in our triumphs but also in our most chaotic, uncertain seasons.In one of his most vulnerable books yet, Blessed Are the Spiraling: How the Chaotic Search for Significance Can Lead to Joy Through Life’s Shifting Seasons, Levi shares the raw, personal account of navigating panic attacks, questioning his calling, confronting deep-seated fears, and unearthing childhood wounds. Through that journey, he found a healthier, more grounded rhythm of life and ministry—one anchored in God's presence through every season and joy.In this candid conversation, Davey and Levi explore the emotional toll leadership can take, the transformative power of revisiting and healing from past childhood wounds, and the importance of discernment in choosing who walks alongside us through our healing journeys.If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by anxiety or navigating a season that feels uncertain and out of control, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: you are not alone. In the midst of the spiral, God is present—and even in the messiness of life’s shifting seasons, it’s possible to discover deep, lasting joy.
Website: levilusko.com Instagram: instagram.com/levilusko Facebook:facebook.com/levilusko YouTube: youtube.com/levilusko Podcast, Hey It’s the Luskos: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-its-the-luskos/id1512551828 Episode 338 with Levi Lusko: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-338 Book: Blessed Are the Spiraling: How the Chaotic Search for Significance Can Lead to Joy Through Life’s Shifting Seasons https://amzn.to/4diZUOo www.blessedarethespiraling.com Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 21, 2025 • 1h 1min
Episode 391 - Making Sense of Your Story with Adam Young
How do we begin to untangle the wounds of our childhood and understand how they influence the way we show up in the world today? What do we do with the stories of harm, neglect, and pain that linger from our past?Therapist Adam Young came to realize in his thirties just how profoundly his family of origin and early wounds were shaping his adult behavior and emotional responses. Through the process of exploring and making sense of his own story, he discovered a deeper calling: helping others navigate and heal their own. In his new book, **Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything**, Adam shares his personal journey while offering readers a framework for understanding and engaging their own life narratives.In this insightful conversation, Davey sits down with Adam to discuss the powerful role our family of origin plays in shaping who we become, the essential need for community in the healing process, and how we can begin to approach our stories with kindness and curiosity.If you've ever reacted strongly in a moment and questioned where it came from, this episode will offer clarity on how our reactions often point to unhealed parts of our past—parts that need to be seen, understood, and gently tended to in order to experience true healing.
Website: adamyoungcounseling.com Instagram: instagram.com/adamyoungcounseling Adam Young Episode #255: nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-255 Book: Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything. https://amzn.to/4mjzuiv Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 14, 2025 • 1h 6min
Episode 390 - Practicing Defiant Joy in Suffering with Margaret Feinberg
How do you find joy when the diagnosis feels devastating? How can you become the joyful person God calls you to be—even in the midst of your deepest pain?Author Margaret Feinberg was nearing the completion of a book on joy when she received a life-altering diagnosis: aggressive cancer. What followed was a profound season of wrestling—an honest, raw search to understand what joy truly means when suffering feels overwhelming. Through that journey, Margaret discovered a deeper, more authentic belief about joy: that it can be a defiant act of worship in the darkest valleys. And when we choose to give joy away—even when we don't feel it—our own joy can begin to grow.In the midst of her pain, Margaret encountered the transformative power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Her latest book, **The God You Need to Know: Experience the Holy Spirit’s Power and Presence Today**, invites readers to experience that same presence no matter what they’re walking through.In this uplifting conversation, Davey and Margaret discuss how to truly show up for others in ways that heal rather than hurt, where joy can be found in suffering, and how to navigate the lingering fear that often follows hardship.If you're in a season where joy feels distant, this episode will encourage you to see that even small acts of sharing joy with others can help awaken it in your own heart as you walk through suffering.
Website: https://margaretfeinberg.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/mafeinberg Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margaretfeinberg/ Book: The God You Need to Know: Experience the Holy Spirit's Power and Presence Today https://amzn.to/4mgi2vl Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 7, 2025 • 1h 24min
Episode 389 - Disability-Inclusivity with Dr. Laurie Thompson
How can we learn to trust God when our prayers for healing go unanswered? What does it truly mean for the Church to become a place of belonging and welcome for individuals with disabilities?Dr. Laurie Thompson has deeply engaged with these questions—both personally and academically. At just 14 years old, a devastating car accident left her permanently disabled, marking the beginning of a lifelong journey of wrestling with faith, suffering, and inclusion. Now, as a college professor and academic advisor, Dr. Thompson empowers the next generation to understand that people with disabilities represent the largest minority in the United States—and that our Churches must become more inclusive, welcoming spaces for those navigating life with disabilities.In her latest book, **Disability-Inclusivity: Creating Awareness to Change the Current Trajectory**, Dr. Thompson explores how the Church can become a transformative community for those with disabilities—simply by making intentional adjustments that foster inclusion, dignity, and belonging.In this conversation, Davey sits down with Dr. Thompson to discuss the need for a robust theology of suffering, how to confront the lies that often accompany seasons of pain, and how the Church can reach and embrace people with disabilities through meaningful shifts in mindset and practice.If you’re passionate about creating spaces of true belonging, this episode offers practical insights to help your community become a place of gospel-centered inclusion for those who are often overlooked.
Instagram: instagram.com/laurieleet Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.thompson.98096721 Books: Laurie's Story: Discovering Joy In Adversityhttps://amzn.to/41b6TE4 Disability-Inclusivity: Creating Awareness to Change the Current Trajectoryhttps://amzn.to/4fb62Jk Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 31, 2025 • 1h 26min
Episode 388 - When Grief Comes Home with Erin Nelson and Colleen Montague
What do we do when pain and trauma affect our children? How can we guide them through the complex journey of grief and loss?Erin Nelson has walked through depths of sorrow that few can imagine. She lost her first husband in a sudden plane crash, her mother to suicide, and her young adult son in a tragic car accident. Having experienced grief in its rawest forms, Erin found healing—and through it, a calling. She channeled her pain into purpose by founding Jessica's House, a grief support center for children, teens, and their families.As Jessica's House has grown, Erin has partnered with others who share her heart, including Colleen Montague, a licensed therapist and the center’s program director. Together, they co-authored **When Grief Comes Home: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child**, a compassionate resource designed to help families facing the unimaginable.In this deeply meaningful conversation, Davey sits down with Erin and Colleen to explore how our most painful experiences can become the foundation for our life’s purpose, how to recognize what grief looks like in children, and how to have honest conversations with kids about loss.If you or someone you love is trying to help a child navigate grief, this episode offers practical tools and guidance for supporting young hearts through profound hurt.
Website: www.jessicashouse.org Instagram: instagram.com/jessicas_houseFacebook: facebook.com/jessicashouse1225 Book: When Grief Comes Home: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child https://amzn.to/4lhKxZv National Alliance for Children's Grief: https://nacg.org/ Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 24, 2025 • 1h 15min
Episode 387 - Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments with Rachel Wojo
How do you even begin to talk to God when life is unfolding in ways you never wanted? What can prayer do when the pain feels unbearably raw and deep?For Rachel Wojo, these questions became deeply personal. She never could have imagined the depth of suffering she would walk through—navigating her daughter’s terminal diagnosis and eventual passing, enduring betrayal in a first marriage that ended in divorce, and losing her mother in her twenties and her father while writing her book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments. Pain came from every direction. And yet, in her desperation, Rachel discovered strength through raw, honest conversations with God.In this episode, Davey and Rachel talk about the wrestlings that come with a difficult diagnosis, the vital role of prayer in our darkest seasons, and how remembering God's past faithfulness can help us move forward through grief and heartbreak.If you’ve ever struggled to find the words to say to God in your most desperate moments, this conversation will remind you that you don’t need perfect prayers—just an honest heart willing to keep reaching for Him, even in the pain.
Website: rachelwojo.comInstagram: instagram.com/rachelwojoFacebook:facebook.com/rachelwojoauthorBook: Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Momentshttps://amzn.to/4eLBw8K Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 17, 2025 • 1h 5min
Episode 386 - Walking Alongside People in Their Pain with Jerry McFarland
How do we support those in pain when we ourselves don’t have all the answers? How can we be present when we’re uncomfortable with the silence, the sorrow, and the questions that come with loss and tragedy?Pastor Jerry McFarland felt a twinge uncertainty the day he received a phone call asking him to visit a stranger at a local children’s hospital. Unsure of what he could say or offer, he still chose to show up—to step into someone else’s pain as an act of obedience to “mourn with those who mourn.” That’s when he met Amy Sylvestre, a mother clinging to hope as her infant son, Hudson, fought for his life.Healing didn’t come in the way Amy had hoped. But through Jerry’s quiet presence—a man she had never met before that hospital stay—Amy encountered the grace of God in the darkest chapter of her story. It was his willingness to sit with her in grief, to make space for her questions, her anger, and her heartbreak, that allowed her to begin to find comfort and hope again.In this tender episode, guest host Amy Sylvestre sits down with Jerry to reflect on that experience and explore what it means to walk with others through pain, how to entrust God with what is most precious, and why it's not only okay—but necessary—to let people be honest in their sorrow.Whether you're a leader or simply someone who knows a person in pain, this conversation will remind you: you don’t need to have the right words or the perfect response. Your presence, your listening ear, and your willingness to show up may be exactly what someone needs in the hardest part of their story.
Episode 175: Amy's Story: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-175?rq=amy Need help navigating your own loss? Let Amy help: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/coaches/amy-sylvestre Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 10, 2025 • 1h 6min
Episode 385 - Healing Leadership Trauma with Dr. Nicholas and Sheila Wise Rowe
Join Dr. Nicholas Rowe, a historian and seminary professor, and Sheila Wise Rowe, an author and counselor, as they explore the deep impacts of unresolved trauma on leadership. They discuss how early experiences shape leaders’ emotional health and the importance of addressing inner wounds. Their insights highlight the necessity of balancing personal healing with leadership responsibilities, advocating for humility and vulnerability. This conversation offers a compelling roadmap for leaders to find restoration and genuinely support others.