
The Nothing Is Wasted Podcast
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.
Latest episodes

Jun 9, 2022 • 1h 37min
Episode 224 - Redemption Out of the Dust with Chris and Steph Teague
What happens when the life you've built turns to dust? For Steph Teague, it began with just a few short sentences: "I don't think I believe in God anymore and I want a divorce". Hearing those words from her high school sweetheart, Chris, was devastating and yet, she slowly began to rebuild her life after such a deep hurt. Chris was on a seemingly separate journey through addiction, doubts, and deconstruction. In time, the Lord got a hold of Chris' heart and he experienced true life transformation, only to realize the mistake he had made in leaving his wife. Through God's kindness, the two would later reconcile, remarry and go on to start a band called Out of the Dust, where they would write songs of the loss and redemption in their story. Join Davey, Chris, and Steph as they talk about how to trust God when those we love wrestle with doubts and deconstruction, healing a marriage after brokenness, and the importance of community in whatever pain we face. This episode is an encouragement for anyone who feels like life's circumstances are beyond repair and who longs for redemption out of the dust.
Website: https://outofthedustmusic.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/outofthedustmusic/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outofthedustmusic Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5Yp0ywd05n7U64KpZ8JSbu?si=bJa7JY6_TJmwhAsyqiLpdg&nd=1
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Jun 2, 2022 • 1h 20min
Episode 223 - Healing from the Hurt of Purity Culture
What do you do when you realize the things you've been taught don't quite match up with God's Word? How do you navigate when what you believed to be true of the body of Christ doesn't hold up when you need care and protection? For Carlie Cleveland, experiencing an abusive relationship was painful enough yet more hurt was heaped upon her when the response of Christian leaders was shaming and blaming. It was through that difficult season that Carlie began to rightfully question some of the lessons she had learned through the years about purity. Her questions led her to untangle some prescriptive religious rules that ignored the heart of God's purpose in pursuing purity. In this episode, Carlie and Davey talk about the heart of the matter when it comes to sexual ethics, warning signs in abusive relationships and the importance of deconstructing ideas that don't align with scripture. This conversation is so important for those who know or love young people who may be wrestling with what purity truly means.
Website: https://www.carliecleveland.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carlieraecleveland/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmv4z5NLTvn-ZYVQdcmfAIw Real Truth Ministries Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therealtruthministries/ https://www.therealtruthministries.com/ "Ask the Question" available on Spotify, Apple, Anchor, Google, and Youtube: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-the-question/id1615108377 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmv4z5NLTvn-ZYVQdcmfAIw My Esther Bible Study:https://www.carliecleveland.com/theblog/queen-esther
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May 26, 2022 • 1h 22min
Episode 222 - Making Today Count with Liset Navas
What if your worst-case scenario happened? Could you still say that God is good? For military spouse Liset Navas, those questions prompted a searching and wrestling with God long before she lost her husband, US Marine Captain Mo Navas in combat in 2020. Just days before the world shut down from Covid, Liset got the knock at the door that no military wife wants to receive. In her grief, Liset found that she had to answer those hard questions about God and His goodness while walking her four young children through the painful loss of their father. In this episode, Davey has a conversation with Liset about the importance of numbering our days as well as our spouse's, grieving with hope, and leaning into the fears and doubts that come before and after a loss. Whether or not you are a military spouse, this episode is a powerful challenge for us all to keep a heavenward perspective about life and learn to live each day to the fullest.
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May 12, 2022 • 1h 15min
Episode 220 - Life Is a Vapor with Micah McElveen
After a near-death experience, how do you return to life? For Micah McElveen, it took almost losing his life to begin to live fully alive. After diving head first into a wave as a teen, Micah found his story taking an unexpected turn due to a near fatal injury. In what can only be explained as a miracle, God gave Micah a second-chance at life and the realization that life was truly a vapor. It was from the difficult journey through the physical, emotional and spiritual pain that God showed Micah the purpose He had for him. Years later, Micah began a world-changing ministry called Vapor that serves the most marginalized and in need people around the globe through clean water, medical care and meeting other physical needs while sharing the gospel. It is through that work and his own story of suffering that Micah has been given a unique perspective on what it means to live fully alive, how to find purpose when life threatens to take it away, and the importance of caring for the least of these in the world. Davey sits down with Micah for an important conversation that will help you look at your own story and know that you are alive to make a difference.
Website: www.micahmcelveen.com ; www.vaporministries.org Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/micahmcelveen/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MicahMcElveen/ ; https://www.facebook.com/VprMinistries Book: Dying for Purpose: Light for the Lost, Directions for the Found
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May 5, 2022 • 1h 22min
Episode 219 - Wrestling through the Emotions of Job Loss with Dale Kreienkamp
"We're letting you go." It's the words no employee wants to hear and yet, job loss is at a staggering high. What do you do when the company you've given your time and talents to tells you they no longer have a place for you? Job loss and unemployment is more than just a financial loss, it can lead to a spectrum of emotional, spiritual and mental pain points as well. Dale Kreienkamp knows all too well about the feelings that can come after being let go, having experienced it not once, but twice in his career as an executive. In this episode, Davey sits down with Dale to talk about how to wrestle through the emotions of losing a job, practical steps to take in the waiting, and how to help those we love who may be going through unemployment. Whether or not you personally are walking through this, you'll want to listen to this episode to gain insight on what to do when life takes an unexpected turn.
Website: www.dalekreienkamp.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HowLongOLord/ Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/DaleKreienkamp/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpwLNR4ACJ6BA0SOM5ZQTsQ Book: How Long, O Lord, How Long? Devotions for the Unemployed and Those Who Love Them
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Apr 28, 2022 • 1h 18min
Episode 218 - Learning to Depend on God after Loss with Lisa Appelo
Have you ever asked yourself how life can be good again after a devastating loss? Have you found yourself having to learn to depend on God in your deepest pain? Author and speaker Lisa Appelo knows all too well what it looks like to search for meaning and joy in life when your world falls apart. In the summer of 2011, she found herself a widow and single mom of seven children after the sudden, tragic loss of her husband, Dan. Davey chats with Lisa about how she walked her children through their own painful grief, how death revealed her idol of self-sufficiency and how she learned to lean on God for everything in her journey towards healing. Whether or not you have lost a spouse, Lisa's wisdom on how pain can shape us and wake us up to eternity is for you. Her story is a reminder, no matter what your pain, that life can be good again.
Website: https://lisaappelo.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisaappelo/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/AppeloLisa Book: Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After it All Falls Apart
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Apr 21, 2022 • 1h 20min
Episode 217 - Holding onto Hope in the Midst of War with Yuriy and Madison Perekotiy
For many Americans, the recent headlines about the war in Ukraine came as a shock, but for the people living in the reality of the conflict, life has felt unstable for quite some time. Ukrainian missionaries Yuriy and Madison Perekotiy know firsthand what it is like to live in a place where wars and rumors of wars exist as part of daily life. But when the most recent invasion happened while they were in the United States for a visit, the helplessness of being so far from home and the people they know, love and serve became a difficult reality to bear. In this episode, Davey and Kristi have a candid conversation with the Perekotiy's about what is happening across the globe in Ukraine, the trauma that war can unleash on so many and how others can step in and help, no matter where they are. If you've been watching the news and feeling at a loss as to what to do, you won't want to miss the insight and honesty the Perekotiy's share about how we as believers can help the most vulnerable in the world right now.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theperekotiys/?hl=en
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Apr 14, 2022 • 1h 13min
Episode 216 - How to Heal Our Racial Divide with Derwin Gray
In a world so broken, it is no wonder that division can be seen everywhere, even within the walls of the Church. The past few years especially have shone a light on how pervasive the sin of racism still exists to this day within our communities and within the body of Christ. Through his own personal experiences and his study of God's word, former NFL player turned pastor, Derwin Gray, has a vision for how healing can come where there is so much pain when it comes to the topic of race. The early Church proves that God's desire for His people is diversity and healing our divides is possible through the power of Christ's resurrection. Davey talks with Pastor Derwin Gray about what it looks like to heal our racial divide, encouragement for those who have experienced racial trauma, how to deal with the sin of racism in our hearts and a hope for a future in which we all see the beauty in God's design. Let this conversation embolden you to become an agent of change in your church, your community, and your home.
Website: https://www.derwinlgray.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/derwinlgray/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DerwinLGray Twitter: https://twitter.com/DerwinLGray Book: How to Heal Our Racial Divide: What the Bible Says, And What the First Christians knew, about Racial Reconciliation
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Apr 7, 2022 • 1h 9min
Episode 215 - The Path Out of Loneliness with Dr. Mark Mayfield
When it comes to our struggles with our emotions, pain and story, one of the most difficult by-products to navigate is the loneliness that we can experience as a result of our journey. A pervasive sense of being unseen and unknown can lead to a deep feeling of hopelessness. With raw honesty, Dr. Mark Mayfield shares his own personal journey in learning how his unhealed emotions led to a feeling of being alone and how finding language to identify what he was experiencing brought him to a place of healing. In this conversation, Davey and Mark sit down to talk about what loneliness is, what it can to do us and how we can find the path out of loneliness. Whether you've felt bouts of loneliness because of the recent pandemic, have felt isolated as a pastor or church leader or if depression and anxiety have made you feel alone, this conversation is for you.
Website: https://drmayfield.com Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedrmayfield?utm_medium=copy_link Book: The Path Out of Loneliness: Finding and Fostering Connection to God, Ourselves, and One Another https://www.amazon.com/Path-out-Loneliness-Fostering-Connection/dp/1641583398/ref=sr_1_1?crid=YKIZIDPZBWYI&keywords=the+path+out+of+loneliness+by+dr.+mark+mayfield&qid=1645666811&sprefix=dr.+mark+maybe%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1 Resources Mentioned:The Making of a Leader: Recognizing the Lessons and Stages of Leadership Development by Dr. J. Robert Clintonhttps://www.amazon.com/Making-Leader-Recognizing-Leadership-Development/dp/1612910750/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=the+making+of+a+leader+j.+robert+clinton&qid=1648179430&sprefix=the+making+of+a+leader%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-1
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Mar 31, 2022 • 1h 6min
Episode 214 - Happiness is Down Syndrome with Misty Snyder
What happens when the excitement of a pregnancy comes to a screeching halt with the words you never expected to hear: Down syndrome? For many parents, it can feel like a life sentence of fear and unknowns. What started out as a grief over the life Misty Snyder was expecting to have with her second-born child, ended up to be one of her greatest gifts. While she wrestled through the anxieties and mourned the expectations of what she thought motherhood of two would be like, Misty has found a richer, more fuller life than she could have ever imagined. She has taken her pain and turned it into a vibrant, encouraging community called Happiness is Down Syndrome to support other parents grappling with the challenges and joys that come with loving a child with Down syndrome. Join Davey and Misty as they talk about what to do when life takes an unexpected turn and how to find happiness in the midst of it. Whether you are a parent of a child with special needs or just know one, this episode will help you see the good in the hardest moments of life.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mistycoysnyder/?hl=en https://www.instagram.com/happinessisdownsyndrome/?hl=en YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=tHDn13t1Sqo
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