The Nothing Is Wasted Podcast

How do we begin to lead our generation through pain? What do we do with the tension of our heartache and the hope we have in Jesus?For author and pastor Levi Lusko, learning to grieve the loss of his daughter Lenya while leading others through their own pain has been a beautiful dance of both sorrow and hope. After losing Lenya from an asthma attack, Levi began to write down everything God was teaching him in the aftermath. Those lessons would eventually become a part of his best-selling book, Through the Eyes of a Lion: Facing Impossible Pain, Finding Incredible Power. Years later as Davey found himself in the depths of his pain after losing his wife Amanda, it was a text from Levi that would encourage his spirit and help him to find a way through his own grief. In this encouraging conversation, Davey and Levi talk about how to deal with the feelings of guilt that can sometimes accompany a loss, why building a strong marriage is so important before a major trial, and the ways in which each new grief is unique. If you've struggled to hold the tension between the hurt you've experienced and the hope you have in Christ, this episode will remind you that even with hope, our hurt will still hurt and God is with us through it all.   Website: www.levilusko.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/levilusko/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/levilusko Book: Through the Eyes of a Lion: Facing Impossible Pain, Finding Incredible Powerhttps://a.co/d/epwSheY Do you need a reminder that in your story nothing is wasted? Get your copy of the Nothing is Wasted book now where ever books are sold: www.nothingiswasted.com/book Would you love to help those in your church partner with God to take back their stories of pain and trauma? Bring the Pain to Purpose course to your church and let the healing begin: www.nothingiswasted.com/churches Want to access all that Nothing is Wasted has to offer to help you in your healing journey? Join Community Plus and get resources like our masterclasses, Curated Pathways, and more for just $20/month. www.nothingiswasted.com/communityplus Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you learn to feel the pain instead of just filling it? What does surrender look like when we've entered a story that we never imagined for ourselves?On this first ever live Nothing is Wasted podcast episode from the Nothing is Wasted Book Launch event, Davey and Kristi Blackburn are joined by Daniel and Brittany Brooker to discuss the messy road of healing and redemption. The Brookers know pain--having both lost a spouse at a young age while parenting small children. Their process towards healing and hope and finding one another along the way has been full of incredible joy and difficult heartaches. Finding friendship with the Blackburns, another couple who understands the impact of trauma on a marriage and children and who are also blending together a family, has been a gift in the journey of grief, loss, and redemption. In this conversation, the Blackburns and the Brookers discuss why we have to feel our pain and not just fill it, the importance of surrender in our deepest valleys, and how God gives us people along the way that can be a part of his healing plan for us. If you've ever struggled to allow yourself the opportunity to really feel the emotions that come from a loss or your unique path of suffering, this episode will help you to realize that healing cannot happen until you admit there is hurt and allow God to meet you in the messy middle of it.   Website: www.danielobrooker.com www.brittanypricebrooker.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/danielobrooker www.instagram.com/brittanypricebrookerDo you need a reminder that in your story nothing is wasted? Get your copy of the Nothing is Wasted book now where ever books are sold: www.nothingiswasted.com/book Has a recent loss, trauma or tragedy upended your world? Let us guide you through those early days: nothingiswasted.com/everythingchanges Looking for a way to help your church members find purpose in their pain? Bring the Pain to Purpose course to your church: www.nothingiswasted.com/churches Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does true friendship look like in the midst of the darkest moments in our lives? How do we show up for our friends who are hurting after a tragedy? The Bible says, "A friend loves at all times and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17) It can be hard to find the kind of friend that will stick with you in difficulties, but for Davey, Kenneth Wagner was the epitome of that type of friend. Davey and Kenneth's friendship began in college and grew through each season of life: marriage, starting their families, and pastoring. It also grew through the most devastating time when Davey lost his wife Amanda and their unborn child in a home invasion. Kenneth did what any true friend would do in the unimaginable: he showed up. And he kept showing up in each and every way he could as Davey tried to rebuild his life and find healing after heartache. In this heartfelt episode, Davey sits down with his best friend, Kenneth, to hear his unique perspective as he watched the tragedy and subsequent redemption unfold in Davey's life. They discuss what it looks like to be a good friend, how powerful the ministry of presence can be, and the importance of seeing God's kindness in our lives. If you're walking beside a friend who is hurting, this conversation will encourage you to step into the space of their pain where no words are necessary but where all that is needed is your presence that reminds them that they are not alone.   Website: www.unitedchurchde.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/UNITEDChurchDEFacebook: www.facebook.com/UNITEDChurchDE Do you need a reminder that in your story, nothing is wasted? Get your copy of the Nothing is Wasted book now where ever books are sold: www.nothingiswasted.com/book Need some hope right now in your valley? Or have a friend who could use some encouragement through suffering? The Pain to Purpose 42-Day Devotional is the perfect companion in your pain. Get your copy and gift one to a friend who needs it: www.nothingiswasted.com/store/pain-to-purpose-devotional Do you need resources to help guide you in your specific pain point? Our Curated Pathways are designed to give you everything we offer in one place when it comes to your unique journey: www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you help an adult child who is experiencing an unimaginable loss? What does it look like to parent our kids who are grown and who are walking through difficult seasons?For Davey's parents, Dave and Brenda Blackburn, navigating how to help Davey walk through his own grief while also taking the time to grieve their own pain of losing their daughter-in-law, Amanda, and unborn grandchild was at times very difficult. Yet through their own hurt and watching Davey walk through his, they learned that many of the same parenting principles they had used throughout Davey's life applied in his season of suffering as well. It was through prayer, giving Davey space when he needed it, being there for him, and loving him through the ups and the down that God showed Dave and Brenda how to be the kind of parents their adult son needed as he walked through a tragedy. In this episode, Davey sits down with his parents to talk about the difficulty of watching your adult child hurting after loss, how to be there for your kids, and what it looks like to build a foundation of faith in your children before they experience pain and suffering. If you are a parent walking through a season of heartache of any kind with your adult child, this conversation will give you hard-won wisdom as to how to even begin to love and show up for your children, even when they are grown and living their own lives out of your home.   Want to be a part of the Nothing is Wasted Book Event on Thursday, August 1st? Tickets are on sale now at: www.nothingiswasted.com/launch-event Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does God invite us into in our pain? How do we learn to bring our honest emotions and thoughts to God?Pastor and author Rich Villodas has learned and taught others the importance of choosing honesty through lament when it comes to engaging with feelings of grief, anxiety and every other emotion that is a part of the human condition. As he has pastored in one of the most diverse parts of the country, he has walked with many individuals through their own stories of pain from their families of origin, loss, and disappointment and has led them towards the invitation from God to confess and name what they are feeling while leaning into the practice of lament. In his latest book, The Narrow Way: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls, Rich teaches how the Sermon on the Mount is an invitation to a countercultural way of living that will lead to peace, love, and fulfillment in a generation where anxiety, depression, and polarizing politics seem to lead the way. In this episode, Aubrey and Rich talk about why vulnerability and inner work are so important for both leaders and lay people alike, how we can begin to address our pain, and the difference between good and bad self-awareness. If you have found yourself running from the reality of your pain, this conversation will encourage you to take the brave step of facing what you're feeling and allow God to meet you in the truth of where you are.   Website: https://www.richvillodas.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/richvillodas/ Book: The Narrow Path: How the Subversive Way of Jesus Satisfies Our Souls https://a.co/d/iPP5RCC You've heard some of the story, but you haven't heard it all. Now you can. Pre-order Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain. Go to www.nothingiswasted.com/book to pre-order your copy and get your pre-order bonuses today! Be a part of launching the Nothing is Wasted Book into the world by joining us on Thursday, August 1 in Indiana. Get your regular admission or VIP Tickets now by going to: www.nothingiswasted.com/launch-event From incredible mini-courses to the Pain to Purpose Toolkit, it is your last chance to get these incredible pre-order bonuses for the Nothing is Wasted book before it is available on 7/30 wherever books are sold! Order your copy today: www.nothingiswasted.com/book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we live a more connected life with Jesus when this world offers so many distractions? What would it look like for individuals to experience personal revival in their own faith that could spark revival in other's lives as well? For author, podcaster and Bible teacher Lisa Whittle, it was her own journey towards seeking more of God that led her to write about it. As a woman in ministry, Lisa has seen and faced many challenges, but through it all, she was able to find God more and more. By asking God for her own personal revival, Lisa began to see all the ways the enemy of her soul attempts to keep her from it. From people pleasing and anxiety to social media and the celebrity culture that has infiltrated the Christian spaces she has been in, Lisa knows that there are many things that can derail her from living out of a whole hearted devotion to God. It is why she decided to update and re-release her book, I Want God: How to Love Him with Your Whole Heart and Revive Your Soul. As God continued to draw her own heart into personal revival, she realized the message she wrote years ago had even more relevance for our current culture. In this episode, Aubrey and Lisa talk about the challenges many women face in ministry and how to overcome them, what personal revival looks like in both seasons of normalcy and seasons of pain, and how the fear of man can keep us from the freedom God so longs to give us. If you've ever desired to experience more of God in your own heart and life but don't know how, this conversation will teach you the simplicity of loving Him and reviving your soul in the process.   Website: https://www.lisawhittle.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisawhittle/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisawhittleofficial Book: I Want God: How to Love Him with Your Whole Heart and Revive Your Soul https://a.co/d/2Dw1z5i Want to be a part of the Nothing is Wasted Book Event on Thursday, August 1st? Tickets are on sale now at: www.nothingiswasted.com/launch-event You've heard some of the story, but you haven't heard it all. Now you can. Pre-order Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain. Go to www.nothingiswastedbook.com to pre-order your copy and get your pre-order bonuses today! Do you need resources to help guide you in your specific pain point? Our Curated Pathways are designed to give you everything we offer in one place when it comes to your unique journey: www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

WARNING: This episode discusses teen suicide and may not be suitable for all audiences. How do we begin to understand the staggering increase in mental health issues amongst teens? Why are the suicide rates moving in an upward trend, especially amongst younger children? Our world has undoubtedly changed because of the advent of smart phones and social media, but no one could have predicted the impact these devices have had on our kids. Dr. Chinwe Williams, an author, speaker and teen and child mental health counselor, has seen the ways our current culture has effected youth in this country. Because of what she has seen clinically, she has been on a mission to help resource parents through her books and trainings with the tools they need to handle the challenges that many kids and teens are facing, including anxiety. In this episode, Davey sits down with Dr. Williams to discuss the role empathy should play in helping our kids through difficulty, why we must first address our own issues with anxiety and the value in teaching our kids to develop grit in order to face whatever may come. If you are a parent or if you are someone who has kids and teens in your life, this conversation will give you the tools you need to begin to recognize the signs and symptoms of anxiety and how you can help the kids you love through it.   Website: www.drchinwewilliams.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/dr.chinwewilliams Facebook: www.facebook.com/MeaningfulSolutionsCounseling/ Book: Beyond the Spiral: Why You Shouldn’t Believe Everything Anxiety Tells Youhttps://a.co/d/eZDpPN8 Want to be a part of the Nothing is Wasted Book Event on Thursday, August 1st? Tickets are on sale now at: www.nothingiswasted.com/launch-event Want to access all that Nothing is Wasted has to offer to help you in your healing journey? Join Community Plus and get resources like our masterclasses, Curated Pathways, and more for just $20/month. www.nothingiswasted.com/communityplus You've heard some of the story, but you haven't heard it all. Now you can. Pre-order Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain. Go to www.nothingiswastedbook.com to pre-order your copy and get your pre-order bonuses today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do we do when our faith feels like the darkness of night? How do we find our way through when God is hard to see or feel?Author and speaker Dr. Alicia Britt Chole was never afraid of asking questions. In fact, it was her own father's willingness to hear and respond to the many curiosities in her spirit that gave her a picture for God's willingness to listen to and speak to all the questions, the fears, and the doubts in life. Through her personal study of scripture, she began to take notice of the idea of night, of a darkness or obscurity, that can mark our journeys with Jesus. In an effort to normalize this very valuable and healthy part of our spiritual growth, Dr. Chole wrote The Night is Normal: A Guide Through Spiritual Pain, to help readers identify what can cause our spiritual pain and how to navigate through those seasons of disillusionment and seasons where we are losing hope. Through scriptural evidence and personal experience, Dr. Chole proves that while painful, our disillusionment and those night seasons can become our greatest gifts in our journey towards faith and hope. In this profound conversation, Aubrey and Dr. Chole talk about how God pursues us when we are far from Him, the causes of our spiritual pain, and why normalizing our difficult seasons can help us find a way through them.If you've ever found yourself with more questions than answers when it comes to your faith, this episode will prove that God can handle all your questions, all your doubts, and all your disillusionment and that the night you may be experiencing will not last forever.   Website: www.aliciachole.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/aliciabrittchole Book: The Night Is Normal: A Guide through Spiritual Pain https://a.co/d/f9rUxiM Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do we do with our frailties? How can we begin to see God's gift in our weakness?For author, pastor, and Nothing is Wasted guest host, Eric Schumacher, reframing his perspective on the areas where he was weak took some time. Struggling with his own imperfections and insecurities, God began to reveal to him that the very things that made him feel weak were exactly what God wanted to work through and reveal His strength. As Eric began to deep dive into the theological implications of weakness and where it can be found throughout human history in Scripture, he was able to see the incredible gift our weaknesses can be. It was through that study and his own personal journey that Eric wrote his latest book, The Good Gift of Weakness: God’s Strength Made Perfect in the Story of Redemption.In this episode, Davey and Eric talk about why God works through our weakness, how to find our value and worth in Jesus instead of our accomplishments, and the various types of weakness we face. If you've ever felt defeated by your own weakness, this conversation will encourage you that in whatever weakness you feel, God is at work in incredible ways to show you His strength.   Website: www.emschumacher.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/emschumacherFacebook: www.facebook.com/emschumacher Book: The Good Gift of Weakness: God’s Strength Made Perfect in the Story of Redemption https://a.co/d/3LuLuQ4 In His Hands: Prayers for Your Child or Baby in a Medical Crisishttps://a.co/d/0PbLELC You've heard some of the story, but you haven't heard it all. Now you can. Pre-order Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain. Go to www.nothingiswastedbook.com to pre-order your copy and get your pre-order bonuses today! Need some hope right now in your valley? Or have a friend who could use some encouragement through suffering? The Pain to Purpose 42-Day Devotional is the perfect companion in your pain. Get your copy and gift one to a friend who needs it: www.nothingiswasted.com/store/pain-to-purpose-devotional Do you need resources to help guide you in your specific pain point? Our Curated Pathways are designed to give you everything we offer in one place when it comes to your unique journey: www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do we do when we are a leader and our life as we know it unravels? How do we continue to lead in the depths of our pain?For ministry leader, author, speaker and podcaster Toni Collier, she thought she was finally living her redemption story in her second marriage, only to watch her relationship crumble very quickly when she learned of continued betrayal within it. Immediately after getting some of the most devastating news of her life, she saw God's kindness in that she was just doors down from some of her best friends. It was this group of women, some of the members of her confessional community and the constant reminders of God's with-ness, what she calls "God Winks," that sustained her through a very public divorce and all that followed. As she walked through the heartache of losing the marriage that she thought was an answer to her past pain, she learned how to lead in the midst of her greatest hurts. By sharing vulnerably her story and what she was dealing with in real time, she offered others the freedom to speak out and share their own suffering. She continues to offer women the opportunity to find healing through her ministry, Broken Crayons Still Color, and her podcast, Still Coloring. In this honest and raw conversation with Davey, Toni shares what it looks like to lead through our pain, why we need to pay attention to God's goodness in our hurt, and how a confessional community can help us heal. If you're a leader walking through the unexpected and wondering how you can keep going in the middle of it, this episode will serve as a reminder that even in our brokenness, God can use our lives to color a beautiful picture of His grace and redemption in life for others.   Website: https://www.tonijcollier.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tonijcollier/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/colliertoni Book: Unshakeable Moxie: Growing a Resilient Faith https://a.co/d/iKIVegp Brave Enough to Be Broken: How to Embrace Your Pain and Discover Hope and Healinghttps://a.co/d/79vODrd You've heard some of the story, but you haven't heard it all. Now you can. Pre-order Nothing is Wasted: A True Story of Hope, Forgiveness, and Finding Purpose in Pain. Go to www.nothingiswastedbook.com to pre-order your copy and get your pre-order bonuses today!Do you need resources to help guide you in your specific pain point? Our Curated Pathways are designed to give you everything we offer in one place when it comes to your unique journey: www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways It's so hard to watch someone who is hurting after a recent loss or trauma has changed everything for them. The When Everything Changes: Navigating the Early Days of Loss, Trauma, and Tragedy mini-course will help those you love walk through the early days of grief and suffering and find hope on the other side: www.nothingiswasted.com/everythingchanges Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices