Have you ever read the headlines of what is happening to Christians across the globe and felt a sense of helplessness? How do we step into the stories of suffering from those who are so far away? Lily Meschi has a unique story. As an Iranian woman, she experienced the impact of a culture that didn't value her as a woman. When she was just 18 years old, she entered into an arranged marriage and nothing could have prepared her for what was to come. It was after a long season of experiencing abuse and toxicity in her marriage that Lily first heard the gospel. That moment forever changed her life as she was able to get away from the abuse and experience true freedom and redemption through Christ. Since then, she has seen God turn her pain into purpose as she has sought to share the gospel with others from her home country through the ministry she works for called Iran Alive. Not only has Lily seen redemption in her own story, but in countless others who were set free from an oppressive culture and who now walk in the freedom of a life in Jesus. In this insightful conversation, Davey talks with Lily about how we tend to overcomplicate sharing the gospel, the power of redemption that comes when we serve in communities that were the source of our pain, and how to step into the suffering of those across the globe. Your story and culture may look completely different from Lily's, but seeing how God can redeem the pain we encounter will serve to remind you that nothing is wasted.   Website: www.iranalive.org Instagram: www.instagram.com/lily_meschi and www.instagram.com/iran.alive.ministries Facebook: www.facebook.com/IranAliveMinistries Has a recent loss, trauma or tragedy upended your world? Let us guide you through those early days: www.nothingiswasted.com/everythingchanges Are you a pastor or church leader who wants to see redemptive healing take place in your church? Find out more about how you can bring Pain to Purpose to your church: www.nothingiswasted.com/churches 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

What do you do if much of your pain is caused by your own choices? How do you begin to break free from shame and find God's grace in your past? For author, pastor and Bible teacher, Ines Franklin the journey towards healing has taken some time, but God has been with her every step of the way. Having grown up without a father, Ines found the wounds of her past and her own decisions led her to living with immense shame. She divorced twice, had two abortions, and had been engaged in an affair. When she came to know Jesus, she still carried around the scars that her pain and shame had left on her. As she began to more fully embrace the gift of God's grace in her life and as she told her story more openly, she started to see the shame lift and God used her brokenness to help others. In her latest book, Uncharted: Navigating Your Unique Journey of Faith, Ines looks at how each of us have our own road to walk when it comes to our faith and how even our greatest struggles can be used as a part of God's greater plan for our lives. In this episode, guest host Vaneetha Risner sits down with Ines to discuss how to disentangle shame from our stories, learning to understand God's grace in our lives and the importance of absorbing the pain we've caused others. If part of your pain is because of your own decisions, this conversation will encourage you that God can use even your worst choices to bring about healing and hope for yourself and others.   Website: www.inesfranklin.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/inesfranklin Facebook: www.facebook.com/InesSFranklin Book: Uncharted: Navigating Your Unique Journey of Faith https://a.co/d/3f0keXc Vaneetha Risner Episode 163: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-163?rq=Vaneetha Want to learn more about Pain to Purpose? Learn more: www.course.nothingiswasted.com Life is difficult and pain is real. Join Davey as he helps you move through your pain and on to a life of purpose and meaning in a LIVE Zoom call. www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere 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

Has church hurt or spiritual abuse ever made you want to quit church altogether? Have the actions of people who claim to know Jesus made you want to give up on God? For author Natalie Runion, a pastor's kid and pastor herself, she has seen the underside of the Church and ministry. As a teen she experienced a deep church wound after her family was kicked out of the congregation her father pastored. That experience sent Natalie on a journey of trying to determine if God and Church was even worth the effort. It was through her own wrestling that Natalie began the Raised to Stay Instagram page where she challenges the Church and champions the saints. Through small squares, Natalie talks about the church hurt, spiritual abuse, accountability and how to navigate God's call for God's people with the hurt and pain so many of us experience from Church. In her latest book, Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away, Natalie makes an honest exploration of disappointment with the Church and how to keep your faith in the middle of it. As more and more churches and church leaders make the headlines for moral and leadership failures, Davey talks with Natalie about how to distinguish between church hurt and spiritual abuse, the important role leaders play in listening to those who share stories of leadership misconduct and abuse, and why we need to learn to be people who can wrestle well with our pain and the pain of others. If Church has ever left you questioning who God was or His love for you, this conversation will remind you that God is good and kind even when people are not and that sometimes we have to fight for our faith to believe that.   Website: www.raisedtostay.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/raisedtostay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natalie.runion/ Book: Raised to Stay: Persevering in Ministry When You Have a Million Reasons to Walk Away https://a.co/d/67SXp2q Are you ready to take a step towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and learn 5 Steps to Taking Back your Story. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere Have you experienced a recent loss or trauma and don't know where to go after everything changes? Community Plus members will get early access to a new mini course launching in May called When Everything Changes: Navigating the Early Days of Loss, Trauma, and Tragedy. Join Community Plus today at www.nothingiswasted.com/communityplus Join our next FREE, live masterclass with our trusted certified coaches and experts: www.nothingiswasted.com/masterclass

WARNING: This episode contains conversations about suicide and suicide ideation and may not be suitable for all listeners/viewers. Have you ever wondered why you are the way you are? Have you ever taken the time to deep dive into the stories and scripts that keep you moving in the same cycles you wish you could break free from? Author and therapist Kobe Campbell began her journey towards understanding how trauma was impacting her and how God wanted to invite her into healing after she attempted suicide in college. God revealed Himself in a very direct way in the midst of her attempt through a friend and since that moment, she has been on a journey towards her own continued healing and in turn, helping others heal. As a therapist, Kobe has seen the power in getting curious in a person's story and learning to pay attention to our pain and how it affects our current behaviors. In her new book, Why Am I Like This?: How to Break Cycles, Heal From Trauma, and Restore Your Faith, Kobe helps readers see how our past shapes our present and how to get at the roots of dysfunctional patterns. In this profound conversation, Davey sits down with Kobe as she shares her insight and wisdom on the importance of leading with curiosity when it comes to our stories, what to do when triggers happen, and the ways in which trauma can skew our perspectives and identity. This episode is for anyone who has ever wanted to break free from cycles of unhealthy behavior or to better understand why they do what they do and who desire to experience the depths of healing that God wants to offer us in our pain.   Website: kobecampbell.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kobecampbell_ Book: Why Am I Like This?: How to Break Cycles, Heal From Trauma, and Restore Your Faith https://a.co/d/dLTuNu1 Want to see healing and life transformation after the pain you've encountered? Check out the Pain to Purpose course and start the path towards healing today: www.course.nothingiswasted.com We know every pain is unique. That's why we created Curated Pathways to give you everything we have that applies to your specific pain point. www.nothingiswasted.com/pathways Do you need a reminder in your pain that God isn't done with your story? Sign up for our free, 7 day devotional delivered straight to your inbox: www.nothingiswasted.com/7-day-devo

How do you navigate living between two completely different worlds? How do you honor the culture of a parent while being a part of another culture that doesn't always do the same? For author Tasha Jun, learning to love and embrace the culture of her Korean mother while finding a place to belong in American culture left her feeling caught between two worlds at times. Being biracial, Tasha struggled with a sense of belonging, but even more so, with her own identity in feeling too much and not enough at times. Learning to love who God made her, including the different parts of her culture, helped her to fully experience the love of God in the messy middle of understanding and embracing who she was. As she became a mother, she saw the sacred gift in her own heritage and give that gift to her children. In this raw and honest conversation, Davey and Tasha discuss what it is like to feel "othered," how writing can be a tool for healing, and seeing God meet you in your identity while learning to grieve the ways we feel like we don't belong. If you've ever felt like an outsider in any sense, this episode will encourage you that you belong in the beautiful kingdom tapestry that God is weaving together and your unique makeup is exactly what God intended.   Website: https://tashajun.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tashajunb/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tashajunwriter Book: Tell Me the Dream Again: Reflections on Family, Ethnicity, and the Sacred Work of Belonging https://a.co/d/1KI31h8 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 Life is difficult and pain is real. Join Davey as he helps you move through your pain and on to a life of purpose and meaning in a LIVE Zoom call. www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere 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  

Have you ever truly engaged your story and looked at how God is inviting you into a deeper place of healing and redemption? How do you even begin to unpack all that you've been through and find safe people to share your story with? Author, pastor and coach Karrie Garcia has made it her life's mission to not only engage her own story, but to help others do the same. After overcoming the grips of addiction, walking through a divorce and finding herself in an unhealthy relationship with ministry, Karrie began to break free from the chains of pain and shame that kept her bound. With the help of the Holy Spirit, Karrie began to see the lies and agreements she had accepted from the enemy and others. Learning to allow the Lord to tend to the place of her woundings has given Karrie the freedom to help others name and invite God into their pain. Through her Freedom Academy intensives, online course and new book, Free and Fully Alive: Reclaiming the Story of Who You Were Created to Be, Karrie is determined to help others engage in the pain of their past so they can life free and fully alive in the present. In this encouraging conversation, Davey sits with Karrie to talk about the importance of looking at our story and trauma, how naming truth truly sets us free, and the ways in which shame can keep us bound until we acknowledge our core woundings. Your past may be full of trauma and heartache, but God wants to invite you into freedom and being fully alive after whatever you've experienced if you are willing to just step into your story and more importantly, His.   Website: https://www.karriegarcia.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/karriescottgarcia/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karrie.s.garcia Book: Free and Fully Alive: Reclaiming the Story of Who You Were Created to Be https://a.co/d/2JU2D6R Want to be a part of giving HOPE to the many and healing to the one? Join us: nothingiswasted.com/givehope Are you ready to take a step towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and learn 5 Steps to Taking Back your Story. Sign up today at: nothingiswasted.com/starthere

WARNING: This episode contains conversations about suicide and suicide ideation and may not be suitable for all listeners/viewers. How do you help a child in your life walk through an unimaginable trauma? How can you begin to navigate their emotions as well as your own when life turns upside down? For Jessye and Ryan Wilden figuring out how to walk through their own pain of losing Ryan's sister, Rena, in a homicide/suicide that took her life and the life of her husband, Danny, has been difficult enough. Taking in their niece and nephew and navigating their grief and loss in losing both their parents has required wisdom and discernment from God for a circumstance that doesn't have a manual. Add to it the collective grief that people felt after losing two beloved members of their community, it could feel impossible to ever get out from under the depths of suffering. And yet, Jessye and Ryan found a way through as they relied on the Lord each step of the way. In her book, We Wrote Your Name In Color, Jessye shares the messy process of healing, redemption, and grace found in their story. Davey sits down with Jessye and Ryan to talk about what you even do in the aftermath of the unimaginable, how to walk kids through their own pain and healing, and the value of having a community in the midst of tragedy. You may never walk through something as painful as the Wilden's have, but the way they've seen God in the middle of their heartbreak will encourage you as you navigate your own valley.   Website: www.jessyewilden.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/jessye_wilden/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/jessyewilden Book: We Wrote Your Name in Color https://a.co/d/31ODgHX Do you want to give HOPE to those who need it the most? Partner with us today: nothingiswasted.com/givehope Do you need a reminder in your pain that God isn't done with your story? Sign up for our free, 7 day devotional delivered straight to your inbox: www.nothingiswasted.com/7-day-devo Pastors, looking for a way to establish a path towards healing and redemption within your church? Join Davey Blackburn for a live call on how Nothing is Wasted can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/pastors

How often have you found yourself stuck in the past? How is looking back keeping you from moving forward? Best-selling author, speaker, and founder of A21, a worldwide anti-trafficking organization, Christine Caine knows how pain, trauma, and tragedy can keep a person stuck. Having experienced abandonment, being adopted, abuse and trauma as a child, Christine is well acquainted with the schemes of the enemy to hold her back from the purposes of God. In her latest book, Don't Look Back: Getting Unstuck and Moving Forward with Passion and Purpose, Christine explores Jesus' words in Luke 17:32, "remember Lot's wife," and how looking back kept her and how it keeps us from experiencing the fullness of God's promises, especially in our most painful moments. When our eyes get stuck on our circumstances, past or present, we can miss the invitation from Christ to look forward to a future full of hope. In this episode, Aubrey has the privilege to sit with Christine to talk about what can get us stuck in the first place, what can happen when we constantly look backwards, and why it is so important to know the promises of God so that we can begin to move forward in faith. Whatever is keeping you stuck, don't miss the opportunity Jesus is inviting you into as you trust Him when everything around you changes. Let this conversation be a guide for you as you turn towards Him and His promises.   Website: www.christinecaine.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/christinecaine/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/theChristineCaine/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineCaine Book: Don’t Look Back: Getting Unstuck and Moving Forward with Passion and Purpose Don't Look Back Bible Study https://a.co/d/fPwKfF5

How do you begin to pick up the pieces when your life shatters in an instant? What do you do when your ministry and your family seem to crumble in a moment? How do you move forward after signing divorce papers? For former pastor's wife and author, Brandi Wilson, she could not have imagined the way her story would go. She had helped to build an incredibly successful church with her then-husband and had served faithfully alongside him as the congregation grew and thrived. Then, she found her whole world come crashing down when her husband decided to leave the church and their marriage. Not only did Brandi have to navigate the personal pain, but there was also the very public attention on her greatest sorrow. It was through her journey towards healing that Brandi learned how to endure the darkest seasons of life and find hope on the other side. She would go on to share her personal story of pain and healing in her new book, Better Than Okay: Finding Hope and Healing After Your Marriage Ends. In this vulnerable episode, Davey sits down with Brandi to talk about what to do when you see signs of unhealthy patterns in your marriage, how to shepherd your kids through the pain of divorce and the best ways we can show up for those who have endured the loss of a marriage in church and in life. You don't have to have experienced the loss of a marriage to be encouraged by this conversation on finding hope, healing and restoration after our most terrible days.   Website: lovebrandiwilson.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovebrandiwilson Book: Better Than Okay: Finding Hope and Healing After Your Marriage Ends Do you want to be a part of giving hope to the many and healing to the one? Partner with us today: nothingiswasted.com/givehope We know every pain is unique. That's why we created Curated Pathways to give you everything we have that applies to your specific pain point. nothingiswasted.com/pathways    

Have you ever faced the loss of a loved one and wondered what life was like on the other side of death? We all have seen heaven depicted in movies and literature, but what can we really expect based on Scripture? For author and speaker Randy Alcorn, it was the work he did in writing his bestselling book, Heaven, that gave him peace after losing his wife, Nanci, to cancer. Knowing the truth about what life was like for Nanci after death, comforted Randy in his own suffering and grief. While we've all been told a lot of different things when it comes to heaven, knowing what the Bible says and anticipating the joy and peace that is to come is the only way through the unending pain we face. And if our eyes remain on this earth, we will continue to see the temporary heartache instead of the eternal joy that is to come. In this conversation, Davey talks with Randy about the question everyone who has faced the loss of a loved one has wondered: what can we expect when it comes to heaven? They discuss why we need a heaven focus in our suffering, what we actually know (and what we don't) when it comes to heaven, and why our theology matters in our thinking about life beyond what we see. If you've ever asked the question: what is heaven like?, this episode will begin to answer that question and more importantly, lift your eyes from your suffering and upward into what is beyond this broken, pain-filled earthly existence.   Website: https://www.epm.org Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/randyalcorn Twitter: https://twitter.com/randyalcorn Book: Heaven Want to be a part of bringing hope to the many and healing to the one? Help support what we do here at Nothing is Wasted by partnering with us: www.nothingiswasted.com/givehope Are you ready to take a step towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and learn 5 Steps to Taking Back your Story. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere