The Nothing Is Wasted Podcast

Can life after trauma hold something more than pain? How can you discover new purpose and growth after suffering?Nothing Is Wasted Coaching Director, Teresa Glantz, has walked her own path of trauma and healing—and has transformed her pain into a calling to help others heal through teaching about trauma and post-traumatic growth. She is passionate about showing others that while pain and trauma may happen to us, they do not have to define us, and that beauty can emerge even from the most difficult parts of our stories. Through the Biblical Trauma Care Specialist course offered at Nothing Is Wasted, Teresa is on a mission to help others understand the role trauma inevitably plays in our lives and how we can move toward post-traumatic growth.In this episode, Davey and Teresa step into a time of year when many are seeking personal growth by exploring how to make healing part of a new year, what post-traumatic growth truly is, and the different stages of trauma.If you are looking ahead and wondering whether anything good can come from your pain, this episode offers a reminder that growth can be found in the aftermath of trauma. Website: nothingiswasted.com/coaching nothingiswasted.com/btcs www.teresaglantz.com/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/teresaglantzcoachingStories matter. They inspire, uplift, and remind us we’re not alone in our pain. Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy is a new devotional featuring real stories from the Nothing Is Wasted community—offering strength, comfort, and hope in life’s hardest moments. Order your copy today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/hopeinthevalley 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

How do you hold onto hope while processing new losses after past ones? How do you reconcile the deep suffering you experience in life with the goodness of God?Ashley Opliger knows these questions well. After losing her daughter, Bridget, to stillbirth, she couldn’t imagine a greater pain. Years later, when her father was killed by a drunk driver, she found herself navigating a new wave of grief layered over the old. Yet, in the midst of heartbreak, Ashley discovered hope and purpose through Bridget’s Cradles, the nonprofit she founded to support families grieving the loss of an infant.She has also authored Cradled in Hope: Trusting Jesus to Heal Your Heart as He Holds Your Baby in Heaven—a practical guide for mothers walking through similar sorrow. In her book, Ashley shares her story and offers compassionate guidance for finding healing and faith after loss.In this episode, Davey sits down with Ashley to talk about making sense of what feels like senseless suffering, learning to surrender our pain to God, and holding the tension between mercy and justice when we’ve been deeply hurt by others’ actions.If you’ve ever faced a new grief after a profound past loss, this conversation will remind you that God continues to cradle you in hope—even in the midst of each new pain that comes your way. Website: bridgetscradles.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/ashleyopliger www.instagram.com/bridgetscradlesFacebook: www.facebook.com/ashleyopligerBook: Cradled in Hope: Trusting Jesus to Heal Your Heart as He Holds Your Baby in Heaven https://amzn.to/4mUKjb2Every story shared through Nothing is Wasted becomes part of a living legacy and you can be a part. Join the legacy and give today: www.nothingiswasted.com/legacyofhope Stories matter. They inspire, uplift, and remind us we’re not alone in our pain. Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy is a new devotional featuring real stories from the Nothing Is Wasted community—offering strength, comfort, and hope in life’s hardest moments. Order your copy today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/hopeinthevalley 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 Please donate today at MercyShips.org/podcast Visit www.OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off sitewide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And for an extra $35 off, usepromo code FUN at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do we make space for our grief in the midst of what is often called a joyful season? What happens when the traditions we once cherished become painful reminders of those no longer at our table?Author Lanier Ivester understands the deep ache of loss and how it reshapes the holidays. After walking through multiple griefs—many within a single year—Lanier found herself reimagining the Christmas season traditions she once loved. Through that process, she discovered how to honor her grief while allowing traditions to evolve in ways that nurture connection and relationship.In her book, Glad and Golden Hours: A Companion for Advent and Christmastide, Lanier shares cherished practices—many of which were passed down from her mother and explores the rich theology of the Christmas season—a theology that embraces both joy and sorrow in sacred tension.In this episode, Davey sits down with Lanier to discuss how grief transforms our experience of the holidays, the invitation Advent offers to bring both our celebration and lament before God, and how to thoughtfully engage—or release—traditions after loss.If you or someone you love is hurting this Christmas, this conversation offers a gentle reminder: this season is spacious enough to hold your pain and still whisper the hope of Christ—Emmanuel, God with us. Website: https://lanierivester.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lanierivester/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaniersBooks/ Book: Glad and Golden Hours: A Companion for Advent and Christmastide https://amzn.to/46TBND515% Code off any Glad and Golden Hours products at rabbitroom.com Code: KITCHEN15Every story shared through Nothing is Wasted becomes part of a living legacy and you can be a part. Join the legacy and give today: www.nothingiswasted.com/legacyofhope Stories matter. They inspire, uplift, and remind us we’re not alone in our pain. Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy is a new devotional featuring real stories from the Nothing Is Wasted community—offering strength, comfort, and hope in life’s hardest moments. Order your copy today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/hopeinthevalley 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 Please donate today at MercyShips.org/podcast Visit www.OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off sitewide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And for an extra $35 off, usepromo code FUN at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when you find yourself living a life you don’t always love? How can joy be rediscovered after seasons of sorrow and heartache?For author, podcaster, and military wife Rachel Awtrey, learning to love her life hasn’t been an easy journey. After losing her father at a young age, walking through a messy season of grief, and navigating the uncertainty that comes with being married to a military member, Rachel has experienced her share of challenges. Yet through it all, she’s discovered how to find joy in the messy, mundane moments of everyday life.In her latest book, Love Your Life (Even If You Don’t Like It All the Time), Rachel offers a refreshing and honest perspective on what it truly means to live a joyful life. She shares simple, practical ways to face daily frustrations and uncover meaning even in the hardest seasons.In this episode, Davey and Rachel discuss the importance of giving yourself time and space to grieve after a loss, how our natural tendencies can become magnified in times of pain, and practical encouragement for military families—and those who love them—facing the unique challenges of that lifestyle.If you’ve ever struggled to love your actual, everyday life, this conversation will remind you that joy can be found right where you are, no matter your circumstances. Website: https://rachelawtrey.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachel.awtrey/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realtalkwithrachelpod Podcast: Real Talk with Rachel Awtrey https://rachelawtrey.com/podcast/ Book: Love Your Life (Even If You Don’t Like It All the Time) https://amzn.to/48Iz0yYEvery story shared through Nothing is Wasted becomes part of a living legacy and you can be a part. Join the legacy and give today: www.nothingiswasted.com/legacyofhope Stories matter. They inspire, uplift, and remind us we’re not alone in our pain. Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy is a new devotional featuring real stories from the Nothing Is Wasted community—offering strength, comfort, and hope in life’s hardest moments. Order your copy today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/hopeinthevalley 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 Please donate today at MercyShips.org/podcast Visit www.OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off sitewide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And for an extra $35 off, usepromo code FUN at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How do you find hope when life unexpectedly thrusts you into the valley of loss? How do you navigate the rugged terrain of pain?For Nothing is Wasted’s Podcast Producer and Content Director, Catherine Fitzgerald, the heartbreak and trauma of losing her brother, Zac, plunged her into a valley unlike anything she had ever experienced. In the aftermath came secondary losses of community and identity and a spiritual desolation that felt like a dark night of the soul. She found herself wondering how she would ever find her way back to faith.And yet, God met her there—through the book of Psalms and through the stories of others, like Davey Blackburn—offering a glimmer of light to guide her toward hope.Now, in Nothing is Wasted’s latest project, Catherine has gathered and edited a collection of stories from past podcast guests, Nothing is Wasted Coaches, and team members. Each story weaves together personal journeys through pain, loss, and trauma with reflections on the Psalms, forming a powerful new devotional—Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy.In this episode, Davey and Catherine look back on their own stories and their shared journey through Nothing is Wasted. Together, they explore how loss reshapes every part of our lives, the often messy wrestle for hope, and why stories are such a vital part of nurturing faith in the valley of pain.If you’ve ever believed that hope simply means “looking on the bright side,” this conversation will remind you that true hope is far more complex—gritty, raw, and worth fighting for. And often, it’s the stories of others that become our most powerful weapon in that fight. Instagram: instagram.com/thecatfitzBook: Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy www.nothingiswasted.com/hopeinthevalleyEvery story shared through Nothing is Wasted becomes part of a living legacy and you can be a part. Join the legacy and give today: www.nothingiswasted.com/legacyofhope Stories matter. They inspire, uplift, and remind us we’re not alone in our pain. Hope in the Valley: 42 Days of Healing Through the Psalms After Loss, Grief, and Tragedy is a new devotional featuring real stories from the Nothing Is Wasted community—offering strength, comfort, and hope in life’s hardest moments. Order your copy today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/hopeinthevalley 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 Please donate today at MercyShips.org/podcast Visit www.OmahaSteaks.com for 50% off sitewide during their Sizzle All the Way Sale. And for an extra $35 off, usepromo code FUN at checkout. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices