The Nothing Is Wasted Podcast

How do you trust God in seasons of waiting? How do you testify to His faithfulness when the outcome isn’t what you hoped for? Pastor and author DawnCheré Wilkerson never expected her long journey through infertility to become such a significant part of her story. Yet, as she found herself in an extended season of waiting, God invited her to share honestly about both the pain and the promises she d...

How do you engage with the Word of God when your world is falling apart? What does Scripture offer us in our deepest pain? Pastor and author David Platt has built his life and ministry on the foundation of God’s Word—through his own personal struggles, challenges, and questions. As an adoptive father, David has witnessed firsthand the power of Scripture in guiding him as he shepherds the hearts of...

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 m...

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 l...

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 s...

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...

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...

Warning: This episode discusses domestic violence and may not be suitable for all audiences. What do you do when your life turns into a nightmare? How do you find healing from the deepest hurts imaginable? As a therapist, Kimberly Haar had spent years walking others through darkness and difficulty. But nothing could have prepared her for her own journey through trauma. Years after an amicable divo...

What do you do when you find yourself reacting as a leader? How can the wounds of your past impact who you are becoming? Former pastor turned leadership coach and podcaster Tony Miltenberger began noticing a powerful pattern in his conversations with leaders: the emotional reactions that were surfacing and influencing their leadership were often rooted in unresolved wounds from the past. As he dug...

How can you keep trusting God when you experience the most unimaginable trauma? Where can you find the goodness of God when the pain feels unrelenting? Erin Ketchen grew up in a family deeply rooted in faith. That foundation became essential when her family was thrust into a season of profound suffering. First, her husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer, a journey they had to navigate togeth...

How do you navigate the inevitable storms of life? What does it truly look like to grieve the life you once envisioned? Josh Turner is no stranger to life’s storms. From parenting a daughter with special needs—whose diagnosis didn’t come until she was 12 years old—to enduring a painful betrayal at the church where he served as a pastor, Josh has weathered more than his fair share of hardship. Thro...

How do you hold onto hope when the answers just aren’t coming? What does it look like to keep the faith when it feels like your prayers are going unheard? Olivia (Feller) Gerber’s journey with chronic pain began in high school, when unexplained symptoms started to disrupt her daily life. Despite countless medical tests and doctor visits, she was left without a clear diagnosis—only more questions a...

WARNING: This episode contains mature content related to pornography and may not be suitable for all listeners. How do we begin having the difficult conversations around sexuality and pornography with our children? How can we teach our kids about sexual integrity in a way that fosters honesty and wholeness—without instilling shame? For Greta Eskridge, writing about how to talk to kids about pornog...

How do you move forward after a life marked by trauma and pain? Can looking back be the very thing that helps you discover your purpose in God’s plan? As a young orphan in war-torn Liberia, Jackson TerKeurst could never have imagined the path his life would take. After years in an orphanage surrounded by the devastation of conflict, Jackson was invited to join a group of children on a tour across...

How do you begin to heal after facing every parent’s worst imaginable nightmare — the loss of a child? And how can a marriage withstand, and even grow, through such profound grief? Amber Smith’s life appeared picture-perfect. Married to country music artist Granger Smith, she was a mother to three young children, living what many would consider a dream. But in an instant, that dream shattered. Whi...

How do our words impact the most important relationship in our lives—our marriage? And how can wives, in particular, learn to speak life into their husbands? Ann Wilson, a pastor’s wife, was taken aback during a speaking event when her husband, Dave, candidly shared that he didn’t feel like she was his biggest supporter. The admission was painful, but it became a turning point. Determined to make...

How do you experience God’s empathy in the midst of life’s challenges and struggles? How can you encounter the compassion of Christ in your own pain and sorrow? Drs. Bill and Kristi Gaultiere have devoted their lives to helping others navigate personal pain and discover soul care through their ministry, Soul Shepherding. Yet, it was through their own journeys—Bill’s battle with anxiety and Kristi’...

How do we hold on to hope when life is filled with pain and disappointment? What role can prayer play in our suffering as we learn to cling to hope? Sally Breedlove and Willa Kane became friends through a shared commitment to prayer during a season marked by uncertainty. In 2020, as the world faced the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, they felt led to invite others into daily rhythms of prayer—a...

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...

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 di...

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 grip...

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 proces...

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 s...

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...

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,...