Qualified - Lessons in Loss
Former U.S. Navy podcaster and communications professional Michelle Heaton, now shares her personal story about the loss of her teenage son and her subsequent search to find empathy, insight and counsel for the unique pain she was experiencing. Speaking with other bereaved parents who survived the pain and emerged stronger brought her comfort. She recalls a quote from a pastor years ago, "God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called." Now ten years later, Michelle knows the truth of that statement and is anxious to share the lessons she learned from her loss with other hurting people. In each episode, Michelle interviews incredible people who share their stories of overcoming loss; including death, divorce, illness, aging, loneliness and estrangement, to inspire you and give you hope!
Episodes
After the loss of two children through miscarriage and stillbirth, Bridgett’s hopes were shattered. When a divorce, the death of a family member and other losses followed, she became depressed and began to experience health issues because of her deep grief.
Join me as I talk with Bridgett Dunbar, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and author of the book, Grief, Loss and the Goodness of God, A Path to Healing after...
Have you experienced the painful loss of a friendship breakup? Maybe it was due to a disagreement over a position you hold firmly to. Perhaps it was related to the way you parent your children, your political views, your lifestyle choices, or your religious beliefs. Whatever the cause, friendship breakups are hard.
Join me as I chat with the author of “When Best Friends Aren’t Forever,” Kristen Reed-Belveal. In her ...
What happens when your deepest faith is tested by unimaginable suffering? In this episode, I talk with David Libby, who explains how he and his family contracted Lyme disease. He shares the emotional and physical toll of watching his wife and daughters endure excruciating pain, while he himself became their primary caregiver despite his own illness.
A self-taught student of theology, well-versed Christian apologist a...
Laura endured the adversity trifecta- cancer, infidelity, and divorce. Listen in as she opens up about her bi-lateral breast cancer diagnosis, ravaging chemotherapy, congestive heart failure, a heart transplant, and coping with infidelity and divorce after 27 years of marriage.
Through it all, she not only regained her strength and recovered physically but she emerged stronger and more determined to help others.
How are you going to feel when your child leaves for college? Have you given it any thought in advance and how prepared are you to face an empty nest?
In this episode I talk with Stacy Kaye, an award-winning journalist and source of encouragement for those facing the silence of an empty nest. Listen in and be inspired as we explore the depth of parental love, the pain that comes with letting go, and the ne...
The loss of a dog, a cat, a horse, a bird, any pet can cause us to experience grief. The animals we share our homes and lives with are part of our families and when they are no longer there it can create a significant and painful void.
Listen in as I interview Rachel Shirley, a compelling author and certified coach committed to guiding individuals through life's profound moments, including the impact...
When Katherine and her husband learned of their baby’s fatal fetal diagnosis, they knew they had some hard decisions to make. Since their child had no kidneys he would most likely die in utero or shortly after birth, so doctors recommended termination of the pregnancy.
Listen in as Katherine shares her story about carrying a baby she knew she could not keep and making a choice to stay true to her convictions.
<...
When doctors diagnosed her father with mild cognitive disorder, a form of dementia that would likely progress to Alzheimer’s, Joycelyn was in denial. It was difficult to watch the decline of her superhero dad and she began to grieve the loss of the man he once was.
Her personal story will resonate with anyone who has walked alongside a loved one with cognitive decline and has experienced anticipatory grief. Listen i...
Born with a severe cleft palate, Sue faced ridicule and harassment on daily basis due to the way she looked. In addition to having to endure multiple surgeries and physical pain, she would also be traumatized by her parent's divorce and an abusive encounter in college that resulted in rape.
Today, Sue Corl is an international women’s conference speaker, author, mentor, Bible teacher, missionary, founder...
At the age of 13, Katherine made the choice to exclude her father from her life. By going no contact with him, she hoped to rid herself of his toxic behavior and safeguard her own mental health.
Listen in to our conversation as Katherine shares about her emotional journey of stepping away from her father for 13 years and the impact it had on her adult life. She also discusses the liberating force of forgiveness and i...
While away from home on a business trip, Anne-Marie was informed that her husband suffered a brain aneurysm and died in their bedroom. Nothing could have prepared her for the pain and grief she was about to experience and no one seemed equipped to come alongside her emotionally.
Listen in to this inspirational story of how one widow was determined to use her experience to help other grievers -ultimately beco...
Raising twin daughters with severe intellectual disabilities and autism, working full time and becoming an advocate for people with disabilities would keep Clay busy and challenged over the years. But when his wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, he began to wonder why his family had been singled out for so much adversity in this life.
Listen in and hear how Clay Boatright eventually found purpose in adve...
When a social media post informed her about a fatal shark attack at the very time and place her husband was surfing that day, Katie instinctively knew her worst fear had been realized. Now widowed at the age of 27, her life had been shattered into a million pieces launching her into the unknown, unwanted journey of grief.
Listen in as I talk with Katie Kelly- an incredibly strong and resilient woman, and th...
Ten years after losing her mom to cancer, Ceci was still healing but feeling stronger, restored and more grounded. Then the news came that her father was ill and ultimately died in the hospital during the pandemic. By age 30, she had lost both parents and was struggling with PTSD, suicidal ideation and a variety of somatic issues stemming from her intense grief.
Listen in to this honest and inspiration...
Growing up in an alcoholic and abusive home made every day difficult for Suzy. She endured painful emotional and physical abuse and failed to receive the nurturing and parental guidance that is so critical to a child’s healthy development. But even after being raped at a very young age, and living in a home devoid of love, Suzy’s greatest loss would be the death of her younger brother, Bart, who died tragically by s...
Following two miscarriages, Darrell and his wife were thrilled to learn that they would finally become parents. As they arrived at the hospital prepared to experience their greatest joy, they also received devasting news that would trigger a mix of emotions they were completely unprepared for.
Listen in on my conversation with Darrell Williams, former white house communications director to the vice preside...
During a family vacation in Colorado, Tara's 13-year-old daughter Taylor died suddenly when she struck a tree while skiing. Still in shock, Tara and her husband were asked a question no parents ever think they will hear: "Would you be willing to donate Taylor's organs?"
In our conversation, Tara opens up about the difficult journey of grief and how Taylor's passing impacted her fam...
When her husband passed away suddenly, Debbie was widowed without warning at the age of 35 with 4 young boys. In our discussion, she weaves through the terror of losing Aaron, the heartbreak of explaining the tragedy to her four young boys, and the struggle to keep her faith amidst the darkest storm she'd ever faced.
Debbie's story isn't just about loss and grief, it's one of resilience...
Just before Thanksgiving in 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic, a loving wife and mother of three would discover that her 17-year-old daughter had taken her own life.
In an incredibly touching conversation with author K. L .Gilchrist, we walk through her journey of sudden bereavement. Gilchrist paints a poignant picture of the initial shock and grief that accompanied her daughter's untimely passing...
What if I told you that you could transform your mental health through the power of daily text messages? Join me for a powerful conversation with my guest, Johnny Crowder, a suicide and abuse survivor who has turned his pain into purpose by creating Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that's now supporting users in nearly 100 countries across the globe.
Johnny shares his journey through depre...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.