While We're Waiting® - Hope After Child Loss

In Part Two of this powerful conversation, Brad and Karen Nadolson continue sharing the story of their daughter Bethany—this time focusing on how life has unfolded in the wake of her homegoing.

With honesty and grace, they talk about walking through the earliest days of grief, how their relationship with God has deepened, and the ways they've learned to honor Bethany’s life while continuing to live with purpose and hope. They s...

In this first part of a two-part conversation, Brad and Karen Nadolson share the story of their daughter Bethany—a vibrant, faith-filled young woman whose life was defined by compassion, courage, and an unwavering desire to serve others.

Listeners will get to know Bethany through her parents’ eyes—from her love of travel and missions, to her selfless work with children in Haiti, to her brave fight with cancer. Through every chapter ...

Welcome to Episode #250, which is a continuation of my conversation with Brian and Danna Mayhall.  Their daughter Amelia went to Heaven in July of 2013 after sustaining a devastating brain injury due to a woman’s deliberate decision to drive the wrong way down the freeway. In last week’s episode, we came to know Amelia’s beautiful and compassionate spirit and the painful circumstances surrounding her death.  

Today, we continue that...

I was honored to sit down with Brian and Danna Mayhall recently, who joined me to share the story of their daughter, Amelia—a young woman whose life was characterized by kindness and compassion.   

Amelia sustained a devastating injury after a woman made a deliberate choice to drive the wrong way down the freeway and crashed into her car.  In today’s episode, you’ll hear about the months Amelia lived beyond the crash, the tender lov...

Last week I introduced you to my friend Jeannie Williams, and we heard the story of her precocious and compassionate 11-year-old son Jeffrey, who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in a hotel room in 2013, an incident that left her with permanent after-effects as well.  

In today's episode, Jeannie shares how grief has impacted her relationships with others, the challenges of finding a new identity after child loss, and the ad...

Today, I have the privilege of introducing you to Jeannie Williams, a mother, wife, and "retired" homeschool teacher, whose life took an unimaginable turn in June of 2013.  

Jeannie will share the story of her son, Jeffrey—his kind heart, his love for reading and Lego (with no “S”), and the joy he brought to those around him. She’ll also open up about the tragedy that took place in a hotel room one summer night and the jou...

Thank you for joining me for the final bonus episode in this series in which I’ve been sharing our family’s experiences in the last year of our daughter Hannah’s life, which spanned from February 2008 through February 2009.  I’ll be completing the series today with a wrap-up about the ministry which developed out of Hannah’s homegoing.   As always, my desire is to give glory to God and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way...

A friend of ours got us connected with an architect who donated his time and drew up a plan for our dream retreat center.  The facility would incorporate the existing house, adding a large dining room, a commercial kitchen, and ten private guest rooms, each with its own bathroom.  No more bunk beds with creaky plastic mattresses or shared bathrooms!  This gentleman created a beautiful concept drawing and presented it to us one snow...

For three years, we had wonderful bereaved-parent retreats at Family Farm.  As awareness began to grow about the ministry via word-of-mouth, internet searches, and our Facebook presence, our waiting lists also began to grow.  Even with adding more retreat dates at other locations, we could no longer keep up with the demand for these events.

And as wonderful as Family Farm is, it was not an ideal location for the types of r...

Last week, we heard the story of Nanette's beautiful daughter Katie’s life and the day everything changed for their family. Today, we continue our conversation, diving into what life has been like in the years since that time. Nanette shares the scriptures that became her anchor, the importance of sound theology, the challenges of navigating sibling grief, and how she's learned to trust the nail-scarred hands. If you’re w...

That first bereaved-parent retreat in April of 2011 turned out to be above and beyond all we could have ever asked or imagined.  We knew from our experience at the Respite Retreat what God could do when a group of like-minded bereaved parents got together ... but this first While We're Waiting Weekend was such a sweet confirmation of what we believed God was calling us to do.

Buoyed by the success of this first event,...

Over the next few months, we met frequently to discuss plans and pray about our upcoming retreat for bereaved parents.  Several times we drove out to Family Farm and included Stan and Donna May in our planning meetings.

Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode in this series in which I’ve been sharing our family’s experiences in the last year of our daughter Hannah’s life, which spanned from February 2008 through February ...

Brad and I returned home from the Respite Retreat still basking in the glow of the new relationships we'd formed, the things we'd learned from spending time with other bereaved parents, and a renewed hope that it was still possible to have joy in life in spite of our great loss. 

We had a strong sense that God was calling us into a similar type ministry for those who had lost children, but we had no idea how to m...

Even though I didn't really want to go, and this thing was way outside my comfort zone, Brad and I signed up for the Respite Retreat scheduled for Labor Day Weekend in September of 2010.  We couldn't have known at the time what a profound impact it would have on our lives.  

Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode in this series in which I’ve been sharing our family’s experiences in the last year of our daughter...

During the final days of Hannah's life, many people dropped by the hospice center and left books, gifts, food, and other items for our family.  These kindnesses were so greatly appreciated.

Most of these gifts were accompanied by a card indicating who had given them.  But one gift, a book called "Holding On To Hope" by Nancy Guthrie, was accompanied by a card signed only with the initials "plc".  T...

Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode in this series in which I’ve been sharing our family’s experiences in the last year of our daughter Hannah’s life, which spanned from February 2008 through February 2009.  This series would not be complete without a discussion of the ministry which developed out of Hannah’s homegoing.  If you’ll indulge me for a few more bonus episodes, I’d like to share how God used Hannah’s storm...

Today’s episode features a conversation with my friend Nanette Klinect.  We discuss the beautiful and miraculous story of her daughter Katie’s adoption, the tragic accident that changed everything, and the hard and holy privilege she had to walk her home to Heaven. With honesty, faith, and even a touch of humor, Nanette reflects on grief, healing, and the ways she continues to see God's hand at work in her story.  Lean in and ...

There never really was any question where Hannah's body would be buried.  There's a beautiful cemetery in Briggsville, Arkansas, where the Sullivan family farm is located.   Hannah spent many happy days at the farm ... hunting, riding 4-wheelers, and just hanging out with her cousins. Occasionally, we would stop at that cemetery and visit the graves of her great grandparents and other relatives. She always loved to walk a...

Hannah's life was celebrated at First Baptist Church in Hot Springs on this date sixteen years ago.   We had two goals for the service -- to honor Hannah's life and to point people to Jesus.

I remember stepping into the church building feeling so very raw and exposed.  Even though Hannah's death was not a surprise, it was a shock, and I was very much still reeling from effects of that shock.  Walking down that long ai...