The Nothing Is Wasted Podcast

After a lifetime of trauma and hardship, healing and wholeness can seem unattainable. Every new trial feels like a step in the wrong direction, and eventually we look up and the life we want to live seems impossibly far away. This is where Kristi Blackburn’s story begins. She’s walked through more trials than anyone should have to face: an abusive father left her fearing for her life and the lives of her family. A physical assault in a foreign country left her injured and anxious. A failed marriage left her a single mother with seemingly no hope of a “normal” home life. No one would want to walk through any one of these, but Kristi has faced all of them and more. For this special 100th episode of the Nothing Is Wasted Podcast, Kristi sits down with Davey to share her incredible story of how God has walked with her through countless hardships and brought healing in ways she never would have expected. Follow Kristi on Instagram Visit Nothing Is Wasted Purchase the Pain to Purpose Video Course Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just about every pastor has preached at least a few sermons on how to go through trials. They can have all the right scriptures, all the best theology, all the best words to encourage and inspire the people they’ve been entrusted with. But what happens when a trial hits the pastor’s life? That’s what Mark Vroegop found himself asking when he and his wife lost their unborn daughter just weeks before she would have been born. As further medical complications made the aftermath of this tragedy even more difficult to navigate, Mark and his wife found themselves in a place where everything they believed was tested. And in that season they learned a deeper way to relate to God. They learned to lament. Mark sits down with Davey to talk about what he’s learned about walking through suffering and how we can develop a deeper relationship with God by trusting him with our pain. Visit Mark's Website Check out College Park's Website Buy Mark's Book Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seemed like everything was right in Rebekah Lyons’ world. Her young family had recently moved to New York, and she started to pursue her passions — it seemed like Rebekah was living a great life. But anxiety was lurking just below the surface, waiting to change all that. After her first panic attack left her lying on the floor of an airplane, Rebekah found herself living at the whims of anxiety and depression. But she found freedom from it, and now she wants to help others do the same. As a national speaker and bestselling author, Rebekah has made it her mission to help people find the same freedom and purpose that she has. Rebekah sits down with Davey to talk about her story, her newest book Rhythms of Renewal, and how we can structure our lives to find freedom from anxiety. Visit Rebekah's Website Buy Rhythms of Renewal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At age nine, John O’Leary’s world was very literally set on fire. Childish curiosity got the best of him, and playing with a gas can left him with burns over his entire body and an incredibly slim chance for survival. But when John came out of the hospital, this literal inferno had stirred up a metaphorical fire inside him. John now makes it his mission to help and inspire others by sharing his story and teaching people how to ignite the same “fire” that still burns in his soul. John sits down with Davey to share his story and what he’s learned through it. Visit John's Website Buy John's Book On Fire Buy John's Book In Awe Check out John's Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Terry Wardle’s upbringing was not an easy one. Growing up impoverished in rural America, young Terry watched his family struggle through an unbelievable amount of disfunction. Crime, violence, and death became staples of his life, and this exposure to things that no young child should see made a lasting impact. Years later, all these hurts bubbled up to the surface. Terry had a successful ministry, but the unresolved pain in his life had left him in a dark place. It was only when he began to intentionally confront this years-old hurt that Terry began to find healing. Terry sits down with Davey to share some of his story and how he’s teaching others how to heal well from old wounds. Follow Terry on Facebook Check out Terry's podcast Buy Some Kind of Crazy Visit terrywardle.com Visit healingcare.org Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It seemed like an evening like any other for Karen Millsap. She picked up her kids from her husband’s CrossFit gym in the evening and headed home to do some work. But a single phone call was all it would take to shatter the illusion of normalcy forever. Amid the chaos on the other end of the phone, Karen was able to make out just one word. “Shot.” By the time she got there it was too late, and Karen found herself widowed at only 29 years old. Karen sits down with Davey to talk about the things she’s learned from grief and how she’s using her story to help others who find themselves in the same situation. Check out Karen's website Follow Karen on Instragram Buy Man's Search for Meaning Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Debra Moerke’s story is one that is almost hard to process. It’s a story of immense tragedy and hardship, but also one of incredible grace and forgiveness. Being a foster parent couldn’t have seemed easy, but when Debra agreed to take in a group of siblings from an abusive home, she could never have foreseen the amount of pain that she was about to step into. But out of that pain, God taught Debra an incredible lesson in forgiveness, and now in her book Murder, Motherhood, and Miraculous Grace, Debra shares that lesson. She sits down with Davey to talk about this story and what God has taught her through it all. Visit Debra's Website Buy Debra's Book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Sarah Forgrave was only four years old, her older sister was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. The doctors said her chances of survival were slim. This worst case scenario became “normal” for Sarah as she spent some of her most formative years watching her sister’s four-year battle with cancer. Having walked through this trial, Sarah found herself unknowingly prepared for more to come, and as an adult she would watch her loved ones face more medical trauma and eventually go through it herself. Through all the valleys she’s watched and walked through, Sarah found her purpose. She sits down with Davey to share how she found the power in stories and how she’s using hers to help others. Visit Sarah's Website Buy Prayers of Hope for Caregivers Buy Prayers for Hope and Healing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When Kevan Chandler was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disease as a small child, it would have seemed that his life would have limits. How could it not be when he would never even take a single step? But Kevan chose not to let his disability define him. With the help of his friends, Kevan has traveled without a wheelchair across Europe and China, written a book called We Carry Kevan, and founded a nonprofit to improve accessibility all over the world. Kevan joins Davey to talk about how his disability has impacted his life and his faith, and how he’s taken what he’s learned beyond himself to make an impact on the world. Check Out Kevan's Website Buy Kevan's Book Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We often think of our perfect life as being very peaceful. We want everything to be neat and tidy, and any chaos or messes are obstacles to be eliminated. But when an encounter with a homeless man changed her life forever, Ginger Spouse began to wonder if the best that God has for us isn’t a perfectly clean life, but one where we embrace the messiness that He brings us. Ginger sits down with Davey to share what God did through her willingness to invite chaos into her life, and what that means for each of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices