If God is good, why is there so much suffering in the world? If God is good, why did my babies die? Today we're chatting all things Sunlight in December: A Mother's Story of Finding the Goodness of God in the Storm of Grief with our very own Kristin Hernandez. It's been one month since the book launch, and we're having a conversation about the enti…

How should we approach counseling as believers? What does the Bible say about counseling and how can we find a counselor that is a good fit? In today's episode, we're sharing our personal experiences with counseling, exploring ways to find a counselor who is a good fit, and providing Biblical encouragement to consider when seeking support. Our hope…

Episode 46 of Through the Lens Podcast is here and today we’re chatting all things exercise + fitness! But don’t shut this off just yet if you’re not much of a fitness enthusiast - we promise there will be some helpful tips in here that we think anyone in grief will find interesting. In this episode on Moving Through Grief, we share the connection …

We’re baaaack!! Hey Through the Lens friends, we definitely went radio silent there for a bit but we are back on the airwaves and kicking things off with a conversation about Grief These Days. Tune in as Kristin and Holly discuss what our grief looks like these days in this pandemic season and 6 years out from the losses of our sons. Everything fro…

12 losses. That's what mama Christy Miller has lived and learned through, and today we get to hear her story of growing and grieving, clinging to Christ, the hope of heaven, and the joy + peace on THIS side of eternity that can only be provided by way of the Holy Spirit. Christy has 4 living children, with one on the way. She and her husband are ad…

Holly here-I've had empathy on the mind lately. There's been a lot of horrible things happening in the world lately, in America right now. Between COVID and the brutal killings of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd in past few weeks...these are some very big events that, while I am learning, and I fear I don't know enough to effectively speak on a podc…

Today we get the honor of learning from Kim Erickson, author of Surviving Sorrow: A Mother’s Guide to Living With Loss. Kim began following Christ in 2008 after the death of her 3 year old son. She is a lawyer, she lives in Florida with her husband Devin and her son Ethan. As I (Holly) read through Kim’s book in preparation for this episode, someth…

One of the things that has been the most encouraging to us in our grief has been connecting with others who "get it". People who can link their arms around us, cry with us, pray with us, point us to the truth, all while nodding their heads along with us and saying “me too”. Our grieving experiences have been greatly impacted by so many books, blogs…

By Kristin Hernandez & Holly Colonna

Twinkling lights, familiar carols, and family gatherings can make the void feel that much deeper when you're missing someone special. Christmastime can feel bittersweet and even downright painful when there is an empty stocking on the mantle or an unfilled seat at the table. For anyone who’s grieving, this can be a particularly difficult time of ye…

As we continue the conversation on hope in the hospital, we’re joined by our friend Tanisha Garnier of Namesake Ink. Tanisha shares her story of hope in the hospital, including the pain of infertility, the loss of her precious son Xavier at 21-weeks gestation, and the miraculous life of her daughter Ezra, who spent the first 3.5 months of her life …

The hospital is a place of new beginnings and heartbreaking endings. It is simultaneously full of the hope of birth and new life, and the sorrow of death and earthly loss. As loss mamas, memories of the hospital evoke emotional pain and even PTSD, and in other ways these memories can be quite comforting. I guess you could say our emotions surroundi…

This month we're continuing to address loss upon loss, sorrow upon sorrow. Rather than a life of comfort, Jesus promised us that His children would face heartache in this world. Even if we never walk through two identical losses, it is likely that the trials of this life are not all behind us and will result in the loss of something--perhaps our he…

When we’ve walked through a traumatic event such as the loss of a child, it is easy to feel like we “paid our dues”. It seems as if we’ve had more than our fair share of suffering and things can only get better from here. But what about when things don’t seem to get better? How can we reconcile the goodness of God when the worst happens again and i…

“I don’t care, as long as they’re healthy!” Chances are, you’ve heard this phrase spoken by or to a pregnant woman. You’ve likely said it yourself a few times. We’re right there with you and have uttered these words more times than we can count. It wasn’t until our firstborn sons came into the world, both with conditions deemed incredibly “unhealth…

While Mother’s Day is a day of celebration for many, we know it can be bittersweet for our sisters who have lost children, have lost mothers, have strained relationships with their mothers or their children, are walking through infertility, or are walking through a variety of challenges unique to their motherhood. As we come out of Mother’s Day wee…

In today’s episode, Holly sits down to chat with our friend Kristin Ironside about the difficult journey of carrying a baby who isn’t expected to live outside the womb. Kristin shares the grief that came with her daughter’s diagnosis, as well as the ways God has revealed Himself to her and given her strength in the midst of the heartache. She expla…

Pregnancy is arguably one of the most exciting times in a mother’s life. But for some, it can also be one of the most painful and challenging seasons--especially for a mother carrying a baby with a terminal diagnosis. We often talk about the grief that follows the loss of a child, but today we’re talking about the complicated mixture of grief and e…

No matter how painful or broken they may seem, our stories can be used by God as an avenue for sharing the gospel and speaking truth to a hurting world. In sharing our stories--whether with groups or new friends over coffee--we create space for the gospel to be shared, to point others to the hope of heaven, and to continually preach the gospel to o…

In today's episode, Kristin is joined by her husband, Chris, to chat about marriage--specifically the challenge of marriage tested through the fire of grief and loss, loving your spouse well, even when you grieve differently, and the encouragement and admonition we can find in scripture. Chris shares the story of their firstborn son, Ethan, and tal…

In today's episode, Holly sits down to chat with our friend Sarah Showalter about grief, loss, and seasons of waiting. Sarah shares her story of losing her 2-month old son and walking through multiple miscarriages in the season after. She talks about the hope we can cling to when nothing seems to go "right" and the way that God never puts our seaso…

We all have different stories. We come from different backgrounds. We each have different strengths. Comparison in itself isn’t a bad thing. Noticing and celebrating our different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds can be glorifying to God and can even foster unity as the body of Christ. The problem with comparison arises when we measure one a…

We’re back! To kick off the spring season, we’re talking about pregnancy after loss--coping with fears surrounding pregnancy after loss, navigating if and when to “try again”, and even the pain of secondary infertility. We recognize that pregnancy is a delicate topic. We know that talking about pregnancy can be difficult and painful, especially whe…

There was a moment in time when everything changed. We'd imagine so many of you can relate when we say that our lives seem to be split into two major seasons--one before the diagnoses and deaths of our firstborn children and one after. Perhaps your moment was the day the doctor delivered the devastating diagnosis or the day you said goodbye to some…

Today we're joined by our dear friend Rachel George to discuss practical, yet meaningful ways to support a hurting friend. We talk about the importance of stepping into the "mess" without being so quick to clean it up, the value in a good meal, and the way God comforts us so that we may comfort one another. Whether you are deep in the valley of gri…

As we wrap up our 4-part series on prayer and healing, we’re chatting with our friend Brittany Allen about the treasure we have in Christ, even in seasons of loss and waiting. Brittany is a mama to three babies lost through miscarriage. Her hope is to make Christ her ultimate Treasure in every circumstance and encourage other women to do the same. …

As we wrap up Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we're sharing our Facebook Live "Ask us Anything" session with our friend Sarah Rieke of the Heart Lessons Podcast as a podcast episode. Join us as we answer your questions regarding baby loss, including coping with anxiety during pregnancy after loss and navigating conversations with well-me…

In the last two episodes we’ve discussed the miracles of Jesus, culminating with the ultimate miracle of his resurrection. We’ve shared scriptural examples of why we are to pray, and heard a powerful testimony from a mama friend who witnessed God’s miraculous works in her life. But what about when the healing doesn’t come? We serve a God who has th…

Today we’re hearing a personal testimony from our friend, Alex Johnson, At her 18-week anatomy scan, Alex learned that her daughter was missing an essential piece of her brain and would likely fight for her life. As she began to mentally prepare for an unbearable loss, Alex cried out to God for a miracle that would astonish her daughter’s medical t…

In the months following our sons' diagnoses, we often found ourselves on our knees praying for miracle. God, in all his loving kindness, chose to heal our children in the eternal sense rather than a physical one. Perhaps you’ve found yourself there too--perhaps you’ve prayed with such faith and been handed sorrow rather than the celebration you had…

We're back! In today's episode, we simply chat about the things God has been teaching us over the break and share more about Kristin's 10-week hospital stay prior to the birth of her son, Andrew. We get really real about our personal struggles with prayer after losing a child, our fears surrounding pregnancy after loss, the tension of having a heal…

Our friend Caroline Maclaga joins us today to share her story of loss and the important role scripture played following the unexpected stillbirth of her firstborn daughter, Emma, and throughout her pregnancy with her second daughter, Nora. Caroline discusses the ways the Bible makes room for lament and sorrow, while drawing us toward the hope and j…

This episode takes on a different format as Holly announces the birth of Kristin's baby Andrew and recaps Kristin's 10 week journey on hospital bed rest to where she is now, in the NICU with baby Andrew, born at 32 weeks gestation. Holly shares about how she and Kristin have both been leaning into the concept of God's daily bread, and how "just eno…

Burying a child is perhaps one of the most painful and unnatural experiences a person could face. We expect our children to bury us, not the other way around. Yet when we look at the grave through the lens of the gospel, the grave truly has no merit from an eternal standpoint for those who are in Christ. Thanks to Christ--His death and resurrection…

In this week’s episode, Vaneetha Risner joins us to share her story of suffering and sanctification, and the comfort we have in Christ. Vaneetha has been a sort of spiritual mentor to us from afar through her writings, and we cannot wait for you to hear her story. When faced with unimaginable suffering, Vaneetha cried out to God to spare her. In th…

We don't know about you, but we like to be in control. While our hearts yearn to live a life of full surrender to God, this hasn't always been easy. Time and time again we find ourselves desperately clinging to certain areas of our lives, rather than wholly entrusting every detail to an all-powerful God. Yet even in this struggle, we are gently cal…

The hashtag pops up frequently as we scroll through our social media feeds. It’s often found tagged on photos of smiling families, cozy homes, new cars, and exciting life events. #Blessed. The posters behind these photos are indeed blessed. All of those earthly gifts--friendships, comfort, success, provision--are unmerited gifts from God that we do…

We've found such encouragement through the communities around us--our small groups, our churches, our families, and even in online communities just like this. Being in community is arguably the main way that we show Christ’s love to others--in loving others and serving others, people both inside and outside the Kingdom will know that we belong to G…

Loss mama--You are seen. You still matter. You are loved. As we think about our friends, our sisters, our own mothers, and the women in our communities, it is clear that motherhood is beautifully unique for each person. It isn't limited to having living children on earth, or even having carried a baby in your womb. In this beautiful fabric of uniqu…

This week's episode features an interview with Sarah Rieke. Sarah is mama to 5 with 2 in heaven. We know you'll be moved by Sarah's testimony of Christ's sustenance throughout her life and journey of loss. Sarah's writings have been featured on many platforms including Still Standing and Mothering Beyond Expectations. She also has a podcast, the He…

We're tackling one of the most difficult questions we've been faced with. If God is truly sovereign and loving, why do bad things happen? Particularly, where was God when our babies died? We have both been prayerfully planning for this episode for weeks. We know this topic is sensitive and may stir up a wide spectrum of emotions. We also do not exp…

We discuss the ways Christmas has changed for us since losing our sons, share what we struggle with and what brings us joy this time of year, and share listener ideas of practical ways to include the memory of our lost loved ones into our holiday traditions. Whether this time of year fills your heart with excitement, sorrow, or perhaps a little bit…

Life doesn’t often go according to our well-laid plans. How can we find joy and contentment when our lives don’t look how we want them to? In this episode, we discuss ways to find joy and contentment when the Lord calls us into seasons of life that we wouldn't have necessarily chosen. Visit http://www.facebook.com/throughthelenspodcast and Instagra…

People say the darndest things, especially when you’re grieving. In this episode, we talk about the hurtful things well-intentioned people say to the heartbroken and ways to gently educate and lift one another up through our responses. Whether you are hurting or walking alongside someone who is, we invite you to join us as we navigate a minefield o…

In this episode, we, Holly & Kristin, share our stories of suffering, including infertility, miscarriage, and child-loss. We talk about how our view of the Gospel has been shaped and changed as a result of our suffering, and we invite you to join us on social media to share your stories with us. Don't forget to leave us a rating and review to help …

Welcome to the Through the Lens Podcast: Gospel-driven conversations on hope in the heartache, where two child-loss mamas discuss suffering and sanctification. No matter what shape your suffering takes, we invite you to join us in authentic conversation as we navigate through the trials of this life, keeping our eyes fixed on the hope of heaven. Tu…