Through the Lens Holly Colonna & Kristin Hernandez

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 entire book writing process- from the idea for the book, to challenges and discoveries made while writing it, to where Kristin hopes things will go from here.
If you, or someone you're close to, has walked through infertility, miscarriages, and/or the loss of an infant, you'll want to keep a copy of this powerful memoir about death, doubt, and hope; you'll also want to tune into today's episode to discover more about Kristin's heart for the book, and stay for a fun book-themed lightening round to close things out!
Get Sunlight in December here
Connect with Through the Lens Podcast here

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 is to simply encourage you by sharing our own experiences, and even more so, by sharing Biblical wisdom to consider as you assess whether counseling would be a helpful next step for you.

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 between fitness + grief, what types of fitness formats are recommended for the griever, and what about when you’re just not motivated?
How about you - are you using movement as a healthy outlet to support your grief journey? For many of us, starting on an exercise regimen after loss can feel uninspiring at best, daunting at worst. On today’s episode, we’re sharing our personal pre- and post-loss fitness journeys, including how our relationships to fitness have changed in light of our grief. 
We also discuss the physical and mental benefits of exercise for the grieving person and share some simple, practical strategies and mindset tips for getting moving again.

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 from counseling to books and what’s making us happy these days as we continue to lament, hope, and process our suffering through the lens of the Gospel.
In this episode we ask about your counseling experience; email us at throughthelenspodcast@gmail.com or drop us a private message over @throughthelenspodcast on IG.
Books mentioned:
Holding Onto Hope by Nancy Guthrie
Walking Through Fire by Vaneetha Risner
When God Weeps by Joni Eareckson Tada

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 advocates for foster + adoption, and her loss journey includes an ectopic pregnancy, blighted ovum, early and late-term miscarriages, IVF + infertility, and lots and lots of grief, joy, hope, pain, and love. 
Christy is a close personal friend of mine (Holly) and is a worship leader at a local church here in Virginia Beach, VA. While I'd heard her story before, I found myself speechless + humbled all over again Christy's testimony. "Years ago I would have said, 12? No way, I'm not doing this. But-here I am, and we're on the other side, and yes-there's sadness and there's heartbreak-and there's also been a lot of healing and blessings (that don't wipe away the grief)."
Through the Lens Podcast Episode 44: Growing and Grieving with 12x Loss Mama Christy Miller is now available where podcasts are served.
Connect with Christy on Instagram @christyleighmiller
Hear more from Christy and her husband Daniel via their church Trinity
Be sure to connect with us via Facebook or Instagram @throughthelenspodcast. We'd be honored to hear your story.

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 podcast about.
But then again, we're not here to have all the answers to be experts on anything other than sharing in our human experiences of suffering and grief and striving to keep our eyes fixed on heaven, on Jesus, the only one who can redeem and restore. So I hope that's what you'll take away from this conversation starter today-that He alone can redeem, and He has chosen us, His church, to be conduits of His grace and truth. And in order to be effective vessels for Gospel hope, especially in times of suffering and grief when hope is most needed, we must seek to grow in empathy. To move from apathy to empathy.
So here is a brief overview of how I personally have experienced growth in empathy due to my own personal trials, and how I'm pursuing continued growth in empathy as I grow in learning and love for my neighbors who are different from me. Because, as 1 Corinthians 12 says, if one part of the Body suffers, we all suffer.