Sitting with Grief as a Companion (Clarissa Moll)

In this episode, I sit with Beth Allen Slevcove, Author of Broken Hallelujahs: Learning to Grieve the Big and Small Losses of Life.

Beth says, “We have this pressure to not give our grief the amount of time, attention, and space and help...that leads to moving through/metabolizing [grief]. That [the grief] will turn into something useful and helpful. More compassionate, more understanding. Give us a deeper ability to love and see the beauty in life. This is what can naturally happen if we give it space and help that it needs.”

Episode resources (affiliate):
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith
Broken Hallelujahs: Learning to Grieve the Big and Small Losses of Life by Beth Allen Slevcove

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

In this episode, I sit with Mel Lawrenz, Author of A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss


Mel says, “Survival means to live through…Surviving is a positive thing. It’s God-honoring to say life goes on and I’m gonna go on. If someone thinks, well you can certainly do better than surviving…Well yeah, eventually. You can thrive. There comes a day when you can have a smile on your face when you remember your loved one, when you can get back to some things that have been more normal in life. But if where you’re at right now, is just making through, just surviving, there’s nothing shameful about that. That is God-honoring."

Mel Lawrenz trains an international network of Christian leaders, ministry pioneers, and thought-leaders. He has a Ph.D. in the history of Christian thought (Marquette University) and has been on the adjunct faculty of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Trinity International University. He served as senior pastor of Elmbrook Church in Brookfield, Wisconsin for ten years and now serves as Elmbrook’s minister at large, teaching in North America, Asia, Africa, and Latin America. He has authored 18 books with Zondervan, Baker, Jossey-Bass, Leadership Network, Regal, and others.

Episode resources (affiliate):
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith
A Chronicle of Grief: Finding Life After Traumatic Loss by Mel Lawrenz

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

In this episode, I sit with my new friend Rachel Lohman, Author of Miscarried Hope: Journeying with Jesus through Pregnancy and Infant Loss.

Rachel says, “One thing we lose sight of so often is we know what comes after Good Friday, we know what comes after Saturday and we love to skip past that…thank goodness for the hope we find in resurrection Sunday. But when I stepped back and looked at all of these emotions that they [the disciples] walked through in a fairly short period of time. I thought, this is so similar to the emotional experience of a Loss Mom.”

Rachel Lohman holds a Master's Degree in Theology and Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary. She is a mom, pastor, speaker, and founder of Hope Again Collective, a handmade jewelry line that shares the stories of loss moms. She and her husband Mark currently lead a bilingual church in Southern California. For speaking inquiries or to connect with Rachel, visit rachellohman.com.

Episode resources (affiliate):
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith
Miscarried Hope: Journeying with Jesus through Pregnancy and Infant Loss

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

Terra McDaniel talks about lament as an antidote to despair and hopelessness. She says, “Lament doesn’t mean getting stuck in grief…[instead] it is the freedom to express all kinds of pain related to all kinds of losses and to invite the presence of God into them.”

In this episode, I sit with Terra McDaniel, Author of Hopeful Lament: Tending Our Grief Through Spiritual Practices to chat about Sitting with Hopeful Lament in Grief.

Terra is a spiritual director and teacher who loves making space for people of all ages to tune into the holy and their own souls. She believes that being created in God’s image is the truest thing about each of us. She received an MDiv with a concentration in spiritual formation from Portland Seminary. Terra lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and two rescue dogs. She’s very thankful her daughter, son-in-law, and twin grandchildren live close by.

Episode resources (affiliate):
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith
Hopeful Lament: Tending Our Grief Through Spiritual Practices by Terra McDaniel

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

“Yes, I fully believe God is good and is with us at every step, but also, that doesn’t guarantee outcomes…so yeah. That is not an easy tidbit to accept”, writes Katie Schnack.

In this episode, I sit with Katie Schnack, Author of Everything Is (NOT) Fine to chat about Sitting with Hard Feelings When Everything is Not Fine.

Katie Schnack is a writer who has been featured in outlets like Romper, HelloGiggles, ScaryMommy, XOJane, TODAY Parents - NBC, Relevant Magazine and more. Her next book -- which has nothing to do with waitressing, Palm Beach, or socialites, but should also give you a few laughs. For more information please visit katieschnack.com or connect with her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/katieschnack/ and Facebook at www.facebook.com/katieschnackwriter.

Episode resources (affiliate):
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith


Everything is (Not) Fine: Finding Strength When Life Gets Annoyingly Difficult by Katie Schnack

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

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Podcast co-producer: Emma Fillinger

“I think the question I really wanted answered at the beginning was the why questions…then prayer partners, friends, and ministers helped me to see that the more important questions are the who and the how…who is God to me and who am I going to become as a result of this thing that I’m going through”, says Liuan Huska.

Liuan Huska is a freelance writer and speaker focusing on topics of embodiment and spirituality. Her writing, on everything from chronic pain to evangelical fertility trends, appears in Christianity Today, The Christian Century, In Touch Magazine, Hyphen, Sojourners, and Church Health Reader. She lives with her husband and their three little boys in the Chicago area.

Episode resources:
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith

Hurting Yet Whole: Reconciling Body and Spirit in Chronic Pain and Illness by Liuan Huska

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com
Also, be sure to share, rate and review the podcast on apple podcast or wherever you stream.
Thanks so much for sitting with me.

“Grief is not a strength-building exercise.” Clarissa writes.

Clarissa Moll is an author, a podcaster, and the young widow of author Rob Moll. Clarissa’s writing has appeared in Christianity Today, The Gospel Coalition, RELEVANT, Modern Loss, Grief Digest, and more. Her husband’s first book, The Art of Dying, was released in April 2021 with Clarissa’s new afterword. Clarissa is the author of Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving after Loss.

Episode resources:
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith

Beyond the Darkness: A Gentle Guide for Living with Grief and Thriving after Loss by Clarissa Moll

The Art of Dying: Living Fully into the Life to Come by Rob Moll

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

When we are suffering it helps to know we are not the only one.

Wendy Alsup is an author who encourages women to engage theology for themselves. She is the author of several books including Practical Theology for Women, The Gospel-Centered Woman, and By His Wounds You Are Healed. She also teaches math at a local community college and is editor at theologyforwomen.org. She lives in Saint Matthews, South Carolina, with her two sons.

Episode resources:
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith

Companions in Suffering: Comfort for Times of Loss and Loneliness by Wendy Alsup

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

“If we follow Jesus, we will experience pain.” Paul writes.

Paul Borthwick (DMin, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) is senior consultant for Development Associates International and previously taught global Christianity at Gordon College for thirty years.

Through his speaking, writing, and resource ministry, Borthwick works to mobilize others to participate in world missions. Borthwick is an active speaker and teacher, having taught courses at Gordon College, Africa International University (Nairobi), Alliance Theological Seminary (Manila), and Lanka Bible College (Sri Lanka), plus a guest faculty position at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. Previously he served for more than twenty years on the staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts, first as youth pastor and then as minister of missions.

Borthwick is the author of Western Christians in Global Mission; Six Dangerous Questions to Transform Your View of the World; Great Commission, Great Compassion; and The Fellowship of the Suffering. He and his wife, Christie, have been married since 1979 and they live in Lexington, Massachusetts, when not traveling internationally.

Episode resources:
Can You Just Sit With Me: Healthy Grieving for the Losses of Life by Natasha Smith

The Fellowship of Suffering: How Hardship Shapes Us for Ministry and Mission by Paul Borthwick

Find more resources for navigating loss and grief at Natasha’s website: imnatashasmith.com

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so I wanted to chat about a hard yet an often-overlooked topic.

In this episode, I sit with my friend Author Jennifer (Jen) Thompson to chat about navigating a loss by suicide.

Jen says, “I feel very passionate about talking about suicide because there are some people that are suffering in silence and so many people who are struggling with their mental health. And we need to be able to have the conversations and hopefully the more we have the conversations lives can be saved.

Jen’s essays can be found in the new book, So God Made a Mother: https://amzn.to/3KUACbs

Connect with Jen: Website: https://trulyyoursjen.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trulyyoursjen
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trulyyoursjen/



**Get my free mini devotional “You’re Not Losing It, Life is Hard”: http://eepurl.com/bCTWML Pre-order my forthcoming book “Can You Just Sit with Me”: https://amzn.to/3MMxLE7