Best The Empty Chair Endeavor Podcasts (2025)

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“I Will Praise Him in the Storm” (Hannah Sullivan) with Brad and Jill Sullivan, Hannah’s parents 59:29

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12d ago59:29

59:29

On this episode, Brad and Jill Sullivan join me to talk about their sweet daughter Hannah, and their grief journey since losing her to a glioblastoma brain tumor in February 2009 after a year long battle. Hannah loved Jesus, and her faith in Him enabled her to not only endure this battle, but to live each day with purpose to honor Him even as she u…

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262 | The Empty Chair Endeavor (Part Two) with Greg and Cathy Buffkin 46:06

18d ago46:06

46:06

Welcome back to the second half of my conversation with Greg and Cathy Buffkin. In today's episode, the Buffkins speak directly to the grieving parent—especially the one who has lost a child to suicide and is wondering how to take the next breath, let alone the next step. With transparency and tenderness, they offer hard-won wisdom from their own j…

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264 | Blessings for Barrett (Part Two) with Katy Bone 28:58

4d ago28:58

28:58

In this second half of my conversation with Katy Bone, we explore how grief has not only reshaped her life, but also refined her faith and revealed a deeper sense of purpose. Nearly six years after her son Barrett went to heaven, Katy reflects on the ways his short life continues to make an impact. Katy shares how her grief has evolved over time—fr…

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263 | Blessings for Barrett (Part One) with Katy Bone 37:05

11d ago37:05

37:05

In today's episode, I’m joined by my new friend Katy Bone, a wife and mother whose story is marked by both profound loss and enduring hope. In this first part of our conversation, Katy shares the early chapters of her motherhood journey—beginning with the heartbreaking miscarriage of her first son, whom she affectionately nicknamed “Little Bit.” Sh…

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Name Change Announcement 3:37

19d ago3:37

3:37

Send us a text If you find this conversation encouraging or hopeful, we invite you to follow us on your favorite podcast platform so that each new episode will be sent to you automatically. Please rate/review us on Apple Podcasts if you appreciate our podcast. Your feedback matters because it can help us continually improve as well as help others d…

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261 | The Empty Chair Endeavor (Part One) with Greg and Cathy Buffkin 34:36

25d ago34:36

34:36

Greg and Cathy Buffkin join me on the podcast today to share the story of their son Ryan—a funny and tenderhearted young man who brought joy and laughter to everyone around him. As we get to know Ryan through their memories, we also learn about the hidden struggles he carried and the heartbreaking loss they experienced when he died by suicide in th…

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Honoring His Son with David Corvi, Charlie’s Dad 46:18

26d ago46:18

46:18

On this episode, David Corvi and I explore the many facets of how grief after child loss affects men. The impact of such trauma is often overlooked or downplayed with dads, due, in large part, to cultural norms and unrealistic expectations of men in our society. While men and women grieve differently, men do indeed grieve, but the impact is not oft…

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260 | Desperate Prayers (Part Two) with Rachel Wojo 37:07

1M ago37:07

37:07

Rachel Wojo is my guest once again, and today we shift from her story of parenting her daughter Taylor through a terminal illness to the deeper spiritual lessons that followed her death—lessons about grief, surrender, and the hard, holy work of prayer when God’s answer is “no.” Rachel shares the story behind her latest book, Desperate Prayers, and …

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259 | Desperate Prayers (Part One) with Rachel Wojo 31:31

1M ago31:31

31:31

In this first half of our two-part conversation, author and speaker Rachel Wojo shares her journey with her daughter Taylor, who was diagnosed with a rare degenerative condition. Rachel opens up about the challenges and the joys of parenting a special needs child, walking through divorce and disappointment, and holding onto her faith as Taylor's he…

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Finding Hope After Loss, A Young Mom’s Journey with Rachel Maxwell 38:22

1M ago38:22

38:22

Seemingly unpredictable and random, miscarriage loss leaves parents, more especially moms, devastated and brokenhearted. Pregnant yesterday, but suddenly today, no longer. She’s left with countless questions that often have no answers, feelings of guilt that she didn’t do something right, fear that it might happen again, and so much love in her hea…

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258 | Questions About Heaven (Part Two) with Austin DeArmond 41:12

2M ago41:12

41:12

In this second half of our two-part conversation, Austin DeArmond returns to the mic to continue exploring some of the most common myths and misunderstandings people have about heaven—especially those that surface in grief and longing after child loss. Austin brings deep scriptural knowledge and a tender heart shaped by personal experience as a ber…

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257 | Questions About Heaven (Part One) with Austin DeArmond 38:05

2M ago38:05

38:05

My friend, Austin DeArmond, returns to the podcast today to explore some of the most common myths and misconceptions people have about Heaven. As a bereaved Dad, Bible translation consultant, and faithful follower of Christ, Austin brings both personal insight and biblical depth to this important discussion. We talk about questions many of us have …

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Crushed But Not Broken, with Tracy Dailey, Emma’s Mom 43:20

2M ago43:20

43:20

In this episode, Tracy Dailey and I talk about her journey that began without warning on May 30, 2007. Eight months into her pregnancy and only 24 years old, Tracy was told by her doctor, after performing an ultrasound, that her sweet, precious daughter Emma, had no heartbeat. Everything seemed to slip into slow motion, and denial took over tempora…

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256 | Lamenting in the Waiting ... with Josh and Nicole Kingsbury 43:29

2M ago43:29

43:29

As we continue our conversation from the previous episode, Josh and Nicole Kingsbury open up about how they’ve walked through grief as a couple after the loss of their daughter, Amber, to suicide in 2021. They share the early commitment they made to protect their marriage amidst the pain and the ways they’ve learned to communicate through their dif…

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255 | Wrestling in the Waiting ... with Josh and Nicole Kingsbury 39:50

2M ago39:50

39:50

I recently had the privilege of sitting down with Josh and Nicole Kingsbury as they shared the beautiful and heartbreaking story of their daughter Amber. A vibrant, creative, and compassionate young girl who loved Jesus, Amber touched the lives of everyone around her. Josh and Nicole reflect on her love for art, her deep bond with her brother, and …

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Processing Grief as a Dad With Tommy Henderson, Nick’s Dad 41:44

2M ago41:44

41:44

Critically injured by a hit and run driver on 10/5/23, Tommy’s beautiful 23 year old son Nick died from his injuries on October 21, 2023, a day that would forever change Tommy’s life. Parents shouldn’t have to bury their children. Like other dads, Tommy had dreams of seeing Nick discover his purpose in life, possibly get married and have a family o…

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254 | Sacred Circles with Michael and Peggy Mages 44:50

2M ago44:50

44:50

Welcome to Episode #254, which is a continuation of my conversation with Michael and Peggy Mages. In our last episode, we were introduced to their son Mason—a bold, kindhearted, and faith-filled young man—and the tragic day they lost him in a drowning incident. In this second half, Michael and Peggy open up about life in the aftermath of loss. They…

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253 | An Eternal Hope with Michael and Peggy Mages 51:35

3M ago51:35

51:35

Today, I’m honored to welcome Michael and Peggy Mages to the podcast to share the story of their son, Mason—a deeply thoughtful young man often referred to as an "old soul", who loved everything John Deere and Star Wars, was always prepared with a pair of pliers, and displayed confidence in exactly who God created him to be. In this first half of o…

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Multiple Losses, Unspeakable grief, and Resilient Hope with Betty Ringeisen 59:52

3M ago59:52

59:52

In this episode, pastoral counselor, author, and Bible teacher, Betty Ringeisen, talks with me about a grief/healing journey that began 20 years ago after miscarriage. Tragically, what lay ahead was unthinkable ... over the course of a few more years, Betty and her husband would experience the life altering loss of four (4) other children by miscar…

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252 | See the Good (Part Two) with Brad and Karen Nadolson 42:10

3M ago42:10

42:10

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 learn…

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251 | See the Good (Part One) with Brad and Karen Nadolson 38:57

3M ago38:57

38:57

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 selfle…

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Feeling Isolated and Disconnected with Martha McGeehon, Everly’s Mom 45:49

3M ago45:49

45:49

Have you ever felt utterly alone and helpless when your heart has been shattered and your world turned upside down? Did the people you thought you could count on let you down? After losing her precious, beautiful 4 month old baby daughter Everly, Martha found herself in a battle with grief that severely challenged her faith as a Christian. At a tim…

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250 | Butterflies and Grace (Part Two) with Brian and Danna Mayhall 34:25

3M ago34:25

34:25

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 …

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249 | Butterflies and Grace (Part One) with Brian and Danna Mayhall 41:53

4M ago41:53

41:53

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 e…

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Processing and Navigating Grief as a Dad with Richard Wons, Trinity’s Dad 36:04

4M ago36:04

36:04

“After Trinity died, I was barely functional”, is how Richard described himself after he and his wife Stacey lost their precious daughter shortly after being born. Doctors described it as a “medical mystery”. In a previous episode (12/10/24) Stacey shared about her grief and healing journey as Trinity’s mom, and in this episode Richard and I talk a…

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248 | Jeffrey Is With Jesus (Part Two) ... with Jeannie Williams 32:07

4M ago32:07

32:07

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 wit…

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247 | Jeffrey is With Jesus (Part One) ... with Jeannie Williams 40:23

4M ago40:23

40:23

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 abou…

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Discovering Hope after Brokenness with Rachael Chumney, Jamie’s Mom 41:16

4M ago41:16

41:16

The unspeakable pain and trauma from losing her beautiful 2 year old son Jamie, left Rachael crushed, broken and rudderless. How does a young mom deal with such tragedy alone? Where does she turn to soothe the pain and find comfort? In the aftermath, Rachael’s life began to take some unfortunate twists and turns and she shares how GOD showed up on …

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Bonus 200 | Finale 5:14

4M ago5:14

5:14

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…

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Bonus 199 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 8 ) 4:56

4M ago4:56

4:56

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! …

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Bonus 198 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 7) 4:00

4M ago4:00

4:00

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 wo…

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246 | Nail-Scarred Hands ... with Nanette Klinect 30:55

4M ago30:55

30:55

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 siblin…

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Bonus 197 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 6) 4:34

4M ago4:34

4:34

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 believe…

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Bonus 196 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 5) 4:16

4M ago4:16

4:16

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 y…

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Bonus 195 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 4) 4:50

4M ago4:50

4:50

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 mini…

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Bonus 194 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 3) 6:32

4M ago6:32

6:32

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’…

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Bonus 193 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 2) 4:24

5M ago4:24

4:24

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 …

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Bonus 192 | The Origin of While We're Waiting (Part 1) 3:16

5M ago3:16

3:16

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 indu…

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245 | Fractured and Fragmented ... with Nanette Klinect 44:48

5M ago44:48

44:48

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, a…

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A Mom’s Grief Journey with Heather West, Adalyn and Maelyn’s Mom 42:32

5M ago42:32

42:32

When her eight month old daughter Adalyn died of two congenital medical conditions in May 2017, Heather’s heart was shattered and her life upended with grief. Three short years later, the unimaginable happened when her daughter Maelyn was stillborn in July 2020. How does a parent even begin to comprehend and process such unspeakable trauma? How can…

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Bonus 191 | The Dead in Christ Shall Rise 5:36

5M ago5:36

5:36

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 o…

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Bonus 190 | Celebrating a Life 6:11

5M ago6:11

6:11

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 …

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Bonus 189 | Snow Showers and Sweet Hugs 6:17

5M ago6:17

6:17

As I've been looking back through all the emails passing back and forth between the newspaper, our friends and family, the church staff, etc., that went on in those days immediately following Hannah's homegoing, I'm struck by how "together" I appeared to be. My communication skills were intact and I was generally coherent, but I remember none of it…

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Bonus 188 | From Anger to Peace 5:37

5M ago5:37

5:37

Most families don't have the opportunity to prepare for their child's death the way we did. We had known for a year that Hannah's cancer could be fatal, and even though we prayed earnestly for earthly healing, we knew from the beginning that God may choose to heal her in Heaven. And, of course, we eventually reached the point where we knew her deat…

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244 | Tuesdays Are Never the Same ... with Erik and Susan Totera 38:56

5M ago38:56

38:56

Today's episode is a continuation of my conversation with Erik and Susan Totera about their daughter Reilly, an amazing young woman with a strong entrepreneurial spirit, who went to Heaven a little over two years ago. Today, they share how they are navigating the waves of grief, how their perspectives have shifted, and how they continue to find str…

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Bonus 187 | Safely Home 7:28

5M ago7:28

7:28

I woke with a start sixteen years ago today. I had slept for several hours without interruption, which had not happened in a long time. It scared me, and I immediately jumped up to check on Hannah. She had slept all night, and was still sleeping. She looked different somehow; better, in fact. She was sleeping in a more naturally relaxed position an…

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Bonus 186 | Breathing Peacefully 5:09

5M ago5:09

5:09

The entire time we were at the hospice center had a distinct air of unreality. The fact that we had reached the point where we were re-living the anniversaries of the events which had brought us to this place just added to that sense of illusion. Surely this wasn't happening to our family. Surely this was all some kind of crazy dream. Surely Hannah…

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Bonus 185 | Making Preparations 4:25

5M ago4:25

4:25

It's a very surreal thing to write an obituary for your own child. It's even more surreal when your child is sitting beside you as you write it. After Hannah's doctor confirmed that there was nothing else medically that could be done for her and that unless God intervened in a miraculous way she would be going to Heaven soon, I decided to begin mak…

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Bonus 184 | We Choose #3 3:49

5M ago3:49

3:49

It’s one of the most ancient of all questions, “Why does a good God allow people to suffer in this world? I discuss three options in my email from sixteen years ago today. Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode of the While We're Waiting podcast in this year-long series in which I share our family’s experiences as our teenage daughter H…

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Bonus 183 | Surprise Phone Calls 3:11

5M ago3:11

3:11

On this day sixteen years ago, Hannah received two surprise phone calls, both from well-known musicians who had played a significant role in her life. Each of them spoke words of encouragement and and gave us special memories with Hannah that we will always treasure. Thank you for joining me for another bonus episode of the While We're Waiting podc…