• Bonus 184 | We Choose #3
    Feb 23 2025

    It’s one of the most ancient of all questions, “Why does a good God allow people to suffer in this world? We're left with three options, and my email from sixteen years ago today discusses them.

    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 Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009. My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.


    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    4 mins
  • Bonus 183 | Surprise Phone Calls
    Feb 22 2025

    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 podcast in this year-long series in which I share our family’s experiences as our teenage daughter Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009. My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.


    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    3 mins
  • Bonus 182 | Special Visitors
    Feb 21 2025

    Many people came to visit us when we were in the hospice center, but only a few actually got to see Hannah during that time. She was never one to like a lot of attention even before she got sick, and I knew she would not be comfortable with visitors, especially in her condition. We wanted to protect her dignity as much as possible; therefore, only the people we knew she would really want to see were allowed in. Three of her best friends from elementary school were included in that group.

    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 Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009. My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.




    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    3 mins
  • Bonus 181 | Spudnuts by the Dozen
    Feb 20 2025

    You may recall that on Hannah's last day at Children's Hospital before we moved to hospice, some dear friends brought us a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Hannah ate a couple bites of one, but let us know with her limited communication skills that it wasn't as good as a spudnut. Now, if you're wondering what in the world a "spudnut" is, let me fill you in. In El Dorado, Arkansas, there is a little hole in the wall called the Spudnut Shoppe, where they make the most delicious doughnuts in the world. I am told that they are made with potato flour ... thus the name. That little comment resulted in seven dozen spudnuts have been delivered to the hospice center over the next few days!

    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 Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009. My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.






    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    6 mins
  • 243 | Second Chances: A Story of Love and Loss ... with Erik and Susan Totera
    Feb 19 2025

    Today, I have the privilege of speaking with Erik and Susan Totera, who I met when they attended one of our While We're Waiting Weekends in eastern Tennessee. They join me to share the story of their own personal testimony of second chances, as well as the story of their daughter Reilly ... a remarkable young woman who was blessed with creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit ... and we discuss how their faith is carrying them through her sudden and unexpected death. Their journey is a testament to God's presence in times of deep sorrow and His promise of eternal life, and I believe you'll be blessed by listening in.

    Click HERE to learn more about the Our Hearts Are Home spring conference in Lynchburg, Virginia. Brad and I would love to see you there!


    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    53 mins
  • Bonus 180 | "Either Way, Hannah Wins"
    Feb 19 2025

    I'm not gonna lie ... When we got to the hospice center and found out there was no wifi, I may have freaked out just a little. The emails and messages we received daily from so many wonderful people had become such a part of our lifeline it was hard to imagine being cut off from them. And writing my daily emails was actually playing a role in keeping me sane. Leaving Hannah's side to go to Starbucks for wifi access was just not going to work.

    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 Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009. My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.


    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    5 mins
  • Bonus 179 | Our Hardest Move
    Feb 18 2025

    Brad and I moved a lot during the early years of our marriage ... College, graduate school, first job, second job, etc. Even after the girls were born, we continued to move frequently. Moving is always stressful, yet there's usually excitement involved too ... a new house, new neighborhood, new friends. We were used to moving and all that came along with it. But today we faced an entirely different kind of move ... Moving Hannah from Arkansas Children's Hospital to a hospice center across town.

    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 Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009. My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.



    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    9 mins
  • Bonus 178 | Doughnuts and Decisions
    Feb 17 2025

    This day began with Hannah nibbling a Krispy Kreme doughnut and ended with us making decisions about how we wanted to spend our final days with her.

    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 Hannah battled glioblastoma brain cancer from February 2008 through February 2009. My desire is to process through the events of those twelve months with the perspective that 16 years has brought … and point listeners to hope in Jesus along the way.



    I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. Click here to send me a message!


    ** IMPORTANT** - All views expressed by guests on this podcast are theirs alone, and may not represent the Statement of Faith and Statement of Beliefs of the While We're Waiting ministry.

    We'd love for you to connect with us here at While We're Waiting!

    Click HERE to visit our website and learn about our free While We're Waiting Weekends for bereaved parents

    Click HERE to learn more about our network of While We're Waiting support groups all across the country.

    Click HERE to subscribe to our YouTube channel

    Click HERE to follow our public Facebook page

    Click HERE to follow us on Instagram

    Click HERE to follow us on Twitter

    Click HERE to make a tax-deductible donation to the While We're Waiting ministry

    Contact Jill by email at: jill@whilewerewaiting.org

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    8 mins