This is such a special episode. Not only has Curtis' mother Ellen been through her own fair share of grief and pain, but she joins us today to talk about what it's been like to be the mother of a grieving son, and to be so close to all that has happened to Curtis, Michal, the kids, and now Crystal and her kids. This episode is packed full of faithful wisdom from a life of pursuing God. You can see why Grandma C is so popular with everyone who meets her! Join us to hear even more nuance and insights about Curtis' life and the ups and downs of the past few years. --- DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together". CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 5:56 Grandma's cancer 12:11 Grandpa's testimony 13:23 Ellen's testimony 15:13 Musical ministry opportunity 18:44 Uncle Dan 24:17 Curtis' father after Vietnam 28:39 Leaving a rough family situation 33:46 Never remarried 40:09 Life lessons from Mom 51:02 Being the mother of a son going through divorce 53:22 Meeting Michal 56:09 Michal gets sick 1:06:26 Mom started the adoption trend! 1:10:01 The joys of life 1:15:29 Prayer

Curtis reflects on year three of grief after the passing of his wife, Michal. What began as crushing sorrow has slowly transformed into a season of quiet healing, memories, and even new beginnings. Curtis opens up about how grief changes with time...how the pain softens but the love and lessons remain. From walking through loss with his fiancée Crystal to finding hope amid darkness, his story is a raw and redemptive look at what it means to heal. Whether you're in the early days of loss or years down the road, this episode will remind you that God's greatest work often begins in our deepest hurt. --- DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together". --- CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:51 The difference at 3 years after loss 8:04 The many waves of grief 11:08 Acceptance 13:24 Having a relationship while grieving 14:59 Charlie Kirk's passing from a grief perspective 22:28 How the kids are grieving 3 years in 31:42 Darkness and breakthroughs 36:07 New traditions 39:49 Talking to the deceased while grieving? 46:55 Practice what you preach

Ever feel like grief has literally changed the way your brain works? You're not alone. It's like it rewires things in there. Memory issues. Compartmentalization. Checking out. Difficulty connecting. Curtis shares his raw and real experience with what he calls "grief brain" in an effort to help you know you're not alone, and hopefully to start down the path of healing. But, we also talk about finding purpose and motivation in grief, what grieving does to relationships, and how Curtis is trying to take every thought captive with examples from his life. Join us. --- DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together".   CHAPTERS 0:00 Grief Brain 8:18 Getting Stuck in "Boxes" 18:13 Motivation in Grief 22:52 Finding Purpose in Grief 28:17 Grief Makes It Hard To Connect 39:18 Seriously Taking Thoughts Captive 41:58 Not What I Envisioned Life To Look Like 47:17 God Uses The Hard Stuff To Prepare Us 52:12 Prayer   MENTIONED PTSD Episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoI0rDmSDcM

From the grief of being unable to have children, to the joys of adopting and building a picture-perfect life together... Straight into the depths of losing her husband to brain cancer... JoBeth Evan's story is a roller coaster, and she tells it - and lives it - with so much grace and peace. Today's episode is extra impactful because not only does JoBeth have lived experience of deep grief, BUT, she's turned that experience into a way to serve others as a certified grief recovery specialist. She helps others navigate deep grief in a way that keeps them moving forward and honoring the memory of those who are being grieved. Seeing things from the experiential AND the professional side of things allows JoBeth to offer an incredible testimony to the goodness of God, and how to walk through grief well. --- DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together". CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 0:46 God's Plans 9:28 Adoption 14:30 Things Change Drastically 21:25 Brain Cancer 23:45 The Practical Reality of Losing Your Spouse 28:15 How Much To Share 34:42 "Selfish" Grieving? 39:57 Do NOT Say This To Grieving People 41:56 Kids Grieving 49:14 Response To Dying 58:07 Grief Recovery Coaching 1:03:38 Run To The Hard - Buffalo Style MENTIONED Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jobeth.polley/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jobethevans/ NWA Grief Specialists: https://nwagriefspecialists.com/

Lonnie Potts is my favorite preacher. He played an instrumental role in my life as a young father, husband, and professional. I'm thrilled to have him on the podcast today, to honor him, number one, but also to give you hope that when all seems lost...God gives a way forward. Lonnie shares what it's like to experience crushing failure as a Christian, and to turn to God for redemption and healing. Within a very short time, Lonnie lost both parents, his marriage, and the ministry he'd worked so hard to build. But God is good, and failure does NOT define you. --- DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together". CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 4:04 The Joy (and Challenges) of Church Growth 17:17 Tell Stones vs Tomb Stones 23:33 Starting a Church School 28:14 Lonnie Quotes 32:49 Divorce, Losing Both Parents Within Weeks of Each Other 47:28 Inspiring Stories of Failure and Faith in The Bible

100 surgeries. Her body is breaking down, making things like work, driving, even turning her head to the side impossible. Yet LeeAnnw is one of the most loving, caring, positive people I've ever met. She's literally my hero because of how much she's gone through...with a smile on her face! LeeAnne's story of grief is not about losing a person, but about losing a future she thought she'd have. Losing mobility, independence...even losing a pain-free life, which most of us just take for granted. Whether you just got bad health news, or you're a caregiver to someone who has, this is an episode where we hope you'll be inspired and come to lean ever more on the Lord. --- DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together".   MENTIONED Podcast with LeeAnne's husband Josh Ep 28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UApYSOFikXk

Josh's dad took his own life when he was only 6 years old. This leaves a mark on a young boy, and it showed in Josh's life as he pursued partying and drinking. But God is faithful. Even before Josh was a Christian, He put good men in Josh's life. One of which eventually became his father in law! Not to leave a story unfinished, Josh and his wife Leanne moved into a neighborhood FULL of Christians, where Josh went to church for the first time and eventually gave his life to the Lord! This is a story of God's fatherly provision and God's redemption!   CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro  3:30 The Neighborhood Where Josh Found Jesus 8:00 Childhood Tragedy 13:35 The Miracle Job 16:03 Suicide 21:47 How Josh and Leanne Met 28:02 The Power of One Man Paying Attention --- DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together". 

If you have experienced the sudden and tragic loss of a spouse, this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Cortney Kendrick shares her heartbreaking yet hope-filled journey after losing her husband Don to sudden violence. We dive into the raw emotions of grief, questioning God, and the battle against the enemy's lies. Cortney opens up about life before the tragedy, navigating sorrow, how God has redeemed her story and what it truly means to Run to the Hard when life feels unbearable.   CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:53 Life Leading Up To Tragedy 11:32 Questioning God? 18:09 How Should You Comfort A Griever? 21:54 Suffering Loss 28:39 Savior Complex 32:18 Fighting The Enemy's Lies During Grief 36:40 Life After Loss 45:44 What Does Run To The Hard Mean to Cortney? DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION to Help Families Stuck in Grief. https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor-https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together" Cortney's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/cortney.scyoc  

What do you do when you lose your mom at 18, only a month after you found out she was sick?   You've heard Curtis and Michal's story on this podcast many times. It's a story of love, grief, perseverance, faith, and God's loving kindness. But today, we are blessed to hear the story from a very special source. Michal's daughter Ellah joins us on the podcast today to talk about her experience of losing her mother at only 18 years old, and how she's grieved while running to the hard over the past 2 years since her mother's death. DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION: https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth Become a Sponsor: https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode...Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together". CHAPTERS 0:00 Intro 2:27 Why People Isolate In Grief 4:44 What It's Like To Learn Your Mom Has 1 Week To Live 13:15 Being The Eldest Sibling After Mom Passes Away 16:02 The Dumbest Things People Say To Grievers 20:54 Anger Against God? 32:15 Self-Help...or Jesus? 35:39 The Truth About Curtis Christopher 43:57 A Caveat To All Of This... 45:37 Healing Through Writing 49:26 One Last Piece of Encouragement

In This episode, Curtis is joined by his long-time friends Steph and Dale Schaeffer.   They discuss the challenges of caring for aging parents, the importance of having difficult conversations about health and care, and the emotional toll of being part of the sandwich generation. Steph and Dale reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on caregiving, the necessity of community support, and the moments of joy found amidst the hardship Steph losing both of her parents weeks apart.   DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION- https://www.runtothehard.com/give Rate The Podcast https://ratethispodcast.com/rtth  Become a Sponsor-https://www.runtothehard.com/sponsors Share The Episode- Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together" CHAPTERS 1:45 Sick Parents and Grieving Their Loss 6:10 Having Hard Conversations About Caring For Aging Parents 11:45 When Mom goes to a Nursing Home and Dad is in Hospital 15:03 Dealing With Home Life When Your Spouse is Away Helping Ailing Parents 23:44 Strain on the Marriage 28:46 How To Help When It's Hard 31:50 Ministry Before Tragedy Versus Ministry After 36:15 A New Boldness 39:12 Unpacking Matthew 8