In this episode of the I Witness Podcast, host Kelly Jo Wilson explores how to heal while grieving, and the intersection of grief and faith with guest Stefanie Cabaniss, a specialist in grief support for Christian women. Stef shares her poignant journey of losing her best friend to cancer, a loss that deepened her faith and inspired the creation of the Grief 2 Great Day podcast and ministry. Their conversation delves into the transformative power of trusting God through life’s toughest challenges, highlighting the strength of honesty and vulnerability in prayer.
Stefanie Cabaniss is the founder of Grief2GreatDay.com, a coach and author specializing in grief support for Christian women. She hosts the Grief 2 Great Day Podcast to support Christian women navigating the difficult journey of grief.
Experiencing indescribable pain and confusion after losing her best friend to cancer, she struggled to create a new life. She earned a master’s degree in Public Health focusing on community grief support. She served as secretary for the Eastern Carolina End of Life Care Coalition.
Her book entitled, Dying to Be Healed, was released in January 2021. Stef is also the creator of What Do I do After the Loss of a Loved One? 4 Actions to Take Now to Cope with Grief a faith-based workshop to help women breathe, laugh, and live again.
Stef contributes to local newspapers and radio and is available to discuss grief support topics such as ‘getting through’ the first year of grief and creating purpose after loss. Stef and her husband, Jeff live in eastern North Carolina.
Interview Highlights
How to heal from grief when it doesn’t have a timeline
Giving ourselves grief grace and what that looks like
Stef has practical tips for how to heal from grief and prepare for difficult days
Stef talks about her anger at God and how her faith changed when coping with the loss of her best friend
Stef shares uplifting ways she and her friend Monica kept positive through the cancer journey with their B-POD
Stef shares wonderful takeaways and resources to help women navigate grief, especially during the first year after the loss
Bible Verses for Encouragement
Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 6:33: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and al these things shall be added to you.”
Stefanie Cabaniss knew in those agonizing moments watching her friend dying that the story must be told. As with the Scriptural account of Noah, Abraham, and Moses, this recollection conveys a realistic version of that manner of ‘crazy’ faith.
Dying to be Healed is not a story set in a backdrop of ages past. It is a contemporary, true, bittersweet, and altogether real-life narrative of the final months of the earthly existence of Stefanie’s best friend, Monica.
Monica battled the ravages of stage-four Melanoma but came to strongly and immovably believe that she had been miraculously healed by the power of the Great Physician. This is a story of that unshakeable faith in the midst of rampant physical contradiction.
Do you struggle to spend time with God because of anxiety, distraction, or because you’re going through a difficult time?
I have a resource to help you walk with God in your own unique way.
The Stillness Prayer Journal is a printable prayer journal with over 100 customizable pages all dedicated to simplifying your walk with God.
The journal has cognitive behavioral therapy techniques combined with Bible verses and Christian-based encouragement to guide your time with Him in a simple, thoughtful way.
Stillness Prayer Journal Includes:
A one-page daily journal for simple goal-setting and reflection
In this episode of the I Witness podcast, we explore why it’s so easy to doubt God. We dive into 1 John chapter 5, a scripture that shares the unwavering assurance found in God’s testimony. We explore the challenges believers face in their faith journey with a short story and discuss the eternal promise we have in Jesus Christ.
Jesus’ existence is the physical and spiritual confirmation of God’s testimony.
Jesus is strong in us when we are weak.
Everyone sins and doubts at some point in their lives.
We have assurance through our relationship with Jesus in prayer
We can lean into the assurance provided by God’s testimony of Jesus Christ
Bible Verses for Encouragement
1 John 5: 11-13, NKJV: And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
Matthew 11:28-30: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.
Resources for You
Do you struggle with doubt and feeling unworthy?
This 7-day devotional takes you through women’s stories of heartbreak, death, disease, and more, with Bible verses to remind you of God’s promises.
You don’t have to earn God’s love. All you have to do is accept it
In a deeply moving episode of the I Witness podcast, K.L. Gilchrist unveils her transformative journey from profound heartache to unwavering faith. As she recounts the tragic loss of her teenage daughter, K.L.’s testament to the sustaining power of faith offers a beacon of hope to everyone navigating life’s storms.
Listen as K.L. shares her story of unwavering faith through loss, heartache, resilience, and the consistent embrace of Jesus, even in her darkest hours.
K.L. Gilchrist is an author of contemporary Christian fiction for women who want to be entertained, challenged, and inspired by true-to-life stories.
A graduate of Temple University and Palmer’s Eastern School of Christian Ministry(ESCM), K.L.’s career as a technical writer led her back to her first love: writing fiction books.
K.L. writes for women who enjoy reading about faith in the midst of life challenges. She lives with her family in suburban Philadelphia, PA, and is known to dance whenever and wherever she can.
– K.L. Gilchrist’s spiritual journey began when she discovered Jesus as an adult. She endured numerous challenges that tested her faith, and her journey from a technical writer to a fiction author showcases her personal and professional evolution.
Impact of the Pandemic and Personal Tragedy
– The mental health repercussions of the pandemic are vast and deeply personal for K.L., with the heart-wrenching loss of her daughter, Jordan. Yet, in such profound grief, her unwavering faith and relationship with Jesus Christ became her sanctuary, offering solace and guidance through the hardest moments.
The Role of Faith in Coping with Loss
K.L. stresses that her unwavering faith and relationship with Jesus are paramount in navigating pain. She emphasizes the necessity of daily prayer and immersing herself in scripture, highlighting the solace and connection they provide. She emphasizes the significance of complete submission to God’s will and the importance of dedicating alone time to foster a deeper relationship with Him.
Recommendations for Nurturing Faith
– For those grappling with grief, K.L. offers practical tips she embraced when walking the arduous journey. She advocates for complete trust in God in all circumstances and suggests getting into the Word of God. The Book of Job and Psalm 22:24 were comforting scripture references for her. Additionally, the book “Holding Onto Hope” by Nancy Guthrie is highlighted as a valuable resource, especially for grieving parents.
Authentic Communication with God
– K.L. promotes genuine and open communication with God, no matter how messy or broken you feel. She believes in being honest with God and talking to Him anytime or anywhere, even in the middle of a J.C. Penny parking lot.
Bible Verses for Encouragement
Psalms 22:24, NKJV “For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; Nor has He hidden His face from Him; But when He cried to Him, He heard.”
The book of Job shows the tremendous losses Job endured and his unwavering faith during trials.
Resources for You
K.L. Gilchrist writes faith-filled stories with wonderful characters. You can find her complete collection on her website.
How far would you go for the wedding of your dreams?
Chablis Shields, a purple-haired Jesus chick with a line dance addiction, is engaged to marry her church’s most eligible young bachelor, John Gerald.
After dodging a drone in an unbelievable proposal, she figures she’ll breeze through six months of planning and celebrations and arrive at the altar Instagram-ready and shining like a black diamond.
But the road to marital bliss grows rocky when she discovers her fiancé is far from being a muscular yet picture-perfect Christian. His financial situation isn’t quite what she counted on, but his solution becomes even more difficult to handle.
And that future mother-in-love?
Well, she isn’t exactly on her side. Meanwhile, trauma from her past complicates her decision-making, and lingering issues from John’s dating history trouble their relationship.
With a tight timeline and a village of loved ones waiting for the big day, Chablis must decide: is she truly ready for a lifetime of sacrifice and commitment?
Engaged is a National Indie Excellence Book Award finalist! The book is available through all major online booksellers. You can also request this novel from your favorite local bookshop.
Can a married couple mend their relationship when past issues threaten to drive them apart?
Tracey and her husband, Dr. Brian Jones, have much to celebrate. They’ve been married for more than twelve years, their son is doing well in college, and a new baby is on the way.
However, small resentments still exist beneath the surface of their relationship.
When Tracey betrays Brian’s trust in order to provide emotional support to a family who helped her in the past, battle lines are drawn in their household. Will Tracey be able to hold on to her marriage and family when her past and present collide?
Holding On is available through all major online booksellers. You can also order this story from your favorite local bookshop.
A healing book for those in the wake of life’s devastating storms.
We can never plan for the unexpected turns of this life that sometimes lead to great personal suffering. Sometimes that suffering can overshadow everything and threaten to pull us under.
Nancy Guthrie knows what it is to be plunged into life’s abyss. Framing her own story of staggering loss and soaring hope with the biblical story of Job, she takes you by the hand and guides you on a pathway through pain―straight to the heart of God.
Holding On to Hope offers an uplifting perspective, not only for those experiencing monumental loss, but for anyone going through difficulty and failure. (Includes an 8-week study on the book of Job for readers who want to dig deeper into what the Bible says about dealing with suffering and grief.)
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