Judy opens up about losing her husband of 35 years to cancer after just nine weeks from diagnosis to loss, the moment doctors said there was nothing more they could do, and the message she says she received in prayer that changed everything. Together, Judy and Audrey unpack what it really looks like to move through devastating loss — staying close to faith, resisting self-pity, leaning on friends, and making the daily choice to keep moving forward — and why finding joy again is something you have to go out and look for.

Highlights

• Judy shares the moment her husband's oncologist said, "I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do."
• The two pieces of advice from friends that carried Judy through: don't feel sorry for yourself, and stay close to your faith.
• Judy describes an early-morning prayer and the message she received: "This is the way to heaven."
• Her biggest fear after losing her husband — and how choosing not to worry about tomorrow brought her peace.
• The small, practical shifts Judy made to move forward: getting dressed every day, planning trips for every occasion, going to the gym three times a week, and surrounding herself with positive people.
• Why Judy started this podcast — to share her story and help even just one other person find their way through their own dark tunnel.

Chapters

0:00 – Introduction: the tunnels we all go through

0:33 – Meet the hosts and the podcast's purpose

1:46 – Judy shares losing her husband a year and a half ago

3:08 – Only nine weeks: the shock of the diagnosis

5:56 – Confronting fear and choosing not to worry about tomorrow

7:43 – Seeing the light: small steps out of the tunnel

10:09 – Inside the darkest part: "there's nothing we can do"

11:44 – A prayer answered: "This is the way to heaven"

14:16 – Holding onto faith and feeding her mind with positivity

16:46 – Practical steps to reclaiming joy: the gym, positive people, and starting this podcast

19:01 – Wrap-up: the joy of the Lord is your strength

What do you do when a dream trip to Rome turns into the worst day of your life — and somehow, years later, you find yourself saying you're actually thriving? Jana Cansler Clark shares her story of losing her husband Tommy suddenly on a trip to Italy, the avalanche of grief, illness, and loss that followed, and how she found joy — real, sustained joy — in the middle of unimaginable suffering. From five hip surgeries and a breast cancer diagnosis to burying her mother and finally opening her heart to love again, Jana walks through what it actually looks like to let God rebuild you piece by piece, and why she believes there are treasures waiting in the darkest seasons of life.

Highlights

• Jana shares how she met her late husband Tommy in high school and their 30+ year marriage before his sudden death in Rome, Italy on July 14, 2014.
• The unexpected "avalanche" of hardship that followed his passing — a failing business, a burst sewage system, a pantry moth infestation, and her body physically breaking down.
• Jana’s health battles: multiple hip surgeries, a breast cancer diagnosis during her mother's passing, and an AFib diagnosis and ablation.
• How Christian counseling in 2020 helped her uncover her identity in Christ and heal childhood wounds around feeling "not enough."
• The unexpected blessing of becoming a grandmother to twins just three months after Tommy's death.
• Jana’s reflection on "treasures in the dark," inspired by author Katherine Wolf, and how new life often comes out of darkness.
• Finding new love again with her husband Robert after eight years of being single, and their shared life verse, Ephesians 3:20.
• Jana’s closing takeaway: "Don't waste the pain... don't be bitter, be better."

Chapters

0:00 — Welcome and Introductions

0:59 — Meet Jana and Her Story

1:59 — Life Before the Loss

3:44 — Tragedy in Rome

4:37 — Grief and God's Faithfulness

6:21 — When Everything Fell Apart

7:47 — Cancer and Rock Bottom

8:48 — Healing and Family Support

10:50 — Counseling and Identity

13:28 — Treasures in the Dark

14:40 — Restoration and New Love

16:43 — Final Takeaways and Farewell

Resources Mentioned

• Hope Heals by Katherine Wolf
• Treasures in the Dark by Katherine Wolf
• Peeples Cancer Center

What do you do when the worst day of your life turns out not to be the worst thing you'll ever face? Sherri is a retired educator, mother of three, and grandmother of three, who opens up about a lifetime of walking through the valley — from losing an 11-day-old daughter to congenital heart defects, to watching her son battle a DUI at 16 and years of addiction, to learning to live with generational patterns of alcoholism in her own family. Sherri shares how her faith, rooted since childhood, carried her through unimaginable grief, how Al-Anon became a lifeline for living "in the middle of the mess," and how she ultimately learned that joy is a choice, not just a feeling. It's an honest, moving conversation about grief, addiction, generational curses, and the surprising grace that shows up in the middle of our messiest seasons.

Highlights

• Sherri introduces herself and reflects on her calling to "shine a light in the path of those coming behind us."
• The heartbreaking story of losing her 11-day-old daughter to six major heart defects in 1988.
• How childhood faith, baptism in a West Virginia creek, and a lifelong church upbringing shaped her spiritual foundation.
• On learning strength and wisdom in the valley, not on the mountaintop.
• Her son's DUI at 16 and how addiction slowly took hold — including her insight that many addicts are "dual diagnosis" people struggling with anxiety and depression.
• Discovering generational alcoholism through her second husband's family history, and his 32 years of sobriety.
• How Al-Anon taught her to live alongside addiction in her family and stop feeling alone in the struggle.
• The scripture and perspective that carried her: "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
• Choosing joy as a daily decision rather than waiting for it as a feeling.
• The surprise blessing of her granddaughter, born in 2013, and how God turned a difficult season into unexpected joy.

Chapters

0:19 – Meet Sherrie

1:37 – Losing a Newborn

2:49 – Faith Roots and Baptism

4:21 – Strength in the Valley

5:37 – Son's DUI and Addiction

9:11 – Generational Curses

10:26 – Finding Help in Al-Anon

12:46 – Scripture and Purpose

14:25 – Choosing Joy Daily

17:25 – Granddaughter Blessing

20:10 – Closing Encouragement

Resources Mentioned

• Al-Anon Family Groups