The Nothing Is Wasted Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Episode 392 - Blessed Are The Spiraling with Levi Lusko Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

What do you do when anxiety suddenly takes hold and you find yourself spiraling? How do you begin to unravel the past wounds and circumstances that have led you to a place of chaos and uncertainty?
For author and pastor Levi Lusko, a season of anxiety emerged seemingly out of nowhere. After years of pushing hard in ministry and leadership, he found himself waking up in the middle of the night gripped by an intense panic attack. The journey to uncover the root causes of that experience took time—but it was through that very process that he discovered how God meets us not only in our triumphs but also in our most chaotic, uncertain seasons.
In one of his most vulnerable books yet, Blessed Are the Spiraling: How the Chaotic Search for Significance Can Lead to Joy Through Life’s Shifting Seasons, Levi shares the raw, personal account of navigating panic attacks, questioning his calling, confronting deep-seated fears, and unearthing childhood wounds. Through that journey, he found a healthier, more grounded rhythm of life and ministry—one anchored in God's presence through every season and joy.
In this candid conversation, Davey and Levi explore the emotional toll leadership can take, the transformative power of revisiting and healing from past childhood wounds, and the importance of discernment in choosing who walks alongside us through our healing journeys.
If you’ve ever found yourself overwhelmed by anxiety or navigating a season that feels uncertain and out of control, this conversation offers a powerful reminder: you are not alone. In the midst of the spiral, God is present—and even in the messiness of life’s shifting seasons, it’s possible to discover deep, lasting joy.

Website: levilusko.com
Instagram: instagram.com/levilusko
Facebook:facebook.com/levilusko
YouTube: youtube.com/levilusko
Podcast, Hey It’s the Luskos: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hey-its-the-luskos/id1512551828
Episode 338 with Levi Lusko: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-338
Book: Blessed Are the Spiraling: How the Chaotic Search for Significance Can Lead to Joy Through Life’s Shifting Seasons https://amzn.to/4diZUOo
www.blessedarethespiraling.com
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose

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Episode 391 - Making Sense of Your Story with Adam Young Aug 21, 2025

Show notes

How do we begin to untangle the wounds of our childhood and understand how they influence the way we show up in the world today? What do we do with the stories of harm, neglect, and pain that linger from our past?
Therapist Adam Young came to realize in his thirties just how profoundly his family of origin and early wounds were shaping his adult behavior and emotional responses. Through the process of exploring and making sense of his own story, he discovered a deeper calling: helping others navigate and heal their own. In his new book, **Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything**, Adam shares his personal journey while offering readers a framework for understanding and engaging their own life narratives.
In this insightful conversation, Davey sits down with Adam to discuss the powerful role our family of origin plays in shaping who we become, the essential need for community in the healing process, and how we can begin to approach our stories with kindness and curiosity.
If you've ever reacted strongly in a moment and questioned where it came from, this episode will offer clarity on how our reactions often point to unhealed parts of our past—parts that need to be seen, understood, and gently tended to in order to experience true healing.

Website: adamyoungcounseling.com
Instagram: instagram.com/adamyoungcounseling
Adam Young Episode #255: nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-255
Book: Make Sense of Your Story: Why Engaging Your Past with Kindness Changes Everything.
https://amzn.to/4mjzuiv
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose

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Episode 390 - Practicing Defiant Joy in Suffering with Margaret Feinberg Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

How do you find joy when the diagnosis feels devastating? How can you become the joyful person God calls you to be—even in the midst of your deepest pain?
Author Margaret Feinberg was nearing the completion of a book on joy when she received a life-altering diagnosis: aggressive cancer. What followed was a profound season of wrestling—an honest, raw search to understand what joy truly means when suffering feels overwhelming. Through that journey, Margaret discovered a deeper, more authentic belief about joy: that it can be a defiant act of worship in the darkest valleys. And when we choose to give joy away—even when we don't feel it—our own joy can begin to grow.
In the midst of her pain, Margaret encountered the transformative power and presence of the Holy Spirit. Her latest book, **The God You Need to Know: Experience the Holy Spirit’s Power and Presence Today**, invites readers to experience that same presence no matter what they’re walking through.
In this uplifting conversation, Davey and Margaret discuss how to truly show up for others in ways that heal rather than hurt, where joy can be found in suffering, and how to navigate the lingering fear that often follows hardship.
If you're in a season where joy feels distant, this episode will encourage you to see that even small acts of sharing joy with others can help awaken it in your own heart as you walk through suffering.

Website: https://margaretfeinberg.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/mafeinberg
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/margaretfeinberg/
Book: The God You Need to Know: Experience the Holy Spirit's Power and Presence Today https://amzn.to/4mgi2vl
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose

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Episode 389 - Disability-Inclusivity with Dr. Laurie Thompson Aug 07, 2025

Show notes

How can we learn to trust God when our prayers for healing go unanswered? What does it truly mean for the Church to become a place of belonging and welcome for individuals with disabilities?
Dr. Laurie Thompson has deeply engaged with these questions—both personally and academically. At just 14 years old, a devastating car accident left her permanently disabled, marking the beginning of a lifelong journey of wrestling with faith, suffering, and inclusion. Now, as a college professor and academic advisor, Dr. Thompson empowers the next generation to understand that people with disabilities represent the largest minority in the United States—and that our Churches must become more inclusive, welcoming spaces for those navigating life with disabilities.
In her latest book, **Disability-Inclusivity: Creating Awareness to Change the Current Trajectory**, Dr. Thompson explores how the Church can become a transformative community for those with disabilities—simply by making intentional adjustments that foster inclusion, dignity, and belonging.
In this conversation, Davey sits down with Dr. Thompson to discuss the need for a robust theology of suffering, how to confront the lies that often accompany seasons of pain, and how the Church can reach and embrace people with disabilities through meaningful shifts in mindset and practice.
If you’re passionate about creating spaces of true belonging, this episode offers practical insights to help your community become a place of gospel-centered inclusion for those who are often overlooked.

Instagram: instagram.com/laurieleet
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.thompson.98096721
Books: Laurie's Story: Discovering Joy In Adversity
https://amzn.to/41b6TE4
Disability-Inclusivity: Creating Awareness to Change the Current Trajectory
https://amzn.to/4fb62Jk
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 388 - When Grief Comes Home with Erin Nelson and Colleen Montague Jul 31, 2025

Show notes

What do we do when pain and trauma affect our children? How can we guide them through the complex journey of grief and loss?
Erin Nelson has walked through depths of sorrow that few can imagine. She lost her first husband in a sudden plane crash, her mother to suicide, and her young adult son in a tragic car accident. Having experienced grief in its rawest forms, Erin found healing—and through it, a calling. She channeled her pain into purpose by founding Jessica's House, a grief support center for children, teens, and their families.
As Jessica's House has grown, Erin has partnered with others who share her heart, including Colleen Montague, a licensed therapist and the center’s program director. Together, they co-authored **When Grief Comes Home: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child**, a compassionate resource designed to help families facing the unimaginable.
In this deeply meaningful conversation, Davey sits down with Erin and Colleen to explore how our most painful experiences can become the foundation for our life’s purpose, how to recognize what grief looks like in children, and how to have honest conversations with kids about loss.
If you or someone you love is trying to help a child navigate grief, this episode offers practical tools and guidance for supporting young hearts through profound hurt.

Website: www.jessicashouse.org
Instagram: instagram.com/jessicas_house
Facebook: facebook.com/jessicashouse1225
Book: When Grief Comes Home: A Gentle Guide for Living Through Loss While Supporting Your Child https://amzn.to/4lhKxZv
National Alliance for Children's Grief: https://nacg.org/
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 387 - Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments with Rachel Wojo Jul 24, 2025

Show notes

How do you even begin to talk to God when life is unfolding in ways you never wanted? What can prayer do when the pain feels unbearably raw and deep?
For Rachel Wojo, these questions became deeply personal. She never could have imagined the depth of suffering she would walk through—navigating her daughter’s terminal diagnosis and eventual passing, enduring betrayal in a first marriage that ended in divorce, and losing her mother in her twenties and her father while writing her book, Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments. Pain came from every direction. And yet, in her desperation, Rachel discovered strength through raw, honest conversations with God.
In this episode, Davey and Rachel talk about the wrestlings that come with a difficult diagnosis, the vital role of prayer in our darkest seasons, and how remembering God's past faithfulness can help us move forward through grief and heartbreak.
If you’ve ever struggled to find the words to say to God in your most desperate moments, this conversation will remind you that you don’t need perfect prayers—just an honest heart willing to keep reaching for Him, even in the pain.

Website: rachelwojo.com
Instagram: instagram.com/rachelwojo
Facebook:facebook.com/rachelwojoauthor
Book: Desperate Prayers: Embracing the Power of Prayer in Life’s Darkest Moments
https://amzn.to/4eLBw8K
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 386 - Walking Alongside People in Their Pain with Jerry McFarland Jul 17, 2025

Show notes

How do we support those in pain when we ourselves don’t have all the answers? How can we be present when we’re uncomfortable with the silence, the sorrow, and the questions that come with loss and tragedy?
Pastor Jerry McFarland felt a twinge uncertainty the day he received a phone call asking him to visit a stranger at a local children’s hospital. Unsure of what he could say or offer, he still chose to show up—to step into someone else’s pain as an act of obedience to “mourn with those who mourn.” That’s when he met Amy Sylvestre, a mother clinging to hope as her infant son, Hudson, fought for his life.
Healing didn’t come in the way Amy had hoped. But through Jerry’s quiet presence—a man she had never met before that hospital stay—Amy encountered the grace of God in the darkest chapter of her story. It was his willingness to sit with her in grief, to make space for her questions, her anger, and her heartbreak, that allowed her to begin to find comfort and hope again.
In this tender episode, guest host Amy Sylvestre sits down with Jerry to reflect on that experience and explore what it means to walk with others through pain, how to entrust God with what is most precious, and why it's not only okay—but necessary—to let people be honest in their sorrow.
Whether you're a leader or simply someone who knows a person in pain, this conversation will remind you: you don’t need to have the right words or the perfect response. Your presence, your listening ear, and your willingness to show up may be exactly what someone needs in the hardest part of their story.

Episode 175: Amy's Story: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-175?rq=amy
Need help navigating your own loss? Let Amy help: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/coaches/amy-sylvestre
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.nothingiswasted.com/paintoppurpose

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 385 - Healing Leadership Trauma with Dr. Nicholas and Sheila Wise Rowe Jul 10, 2025

Show notes

How can leaders heal from their own wounds? Why does emotional and spiritual health matter so deeply for those who are called to lead?
Historian and Seminary Professor Dr. Nicholas Rowe and his wife, Sheila
Wise Rowe, author and counselor, have seen the ways unprocessed pain and trauma can impact leaders. While countless resources aim to help leaders grow in skill and strategy, few address the inner pain and unhealed wounds that many carry silently. In their new book, **Healing Leadership Trauma: Finding Emotional Health and Helping Others Flourish**, Nicholas and Sheila confront this gap head-on, offering a holistic and deeply spiritual roadmap for leaders to find healing, restoration, and renewed purpose.
In this powerful and timely episode , Davey talks with Nicholas and Sheila about how our early formation can impact our connection with God and others, the ways unresolved trauma can unconsciously influence our decisions and leadership style, and why we need to consider the weight of leadership before we even step into it.
Whether you're a pastor, teacher, nonprofit leader, entrepreneur, or parent, this conversation is an invitation to pause, reflect, and allow God to tend to your soul—so you can lead from a place of emotional health while helping others flourish.

Website: www.sheilawiserowe.com
www.nicholasrowephd.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/griotrowe
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sheilawiserowe
Book: Healing Leadership Trauma: Finding Emotional Health and Helping Others Flourish
https://amzn.to/3RVLYzW
Episode 128 with Sheila Rowe: https://www.nothingiswasted.com/podcast1/episode-128?rq=128
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.mypaintopurposeplan.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 384 - Sacred Attachment with Michael Cusick Jul 03, 2025

Show notes

What happens when our lived experience doesn’t align with what we believe about God? How do we hold on to faith when trauma, suffering, or loss shatters our spiritual foundation?

Author and counselor Michael Cusick understands this tension intimately. As a survivor of childhood abuse, Michael found himself caught in self-destructive cycles that threatened his soul and relationships. Yet through his own healing journey, he discovered the profound impact our personal stories have on our attachment to God — and how restoring that attachment can transform our lives.

Now, through his intensive counseling work at Restoring the Soul and in his new book, **Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love**, Michael helps others reconnect with a God who is both safe and loving — even in the wake of deep wounds.
In this thoughtful conversation, Davey and Michael talk about what to do when your relationship with God feels fractured, why attachment is so important spiritually speaking, and why it seems like so many leaders are falling in our generation.

If you've struggled in your relationship with God because of the pain you have experienced, this episode is an invitation to begin healing, to rebuild trust, and to rediscover a sacred attachment with the One who will never let us go.

Website: michaeljohncusick.com
www.restoringthesoul.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/michaeljcusick
Facebook: www.facebook.com/michaeljohncusick
Book: Sacred Attachment: Escaping Spiritual Exhaustion and Trusting in Divine Love
https://amzn.to/3GMXH1l
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.mypaintopurposeplan.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 383 - Helping Kids Overcome After Trauma with Science and Scripture with Dr. Nicole Wilke Jun 26, 2025

Show notes

How do we help kids build resilience, especially after facing trauma? How do we teach kids the skills they need to persevere after pain?
Dr. Nicole Wilke had a front-row seat to the impact trauma can have on a child's development. Her parents had a heart for kids with the hardest stories and welcomed seventy children through foster care and adoption. This experience had a profound impact on Dr. Wilke as she watched her siblings grow and struggle after experiencing pain. It was out of her own experience that she was drawn to the work she does now through the Christian Alliance for Orphans Research Center, where she is on the front lines of discovering how we can best help kids who have experienced difficult things find a way forward.
Her latest book, which she co-authored—**Overcoming: What Scripture and Science Say About Resilience**—offers practical wisdom backed by science to help kids take whatever challenges they are facing and use them as fuel to build resilience that will carry them throughout their lives.
In this episode, Davey talks with Dr. Wilke about how God is in the business of redeeming our kids' stories of difficulty, why our vision matters when it comes to the trauma kids experience, and how to build a child's resilience so that they can move forward through whatever may come.
If you are a parent or love a child who has experienced challenges and difficulties due to trauma or pain, this conversation will encourage you that God can take the most painful moments and use them in our kids' lives so that they can become resilient overcomers.

Website: cafo.org/research-center/resilience-books
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dr.nicolewilke
www.instagram.com/cafoalliance
Facebook: www.facebook.com/CAFOalliance
Book: Overcoming: What Scripture and Science Say About Resilience
https://amzn.to/4jGH4mw
Caleb Koala’s Comeback Ride: A Journey to Overcoming
https://amzn.to/3F1yZtw
Wondering where to get started on your journey towards healing? Join Davey on our next FREE, live Zoom call and find out how you can begin to take back your story and how Nothing is Wasted can help. Sign up today at: www.nothingiswasted.com/starthere
Looking for help in navigating the valley of pain and trauma? Our Nothing is Wasted coaches can help: www.nothingiswasted.com/coaching
Want a pathway through your pain? The Pain to Purpose Course can lead you through all you've been through: www.mypaintopurposeplan.com

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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