We are finishing our Summer of Stories with Nicole Zasowski. She is a counselor, author and speaker that shares her painful story of infertility and miscarriage. Many of you know too well what it’s like to embrace joy when you’ve walked through so much loss and disappointment. Nicole bravely encourages us all that it’s possible. It’s possible to find joy and practice thanksgiving even when mourning and grief is very present. Make sure you follow along this week on Pardon The Mess Instagram page. I will share the picture of all of her kids that stopped me in my tracks. The photo was edited to feature her 3 kids on earth and her 5 kids in heaven all walking together on the beach. This photo so beautifully depicted the reality that Nicole is a mom of eight children, not just three. If you have been through loss like Nicole, I believe you will be so encouraged by her honesty about the emotions she feels and her journey with God through it all. My favorite part is when she shares about the brain science behind negativity and joy. She shares practical ideas on how we can lean towards and practice savoring joyful moments. We can store these memories in a part of our brain that helps us recall them again and again. Praying for each of you now, that you feel seen and heard through this episode. I pray that God meets you in the tender, broken and disappointed places of your heart.  Much love, Courtney  In this episode, we chat about: Nicole’s journey with infertility and miscarriageLeaning into God with all of your emotionsHow sadness can help us find the joyHow to practically celebrate and savor moments when life is hard Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction and Background 03:48 Struggling with Infertility and Miscarriage 08:09 Feeling Alone and Finding Support 11:35 Journey Between Children 16:01 The Vulnerability of Joy 22:24 Holding Both Pain and Joy 24:17 The Power of Celebration 27:56 Savoring Everyday Moments 30:21 Celebration as a Rhythm 35:40 Engaging God in Joy and Pain Connect with Pardon The Mess: Christian Parenting Pardon The Mess  Courtney DeFeo Get your 2024-2025 prayer journal, A Life of Faith Resources from today’s show: NicoleZasowski.com Lost to Found What If It’s Wonderful  NLT Student Thinline Reference Bible Hope for your Homeschool Our Sponsors: * Check out FamilyAlbum: family-album.com * Check out IXL and use my code TODAY for a great deal: www.ixl.com/TODAY * Check out Lil Critters: www.lilcritters.com * Check out Lil Critters: www.lilcritters.com Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy