In today’s episode, Luke & Monica take listeners into one of the most tender conversations yet — navigating grief, mourning, and the holiday season when life looks nothing like you expected.

Thanksgiving week can bring joy, memories, and celebration…
but it can also magnify loss, loneliness, and the reality of a life you didn’t plan for.

Both hosts share openly from their own stories:

• Luke walking through the loss of his wife, Alicia, in 2023
• Monica navigating the shock of divorce, depression, and rebuilding after being left in 2020

This episode dives into the difference between grieving (internal) and mourning (external), why both are biblical, and how to give yourself permission to feel what you need to feel — especially this time of year.

You’ll hear stories of first holidays after loss, expectations vs. reality, and how some traditions stayed the same… while others had to change completely. You’ll also hear practical, grace-filled thoughts for walking through Thanksgiving and Christmas when joy and sadness sit side by side.

What We Talk About in This Episode

• Why grief often hits hardest during the holidays
• The difference between grieving and mourning — and why both matter
• How Luke and Monica processed their first holiday seasons after loss
• The pressure of “holiday cheer” when your heart is still healing
• How to change traditions without losing meaning
• Why anger, tears, numbness, and confusion are all normal
• How to avoid unhealthy coping mechanisms during grief
• What it looks like to grieve with grace
• Practical steps to navigate Thanksgiving or Christmas when you’re hurting

Scriptures Mentioned

Romans 8:28 (KJV)
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

Psalm 30:5 (KJV)
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”

Matthew 5:4 (KJV)
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.”

Philippians 4:7 (KJV)
“And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Isaiah 26:3 (KJV)
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee…”

Ecclesiastes 3:4 (KJV)
“A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.”

Key Takeaways

• Grief is the internal feeling. Mourning is the external expression.
  You need both for healthy healing.
• You can’t heal what you won’t feel.
  Ignoring emotions doesn’t protect you — it just delays the process.
• Holidays may require doing things differently this year.
  That’s not failure. That’s wisdom.
• You don’t have to be the strong one. Jesus already volunteered for that.
• The life you’re living may not be the one you planned — and God can still work good in it.

How to Walk Through the Holidays With Grace

• Keep one tradition
• Change one tradition
• Let go of one expectation
• Rest in one intentional way
• Give yourself permission to cry, process, talk, and breathe

If This Episode Hit Home…

You’re not alone.
You’re not behind.
You’re not failing.

You’re human — and Jesus is close to the brokenhearted.
We pray this conversation brings comfort, clarity, and encouragement as you enter Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Thank you for listening, sharing, and letting us walk through these seasons with you. We are so grateful for each of you.

When you are walking through grief, divorce, or a hard season, people talk.

Some mean well and still hurt you. Others do not mean well at all. Rumors, opinions, and half-truths start flying, and suddenly it’s not just your circumstances that hurt — it’s the words surrounding them.

In this episode of Silver Lining with Luke & Monica, we talk honestly about how to handle hurtful words, gossip, and assumptions while you’re “in the fire,” and how to respond without losing your peace.

Luke shares about navigating comments and misunderstandings after Alicia’s death, and Monica opens up about the stigma and opinions that came with divorce. Together, they walk through how Philippians 4:8 can become a filter for your mind, not just a “positive thinking” verse, and why you don’t have to internalize everything people say.

We also tell the lighthearted Toys for Tots matchmaking story that accidentally exposed Monica’s first “I think I like Luke” moment… and yes, the infamous Awana tunic night. Humor, grief, awkwardness, and Scripture all show up in this one.

If you’ve ever wrestled with what people say about you, this conversation is for you.

🎵 Song referenced in this episode:
“You Say” by Lauren Daigle
https://youtu.be/sIaT8Jl2zpI?si=QBmkEVkwPDhEr7Ez

In This Episode, We Talk About:

• Why hard seasons attract rumors and opinions
• A funny Toys for Tots story that revealed Monica’s feelings for Luke
• How grief and remarriage intersect with others’ assumptions
• Why talking about a loved one who passed can bring healing
• Hearing things about you instead of to you
• Using Philippians 4:8 as a filter for your mind
• Setting boundaries with people who keep you stuck in negativity
• Divorce, taking sides, and the pain of misrepresentation
• Reacting vs responding when words sting
• Dr. Jim Rushing’s “three days with the Trinity” rule
• Internal vs external processors in marriage
• Not internalizing what isn’t true
• Anchoring your identity in Christ instead of opinions
• Praying for those who hurt you
• Becoming an encourager in a world with very little encouragement

Scripture References

• Philippians 4:8
• Proverbs 4:23
• Proverbs 13:10
• Matthew 5:44
• Lamentations 3:22–23
• John 10:10

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When you’re walking through the dark—grief, divorce, loss, or the fog of transition—it’s easy to ask, “What now? Who am I?”

In this episode, Luke and Monica open their journals and hearts to talk about what it means to seek first the Kingdom of God when life doesn’t make sense. They share how worship, serving, and stewarding your inputs and outputs can help you find peace in the middle of pain.

You’ll laugh through their candy-tax stories, nod along with their honesty about grief, and be reminded that God can redeem any story for His glory—even yours.

They unpack real-life faith through three simple rhythms for hard seasons:

• Sing through it – worship when it hurts.
• Serve through it – love others even while healing.
• Steward through it – guard what you pour in and what you pour out.

With Scripture, personal stories, and a lot of laughter, Luke and Monica remind us that faith isn’t about pretending everything’s fine—it’s trusting God when it’s not.

If you’re in a valley and need hope, this one’s for you.


🎧 Listen now for practical encouragement, biblical truth, and a good laugh from two people who know what it’s like to find Jesus in the storm.

📖 Matthew 6:33 – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”


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Christian encouragement, grief healing podcast, faith after loss, Christian marriage, Jesus-centered encouragement, seeking God, emotional healing, Christian inspiration, redemption story, grief and faith, divorce recovery, healing after loss, Christian couples podcast, faith and healing, purpose after pain

In this episode of The Silver Lining Podcast with Luke and Monica, the conversation gets real about peace, counsel, and confusion — and how to recognize God’s voice when everyone else seems to have an opinion.

Monica opens up about a pivotal season in her life, when dating, divorce recovery, and godly counsel all collided. She shares the peace she felt after ending a relationship that “looked right” but wasn’t right — and the unexpected moment she was called into her pastor’s office for a difficult conversation that left her seeking clarity and confirmation from God’s Word.

Luke and Monica unpack what it really means to:

• Trust God’s peace over people’s approval
• Receive godly counsel without outsourcing your relationship with God
• Discern between “good intentions” and “God’s direction”
• Understand that confusion isn’t from God — peace is
• See how necessary endings can lead to divine beginnings

Scripture references:
1 Corinthians 14:33 • 2 Timothy 1:7 • John 10:10 • Proverbs 11:14 • Psalm 1:1–2 • Isaiah 26:3

Key Quotes:

Whether you’re walking through a breakup, trying to find wisdom in relationships, or just learning to quiet the noise and listen for God’s peace — this one will speak straight to your heart.

Listen in, laugh a little, and leave with clarity that only comes from the Prince of Peace.


Subscribe and Review:
If this episode encouraged you, subscribe wherever you listen and leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ review — it helps more people find hope, healing, and the silver lining in their own story.

Watch on YouTube:
Silver Lining with Luke and Monica

You can be right where God wants you—living by faith—and still feel deeply uncomfortable… yet completely at peace in His presence. In this episode, Monica reads never-before-shared journal entries (Aug 13, 2023 & Sept 10, 2023) from the week of Alicia’s hospitalization and the weeks that followed. We talk through grief, gratitude, and how God’s peace guarded our hearts even when circumstances didn’t make sense.

Mentioned in this episode (song): https://youtu.be/OqjGT9BSyJA?si=z9uU0cYGQ80X1bYn

Key idea: Peace isn’t the absence of discomfort; it’s the presence of God in the middle of it.

Scriptures referenced (KJV):
Philippians 4:6–7 • Isaiah 26:3 • John 14:27 • Proverbs 3:5–6 • Hebrews 11:8 • 2 Timothy 1:7 • James 1:2–4 • Psalm 37:23–24 • Romans 15:13 • Psalm 46:10

If this helped you: share it with a friend, rate/review the show, and subscribe for more real, Jesus-centered conversations about grief, healing, and hope.

Summary
Today we talk about the surprising personal benefit of interceding—praying on behalf of others. From Jesus and the Holy Spirit interceding for us to the command for believers to pray “for all men,” we share how God used prayer to carry our family through grief, build compassion, bring peace, and draw our hearts closer to Him. Monica shares how a simple burden to pray became a lifeline, and Luke unpacks why intercession strengthens both the person praying and the people being prayed for.

Key Scriptures (KJV)
• 1 Timothy 2:1 — A call to supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks for all.
• Romans 8:26–27 — The Spirit maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
• Hebrews 7:25 — Jesus ever liveth to make intercession.
• John 17 — Jesus’ prayer for His disciples and for us.
• Ezekiel 22:30 — God seeks someone to stand in the gap.
• Job 42:10 — The Lord turned Job’s captivity when he prayed for his friends.
• James 5:16 — Pray one for another… the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
• Philippians 4:6–7 — Prayer and supplication lead to the peace of God.

What We Cover
• What intercession means (standing in the gap; intentional, compassionate prayer)
• How praying for others deepens intimacy with God and builds empathy
• Why intercession often brings unexpected personal peace
• The “Job effect”: blessing and growth that follow praying for others
• Unity in the church when we carry each other’s burdens in prayer
• Our story: how a burden to pray became part of God’s provision

Listener Takeaways
• Start a simple daily list of 3 people to intercede for by name.
• Pray especially for the ones who are hard to love—watch how God changes your heart.
• Celebrate answered prayer with the people you’ve been praying for; it strengthens community.

God Always Answers Prayers… Just Not Always the Way We Pray

God always answers prayers—sometimes with yes, sometimes wait, and sometimes no. In this episode, Luke and Monica share their stories of loss, healing, and God’s sovereignty through it all.

Monica opens up about her cancer journey and the peace that carried her day by day. Luke shares about losing his late wife, Alicia, and how God’s grace met him in heartbreak. Together they talk about why God’s “no” is still love, how He weaves purpose through pain, and what it really means to trust Him when life doesn’t go as planned.

Scriptures (KJV): Isaiah 55:8–9 • 2 Corinthians 12:7–10 • Philippians 4:6–7 • Romans 8:28

If you’re walking through waiting, loss, or unanswered prayers, this episode reminds you that God still hears, still cares, and is always working—for your good and His glory.

Episode one dives into the famous “Welcome to Holland” illustration (by Emily Perl Kingsley) and why it reframed how we see grief, change, and second chances. We talk about living in the place you didn’t plan—divorce recovery, widowhood, blending a family, parenting on the spectrum—and how God meets us there with tulips, windmills, and grace.

You’ll hear our working definition of grief (the gap between expectation and reality), the difference between grief and mourning, and a few simple practices that helped us: gratitude journaling, serving others, and finding a “mud-puddle friend” who just sits with you. This isn’t a marriage or parenting podcast; it’s real life and real faith—learning to spot the silver lining because Jesus is present in every season.

CTA: If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and tell us about a “tulip” you’re seeing in your Holland.