In this reflective episode, Shannon and Pam revisit some of the most meaningful insights shared by their podcast guests so far. They talk about what it means to trust God when life doesn't look the way you hoped, without pretending that everything is okay. They explore the freedom that comes from letting others see our grief and allowing ourselves to be supported rather than feeling we have to wear a mask.

The conversation also turns to self-worth and failure, especially the tendency to be harder on ourselves than we would ever be on someone else. Infertility can make us feel as though we've failed at something fundamental, but Shannon and Pam reflect on the truth that our circumstances don't determine our worth—and that failure, imperfection, and setbacks can all be part of learning and growth.

They also consider the idea that the story is bigger than we are. What feels like a devastating chapter may be only a small part of a much larger story, and our trials can affect and bless people beyond ourselves.

Finally, they wrestle with perhaps the most challenging idea of all: Can the waiting itself be a gift? Rather than viewing an unwanted season only as time being lost, they discuss using it as an opportunity to learn, grow, strengthen relationships, try new things, and discover what God may be inviting us to become while we wait.

Please follow the podcast to be notified of future episodes!

Email or message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• fullfaithemptyarms@gmail.com

In this episode, Shannon and Pam sit down with Andrew and Kristen Van Noy to hear the remarkable story of how their family grew through infertility, fostering, adoption, miscarriage, unexpected pregnancies, and some incredibly painful goodbyes.

Andrew and Kristen share the heartbreak of loving foster children who ultimately returned to their biological family, the difficult decision to surrender rather than fight, and the faith it took to trust that God's plan could be better than the one they had imagined.

They also talk honestly about Kristen's struggles with pregnancy, depression, postpartum depression, chronic health problems, and the way those experiences challenged both of them spiritually. Their conversation offers an important reminder that faith doesn't mean never questioning God—and that sometimes we need people who will simply sit with us in the pain rather than try to explain it away.

If you've ever wondered why your life, your family, or your answer to prayer doesn't look the way you expected, this conversation is for you.

“I don't have my version of what I want. What is it that you want?”

And maybe, sometimes, the hardest parts of our stories are the very things that polish us.

Please follow the podcast to be notified of future episodes!

Email or message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• fullfaithemptyarms@gmail.com

In this episode of Full Faith, Empty Arms, Shannon and Pam sit down with Alex White, husband of Niki White (ep.9) , to hear a husband’s perspective on infertility.

Infertility is often talked about through the experience of women, but husbands are grieving, too—and they don't always grieve in the same way or express it outwardly. Alex shares honestly about the pressures he has felt as a husband, the expectations of church culture, the painful questions people ask, and the different ways he and Niki have navigated disappointment, adoption, faith, and their hopes for a family.

Alex also talks about how infertility has affected their marriage, the importance of communication and allowing each other to grieve, and the ways he has found purpose and influence through relationships with children and youth—even without becoming a father himself.

With humor and sarcasm mixed into some deeply meaningful conversations, this episode is a reminder that there isn't just one way to experience infertility. Every story is different, every path looks different, and sometimes faith means simply trusting God and continuing to move forward.

If you're walking through infertility alongside your spouse, we hope this conversation helps you feel a little less alone.

Keep moving forward.

Please follow the podcast to be notified of future episodes!

Email or message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠⁠
• fullfaithemptyarms@gmail.com

Janice Jones has a unique perspective on church culture and could have been offended more than once. From being a career-focused young black woman in the military who joined the Church, to 6 years of infertility, to unexpected family needs, her experience, faith, and perspective will leave you inspired and wanting to be better.

Janice speaks candidly about the insensitive things people said to her during years of infertility, including the painful suggestion that she simply wasn’t righteous enough to have a baby. Yet through it all, she held onto a powerful conviction: infertility was never evidence that God didn’t love her.

She also shares how her faith sustained her through difficult experiences as a Black woman in the Church, how her family taught her to trust in eternal perspective, and how becoming a foster parent to eight nieces and nephews revealed a purpose she couldn't have seen while she was praying for something else.

This episode is full of wisdom for anyone living with unanswered prayers. Janice reminds us that we don't get to see the whole picture—and that sometimes a closed door puts us in exactly the place we need to be to bless someone else.

Most importantly, she offers a message of hope: you may not receive every blessing you long for in this life, but that does not mean God has forgotten you.

If you are struggling with infertility, waiting for an answer, feeling discouraged by church culture, or simply trying to trust God when life doesn't make sense, this conversation is for you.

Please follow the podcast to be notified of future episodes!

Email or message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠
• fullfaithemptyarms@gmail.com

Sister Sharon Eubank taught us that no matter our current situation, we can embrace the ideals of the gospel because "family is our destiny."

Join us as we discuss that idea and others, including patriarchal blessings, fitting in without kids, and how we fit into the Abrahamic covenant.

Please follow the podcast to be notified of future episodes!

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠

What if God answers your prayers by moving a different mountain than the one you expected?

If you've ever wondered, "When do I stop praying for this miracle?"—or if you've ever gone through a season of simply going through the motions because it's too painful to keep asking—this conversation is for you.

In this episode, Pam and Shannon discuss what it means to seek miracles while trusting God's timing. Drawing on teachings from President Russell M. Nelson and other Church leaders, they explore how faith can change us even when our circumstances don't change. Through honest conversation and personal experiences with infertility, they share the mountains God has moved in their own lives—and the hope they've found along the way.

Talks referenced in this episode:

Christ is Risen; Faith in Him will Move Mountains

Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives

If this episode resonates with you, please follow the podcast so you'll be notified when new episodes are released.

We'd also love to hear your story. Join us as we support one another through the challenges of infertility.

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠

After 10 episodes of Full Faith, Empty Arms, we’re hoping to help this resource reach more of the people who may need it. Reviews, feedback, and sharing the podcast can make a meaningful difference—not just in helping others discover the podcast, but in validating the vulnerable stories our guests have generously shared.

If you’ve found something meaningful in an episode, we’d love to hear from you. And if you feel comfortable sharing the podcast, we’d be so grateful.

Thank you for helping us get Full Faith, Empty Arms into the hands of the people who need it.

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Nnamdi and Deidra Okonkwo share their journey through infertility, including learning about the surprising cause, the strain it placed on their marriage, and the unexpected path that ultimately led them to adoption. Together they discuss navigating different cultural perspectives, wrestling with unanswered prayers, learning to trust God's timing, and recognizing His hand in life's smallest details.

Their story is filled with humor, heartbreak, miracles, and profound testimony—including tender experiences that transformed their understanding of family, parenthood, and God's love. Whether you're walking through infertility, considering adoption, or simply trying to trust God when life looks different than you imagined, this episode offers hope that He is present in every detail of our lives.

If this episode resonates with you, please follow the podcast so you'll be notified when new episodes are released.

We'd also love to hear your story. Join us as we support one another through the challenges of infertility.

Message us to share your story on the podcast and join us in supporting each other:

• Facebook group: Full Faith, Empty Arms-LDS Infertility ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1J5UnWMJP9/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: Full Faith, Empty Arms ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/fullfaithemptyarms/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠