Feeling abandoned, betrayed, or forgotten?

I know the feeling.

And so did Joseph in the Bible.

But the story of Joseph, my story, and yes, your story, too, is NOT over no matter how bad things are.

God RESTORES. He USES the hard parts of your life.

Joseph kept going through all of it and ended up saving not only all of Egypt, but his own family. His household.

Keep going, because God hasn't finished your story, yet.

(This is a talk Curtis Christopher gave to the students of Ohio Christian University in April 2025.)

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

5:11 Curtis's Unexpected Ministry

5:50 Joseph Runs Into The Hard

8:09 Abandoned

12:07 Betrayal

15:14 Forgotten

16:08 Heartbreaking Diagnosis and Grief

21:10 She Said THIS On Her Deathbed...

23:59 The Birth of a Podcast

28:00 From Podcast Listener To Wife

31:52 God's Not Done Writing Your Story

100 surgeries.

Her body is breaking down, making things like work, driving, even turning her head to the side impossible.

Yet LeeAnnw is one of the most loving, caring, positive people I've ever met.

She's literally my hero because of how much she's gone through...with a smile on her face!

LeeAnne's story of grief is not about losing a person, but about losing a future she thought she'd have.

Losing mobility, independence...even losing a pain-free life, which most of us just take for granted.

Whether you just got bad health news, or you're a caregiver to someone who has, this is an episode where we hope you'll be inspired and come to lean ever more on the Lord.

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MENTIONED

Podcast with LeeAnne's husband Josh Ep 28: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UApYSOFikXk

Josh's dad took his own life when he was only 6 years old. This leaves a mark on a young boy, and it showed in Josh's life as he pursued partying and drinking.

But God is faithful. Even before Josh was a Christian,

He put good men in Josh's life.

One of which eventually became his father in law!

Not to leave a story unfinished, Josh and his wife Leanne moved into a neighborhood FULL of Christians, where Josh went to church for the first time and eventually gave his life to the Lord!

This is a story of God's fatherly provision and God's redemption!

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

3:30 The Neighborhood Where Josh Found Jesus

8:00 Childhood Tragedy

13:35 The Miracle Job

16:03 Suicide

21:47 How Josh and Leanne Met

28:02 The Power of One Man Paying Attention

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Curtis and Crystal both traumatically lost their spouses roughly 2 years ago.

Their lives were turned upside down.

They experienced grief like they didn't know existed.

Suddenly everything needed to be rebuilt.

Along his grieving journey, Curtis started this podcast to support other grievers.

Crystal was one of those early listeners, and felt like Curtis truly saw her in her grief.

She reached out.

They got talking and developed a friendship.

Now? They're getting married!

Join Curtis, Crystal, and Chris for this incredibly deep and vulnerable episode, and learn how Curtis and Crystal are planning to rebuild - together, now - as they each continue their personal grieving journeys.

DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION to Help Families Stuck in Grief. https://www.runtothehard.com/give

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Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together"

Watch The Video Where Curtis Proposes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNUUEa9jHms

Watch Crystal's Full Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8q2eZ7md6o

Watch Curtis' Full Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5nvmuqbRwM

If you have experienced the sudden and tragic loss of a spouse, this episode is for you.

In this powerful conversation, Cortney Kendrick shares her heartbreaking yet hope-filled journey after losing her husband Don to sudden violence. We dive into the raw emotions of grief, questioning God, and the battle against the enemy’s lies. Cortney opens up about life before the tragedy, navigating sorrow, how God has redeemed her story and what it truly means to Run to the Hard when life feels unbearable.

CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

2:53 Life Leading Up To Tragedy

11:32 Questioning God?

18:09 How Should You Comfort A Griever?

21:54 Suffering Loss

28:39 Savior Complex

32:18 Fighting The Enemy's Lies During Grief

36:40 Life After Loss

45:44 What Does Run To The Hard Mean to Cortney?

DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION to Help Families Stuck in Grief. https://www.runtothehard.com/give

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Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together"

Cortney's Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/cortney.scyoc

You've heard Curtis and Michal's story on this podcast many times. It's a story of love, grief, perseverance, faith, and God's loving kindness.

But today, we are blessed to hear the story from a very special source.

Michal's daughter Ellah joins us on the podcast today to talk about her experience of losing her mother at only 18 years old, and how she's grieved while running to the hard over the past 2 years since her mother's death.

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CHAPTERS

0:00 Intro

2:27 Why People Isolate In Grief

4:44 What It's Like To Learn Your Mom Has 1 Week To Live

13:15 Being The Eldest Sibling After Mom Passes Away

16:02 The Dumbest Things People Say To Grievers

20:54 Anger Against God?

32:15 Self-Help...or Jesus?

35:39 The Truth About Curtis Christopher

43:57 A Caveat To All Of This...

45:37 Healing Through Writing

49:26 One Last Piece of Encouragement

In This episode, Curtis is joined by his long-time friends Steph and Dale Schaeffer.

They discuss the challenges of caring for aging parents, the importance of having difficult conversations about health and care, and the emotional toll of being part of the sandwich generation. Steph and Dale reflect on the impact of COVID-19 on caregiving, the necessity of community support, and the moments of joy found amidst the hardship Steph losing both of her parents weeks apart.

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CHAPTERS

1:45 Sick Parents and Grieving Their Loss

6:10 Having Hard Conversations About Caring For Aging Parents

11:45 When Mom goes to a Nursing Home and Dad is in Hospital

15:03 Dealing With Home Life When Your Spouse is Away Helping Ailing Parents

23:44 Strain on the Marriage

28:46 How To Help When It's Hard

31:50 Ministry Before Tragedy Versus Ministry After

36:15 A New Boldness

39:12 Unpacking Matthew 8

In this powerful episode, Curtis invites his girlfriend Crystal to speak live at Sunbury Nazarene Church in Sunbury, Ohio to answer the question, what does Thanksgiving and gratitude look like right in the middle of devastation and pain?

Stay until the end for a huge surprise!

DONATE TO THE MICHAL FOUNDATION- https://www.runtothehard.com/give

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3. Share The Episode- Remember, "Running to the hard is better, when we run together"