Barren not Broken

Jesse and Cindy Mizell have been married for 15 years. They have four children with them and three babies in heaven. Their story includes two early miscarriages, a full-term stillbirth at 39 weeks, and the kind of grief that either destroys a marriage or forges it into something unbreakable. Theirs became the latter.

 

In this episode of the Barren Not Broken podcast, Jesse and Cindy sit down with Jason and BonnieRuth Rolf and hold nothing back. Jesse talks about being so angry after their second miscarriage that he hid his Bible and changed his radio presets to avoid God entirely. Cindy shares what it was like to learn there was no heartbeat at 39 weeks and then deliver their daughter Candice at home. Together, they walk through how community, worship, and one desperate promise in a parking lot kept their marriage alive.

 

If you have lost a baby through miscarriage or stillbirth, or if you love someone who has, this episode will remind you that you are not alone, your grief is valid, and your marriage can thrive and not just survive this.

James and Teri Craft, Founders of Marriage Health, will tell you that the biggest mistake of their early marriage wasn't the loss. It was stepping over the loss instead of through it together. It started with a doctor casually and un-empathetically delivering devastating news causing a grief that neither of them knew how to hold. They tried to outrun it; through ministry, through busyness, through looking like everything was okay on the outside. What they couldn't see was that they were becoming strangers to each other in the process.

In this episode, they talk about what the slow fade actually feels like from the inside, what finally brought everything to a breaking point, and how two people with nothing left decided to start choosing each other one day at a time and not give up. James and Teri are not speaking from a textbook. They are speaking from the fire they walked through and came out of together. The Crafts are the Founders of Marriage Health, an organization that exists to offer growth, recovery, and healing opportunities to individuals and couples around the globe. They both coach, counsel, write, and speak about the hope found in walking with Christ and others through honest transformational journeys. They help marriages through conflict, communication, and crisis. Through God-centered and trauma-informed help, there is a path forward.

You can check out their ministry and resources available at https://www.marriagehealth.org/home

Nate and Kala Sipple were told they would never have children. Eleven years of infertility, stage four Endometriosis, IVF, embryo loss, and a faith crisis later, they're sitting down with Jason and BonnieRuth Rolf on the Barren Not Broken podcast to share what no one prepared them for...

This conversation covers the real questions couples face: Is IVF a betrayal of faith? How do you grieve what's missing while celebrating what you have? And how do you heal a marriage that carried the weight of something it was never warned about? Nate and Kala navigated a total of 11 years of infertility. 7 years before their first son and 4 years before their twins were born. They get the ups and downs, the disappointments, the fears and the waiting.

Nate is one of the Associate Pastors at New Tribe Church in Mount Juliet, TN. Kala is home educating their 3 miracle boys; Grayson 10, Sterling and Hendrix are both 6. They have been serving the local church for over 15 years together, and have been married for almost 19 years.

Infertility and pregnancy loss do not just affect individuals, they shape marriages too. During the week of April 19th we acknowledge Infertility Awareness Week. This episode is in preparation for that week. We are creating intentional space to acknowledge the couples walking through this often unseen journey, and to remind you that you are not alone.

In this honest and hope filled conversation our hosts Jason and BonnieRuth Rolf interview Brent and Heather who share their 15 year journey through primary and secondary infertility, multiple miscarriages connected to endometriosis, and the faith that helped them hold onto each other when answers did not come.

Now parents of three children through both science and the grace of God, they speak with compassion and clarity to couples navigating treatments, grief, fear, and discouraged dreams. One of the most meaningful parts of this episode centers on learning how to give your spouse space to process differently, and why recognizing that men experience loss deeply too can strengthen connection instead of creating distance.

Heather also shares about her newly released book Barren: A Shared Journey of Infertility, Loss, and Faith, a resource created to help women walk through loss, waiting, and faith with hope. Get your copy here; https://a.co/d/02S2hukR

In this episode, you will hear:

How infertility and pregnancy loss affect both spouses
Why making room for each other’s emotions protects your marriage
Encouragement for couples facing treatments, unanswered questions, and waiting
Hope for those navigating this unimaginable journey
Insight from Heather’s new book supporting women in seasons of grief and uncertainty

If you are walking through infertility or pregnancy loss as a couple, this episode will remind you that you are not alone, and your marriage can still grow stronger in the middle of the journey. Remember no matter the barren places in our lives we do not have to live broken.

When infertility, pregnancy loss, or failed treatments become part of your story, the pain is not only physical, it is emotional, relational, and spiritual.

In this episode, Jason and Bonnie Ruth sit down with Talia Lavor, a Physician Assistant and fertility specialist, to talk about the often-overlooked factors behind infertility, especially endometriosis, and why so many couples feel dismissed by the system meant to help them. This conversation is packed with insight, compassion, and practical encouragement for couples who want to advocate for answers, trust their gut, and stay connected in the middle of a difficult journey.

Talia Lavor is a Physician Assistant with 19 years of experience in women’s health, including more than a decade focused on fertility and endometriosis. After facing years of infertility herself and being told she had less than a 1 percent chance of conceiving naturally, she became passionate about uncovering the root causes of fertility challenges. She now specializes in complex infertility and pregnancy loss cases and is the founder of The Fertility Underground and creator of Beacon™ Precision Diagnostics.

If you or someone you know is navigating Endometriosis we want to hold space for that as it is Endometriosis awareness month. This episode will bring awareness, better understanding and hold space for what those walking through this disease are going through!

Infertility does not just break hearts, it strains marriages. Hope and Kadero Watson share 11 years of trying, loss, IVF, and the quiet fears that can grow in the dark. Then they reveal the question that changed everything, “Do you feel like I would leave you if we could never have kids together?” That moment opened the door to honesty, unity, and a new way to fight the battle, together, not against each other. If infertility has made your marriage feel fragile, this episode gives you words, a plan for check-ins, and hope for staying connected.

Hope and Kadero Watson are relationship champions and content creators. Currently residing in Tulsa, OK, Hope and Kadero hail from Richmond, VA, where their paths first crossed in middle school. However, it wasn’t until high school theater class that they truly connected, setting the stage for the deep friendship and love story. Their journey inspires couples and individuals worldwide to build healthy, joyful relationships rooted in faith. Through authentic storytelling, heartfelt conversations, and engaging content, they encourage others to embrace love, resilience, and connection.

In this conversation, Jason and BonnieRuth Rolf sit down with Kimberly Galindo, LPC-S, CST—a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, EMDR Certified Therapist, Certified Sex Therapist, Consultant in Training, and Leadership & Relationship Coach. Together, they explore how navigating infertility, loss, and childlessness often feels like a private and isolating journey.

The Rolf’s share from their own experience how inviting trusted counselors into their story not only helped them stay married but also allowed their relationship to flourish in the midst of grief and unmet expectations. Kimberly brings insight into what it looks like to find the right counselor, debunks common myths around therapy, and reminds us that counseling is not just about “fixing problems,” but about investing in a marriage that is resilient and thriving for the long game.

This episode speaks hope into places that may feel barren, offering practical tools, encouragement, and the reminder that we don’t have to walk this road alone.

Remember no matter the barren places in our lives we do not have to live broken. 

In this deeply vulnerable conversation, Pastors Myles & Dee MacCloskey join the Rolf’s to talk about the complicated intersection of grief, faith, marriage, and healing.

They open up about their journey through unexpected loss, secondary infertility, and miscarriage—and how it tested their marriage, their hearts, and their hope.

But this episode isn’t just about pain. It’s about making space for questions, grace, and God’s faithfulness—even when the road feels long and when we feel lost, God's love always finds us.
It’s about choosing to grow individually so you can heal together.
It’s about placing your dreams and disappointments in God’s hands and letting Him breathe hope again. Whether you’re walking through loss or love someone who is, this episode will remind you: God can handle your questions. His grace meets you in the wrestle. He holds space with you to find hope. 

 

About the guests:
Pastors Myles & Dee MacCloskey lead Jesus is Here, a church in Frisco, TX. As parents, pastors, and those who’ve walked through miscarriage and secondary infertility, they bring deep empathy and lasting hope to those on similar journeys.

In this heartfelt and honest episode, Jason and BonnieRuth share their personal story—24 years of marriage, 19 of those spent navigating infertility, pregnancy loss, and ultimately, childlessness. They open up about the unexpected lessons, the deep pain, and the surprising growth they experienced along the way.
This episode offers both practical and spiritual tools for couples walking through similar struggles. With vulnerability and hope, they speak to the reality that no couple imagines this path when they say “I do,” but it’s a journey that doesn’t have to define or defeat you.
Whether you’re in the thick of it or supporting someone who is, this episode is filled with encouragement, empathy, and real-life insight to help you discover what you didn’t know you needed.

🎙 NEW EPISODE: Keith & Taryn – Love, Loss & the Layers Between 💔➡️💞

Keith and Taryn met in college and have been married since 2015. Their journey includes the joys of raising two beautiful children—and the deep heartbreak of three miscarriages and a season of secondary infertility.

In this powerful episode of Barren Not Broken, they invite us into their story with rare vulnerability. Together, they open up about:

🔸 The emotional toll of secondhand infertility
🔸 Walking through miscarriage—three times
🔸 How grief looks different for each spouse
🔸 Keith’s honest take on being a grieving husband and father
🔸 Taryn’s insight into the emotional and physical complexity of loss
🔸 What healing together can look like—and why hope is still possible

Whether you’re in the thick of it or walking alongside someone who is, this episode will help you feel seen, understood, and never alone.