The Next Podcast: Moving Forward with Grief and Loss
Welcome to The NEXT Podcast with Jay Cookingham—a heartfelt journey through grief, loss, and healing. After the devastating loss of his wife Christine, Jay shares his raw, honest reflections on navigating life without her. This podcast explores the power of grief as a medicine that teaches resilience, invites lament, and leads us to discover God’s presence during sorrow. With grace and vulnerability, Jay offers hope and encouragement to those walking through grief, reminding us that we’re not alone on this journey of healing.

Welcome to The NEXT Podcast with Jay Cookingham—a heartfelt journey through grief, loss, and healing. After the devastating loss of his wife, Christine, Jay shares raw, honest reflections on navigating life without her. Each episode explores how grief can become a teacher of resilience, inviting lament and revealing moments of grace in the deepest sorrow. With vulnerability and compassion, Jay offers encouragement to anyone walking the path of loss, reminding you that you are never alone on the journey toward healing.
We’ve all heard the phrase ”be strong,” but what happens when strength becomes a mask we use to hide our weariness, pain, and grief? In this episode of The NEXT Podcast, host Jay Cookingham dives deep into the heavy, unspoken burden of carrying a ”tough face”.
Drawing from his own visceral experience standing in a receiving line for over two hours at his late wife Christine's memorial service, where he found himself comforting others instead of being comforted.
If you've ever felt the pressure to hold it all together while breaking inside, this episode offers grace-filled permission to drop the badge of honor of false strength. Jay shares practical, pastoral steps for evaluating your responsibilities, setting healthy boundaries, and transferring the weight off your shoulders onto Jesus. Because true strength isn't about pretending to be unbreakable, it’s about relying on His power in our weakness.
Find out more about me here: www.jaycookingham.com
I’m on @buymeacoffee. If you like, even maybe love my podcast, you can buy me a coffee and support me. It’s a simple way of showing your support and helping me grow the podcast. Thank you!
Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/jcdude56t
Music by Paul Grimsland
You can buy my grief devotional, NEXT: Lamentations and Devotions, here: https://a.co/d/07sA61P5
