Grief, Near-Death Experiences, and the Joy of "It's Okay to Be Okay" - Leah Chrest

What happens when youspend years studying 500+ near-death experiences (NDEs) to write a book on theafterlife, only for your husband of 13 years to pass away suddenly the very dayafter it is published? Leah Chrest is an author, Christian meditation teacher,speaker, and creator of The Contemplative Christian.She is the author of At the Edge of the Jordan (anarrative nonfiction exploration of NDEs) and It's Okay to Be Okay(a grief recovery memoir). When faced with sudden widowhood, Leah found herselfexperiencing profound peace and joy instead of lingering in societalexpectations of endless, performative despair. Today, she helps people navigateloss, release religious guilt, and understand that death is simply a awakeninginto divine love. In this episode of FailCraft, Leah joins Ezekiel for an inspiringconversation on grief and faith. She breaks down the myth of "grievingcorrectly," shares personal stories of spiritual connection with her latehusband, and explains why love is the ultimate lesson of the human experience. In this episode of FailCraft,you’ll discover:·        TheTragic Timing: Publishing a book onthe afterlife the day before losing her husband. ·        MovingBeyond Pascal's Wager:Shifting from intellectual belief to an unshakeable experience of divine love. ·        Debunkingthe Widow's Script: Overcoming guilt whenexperiencing joy after loss [07:34 / 09:37]. ·        MessagesAcross the Veil: Simple, meaningfulmoments of connection after a loved one passes [10:29 / 13:19]. ·        What500+ NDE Accounts Teach Us:Realizing how deeply we are loved and celebrated on the other side [13:19 /15:34]. ·        HonoringLegacy Through Joy: Reframe loss byliving from the love your late loved ones had for you. Connect With Leah Chrest:·        WebsiteHub: Explore blogs, Amazonbook links, and resources at thecontemplativechristian.com. ·        FreeAudiobook: Listen to the freeaudiobook of At the Edge of the Jordan chapter by chapter on Substack @The Contemplative Christian. Support the Show:·        Fuel the FailCraftMission: https://iferia.nestuge.com/supportme ·        Subscribe, leave areview, and share this episode with anyone navigating loss, grief, or spiritualquestions! Want to Be a Guest onFailCraft?·        Connect with Ezekielon PodMatch: https://podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/failcraft Chapters:00:00 Introduction:Leah Chrest & It's Okay to Be Okay02:02 The TragicTiming: Losing Her Husband the Day After Publishing Her Book05:03 Shifting fromIntellectual Faith to Deep Spiritual Certainty07:34 Breaking theGrief Script: Dealing with Guilt and Discomfort Around Joy10:29 Lessons from500+ NDEs & Signs Across the Veil13:19 Re-Framing Deathas Waking Up into Unconditional Divine Love16:28 Living the"Why": How to Honor Loved Ones Without Guilt18:26 RedefiningSuccess as Loving the Person in Front of You19:45 Connect withLeah Chrest & Free Substack Audiobook