Joy Overcame Sorrow with Dr. Jerry Woodbridge is a heartwarming podcast that delves into the transformative power of healing after loss. Hosted by Carrie Watts, Dr. Jerry Woodbridge shares her journey as a widow, educator, and author of Joy Overcame Sorrow and Joy’s Journal. Through personal stories, expert advice, and practical tools, Dr. Woodbridge offers support for those navigating grief and loss.

With over 40 years of experience in education and a deep passion for helping others find hope, Dr. Woodbridge shares insights into her own healing process and how she has supported children and families in grief. Whether you are processing your own sorrow or seeking to offer support to others, this podcast provides the encouragement and wisdom needed to move through grief and rediscover joy. Tune in for inspiring conversations on healing, faith, and resilience.

In this powerful and heartfelt episode of Widowed 2 Soon, host Michelle Bader Ebersole is joined by Dr. Jerry Woodbridge—educator, author, and fellow widow—for a deeply moving conversation recorded on International Widows Day. Together, they shine a global light on the realities of widowhood, the healing power of creativity, and the vital role of community support.

Dr. Jerry shares her personal journey of love, loss, and resilience, beginning with her love story, the joy of adoption, and the sudden tragedy that changed everything. With wisdom and vulnerability, she opens up about navigating early grief, parenting as a solo mom, and finding unexpected healing through ballroom dancing and writing.

This episode is packed with insight and inspiration for anyone walking through grief—or walking alongside someone who is.

Jerry L. Woodbridge is a Christian author and educator specializing in grief support and education. After experiencing the sudden loss of her husband, she guided her own children through grief, inspiring her to write books that offer hope and healing. Her works include Trading My Sorrows: For the Joy of the Lord, which explores widowhood and faith-based healing. Joy Overcame Sorrow, a children's book on grief and Resilience and Joy, Journal, which provides guided questions, thoughtful prompts, and space to write, as you explore Joy's story while making sense of your own emotions. As a dedicated 40-year educator, Jerry has impacted countless lives, teaching students from K-9th grade and mentoring doctoral candidates in higher education. She currently serves as an assistant professor in the School of Education at Liberty University, where she is known for her caring, supportive, and inspirational teaching style.

In this episode of “Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Nurturing Through Adversity,” I’m joined by Dr. Jerry Woodbridge—a compassionate grief advocate, educator, and widow—who shares both her powerful personal story and practical, expert guidance on children’s grief. Together, we explore how grief manifests differently in children, subtle warning signs caregivers shouldn’t ignore, and concrete strategies like journaling, creative expression, and building supportive communities rooted in faith.

Valerie interviews her ballroom dancing friend, who wrote a book about Joy, who lost her father. She wrote the book from Joy's perspective and takes the reader through the process of her grief. Here is what Jerry said when Valerie asked her for comments about her book: "Joy Overcame Sorrow has three audiences: Children (4th-7th grade) who have lost a loved one or a reader who wants to understand how to support a friend who has, the helpers of children who have lost loved ones, and adults with unresolved grief who may have lost a loved one as a child. I am also being told by one of my book launch members, who recently lost her dad, that she has found the book comforting. There is also a companion journal that asks questions from the book and offers open-ended prompts for personalization of their grief journey. This led to a new understanding of unresolved grief. If we do not help children navigate the process of grief, then they may have unresolved grief as adults." I so agree! As a Counselor, I assist those who do not even know they are carrying grief.

Have you ever wondered if grief could ever give way to genuine laughter again? Or sensed the weight of sorrow so heavy it silenced even your brightest smile? In this episode, Dr. Jerry Woodbridge—widow, educator, and author—shares how she turned her own heartbreak into hope for countless children and families. Stay with us to discover the unexpected path from loss to joy… and why one little girl’s voice became the heartbeat of a healing story.

Navigating Teen Grief When Parents Grieve

What happens when grief arrives unexpectedly, shattering the life you carefully built? Dr. Jerry Woodbridge knows this terrain intimately. After losing her husband to cancer just one day after his diagnosis, she found herself navigating not only her own grief but also guiding her children through theirs.

In this profound conversation, Dr. Woodbridge dispels common misconceptions about the grieving process. Forget the neat, orderly stages you've heard about—grief is more like "having a thousand hornets around your head" or bouncing on a trampoline while attempting to climb stairs. You make progress, fall back, bounce up again, and repeat in an unpredictable cycle that doesn't follow a timetable.

Kingdom Cross Roads Podcast is a part of The God Centered Concept.

In this conversation, Dr. Jerry Woodbridge shares her personal journey through grief after losing her husband to colon cancer. She discusses the importance of journaling as a tool for processing emotions and how her experiences led her to write children's books that address grief. The conversation emphasizes the role of faith in navigating loss and the significance of love in the grieving process. Dr. Woodbridge highlights the need for resources to help children and adults alike deal with unresolved grief, advocating for a narrative approach to healing.

In this deeply compassionate episode, I sit down with Dr. Jerry Woodbridge—a Christian author, grief advocate, and educator—to explore the complex journey of grieving with faith, honesty, and hope.

What You’ll Discover

• Grief isn’t linear. Dr. Woodbridge likens it to “having a thousand hornets around your head” or bouncing on a trampoline while climbing stairs—progress, setbacks, repeat.

• Identity after loss. The unexpected transition into widowhood isn’t a choice anyone makes. Dr. Woodbridge reflects on how that identity shift challenged both her role and faith.

• Children and grief. Kids aren’t little adults. Dr. Woodbridge explains how avoiding their grief can lead to long-term emotional struggles, and how stories can offer healing validation.

• Writing to heal and help. Through her faith-based children’s book Joy Overcame Sorrow, she gives young readers—and the adults who love them—language and solace in the midst of loss.

• Metaphor of sorrow and joy. She shares a beautiful visual: “Both sorrow and joy can coexist like liquids in a coffee cup, with love bridging the gap. We grieve because we love—and that same love makes room for joy, even alongside the sadness.”

If you’ve ever wondered how children can learn to face grief with courage and creativity, episode 370 is for you. Author and educator Jerry Woodbridge joins Emily to share how her experiences of loss and widowhood inspired her to write Joy Overcame Sorry, a middle-grade novel that helps kids process the death of a parent through story and journaling. With wisdom drawn from her own grief journey, Jerry shows how writing, empathy, and faith can guide children—and their families—toward resilience, healing, and hope.

On this episode of Ask Christian Counseling Associates, join us for an insightful conversation with Christian author and expert on childhood grief, Jerry Woodbridge. Drawing from her book Joy Overcame Sorrow, Jerry shares faith-centered wisdom for guiding children through loss, and difficult questions about life and death. We’ll discuss how parents can provide comfort, hope in the face of overwhelming sorrow, helping children see God’s presence even in their darkest moments.

My guest today Dr. Jerry Woodbridge is a Christian author, grief advocate, and lifelong educator with a heart for those navigating loss. She is the author of Joy Overcame Sorrow, a faith-based children’s book told from a 10-year-old’s point of view, Joy’s Journal, a companion guided journal for kids aged 9–12 and Trading My Sorrows for the Joy of the Lord, a heartfelt exploration of widowhood through a spiritual lens.  She is also an assistant professor at Liberty University!

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