Although I probably won’t have the opportunity to meet most of you personally, we are still very much connected by one thing – loss. Our hearts are joined by being on this journey together. If you are in the early days of your grief, I’m sure you have a lot of questions, such as: WillContinue reading “In the Waiting”
Tag Archives: #trustgod
Stolen Glimpses of Hope
Stolen glimpses of hope. These words were whispered to my heart as I lay in bed at 3:00AM, wondering what I would write about today. As a writer, I always want a few blogs in my draft folder, just waiting to be published. This alleviates any self-imposed pressure I may feel. As much as IContinue reading “Stolen Glimpses of Hope”
The Strong Influence of Grief
Over the past two weeks, I’ve thought about the strong influence of grief in our lives and the one who makes me strong. After loss, grief shapes how we feel and impacts how we handle difficult situations. Recently, my husband went through a difficult medical situation, which we are still walking through. Although I’m relievedContinue reading “The Strong Influence of Grief”
Time is a Funny Thing
The concept of time can be such a dichotomy. As dinnertime approaches, have you ever turned around and said, “Where did the day go?” I sure have. It’s also interesting how sometimes a day can seem like forever, but then a year can feel like it went by in the blink of an eye. Yes,Continue reading “Time is a Funny Thing”
Walking Through Our Suffering
When we are walking through our suffering and are in the hard, dark places grief can bring us, we often feel like we’re alone on an island. But I want to encourage you today. No matter how you may feel, you are not alone! I will never forget the overwhelming sense of seclusion I feltContinue reading “Walking Through Our Suffering”
Forgiveness
What is forgiveness? Forgiveness means different things to different people. It involves intentionally letting go of any resentment and anger you may harbor against another. Whatever the act was that hurt or offended you, it might always be with you, but working on forgiveness can lessen the grip it has on you. It’s been aContinue reading “Forgiveness”
Where Do We Find the Strength to Go On
No matter how long a person has been on this road, there are days we still find ourselves on the struggle bus. I don’t know about you, but I dread those times when grief rears its ugly head once again. Recently, a friend told me how strong they thought I was. Inwardly, I heard aContinue reading “Where Do We Find the Strength to Go On”
A Delicate Balance of Life After Loss
It’s been many years since I’ve been to the circus, but I’ve often felt that managing grief is a little like being in the circus. It’s not the fun part with clowns, magicians, circus animals, and cotton candy. No, it’s more like being a tightrope walker. With grief, there is a delicate balance of lifeContinue reading “A Delicate Balance of Life After Loss”
New Year’s Resolutions for the Bereaved
I imagine many of you think, “Phew, we made it! We managed to survive the holiday season.” As each Christmas passes, I realize I’m still standing. Still breathing. Still holding tight to the One who continues to hold me. Jesus is the cornerstone of each and every day of my life. I don’t know whereContinue reading “New Year’s Resolutions for the Bereaved”
Give a Little Kindness
There are times when I’m driving down the road I tend to get impatient. Have you ever found yourself running behind, and it’s at that exact moment when the person driving in front of you seems to be the slowest driver on planet Earth? This has happened to me more than once. However, since MelanieContinue reading “Give a Little Kindness”
Creating a Place for Love and Loss
How do we begin creating a place for love and loss when the loss is the most prominent thing we feel? When we experience the loss of a loved one, everything around us looks different. Our worlds are tilted, and we can’t seem to stand like we used to. All our minds can think aboutContinue reading “Creating a Place for Love and Loss”
The Faithfulness of God During Hard Times
We often turn our anger toward God when we walk through grief and other challenging moments. When a loved one dies, it’s normal to question the faithfulness of God during hard times. After all, how could a good and faithful God have allowed this bad thing to happen to you and your family? If you’reContinue reading “The Faithfulness of God During Hard Times”
The Emptiness of Grief
When I was growing up, if someone died, my mother would immediately head for the kitchen, where she would begin cooking a beautiful Italian meal of sauce, meatballs, and pasta. She’d then ask my father to drive her over to that person’s house so she could sit with them. Inevitably, when we arrived, the houseContinue reading “The Emptiness of Grief”
The Fight to Flourish
Grief work is hard. It seems absurd to make that statement because anyone who has suffered a loss knows how difficult this journey is. We don’t get through grief by happenstance. It takes work to walk this road. After losing my daughter, I read as much as possible as I tried to piece together theContinue reading “The Fight to Flourish”
Wishing for The Wayback
Today is Melanie’s birthday – her 4th one in Heaven. I thought I was going to fly right through this day – no problem! Hey, life is good. I’m feeling strong … until I’m not. It’s just a reminder that no matter how much time goes by our hearts will always be incredibly tender duringContinue reading “Wishing for The Wayback”
Even in the Broken Parts Hope is Never Gone
Recently I was thinking about the verse, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil for you are with me; your rod and your staff they comfort me.” Psalm 23:4 NIV. For those of us who have a loved one who ran ahead to heaven, we know what it’s likeContinue reading “Even in the Broken Parts Hope is Never Gone”
Accepting the Life We Didn’t Choose
When the world around you falls apart, and you’re completely blindsided by life, you may wonder, where is God? Does he even exist? While many may cry out to him, others may ask, where is he? Is he even here? If so, how could he let this happen? If you’re like me and are walkingContinue reading “Accepting the Life We Didn’t Choose”
The Multiplication and Division of Grief
We are at a point in our home where neither my husband nor I can help our son any longer in math. When he came home talking about quadratic equations, my eyes rolled into the back of my head. But even without being proficient in this level of math, there is some basic mathematics IContinue reading “The Multiplication and Division of Grief”
Practicing the 3 C’s of Grief: Choose, Connect, Communicate
The grief journey isn’t a sprint; it’s a marathon. Like sprint runners, we will not get through our grief in 1 minute 20 seconds. Several friends have run the Boston Marathon, which takes months of rigorous training and preparation. They need to practice running short intervals, then slowly, they begin increasing the time of theirContinue reading “Practicing the 3 C’s of Grief: Choose, Connect, Communicate”
Remembering My Girl
Three years … 1095 days … 26,280 hours ago, you ran ahead to Heaven. It still seems like only yesterday and an eternity, all at the same time. Many have asked if it’s become any more manageable over time – the grief, the missing of you. I hesitate, but only for a moment because, indeed,Continue reading “Remembering My Girl”