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”

The holidays are a time for celebrating, yet many of us dread this season and cannot wait for the calendar page to turn to January 1. Some imagine the holidays as a scene from It’s a Wonderful Life, and there are others whose reality is more like Scrooged. Maybe you feel burdened by loss as you beginContinue reading “Wonderful Counselor of our Hearts”

Recently, I watched the Hallmark movie Navigating Christmas. Of course, there was the typical boy meets girl scenario. At first, they are at odds with one another, followed by falling in love, then they kiss and live happily ever after! I imagine you’ve all seen one (or fifty) of these. Oh, if only real life workedContinue reading “Navigating Christmas”

A couple of weeks ago, I woke up in the wee hours of the morning with the following words in my heart: “How I long to breathe the air of heaven – where pain is gone, and mercy fills the streets.” They continued repeating until I finally sat up and wrote them down. When I got upContinue reading “The Day When Death Will Be No More”

It’s been a few years since I’ve written about self-care (Self Care or Selfish), but it remains an integral part in helping walk through the grief journey. Recently, I’ve been thinking that no matter how much time goes by, it’s still so important to protect your heart while you grieve. As the season changes fromContinue reading “Protect Your Heart While You Grieve”

When we think of those who are grieving, we tend to lean more toward the negative. After all, what do grief and loss bring? Intense sadness, anxiety, depression, fear, and even anger. But hold on. If we take a moment to look closely at a person who is walking the grief journey, I believe weContinue reading “Grievers are Survivors”

As we approach Thanksgiving many of us will look upon the empty chair at the table. The hole deep within our heart will now be staring openly at us. Holidays are hard. If you are early on in your grief journey you may wonder how you’re going to get through the day. The empty chairContinue reading “The Empty Chair”