There is a critical moment in our grieving journey where we realize that holding onto the past is keeping us from embracing the present. We realize that to function in the day-to-day reality we live in, we have to accept …
Stage 4: Depression, Reflection & Loneliness
Of all the stages of grief this is the one that is the most elusive in terms of gaining an understanding of what you are dealing with. There is nothing you can do to prepare yourself for the reality of …
Stage 3: Pain & Guilt
As I sit here, I’m remembering all the great times that I had with my mom. We were tight! She was my hero and until my younger brother came along – ten years later – I spent a lot of …
Stage 2: Anger & Bargaining
When I first read that a lot of people link these two things (anger & bargaining), I thought it odd. Now, not so much. The thing is it’s not fair! How could they leave me in this state? How could …
Stage 1: Shock and Denial
There are a lot of different emotions that you experience when you lose a loved one. Especially when it is sudden or unexpected. But the shock of it all very often almost forces you into a place of denial. I …
Restoring Joy – Part 4
Last week I shared a breakdown I experienced (was going through). It was the result of shame, negativity and lies I was telling myself. It was rooted in relational strains, wanting more control of my life and ideas for change …
Restoring Joy – Part 3
Driving home Thursday I had an overwhelming sense of sadness. I’d been fighting this for a long time but I could no loner contain it. At home I couldn’t do anything but lie in bed and cry, one of those …
Restoring Joy – Part 2
As I reflected on last week’s post, past conversations from those who recently worked through loss came to mind. Many of them found that the biggest challenge was working through what can best be described as an “emotional fog”. This …
Encouragement that can change a life
After our family participated in the service this past Sunday and were working through the questions after, a very significant thought came to mind. As we were going through the question of how others have encouraged us, I was immediately …