The valley is deep. We were discussing the verse "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death" at my GriefShare class last week and one of the ladies who had just lost her husband was sharing her discouragement. When you are walking through a valley, it can feel as though there is no way out. Dark, hopeless, endless. As though nothing will ever be the same, be normal, be tolerable ever again. Maybe you are walking through a valley right now. Maybe you just experienced a great loss - the death of a loved one, the realization that a dream won't come to fruition, a … [Read more...]
2018 Word of The Year
Choosing a word of the year seems like such a daunting task. As a Christ follower, I want the word to be something that God is working on in my heart. But what if I couldn't think of a word? What if He didn't give me a word for the year? Or what if the word I chose wasn't the "right" one? I had many words in my head for 2018 - freedom, rest, restoration, just to name a few. I kept thinking back on 2017 - the "Life-Giving" year. So much happened last year - Logan turned 1, I dove into a business, we took our first family vacation, my husband's job took him away a lot, and my father … [Read more...]
13 Tangible Ways to Minister to a Grieving Family
When a family walks through the loss of a loved one, it makes everyday life difficult. Often people want to help, but just aren't sure how. Having recently walking through the loss of my father, I wanted to share this list of some ways to minister to a grieving family. … [Read more...]
An Open Letter to the Girl Who Just Lost Her Daddy
If you are in need of support during your time of grief, I created this free grief support series and this journal just for you. To the girl who just lost her Daddy. You never thought this would happen to you. It's something that happens in movies and books. A little girl or a young woman loses her father and is thrust into greatness as she overcomes. You are very aware of all the stories that begin this way now, I know. You wonder where the messy middle part of the story is. You know, the part just after the monitor stops beating and your daddy is gone forever. The part where you … [Read more...]
Thankfulness Looks Different
Thankfulness looks different this year. In the past, I've looked forward to the first of November, maybe playing along with stating something I'm thankful for each day or writing posts about looking for ways to be grateful. This year, the whole concept of thankfulness feels a little strange. How can I be thankful right now? There's a hole in my heart, a hole in my life, a hole in our family, a hole in our community. My father isn't here anymore and it hurts. If you are walking through grief, I created this free support series just for you. Sign up here. … [Read more...]