SHOW NOTES Has it been shocking to you that grief has been harder than you thought?  That it’s taking SO much longer than you imagined and that it seems like it will never end?  Well, the first holidays (and possibly the second) will be as shocking and make you feel the same way. In preparation for your first holidays, I’m going to share: 3 things to prepare for 3 things to help you get through and, 3 things to consider doing differently this year WORD of the Week   And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus ..read more

SHOW NOTES - This is a replay from Thanksgiving 2022   Today is Thanksgiving and it may be a day you just want over with, so giving thanks isn’t so easy.  And, when you are getting lost in your feelings, it’s hard to do the thing that will change all things.  I’m talking about being in God’s word. Today, I want you to know that you aren’t alone, that you are loved.  Just sit back and listen as I read God’s word and a few quotes to help you through this day.  God is still good, and He still has a purpose for your life.   WORD of the Week   The Lord himself goe ..read more

SHOW NOTES This week, I’ll be answering a question that I receive a lot.  It’s actually a question I had, and it was the fear I had. Because grief was so painful and made me question everything, I was convinced that life would never be good again, that it would be painful, sad, and hopeless. Because grief is so overwhelming, it’s easy to feel this way.  And when things don’t change day after day and month after month, we start worrying that grief has become our new reality. I’ll share how to know if you are making progress, how to know if you are stuck and need help.  I’ll share ..read more

SHOW NOTES You are going through grief right now but life around you goes on as it always has.  That in itself seems wrong, but are you dealing with the same expectations from others in a different way?  As Christians we tend to take on others’ problems in an unhealthy way because we feel or were taught, we are supposed to.  But are we?    In grief, for the first time in my life, I had boundaries.  During grief, I didn’t care who thought I was being selfish or what anyone thought of me because I didn’t have enough energy to do anything but make it through the day ..read more

SHOW NOTES We read the Bible verse that God will make all things come together for our good. Well, how in the world is what you are going through good?  How can it ever be good?  This is where I struggled in the beginning.  I read about a Christian singer who lost her husband in a diving accident. I could so relate with the pain and confusion and then she shared how she had to trust in God and was given hope. She, like Monica while she was sick, had a hope I couldn’t rely on.  I had moments of hope but not an underlying confidence in God. I thought that all the success stor ..read more

SHOW NOTES What do you do when you are exhausted but can’t sleep.  Where does your mind take you? It is not uncommon to experience insomnia when going through grief.  And, when you don’t rest, it magnifies the overwhelm, the confusion, irritability and all the grief stuff. So, how do you get a decent rest in grief?  We’ll talk about some practical steps to help the symptom of not being able to sleep but we’ll also talk about what is at the root of it.   WORD of the Week  You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3 So ..read more

SHOW NOTES How many times have you prayed for this pain to stop?  And yet the tears keep falling.  How many times have you prayed for help getting through another difficult hour or day?  And the mornings - are still overwhelming. Are your prayers being heard?  Nothing seems to change; nothing seems to be getting better – and you start to wonder- does God even care? Today we’ll talk about what ‘going after God’ means and what you can expect if you do!   WORD of the Week  But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and&nbs ..read more

SHOW NOTES I can give you a list of times in my life that I felt responsible for the outcome of things.  When I was young, I felt like I had to keep the peace in the family; growing up, I felt I had to keep those I was in relationships with happy.  Or, even getting the jobs I applied for, making the money I needed to keep a roof over my head.  The thing about all those circumstances I mentioned is that failure is inherently built in and so I struggled with never doing or being enough.  And in all those circumstances, the outcome was never my responsibility. My level of thin ..read more

SHOW NOTES I grew up in church, I was baptized, and I called my self a Christian.  But what does 'being a Christian' mean to you? I was saved – I did begin a relationship with God at a young age, but I never grew my relationship with God. I read devotions, sometimes the Bible and I did pray though not regularly.  My Christianity was more religion than relationship and I’m not sure I recognized that until Monica died. In grief, I couldn’t see a future or any kind of life beyond my sorrow. That came with questioning and anger. But what I saw in Monica’s sickness was not religion and it ..read more

SHOW NOTES I grew up in church, I was baptized, and I called my self a Christian.  But what does that mean to you?  I was saved – I did begin a relationship with God at a young age, but I never grew my relationship with God. I read devotions, sometimes the Bible and I did pray though not regularly.  My Christianity was more religion than relationship and I’m not sure I recognized that until Monica died. In grief, I couldn’t see a future or any kind of life beyond my sorrow. That came with questioning and anger. But what I saw in Monica’s sickness was not religion and it changed ..read more