One Incredible Helper

Good Morning... On her Facebook page our friend Laura Deisley wrote these words last week: "Fred Rogers often told this story about when he was a boy and would see scary things on the news: My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times [...]

By |2017-10-20T02:36:12-04:00October 20th, 2017|God's Word, Grief|

God Winks At The Perfect Time

Good morning... "Sue, I had to tell you about the 'God Wink' we had this morning and how God used you to reach out to us through your blog," she emailed me last week. "We were driving up to Highlands, NC this morning with husband's siblings and families. The purpose of our journey was to have a small ceremony to [...]

By |2017-10-19T08:57:07-04:00October 12th, 2017|God's Timing, Grief, Letting Go|

Tucking In Ashes

Good Morning... “The tucking in ceremony was so sad and so special,” my friend told me after a very significant family funeral. “What is a ‘tucking in’ ceremony?” I asked. She described for me her experience. After their loved one was cremated, following the funeral, the family members took turns digging a hole on a holy plot of land and, [...]

By |2017-10-18T15:17:44-04:00October 7th, 2017|Grief, Letting Go, Tragedy|

Notice God’s Whisper Today

Good morning... Six months ago today, the spirit of our dear friend Julie returned to heaven from earth (Ecclesiastes 12:7). Sensing her way through the process of grief, Julie's mother recently shared with me this revealing YouTube video, a video which amplifies the whisper of God. “Speak to me, God,” we yell. “LORD, let me see you,” we beg. [...]

By |2017-10-01T22:53:57-04:00October 2nd, 2017|Everyday life, Grief|

Grieve Losses, One By One

Good morning... “I know you lost a beloved tree to Irma,” she kindly wrote in her email. “I hope any other losses are minimal.” Our old, sturdy tree toppled in the high, drenching winds. I never thought of a fallen tree as a key loss until my fingers and my keyboard formed my tender response. “We did lose our [...]

By |2017-09-13T18:54:30-04:00September 14th, 2017|Grief|

It Could Have Been Worse

Good morning... "Hoping high tide doesn't bring the river into our living room," a friend texted from Jacksonville, Florida as Hurricane Irma slammed her state. "Please pray that the water recedes and we don't see the predicted 4-6 foot surge. Thank you." I lifted prayers all day and was grateful for her final message. "Waters came up to the [...]

By |2017-09-12T10:52:51-04:00September 12th, 2017|Everyday life, Gratitude, Grief, Tragedy|

The Gift Of Tears

Good morning... She expressed concerned over crying so much. So I wrote to her my thoughts about the gift of tears. Grief is an unpredictable thing. "Crying so much lately" may feel like "going backward" instead of "making headway," but I think tears are a sign of the Holy Spirit deeply at work. Tears tenderize us and express overwhelming [...]

By |2018-06-14T18:08:33-04:00May 9th, 2017|Grief, Healing, Holy Spirit, Pain|

Grief’s Slow Healing

My recent post, "Run toward the roar," has created a lot of great dialogue, face to face and through email exchanges. One long time friend, who has lived through an immensely painful loss, wrote: "Hey Sue. Wow, this one is powerful and hits me deeply. As I think about it I don't see myself having run towards the roar [...]

By |2017-09-01T02:08:52-04:00April 27th, 2017|Grief, Healing, Pain, Tragedy|

Run Toward the Roar

A friend in my Tuesday group sent me a very challenging article, an article passed on to her by a friend, an article by Davey Blackburn from 4.18.16 entitled "Running Toward the Roar." Some of the most profound comments, I will share here, with a link to the entire article below. "Perhaps one of the most impactful books I’ve [...]

By |2017-09-01T02:08:10-04:00April 25th, 2017|Grief, Healing, Pain, Tragedy|

Say “Yes” To Today

Good morning... Before leaving our final gathering of the semester, she gave me a tender hug, handed me a small paper bag, and softly said, "You came into my life at just the right time." Standing beside her, I pulled from the flat, brown bag one simple, organic-looking card bearing rudimentary typing. Our hearts nestled together, breathing in the [...]

By |2018-06-14T21:44:42-04:00April 21st, 2017|Gratitude, Grief|
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