In the shadow of Mother’s Day, I’m reminded of how painful Mother’s Day can be. It’s a holiday laced with immense pain for many… those who struggle to have children… those who had a bad relationship with their mother. Then there are those who have lost a child. Those who wait with longing for a child they’ve been matched with …
Do you let God use your pain? Wildflowers from Winter Giveaway
My friend Katie Ganshert is celebrating the release of her novel Wildflowers from Winter. The premise is that God can take our pain and turn it into beauty — sometimes unexpected. And I’m thrilled to add that her publisher will send a copy of her debut novel to one of the commenters, so be sure to let me know how …
Heaven is for Real
Curious about the book Heaven is for Real? The author Todd Burpo spoke at my parents’ church yesterday. Listen to the stories. Read the book. Judge for yourself. I read the book in an afternoon. And my ten-year-old read it in two nights. Heaven is for Real. Just like Christ is real. The chapter that meant the most to me …
Real Life on Pages
What happens when real life bleeds on to the pages of our books? Sometimes it happens. I know, you never expected that, right? Some of my writer friends have talked about whether they feel more exposed in fiction or nonfiction. Now my onl y non fiction book is on business law. Very academic if approachable. I definitely feel more exposed …
Handling Grief Part Four
Here’s my last thought on this… at least for now 🙂 Please acknowledge the pain. Even though you may not understand what the mother is going through, please acknowledge that she’s had a loss and that her pain is real. Little hurts more than having the loss seemingly ignored. So if you don’t know what to say, just say you’re …
Handling Grief Part Three: Resources
Here are some resources that I wish I’d found in the days and weeks after my first miscarriage. Grieving the Child I Never Knew: A Devotional Companion for Comfort in the Loss of Your Unborn or Newly Born By Kathe Wunnenberg Grieving the Child I Never Knew offers comfort and the reassurance of God’s presence as you grieve the loss …
Handling Grief Part Two
Did I mention that men and women are different? Boy are they! On one level it makes sense. The women is the one who knows that her body is hard at work protecting and supporting this developing life. She’s already imagined what’s coming for the next nine months and beyond. To a man, it may be exciting but it’s still …
Handling Grief
I’ve learned several things through the miscarriges about grief and how I process it. I’ll share a few today in case they might help you as you try to understand or be supportive of someone you know going through grief. A couple things hit me this week that made me think this might be a good time to share. 1) …
My Source of Strength in Pain
Strength. I’ve always thought of myself as a strong person. Ask anyone who knows me and they’d likely agree. I tend to take life and adapt it to the way I want things to go. Most of the time. But every once in awhile life throws me a curveball. The latest came in July. The day before I left for …
Lingering Effects…
Friday night I learned that two friends miscarried last week. My heart broke for them and the loss of their babies. I have to tell you — I don’t understand why God allows such things to befall us in life. I wrestle with understanding His ways, His purpose, His plans. Yet I know that He is in control of our …