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Category: grief and loss

What’s in Your Cup?

I enjoy my morning coffee (and sometimes an extra in the afternoon, and a bedtime hot chocolate or herbal tea). I’ve collected a variety of mugs over the years, each with some sentimental meaning. Every one of them reminds me of a person, a place, or a moment that...

Teaching the Children: Why Funerals Matter

In the first month of the year, I attended three funerals. One for an almost 92-year-old force-to-be-reckoned-with woman, with whom I shared a birthday; one for a friend’s brother, only 31 years old; one for another friend’s mother, who recently turned 65. I attended each of these services for...

Real Life Duck Tales

“What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?” Arthur Weasley asks Harry in the movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. One of the original purposes included checking the temperature of bath water. In recent years, a couple of my favorite YouTubers have determined, “Ducks...

Holiday Memories in the Making

Do you have specific holiday traditions? I believe in making the most of every day and creating memories. Whether it’s an official holiday or a movie marathon, these memories often start in the kitchen. I enjoy cooking and making treats. However, my treat-making started because of food allergies. It’s...

Remembering Grandmama

Both Thanksgiving and Christmas were my Grandmother‘s forte. She prepared the turkey, dressing, and most sides for many years. She enjoyed this time, even when it was stressful. She would complain or fuss about some things, but go on about her work (sometimes, we thought she fussed for fun)....

Spring Cleaning

Cleaning out clutter is about more than “stuff.” So often, we don’t realize how much stuff is accumulating until we decide to clean. The second half of May tends to be when I tackle the piles of stuff because we have a break in activities for a few weeks....

The most important day

TODAY is the most important day of the year, maybe even your life.  Last Christmas No one knows when their lasts will happen, either their last day or the last day with a loved one. Whether you like puns like, “Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not guaranteed. Today...

Lessons from Lamentations

Lamentations is a short book that packs a powerful punch. I was actually surprised when I realized it was over in my Bible reading plan. Jeremiah goes on for fifty-two chapters, yet wraps up a Lament for Jerusalem in just five chapters.  A lamentation is defined as “a passionate...

Lessons from the Book of Job

Satan, with God’s permission, singled Job out to test his faith. Though Job suffered, perhaps more than anyone else, he did not give up his faith. He refused to curse God, though he did curse himself and lament being born at all. Job sat through the interrogation and accusations...

God sees and God knows

Earlier this week, within the course of a few hours, I added five people to my “urgent needs” prayer list. While praying over one situation, I asked, “Lord, do you ever get tired of our stupidity?” We are often stuck in our own grief, self-pity, or outright rebellion. When...