There are so many hurting and lost souls in this world.
Why would you ever want to become the one who wounds?
There are so many broken shattered lives all around.
Why would you ever want to become the abuser?
There are so many confused and controlled within our stories.
Why would you ever want to become an he one who brings the pain?
When you want to lash out, reach out in love.
When you want to return the cuts, give grace instead.
When you want to bring vengeance for the tears, give forgiveness and walk away.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation is yielded.
Healing doesn’t always warrant reentry of the poison.
Be wise, but still forgive.
Be prudent, but still release the accused.
Holding them prisoner only brings the same guilt back to you.
Open that lock and barricade and let freedom reign.
Walk away to become someone else’s hero.
Move forward to create someone else’s ability to live.
Run toward purpose to become someone else’s hero and help slay someone else’s giant.
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
The journey of grief seems so long, so treacherous, and so methodical.
If you dwell too much on the journey, you’ll wander along the creek side, lost.
Never stopping for a drink.
The water continues to flow along the path, and it is for your refreshing, your renewal.
For the journey is hard, and it’s not meant for eternity.
Stay alert and remain vigilant in the middle of the walk.
Stay revived and maintain the elements to survive.
Grief is like a thief if you’ll allow him to be.
He will steal days, years, even hours and minutes
He will steal joy and peace, prosperity and comfort.
Don’t let him stay too long, or he will even steal your sanity.
You can’t shut him out; for then, he will only come back with gained force.
But don’t open the gate wide to welcome; for he will consume all territory that is lonely.
Fortify the good within and remain watchful.
Maintain the gates with prayer, steadfastness and faith.
Let him walk through, but swing open the back door with a celebration and fanfare.
For he will always peek through the windows and the trellises, but he cannot set up to abide.
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weepingmayendure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:5
As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually say to me, “Where is your God?” When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast. Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance. O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore, I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, and from the heights of Hermon, from the Hill Mizar. Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life. I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.
Psalm 42
Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
He looks all nice and cozy, chewing his cud, minding his own business.
But don’t get too close, or you’ll feel his horns.
That bull goes about his day, grazing, watching, or just lazing around.
But you get into his sight, and he’s liable to gorge you.
That bull has a family, or maybe he’s a loner.
Leave him alone.
Don’t prod him.
Don’t prick him.
And certainly, don’t pet him.
He’s there to do his thing, and he will come and go as he pleases.
Just keep your eyes on him.
Never let him out of your peripheral view.
For that is when he will sneak up for the kill.
And you’ll be fortunate to survive the pounding.
Let him roam.
And keep your vision clear.
Learn from every encounter but try not to remain.
He will move on down the pasture when it’s time; although, he will always be there.
Just let him roam further and further.
But never let him out of your sight.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.
2 Corinthians 3-7
And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thornin the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.
It seems funny to give a title to grief as if I am numbering sheets of paper, but yet, how else do you list it?
Grief is evasive and yet, it is so invasive.
Grief is like a cool, summer rain, and yet, it’s like a torrential tsunami that barrels in with no warning.
Grief is both bittersweet and just plain sour.
And when grief comes by new forms and methods consistently over the years, it gets hard to dissect the good in the pain.
Just hold on.
And pray.
A lot.
We were not made for this world.
We were not made for this grief, and that’s why it’s so foreign. That’s why it’s so hard.
We were made for an eternal world, and we will be there before we know it.
He’s coming back soon.
Just hold on and be ready.
And He said to me, “My graceissufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weepingmayendure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.
Grief has so many aspects; sometimes, it’s just hard to keep up.
And when death has hit three years straight, the emotional roller coaster is full of surprises.
Today, it’s just hard.
And heartbreaking.
And enraging.
Hard because there’s so many shattered pieces, and nothing can be mended.
Heartbreaking because there’s so much lost, and nothing can be reconciled.
Enraging because there’s so much stolen, and nothing can be returned.
If perspectives remain only on the loss, the heart becomes sick, and the soul becomes hopeless.
Despair will settle in like a long and bitter cold rain.
But hope remains.
The only Hope that can be grasped.
Eternity is not bound in this day and time.
Destiny is not restrained by this hour and by the ticking of the clock.
Mortality is not for the Everlasting One nor for those who serve Him.
So, look up not down.
Look forward not behind.
The minutes are coming faster and soon will end and then,
True life will just begin again.
Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?”
I spend the majority of my time with the loves of my life: my husband and our two sons.
We have the most fun together, either all together, individually, or even broken up into pairs.
We love to travel, or hike, or to take a road trip, or take a walk, or go shopping, or find a great restaurant, or maybe just sit for a spell, telling stories, pondering the mysteries of God, comparing notes on the Lord of the Rings, or simply hanging out doing nothing at all.
Just being together is what counts. And although, each of us are so very different from the other, we’ve always been a very tight knit family. But as they grow, those days are coming to change very soon.
And my heart gets a bit sad every time I think about it.
Yet, I know it is meant to be, and I know it’s bittersweet.
It is meant to be because every parent wants their child to always be moving forward in life, never crippled, never wounded, or just stuck in one phase.
It is meant to be because every parent wants to see their children flourish, succeed, and fly like an eagle into their adult life, learning, growing and soaring into his own.
It is exciting because we want them to be strong men, independent, and confident in who they each are called to be. We raised them this way, and they are boldly approaching the goal.
It is exciting because we want to see them explore and experience all the thrills, all the joys, we once did and so much more.
It is bittersweet because I know as these days draw closer, they will fly; they will flourish, and one day, they will find the girl of their dreams. Then, they will begin their own families, their own lives.
It is bittersweet because this mama’s heart will miss them so and long for one more hug, another spontaneous, late night chat, an unexpected trip to the store “just to get a few things” and have some extra individual time together.
It is heartwarming because as you realize they’ve got what it takes to make it, and not just to survive but to thrive, you realize they really did hear you. They really did receive.
It is heartwarming because you know the two of you, husband and wife, now will have a rediscovery of each other. You’ll have opportunities for time renewed that has been shared for decades, and now, it’s just the two of you.
Yes, it is meant to be, and it is bittersweet.
And yet, it is both exciting and heartwarming.
Change is coming, and it’s coming so fast.
It will be upon us before I am truly ready.
So for now, I will be present in the moment.
I will cherish the past and look expectantly toward the future.
But I will continue to savor my overspent time with my loves right here, right now.
And I will continue spending my most valuable moments with the loves of my life.
For this is where I long to be most, second only to being by my Savior’s side. But that story will be saved for another day’s writing…
Right now, I’m going to get back to where I love to spend most of my time…❤️
My journey didn’t stop with mere time travel or writing; it led me to become one of the most sought-after empaths, a soulful psychic who reads the hidden depths of the human spirit. I’ve been blessed—or perhaps burdened—with an ability that allows me to feel the emotions of people from every corner of time.
I am a licensed psychologist based in Greece. My love for housekeeping has inspired me to create this blog about home management and family relationships. I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing!
Dedicated to movie nerdom, nostalgia, and escape. In the late 90s, I worked at Blockbuster Video where they let me take home two free movies a day. I caught up on the classics and reviewed theatrical releases for Denver 'burbs newspapers and magazines. Today, while raising two young, beautiful daughters with my amazing wife, I look forward to anything rated R and not Bluey. Comments and dialogue encouraged!
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