And bonus: when you’ve walked through the fire, and you’ve slain your dragon, there are those following.
And they need your victory.
So, be like Joan. Be not afraid.
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
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.”
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?”
Grief is like the boulder hopping moments of life.
To succeed in getting to the sunset, you’ve got to keep moving.
To achieve the goal of the setting horizon, you’ve got to keep taking the jump.
To get past the hardest points, one foot must stay in front of the other.
Even if you slip. Even if you stumble.
Keep going forward. Keep going beyond.
You’ll get there.
Eventually.
And you’ll be so glad you did.
The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the Lord upholds him with His hand.
Sometimes, things just don’t turn out as they should.
Sometimes, dreams are stolen, hearts are broken, and everyone is left desolate.
Sometimes, life just sucks, and there’s not a lot of change you can bring.
Don’t shut off the pain.
Don’t hurry up the emotion.
And certainly, don’t act as if it never happened.
Just grieve a while longer.
Just let the tears roll down into a river.
Walk out to the shoreline and breathe a little deeper.
Step out on that mountain and sigh a little louder.
There are no rules that should confine.
There are no restrictions that should bind.
There are no expectations that should be resigned.
Just let the grief roll on until it’s run its course.
Just let the pain push through until its done.
Let your heart grieve a little while longer until it heals.
Let your soul exhale a little wider until it can stand.
And when the healing comes and the strength returns, stand tall and begin to run again.
And it will come.
Someday soon.
The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit.
Psalm 34:18
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; Save me, and I shall be saved, For You are my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14
For I will restore health to you and heal you of your wounds,’ says the Lord, ‘Because they called you an outcast saying: “This is Zion; No one seeks her.” ’
It has been said that you are the average of your five closest friends…
So, whose mission are you on?
And what’s your average?
Not everyone you meet is going to stay with you on the journey.
And not everyone you want to stay will do so.
Some may not be able to handle your load.
Others may not be able to carry their own.
And still others just aren’t going the same way you are.
Don’t grow angry with them and don’t hold it against them.
And by no means, beg them to stay.
Just gently, say goodbye and let them go their way.
They weren’t meant to travel along.
For if you demand they come along or stay too long,
They will hurt you, or you will wound them,
Or others will become damaged in the process.
Just let go.
Release them to be free.
You will be amazed at the freedom you will find.
Even if you have to shed tears as you move forward.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross,scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3
Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.
I cannot escape or refuse. I cannot run away or hide.
I shift in the uncomfortable silence,
Hoping you’ll say something to ease the pain.
You look me eye to eye, I glance away, not knowing what to say.
You begin to speak, and I cringe, terrified you’ll find me lacking and left wanting.
And suddenly, I hear Your voice gently call my name.
All fear is forgotten.
All doubt is erased.
As I lean into Your grace.
And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
John 6:40
Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
You can close the lid and toss them into the bin, believing they’re done.
But as you pick up that larger box to throw them all away,
Those little suckers will come tumbling out like a waterfall.
When you bend over to pick up one, three more flip to the floor.
When you place those back on top, a whole passel come plummeting out,
As if they’ve got to make a nose-dive to the base level.
Almost like dominoes, they come cascading down the path.
Will they relent? Will they end?
They come back with every holiday and trend.
They push their way into every crevice, every crack,
Reaching for a new freedom, seeking shelter from what has been.
Will they be cast down? Will they bend?
I place them in the dark, into the new room
Waiting to surprise a new, non-alerted bloke
Waiting in earnest anticipation to capture another one’s journey bouncing down memory lane.
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create…
And I like to add, “Stop and smell and then, count the roses.”
When you stop and encounter the beauty, it causes you to pause and reflect.
Yet, when you stop, encounter, and inhale, you not only pause and reflect, but it causes you to also embrace the reflection.
So, I wonder how many roses do we actually stop to count?
Take a minute to pause today. Or take a few more.
Smell the fragrance.
Reflect on the beauty.
And then, look around you and embrace all of its majesty.
So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
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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