December 2023

Working From Home How many of you are working from home? What I have found best is to begin each workday early. This is easier said than done when your big, warm, soft bed calls you to sleep in. When you commuted to an office, you knew you had to allow time for traffic, parking, etc, yet you planned it. It was just part of doing your job. Working from home can be more challenging because of a lack of structure. It is less challenging if you plan your tomorrow before the end of today.

Creating Calm During Times Like These Unlike at any other time in our history, we witness extraordinary events. Many of you have lost your spouse, and others are afraid of losing a loved one because of the unknown of what you are being told in the media. Worry and fear are natural reactions, often caused by your lack of control. Information is essential, but the 24/7 news cycle, whose job is to keep you in a state of panic, is causing fear and unrest. If you turn it off, your stress will immediately be reduced.

The Song, Even If, By “MercyMe” Will Bring You Peace Everyone has bad days. Widows and Widowers know this well. Twenty-three years ago, my wife died. Some days, it seems like 23 years have just happened. Other days seem like a lifetime ago. No matter what day you have today, countless others are experiencing bad days. Like you, they experience fear, sleeplessness, anxiety, unbelief, defeat, and hopelessness. I do not know who will read this post and listen to the beautiful words and testimony of “MercyMe.” I don’t know if your faith relies on what

The View From Here – Is Breathtakingly Beautiful For those of us who have lost a spouse, it is natural to wonder if we are okay as we suffer without them. We can only see the things around us with our eyes, and sometimes, our situation in the middle of our grief and pain distorts our vision. It is hard to know that paradise awaits us when our time in this life has ended, and the wait is the most challenging part. Our minds begin to wonder about them, and our mind starts playing tricks

Today, June 23, is International Widows Day Honoring Those Surviving From LossToday, June 23, is International Widows Day and we are honoring those surviving from loss.  The “Surviving From Loss” honors and recognizes those who are left behind by the passing of a spouse.  When you married, you did not plan to become a widow, nor would you have dreamed of such a time as this.  Here are a couple of thoughts for your consideration. It’s a “Catch 22” you have always put your spouse and everyone else first. To survive, you must put yourself

SOMETIMES, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW TO UNDERSTAND Life does not make sense for any of us, especially your children. If you have children, the following story will help you to grasp this concept. One Sunday morning, our youngest daughter Katherine began to have pain in her side. We took her to the emergency room, where we waited for over twelve hours before the doctor could see her. Katherine was in extreme pain. Watching your children suffer is almost unbearable, and we would do anything to take away her pain. At about eleven p.m., we

THE WIDOW, SHE IS NOT A LEPER When you hear the word Widow, what comes to your mind? Throughout history, widows have been considered old, fragile, poor, weak, contagious, helpless, and hopeless. Even though many Widows experience these conditions, it is an unfair label. A widow is not infectious and does not have a disease. She is not a leper and should not be ignored. The very opposite command is for the Christian. The Bible commands Churches in James 1:27 not to neglect the Widows and Orphans. In the 1st century, women were in low

His Shoes In Church Are Touching Mine, Why? I showered and shaved, and I adjusted my tie. I got there and sat In a pew just in time. I lowered my head in prayer as I closed my eyes. I saw the man’s shoe next to me, touching my own. I sighed. With plenty of room on either side, I thought, ‘Why must our soles touch?’ It bothered me, his shoe touching mine, but it didn’t bother him much. A prayer began: ‘Our Father, I thought, ‘This man with the shoes has no pride. They’re

LONELINESS CAN EAT YOU ALIVE This beautiful message was taken from a post on the Surviving From Loss Site and submitted by Jennifer Wear Blomberg.  Robert Neimeyer, Ph.D., wrote it.   The feeling of loneliness is real, but in reality, we are never alone. Loneliness from losing a spouse…can eat you alive.  I’m not literally “alone” because I know Christ is with me always…but I do experience bouts of loneliness- mostly at night OR sometimes while I’m amongst a lot of people. Sometimes you feel it coming on, and other times, it just hits you like