Week 3: Grateful for the People God Placed Around Me
I don’t know how I would have made it through those early days of grief without the people God placed around me.
Some were close friends who knew exactly what to say—and what not to say. Some were quiet helpers who brought meals or folded laundry without expecting anything in return. Others prayed from a distance or sent a simple text that said, “I’m thinking of you today.” Each one was a lifeline.
Grief has a way of making you feel isolated, even when you're surrounded by people. But God, in His kindness, kept sending people who reminded me I wasn’t alone. Sometimes it was a listening ear. Sometimes it was someone just sitting with me in silence. Sometimes it was someone taking my kids, so I could have some time to myself. These simple, beautiful acts were deeply healing.
Read more...Week 2: Grateful for God’s Constant Care
When life falls apart, it’s easy to wonder if God is still paying attention. I’ve asked that more than once. In the silence of grief, in the overwhelm of parenting alone, in the fog of exhaustion—there were moments I questioned if He had forgotten me.
But looking back, I see His care written all over my story.
God’s unexpected provision always came at just the right time. He gave me strength to keep going when I thought I had nothing left. His peace settled over me during the many moments of uncertainty. These weren’t coincidences. They were reminders that God was still with me, holding me when I couldn’t hold myself.
Sometimes His care came in ways I didn’t recognize until later—a verse that stuck with me, a song on the radio, a friend who called out of the blue. Small reminders that I was not abandoned. I was seen. Loved. Carried.
Read more...Week 1: Choosing Gratitude in the Middle of the Mess
Sometimes I need to pause and remind myself: gratitude is not just for the good days. It’s not something we practice only when everything feels peaceful and easy. In fact, it’s often most powerful when life feels overwhelming—when it’s messy, heavy, and uncertain.
Lately, I’ve been feeling distracted and weighed down. The mental to-do list never ends, emotions hit at odd times, and grief still shows up, even after all these years. Sometimes it’s loud. Sometimes it’s just a dull ache that never really leaves. And when I’m in that place, gratitude is not my default response. I’m more likely to spiral into frustration or discouragement than pause and say, “Thank You, God.”
Read more...Yesterday marked 16 years since Jon passed away.
Today would have been our 27th wedding anniversary.
And even now—after all this time—we still miss him. The ache of loss doesn’t vanish. It softens and shifts over time, but it never quite disappears. Especially not during weeks like this.
This week is always difficult. Grief is strange like that—sometimes it’s predictable, and sometimes it catches you off guard in the middle of an ordinary moment. An old photo. A song. A memory. Or just the quiet absence of someone who once filled every part of your life.
Read more...For a long time, I believed I had to choose.
Grief or gratitude.
Brokenness or healing.
Fear or faith.
Love for my late husband or love for someone new.
But God has gently taught me something so powerful—it’s not always either/or. Sometimes, it’s both/and.
There is such freedom in the word AND.
I can grieve AND be grateful.
I can miss what was AND embrace what is.
I can love the life I had AND the life I have now.
I can walk in faith AND still feel fear.
Read more...
