“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” — John 16:20 NIV Don’t be too quick to judge an outcome based on the immediate reaction of others. Things change. People adjust to their circumstances. Many are the successful people in our day who were … Continue reading →
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” — Romans 12:15 NIV We were created to connect with others, to experience relationship, to share in life’s ups and downs. It is usually easier to share in the joy of others than it is in the grief of others because grief hurts. Even the grief held by another hurts … Continue reading →
“Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.” — John 16:20 NIV The things that excite this world are not the same as what inspires a follower of Jesus Christ. The world may celebrate immorality, knowingly promote a lie, and applaud when truth is … Continue reading →
Sitting with families who are hearing the bad news of a loved one’s death was a nearly daily occurrence for me when I worked as a hospital chaplain at a trauma center. The way people respond to a physician’s death notification varies so greatly that I began to wonder why and if there is something to be learned about such … Continue reading →
Andrew Huberman is a neuroscientist and university professor at the Stanford School of Medicine who offers YouTube videos and podcasts on the neuroscience behind human wellness. Not long ago I listened to a two-hour explanation by him on the neuroscience behind why we grieve after a loss of a loved one. I found it to be absolutely fascinating and thought … Continue reading →
I’ve written several posts on various aspects of grief and I have written on the value of using Scripture in pastoral care ministry and visitation. So here I simply want to share some passages from the Bible that can be helpful to encourage those in grief. You can also find other verses at the Topical Verse Finder‘s page on Grief. … Continue reading →
Somewhere on social media I saw a quote that expressed the idea that grief is an ocean. I don’t know where I saw it, who said it or how it was originally said, but I remember it being put like this: Grief is like the ocean, you can’t stop it, you can only learn to swim in it. That’s a … Continue reading →
There is a popular adage that goes, “Time heals all things.” While there is some truth to that, it doesn’t mean that healing from our loss will automatically occur with the passage of time. It may be more accurate to say, “Time helps the healing of all things.” I believe it was Billy Graham who once said, “It’s not time … Continue reading →
I want to address the issue of children in grief and how adults can best help them cope and process their feelings through their journey of grief. So here I am going to share 8 tips or principles and insights to consider when you are in a role of guiding a child through their grief. Know that grieving is unique … Continue reading →
Many years ago I saw a Larry King television show where he was interviewing Tommy Lasorda about the unexpected death of his adult son. Larry King use to have a late night television interview show where he interviewed celebrities and all kinds of famous people. Tommy Lasorda was the manager for the LA Dodgers in the 90’s and very popular … Continue reading →
If you do a music app or some type of music download service that allows you to build a playlist, consider building one that will support your grief journey. Music can be therapeutic and having a playlist like this can help you grieve appropriately. Yes, listening to some of these songs will bring a tear to your eye but they’ll … Continue reading →
In the process of grieving, there is no time frame assigned or one-size fits all approach to assure a healthy grieving process. There are elements to healthy grieving that one can be intentionally incorporate into their grieving experience, and that is what I want to share here. I want to share some objectives to aim for as you move forward … Continue reading →
In her 1969 book, “On Death and Dying,” Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, a Swiss American psychiatrist, introduced us to what we now know as five stages of grief. When she originally penned these stages they were called the five stages of death. At the time, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross was working with terminally ill patients and she cited these five emotions as what were … Continue reading →
Previously I shared a post on Styles of Grief but here I want to share a post on Types of Grief. I’m taking my lead from several sources that have referenced multiple types of grief. So I am going to yield to their wisdom, and am going to use the terms used by Liz Kelly, a licensed social worker in … Continue reading →
Sitting with families who are hearing the bad news of a loved-ones death is a near daily occurrence for me, as a hospital chaplain at a trauma center. Since transferring to this trauma hospital and having this regular occurrence of witnessing people’s reaction to a death notification, my curiosity of grief styles has gripped my interest. The way people respond … Continue reading →