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Mark Ireland Recaptured Joy After Loss of Son

Posted on October 15, 2012 - by Kathryn Williams Raths

Mark Ireland learned how to embrace joy again after suffering the loss of a child. He shared, “My biggest life challenge has been the death of my youngest son, Brandon, in January, 2004. I think it’s fair to say I have overcome the challenge of that painful event, seeing that I lead a fulfilling life and have recaptured joy—something that initially seemed impossible. I still miss Brandon’s physical presence, and occasionally shed tears at unexpected times, yet I’m usually able to keep my focus on happy memories.” Mark continued, “In terms of my spirituality, I’d say this affected me in […]

Finding Techniques That Manage Your Fears And Anxieties

Posted on October 15, 2012 - by Stan Popovich

Are you having trouble finding effective ways to overcome your fears and anxieties? As an author of a managing fear book, I found it difficult to find all of the answers in managing my anxieties. I realized that the best way to overcome my fears and is to find those coping skills that effectively mange the fear and anxiety. The first step is to take advantage of the help that is available around you. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your fears and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights […]

Giving Meaning to the Short Life of a Granddaughter

Posted on October 14, 2012 - by Mary Jane Clayton

The day that changed the lives of my family started with my four-year-old granddaughter, Brittany, sneaking in the front door with two little pink roses hiding behind her back. When a precious little hand reaches towards you holding something so dear, the warmth and tenderness you feel have no words. Little did we know what effect a pink rose would have on the rest of our lives. The next morning was supposed to be the first day at her new school, but things changed over night. By morning, she was burning up with fever. From the doctor’s office, she was […]

Prayer Can Be Very Effective In Managing Your Fears

Posted on October 10, 2012 - by Stan Popovich

Prayer can be very effective in managing your fears and anxieties. There are countless people who have experienced the power of prayer. Here are some reasons why prayer can be effective in managing your anxieties, fears, and stresses. When you pray, you are asking God to help you manage your fears. God is the most powerful being in the universe and he is willing to help you if you ask him. Prayer is the way to do this. You are tapping into the power of God when you pray. God is stronger than your fears and anxieties and prayer is […]

When a Father Dies: What I Didn’t See Coming

Posted on October 9, 2012 - by Stephanie Lancaster

Since my dad went on ahead a little more than 18 months ago, I have come to realize that when someone you love dies, you don’t just have to say goodbye to them at the time they pass away but also at every crossroad, every milestone, every big event. I’ve discovered that there are endless firsts and countless tough moments to get through, not just obvious ones like holidays and big events, but many others that are equally if not more challenging and shocking, which in many cases makes them even more difficult to struggle through under the heavy blanket […]

A Forever Decision, Part 4

Posted on October 8, 2012 - by Anne Hamilton

It has been a month since I lost my beloved Camilla due to a brain tumor. Today I felt desolate. Tears sprang into my eyes when I thought of what we went through a month ago. The grief was fresh enough to constrict my throat and blur my vision. I’ve been experiencing grief in waves, and chunks. Last week, I felt bereft and hopeless for a couple of days and had to talk to myself to keep myself going. “Anne, people need you. Isabella needs you. You have to take care of her. She misses her sister, too. Just give […]

Finding Peace After the Death of a Grandchild

Posted on October 8, 2012 - by Mary Jane Clayton

I’m an ordinary person just like you, trying to keep up with life and make the most of every day. Usually, we wake up each morning with plans for what we need or want to do that day. We get ourselves in gear and begin to put the day’s plan in motion without every thinking life might throw us a curve ball. Then one day, we get that pitch. If you’ve ever received news that puts you in a state of shock, you know how it feels to be left wondering how you can possible handle what was just thrown […]

Home Sickness After a Loved One’s Death

Posted on October 7, 2012 - by Kelly Farley

All of us who have lost a child can agree that when you lose a child, everything in your life is impacted in some way. After the death of my son Noah, and once I surrendered to the fight of emotional avoidance, I became someone who didn’t like to leave the house and became somewhat antisocial for the first time in my life. I felt a lot of comfort hanging out at home with my wife Christine. When she would leave the house and I was left by myself, I would get this uneasy feeling. Just being with Christine kept […]

Lifted Up by Spirit

Posted on October 7, 2012 - by Sheri Perl

When I am my saddest and most bereft, I turn to spirit. I know that although I cannot see spirit, that spirit exists. I know that spirit exists because in 1971 I had an extraordinary healing experience with the late British spiritual healer Harry Edwards and I felt energy around all around me and somehow this energy healed my body. Up until this time in my life, I didn’t believe in anything that you couldn’t see. But then I was presented with this invisible energy that I could actually feel and a very wonderful healing that took place in my […]

How ‘Doing Nothing’ Can Be the Way to Survive a Loss

Posted on October 7, 2012 - by Katherine Ingram

When I was a little girl, I loved searching for caterpillars on the milkweed plants that grew in abundance around our house. I would pluck one from the underside of a leaf and place it in my hand, stroking its smooth body with a tentative finger, carefully carrying it home in cupped hands to be re-homed in a mayonnaise jar, along with a stick and some leaves. I’d poke holes in the lid and then run out to the garage every day and check to see if the black and yellow striped creature had cocooned itself. When at last it […]