Sunday, November 22, 2009

Dealing with Grief - intro

Although I'm not exactly sure how to begin this, I have really felt called over the past few weeks to write a series of posts dealing with "dealing with grief." I am certainly no expert but I do hope and pray that by sharing my process, someone else might possibly be able to deal with their own grief or help someone that may be grieving.

I will start by saying that the process of grieving for my dad actually began two and a half years ago. We found out he had colon cancer only six short months after my father-in-law passed away after his battle with colon cancer. The blessing that came from this very sad time is that I was able to see that I probably would not have my dad much longer. I was able to spend time with him, laugh with him, and ask his forgiveness for my adolescent years (among other things). I realize not everyone has the opportunity to do that, but more on that in a different post.

When my father-in-law passed away, I found a book on grieving written for children. I would say that in addition to prayer and loving, supportive friends and family, this book helped me much more than I would have ever expected. Not sure what my children got out of it, but I am a totally different person because of it. It is called Tear Soup and it has helped me understand grief so much better than any "grown up" book I've ever read on grief. More on this in future posts as well.

May the Lord Bless You!
theresesophia

Monday, November 2, 2009

Prayers of Gratitude

When I last posted (almost a month ago), I had no idea that my dad would pass away only two short weeks later. While this has been a heartbreaking time for the whole family, we have been carried in prayer.


I want to thank each of you who posted here and prayed for us. I also want to thank Mary at evlogia for this beautiful post that united orthodox christian women from several countries in prayer for my dad. At one of the darkest moments of my life, I was shone the light of Christ through this wonderful gift. Unfortunately, I have found no words which can express the depth of my gratitude to Mary, and to each of you who prayed and have been praying for my dad and our family.


To each of you, my prayer is that God may bless you abundantly for your commitment to prayer. I pray that the Lord will bless you and keep you, and I pray that, regardless of your struggles, you will receive Christ's peace, which surpasses all understanding.






And to my sweet daddy, may your memory be eternal!!! I love you!!!