Day 152 - The Big Decision

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here The Big Decision Day 152 Remarriage?!! The remarriage decision should be made in the context of the power of an active prayer life personal study of God's Word the wisdom of godly counsel "Don't put God in a box," says Jodie. "He sees your whole life from beginning to end. He sees one day when you're old and your children are gone, what you will need. It is not His intention that a man or woman should be alone. He created Adam and Eve to be together, to be companions." God will not send everyone a second mate, but He will surely send you a companion, a true friend who will support you in your relationship with God and throughout life's difficulties. No matter what decisions you are faced with, be it remarriage or something else entirely, you must equip yourself to decide wisely. First, decide to live your life through God's power. Second, act on it, making all decisions in light of His Word. "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power" (1 Corinthians 4:20). Lord God, I commit to active prayer, personal Bible study, and godly counsel before making the decision to remarry. I know that with this life commitment Your power will be unleashed in my life and all glory will belong to You. Amen. Grieving with Hope This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Our Daily Bread -- Trail Trees March 28, 2015

Read: Isaiah 53:4-12 Bible in a Year: Judges 4-6; Luke 4:31-44 They pierced My hands and My feet. . . . They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots. —Psalm 22:16-18 In recent years, my daughter has become fascinated with the history of the indigenous people in northern Michigan where she lives. One summer afternoon when I was visiting, she showed me a road that had a sign designating “Trail Trees.” She explained to me that it’s believed that long ago the Native Americans bent young trees to point the way to specific destinations and that they continued to grow in an unusual shape. The Old Testament serves a similar purpose. Many commands and teachings of the Bible direct our hearts to the way the Lord wants us to live. The Ten Commandments are great examples of that. But in addition, the prophets of the Old Testament pointed the way to a coming Messiah. Thousands of years before Jesus came, they spoke of Bethlehem—Jesus’ birthplace (see Micah 5:2 and Matt. 2:1-6). They described Jesus’ death on the cross in striking detail (see Ps. 22:14-18 and John 19:23-24). And Isaiah 53:1-12 points to the sacrifice Jesus would make as the Lord “laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (v.6; see Luke 23:33). Millennia ago, God’s Old Testament servants pointed to God’s Son—Jesus—the One who has now “borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isa. 53:4). He is the way to life. —Cindy Hess Kasper Thank You for the simple message of salvation. Jesus, You are the way, the truth, and the life. Thank You for giving Your life for me. I love You. Jesus sacrificed His life for ours. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 151 - Godly Support from Others

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Godly Support from Others Day 151 Praise God when you have received godly support and wise counsel from other people in your decision to remarry. Persevere in prayer if you do not yet have this blessing. Christ-based guidance and encouragement will help to direct your path. Beth, now remarried, says, "My two daughters were extremely supportive. In many ways they had to be because I married a man who is a number of years younger than I am. My first husband had been a number of years older than I was. Maybe psychologically I thought, I don't want to be a widow again. I don't know. But my girls were supportive of that also." God wants you to seek the advice of others, and He will give you discernment to filter out the directions that are not from Him. "Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed" (Proverbs 15:22). Wonderful Lord, all wisdom, power, counsel, and understanding belong to You. Lead me to those people who will support me in following Your path for my life. Amen. Through a Season of Grief The daily email messages you are receiving are also available in a book format. Purchase as a gift for a friend or buy a print copy for yourself. Through a Season of Grief by Bill Dunn and Kathy Leonard is available at online and local bookstores or at griefshare.org/devotional. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Our Daily Bread -- Foley Artists March 27, 2015

Read: John 16:7-15 Bible in a Year: Judges 1-3; Luke 4:1-30 Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. —2 Corinthians 11:14 Crunch. Crunch. Whoosh! In the early days of film, Foley artists created sounds to support the story’s action. Squeezing a leather pouch filled with cornstarch made the sound of snow crunching, shaking a pair of gloves sounded like bird wings flapping, and waving a thin stick made a whoosh sound. To make movies as realistic as possible, these artists used creative techniques to replicate sounds. Like sounds, messages can be replicated. One of Satan’s most frequently used techniques is that of replicating messages in spiritually dangerous ways. Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light.” Paul is warning us about false teachers who turn our attention away from Jesus Christ and the message of His grace. Jesus said that one purpose of the Holy Spirit living in us is that “when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). With the help and guidance of the Spirit, we can find the safety of truth in a world of counterfeit messages. —Bill Crowder We need You, Holy Spirit, to help us discern truth from error. We can be easily deceived by others or even by our own hearts. May we be open to learn from You and not be led astray. The Holy Spirit is our ever-present Teacher. INSIGHT: John 14 and 16 contain the most comprehensive record of Jesus’ teaching on the Holy Spirit. The Father sends the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ place to be our parakletos, which means “one called alongside to assist.” This word is translated as “Helper” in today’s passage (v. 7); other Bible translations use the words “Comforter” (KJV) and “Counselor” (NIV). He is also the Spirit of truth (v. 13) who illumines the Scriptures so we may understand the meaning of Jesus’ works and words (vv. 13-14). Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Day 150 - Anticipatory Grief Not Understood

365 daily emails to help you through the grieving process Grief support groups: Click here to find a GriefShare group near you. If you would like to find a group for a friend or relative, try our Search Page. Want to read ahead or resend a previous daily email? Click Here Anticipatory Grief Not Understood Day 150 Your spouse may have experienced a long illness before his or her death. As a result, this "anticipatory grief" enabled you to achieve a level of grieving beforehand. This doesn't mean you will be exempt from grief and pain when your loved one dies—actually, you might be amazed at how much grieving you will still need to do. Anticipatory grief doesn't make grieving easier, but it can shorten the process for some people. As a result of anticipatory grief, you may be ready to build a new relationship earlier than others think is appropriate. Dr. H. Norman Wright says: "A lot of the grieving will occur during a time of sickness and decline. You will experience it together and maybe with other friends. After that grieving, it can take less time to get through the grieving process. So, at six months or eight months, a remaining spouse may begin looking around and wanting to build a new relationship, and other people may become judgmental. "When somebody starts dating six months or so later and even marries within a year, it doesn't mean that they did not have a good relationship. There is a lot of anticipatory grief that goes on." Let God's words encourage you: "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer" (Romans 12:12). Oh Lord, when people judge and misunderstand me, it hurts so much. But I don't want to live my life to please them; I want to live my life to please You. May my words, thoughts, and decisions be pleasing to You today. In Jesus' name, Amen. Grieving with Hope This GriefShare-based book contains short, topical chapters addressing issues that grieving people face but are often hesitant to mention to others; it gently guides people to determine whether they're grieving in a way that leads to hope and ultimate healing. Look for Grieving with Hope by Samuel Hodges and Kathy Leonard at a local or online bookstore or at griefshare.org/hope. If you would like to recommend these daily emails to a friend, please click here and choose one of the options under Share. For more information about GriefShare, including how to sign up for these daily emails, please click here. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2003-2013 by The Church Initiative, Inc., All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without explicit permission in writing from Church Initiative. You subscribed to this daily email through www.griefshare.org. We value your privacy! We will never give, sell, rent, or otherwise share your email or personal information with any other organization — EVER. To remove this email address from further mailings Click Here while connected to the internet. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Our Daily Bread -- The Definite Choice March 26, 2015

Read: Joshua 24:15-24 Bible in a Year: Joshua 22-24; Luke 3 We will serve the Lord! —Joshua 24:21 Coming from someone who used to value ancestral gods, my 90-year-old father’s statement near the end of his life was remarkable: “When I die,” he spoke laboriously, “nobody should do anything other than what the church will do. No soothsaying, no ancestral sacrifices, no rituals. As my life is in the hands of Jesus Christ, so shall my death be!” My father chose the path of Christ in his old age when he invited Jesus into his life as Savior. His contemporaries mocked him: “An old man like you shouldn’t be going to church!” But my father’s choice to follow and worship the true God was definite, like the people Joshua addressed. “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve,” Joshua challenged them. “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (24:15). Their response was resolute—they chose to worship the Lord. Even after Joshua warned them to count the cost (vv.19-20), they still resolved to follow the Lord, recalling His deliverance, provision, and protection (vv.16-17,21). Such a confident choice, however, calls for equally confident actions, as Joshua strongly reminded them: “Put away the foreign gods . . . and incline your heart to the Lord” (v.23). Have you made a choice to live for God? —Lawrence Darmani Teach me all it means, Lord, to choose You. I want my words, actions, and attitudes to show the love for You that I have in my heart. You are worthy of far more than I could ever do. A definite choice demands definite actions. Share your thoughts on today’s devotional on Facebook or odb.org.

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Our mission is to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. Our vision is to see people of all nations experiencing a personal relationship with Christ, growing to be more like Him, and serving in a local body of His family. To read today's Our Daily Bread online visit www.odb.org. Copyright © 2015, Our Daily Bread Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI 49555 USA. Written permission must be obtained from Our Daily Bread Ministries for any further posting or distribution. Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Unsubscribe