Day 135 - Another Step in Saying Good-Bye

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 Another Step in Saying Good-Bye Day 135 Sooner or later you are faced with the necessary step of dealing with your spouse's possessions. This is an important part of saying good-bye. Again, don't rush the grieving process; just follow this step when you are ready. Margi had some dear friends who spent the last week of her husband's life at her house helping out. These friends were having financial troubles, and after her husband's death, Margi chose to give her husband's nice work clothes to them. She also remembered her husband's ex-students, neighborhood boys who knew him, and, of course, her son. She says: "My husband probably had a hundred ties. I gave them away to different people because I knew that my husband had touched their lives in some way, and they would have a part of him. "I knew that it meant something to others, and that's why I was able to give it away. My husband had a lot of little articles, like little cedar chests. He had one of those from when he was a boy my son's age. So I gave that to my son one Christmas and then an arrowhead collection and several things like that." Your spouse's memory can live on in the lives of loved ones around you. Who can you touch today with a memory of your spouse? "I thank my God every time I remember you" (Philippians 1:3). Lord God, may the precious memories of my spouse bring joy to me and to those around me. 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. Don't want these daily emails? Unsubscribe. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Day 134 - Saying Good-Bye

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 Saying Good-Bye Day 134 Saying good-bye is not a one-time action. It is a process with many different steps, difficult steps. It's okay if you don't feel ready for this now. Understand that saying good-bye occurs gradually over time. One step is to visit the places you used to go as a couple, and create new memories there. Virgil's wife died. He says, "My one son came over and said, 'Dad, you've got to get out. Mom's not coming back.' Grief recovery means being able to move forward in spite of the pain." The Lord God will go before you and will enable you to say good-bye. "Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps" (Psalm 85:13). Righteous God, strengthen me, one step at a time, to face the old precious memories and to create wonderful new ones. 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. Don't want these daily emails? Unsubscribe. If you have any problems or concerns, please contact dailyemailsupport@griefshare.org. GriefShare 250 S. Allen Rd. Wake Forest, NC 27587 (800) 395-5755

Day 133 - Moving On

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 Moving On Day 133 A journey through grief completely consumes your time, energy, and thoughts. You walk through life oblivious to what is happening around you. This overwhelming consumption will gradually cease as you move forward through grief. "There was a time after my husband passed away that people would ask me how I was doing," says Marie. "I would say that I'm getting through this second by second. Then, it was minute by minute. Then one day I realized that I was coming along quite well. One day, I went outside and looked up and there was the sky. I hadn't seen the sky in years or heard the birds because I was just so consumed with everything." Your hope lies in God. Cast your cares on Him; lay your burdens at His feet. In His great compassion and love, He will sustain you. "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness" (Lamentations 3:21-23). Holy Lord, I want to hear the birds and see Your sky again. 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

Day 132 - Responding to Loss

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 Responding to Loss Day 132 In Genesis 23, the Bible relates the story of the death and burial of Sarah, Abraham's wife. The chapter begins, "Sarah lived to be a hundred and twenty-seven years old. She died at Kiriath Arba (that is, Hebron) in the land of Canaan, and Abraham went to mourn for Sarah and to weep over her." Abraham's immediate response was to mourn and weep for his wife. He made a clear choice to mourn. How have you done this? Rev. Noel Castellanos says that in healthy grieving "there are more than just a few tears. There is a real sense of honesty about the pain. To deal with grief in a healthy way, there has to be a time of just expressing your deep hurt." Holy God, I choose to mourn and to express my grief freely, knowing that this is the only path to healing. 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

Day 131 - Discover Your Inner Resources

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 Discover Your Inner Resources Day 131 You may be surprised at what you can do when you don't have any alternative. "You will make it through," says Beth, whose husband died. "It's like a deep tunnel, and you're in the middle of the tunnel. There's no light at all, and you don't think you're going to make it. But if you just keep pressing on toward the Lord, you will make it to the end. That is a promise." Keep pressing on. You will make it. "But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength … and I was delivered from the lion's mouth" (2 Timothy 4:17). Lord, I will keep taking one step at a time. Deliver me from my weaknesses and doubts. 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

Day 130 - Competing Emotional Needs

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 Competing Emotional Needs Day 130 As a parent, especially if you have younger children living at home, you have the extra burden of giving comfort and encouragement to them, even as you need the same comfort and encouragement yourself. Jodie, whose husband died, says, "I was parenting on my own. I was doing this hectic teaching schedule. I needed to be strong for my sons. At night I would cry and cry unto the Lord. "The Lord proved Himself so faithful. One of the things that I have learned is that God has all the resources I need. I had a real concern about raising my children by myself. I prayed a lot for guidance and wisdom and strength. God gave me one verse that says, 'He'll gently lead those who are with young.' I took that to heart and knew it was from the Lord." The Lord is your shepherd. He will care for you, protect you, comfort you, and lead you. "He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young" (Isaiah 40:11). Shepherd me, Lord. 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

Day 129 - Determine Your Responsibilities

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 Determine Your Responsibilities Day 129 You have certain responsibilities and commitments you must fulfill each day regardless of how you feel about them and regardless of how you feel on that particular day. These responsibilities may have multiplied since the loss of your loved one. "Right after the accident the main thing was to keep my children's lives as normal as possible," says Heidi. Make a list of your daily responsibilities and consider asking other family members and friends to take care of several items on your list. Then commit yourself daily to getting up and fulfilling each of your remaining responsibilities in a way that pleases God. "The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty" (Proverbs 21:5) Lord and Savior, when my responsibilities overwhelm me, help me to face them with a heart attitude that pleases You. 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