Tag: widowhood

grief

{ Day 28 } 31 Tricks to Scare Away the Grief Monster – STRUGGLE

Michele Kearns

Welcome everyone, (except the remnants of Patricia) to Day 28. Patricia gave Northeast Ohio a good soaking last night and today. I thought she was done but it looks like she is gearing up for round two.

Today’s word is

STRUGGLE

Scripture Quote

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Ephesians 6:12

Now you might think struggle is a weird trick for getting through grief. Struggling implies movement, lots of movement and lots of energy being used up. You are lifting up your feet, one at a time attempting to make forward progress through the muck. Unlike the Cleveland Browns, you will make forward progress through the muck and mire the grief monster brought to your life. (I can pick on the Browns because I am a die hard fan.)

The best thing to do when struggling is to be honest about it with God and close family or friends, because honesty is the best policy – even in grief.

muck_mire

My Struggles

I’m struggling today, struggling to get through this 31 day writing challenge. Oh, it seemed like an excellent idea back in June. Now I do not want to finish it but I will because the grief monster will not prevent me from helping others. That is what I feel is going on and probably has been going on during this challenge.

My job search is another struggle. Now I did have a great interview yesterday (at least I thought it was great) but I should be posting on LinkedIn, sharing other people’s content and reaching out to connect with people. But (there’s always a but) for this job search, I really do not care about doing those actions.

I want away from the computer and out and around people. Where do I go? People my age are married or are in dating relationships and have their own group of friends.

So you see I am struggling, just in a different way from when Joe moved to heaven.

I leave you with the following quote meditation from Napoleon Hill…and it was not a struggle to find this appropriate quote. I Googled quotes about struggle and there it was on BrainyQuote.com.

Enjoy!

Quote Meditation 

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

Napoleon Hill

10-10-2011_3by5Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She encourages widows and educates society about grief and life as a widow by sharing her widowhood adventures. A graduate of Kent State University with a degree in communications, she has used her skills in the banking, collections, outdoor products and social media industries. Michele is a bookworm, lover of golden retrievers and an amateur photographer. You can see more of photography at OgleOhio.com, where she is running the series 31 Days of Autumn in Ohio – because running a 31 Day series on one blog is not enough insanity.

grief

{ Day 27 } 31 Tricks to Scare Away the Grief Monster – CRAFT!

Michele Kearns

Welcome to Terrific Tuesday!

Today’s trick is

CRAFT

You dreamed and prayed about those dreams yesterday. Now it is time to craft your new life. This may or may not involve actual crafts ( scrapbooking, crocheting, sewing etc…) Craft your new life one day at a time. Don’t wait till you are through grief to start your new life.

It takes bravery to craft a new life and start working on it. But you are brave, you are brave because you tackled the grief monster head on. You work day in and day out to keep moving through the muck on your grief journey. You do this to honor the memory of your husband.

brave2

It is for the brave and for the crafty. It is for those women who realize they were given an opportunity to find a new purpose in life, to use the purpose to make the world a little bit better than they found it. An opportunity that would not have existed if you were still married.

Your timeline did not end.

Now bravely go craft a new life, but before you do watch this video from Annie F. Downs. I watched it early Sunday morning and boy did it speak to me.

I look forward to hearing what you are doing with your new opportunity.

Resources: 

Let’s All Be Brave: Living Life With Everything You Have  Annie F. Downs

The Good Life  Kaitlyn Bouchillon (Where I found Annie’s speech on Sunday morning).

10-10-2011_3by5Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She encourages widows and educates society about grief and life as a widow by sharing her widowhood adventures. A graduate of Kent State University with a degree in communications, she has used her skills in the banking, collections, outdoor products and social media industries. Michele is a bookworm, lover of golden retrievers and an amateur photographer. You can see more of photography at OgleOhio.com, where she is running the series 31 Days of Autumn in Ohio – because running a 31 Day series on one blog is not enough insanity.

grief

{ Day 26 } 31 Tricks to Scare Away the Grief Monster – DREAM!

Michele Kearns

Welcome and Happy Monday! We are in the homestretch of 31 Tricks to Scare Away the Grief Monster. T -5 days and counting.

Scripture Meditation

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Matthew 19:26

Today’s word is

DREAM

There will come a time in your grief when you need to figure out what your life is now going to be about. When the time comes go ahead and dream.

But don’t just dream – DREAM BIG!

I am currently attending a women’s Bible study and we are viewing The Circle Maker video’s. Oh my dear widowed friend, get this book, video and study guide by Mark Batterson. In the videos he discusses dreaming big and boldly. God is the God of big dreams, of bold dreams. No dream is too big or too bold for God.

Once you figure out what you want your life to look like, make a list and draw a circle around the entire list or one particular item. Then set aside time every day and pray about your dream. Do this for 21 days and see what happens. At best it comes true, at worst you have a greater sense of peace because you have established a prayer commitment.

My Dream

My dream is:

  • keep this house
  • remodel this house
  • have a job where I make what Joe was making or better
  • become Mom to another golden retriever daughter (or son)
  • have the resources (hardware, software, design etc…) to take this blog to the next level
  • keep my good health
  • have the strength to keep pursuing my dreams
  • have friends who will help lift me up to the next level and to gather around the table with

All these small dreams and more make up the big, bold dream I call “My Life.”

My dream has not come true in the 12 days I’ve been doing this, but I feel a greater sense of peace in my life and that is an answer to a prayer. A prayer revolving around Psalm 27:3

Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. 

So do not fear praying to God for your big, bold dream. He loves you and wants to hear not only what your needs are but He also wants to know what dreams are on your heart.

boldly dream

Quote Meditation

Bold prayers honor God, and God honors bold prayers. God isn’t offended by your biggest dreams or boldest prayers. He is offended by anything less. If your prayers aren’t impossible to you, they are insulting to God.

Mark Batterson

The Circle Maker

Resources: 

Links: – MarkBatterson.com

 The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Greatest Dreams and Biggest Fears

10-10-2011_3by5Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She encourages widows and educates society about grief and life as a widow by sharing her widowhood adventures. A graduate of Kent State University with a degree in communications, she has used her skills in the banking, collections, outdoor products and social media industries. Michele is a bookworm, lover of golden retrievers and an amateur photographer. You can see more of photography at OgleOhio.com, where she is running the series 31 Days of Autumn in Ohio – because running a 31 Day series on one blog is not enough insanity.