Polished Shells

This writing is a repost from my earliest days of blogging. The lesson dovetails well with the theme in my last post Greatly Blessed. Walking the Beach I walked the beach enjoying moments of spiritual solitude and inner peace. Rhythmic waves crashed upon the shore. The powerful ocean waves deposited shells and I began toContinue reading “Polished Shells”

Greatly Blessed

A woman recently asked me, “How do you remain joyful?” A similar question or remark often follows people learning of my story. For new readers, I’m a survivor of two suicides—my son and then later my husband. My response to the question is always, “By sheer faith, it is not of myself. Christ alone helpedContinue reading “Greatly Blessed”

Suicide. . . Grief, Healing, and Hope

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. I have an all too intimate knowledge and experience with suicide. It has left behind an ugly trauma that rears a hideous head from time to time, attempting to erase life and suck away joy. As a therapeutic exercise for myself, I wrote the bulk of the post youContinue reading “Suicide. . . Grief, Healing, and Hope”

Hoarding

I have seen and experienced the devastation and relational destruction of the hoarding disorder. Because of my career in property management, I’ve worked on the clean-up of such homes. I’ve also experienced the relational fallout of a parent who struggled with level five hoarding.