God in the grief: Recent Episodes
Katherine Grasser
This is my experience with Grief after the loss of both of my sons. One 17 and one 11. Then a year later my son in law. Grief is connected to all those that love someone. It's part of life. If we have God to help us it can make all the difference in our perspective , in our courage, in our recovery. This is my journey. Taken from snippets of my grief journal, and lessons I've learned.
The full title is Let Go of Suffering and See Your Miracle.
I talk about Joseph Nguyen's 5-step PAUSE framework from the book, "Don't Believe Everything You Think."
I talk about using Faith in grief to see your miracle.
And that miracles are not always getting what you want.
scriptures used;
Isaiah 40:31
John 5:6
Joshua 24:15
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
Romans 12:2
Colossians 3:2
Music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
a study done by Dr. Pennebaker on why some people recover from traumas and others do not. Interesting info on journaling and my experience in journaling.
A concept of pain and suffering that uses the analogy of two arrows.
Book referred to: Don't Believe Everything You Think, by Joseph Nguyen
Scriptures used:
1 Timothy 4:16
2 Corinthians 13:5-7
There are some things we have a choice in the outcome, and some things in life that we do not. These are the two arrows.
Learn how to choose to avoid the suffering from the pain.
Intro music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
If you have ever given or received flowers out of grief this might interest you.
an entry from my journal shared , also 2 books mentioned on flowers.
music intro by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
I cover 7 books that helped in my grief.
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
We feel compassion for children experiencing loss. How can we help them? I have some pointers along with a recording of a teacher telling her students about grief.
I end with a note in my journal.
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
I discuss how serving others in our time of grief can bring us through with greater peace.
I talk about a book called "The Good Death" by Suzanne B. O'Brien
scriptures used:
Prov. 11:25
Actus 20: 34-35
Don't forget that Jesus said it's more blessed to give than to receive.
Based on John 6:20-21 where Jesus came walking on the water to the disciples in the storm.
I talk about 7 ways that inviting Jesus into our boat of grief can help us.
intro music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
a review of how food and herbs give us comfort. I list some helpful herbs for grief.
books mentioned: The Box in the Closet Under the Stairs. A Family Cookbook by Ruth Ellinger
Scripture used 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Do you search for a deeper meaning in your grief? It is common to want to know the purpose of all the hurt.
Proverb 4:23 held the key for me in understanding this passion of the heart,
Listen to Rabbi Simon Jacobson explain what it is that is deeper than pain.
John Burkes book, "Imagine the God of Heaven," is discussed.
Intro music by Rocky Grasser
contact Kathy at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Words can make or break us.
How words can be used in grief. Words for the grieving and words used as therapy..
scriptures used:
John 1:1
proverbs 30:5
Isaiah 55:11
1 Peter 1:25
Ann Voskamps book mentioned, One Thousand Gifts
Joy Dare can be found at https://annvoskamp.com/joy-dares/
grief newsletter can be found,
God in the Grief newsletter #3Go to this Sway
if you are interested in the letter send me an email at the address below.
intro music by rocky grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
When we experience the awfulness of trauma and grief, we can diminish the pain that accompanies it by filling it with the awe of God.
scriptures used:
Psalms 4
Psalms 119;18
referenced Ann Voskamp's book, " One Thousand Gifts"
In grief, grace is necessary. It provides space for healing while being vulnerable. But grace says, you are still loved with all your brokenness.
4 places in grief you might need grace.
scriptures used:
Eph. 2:8-9
Titus 2:11
James 4:6
1 Peter 5:10
A Valentine's episode on the heart.
Out of the heart come all the issues of life, including sorrows and grief. I can't change what life brought to your heart that broke it, but I can tell you that a change in your heart can heal you.
Make today's purpose bigger than yesterday's regret.
5 pointers by Dr. Henry Cloud on hard truths about growth.
Tune into the holy spirit to guide you from regrets in the future.
Christmas and New Years info. How to have a better year in 2025. Bullet points given and thoughts on having room for grief in the holidays.
contact kathy @ godinthegrief@gmail.com
intro music by Rocky Grasser
We all long to see a light in our darkness, a ray of hope in the dark times of life. This episode is the testimony of how God shown his light to me in my dark grief. The difference it made to have God in my life, in my grief, in my darkness.
music by Lauren Daigle called Light of the world.
intro music by Rocky Grasser
a list of 7 reasons that make grief hard and ways to ease the difficulty,
It all goes back to being courageous and relying on God and His Word.
contact kathy at godinthegrief@gmail.com
intro music by Rocky Grasser
What do you do when everything you have identified with is suddenly gone?
scriptures used:
Eph 4:1
Col 1:10
being deeply loved by someone molds us into a special identity.
music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
This is a letter in response to the question, "how are you happy"
when you are grateful, you are happy.
Psalms 31:19 if God has good things for us how could we not be happy?
opening music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
God can repurpose your grief into something good.
song by the Powells "He's always been faithful."
scriptures used:
1 Cor. 1:4-6
1 Peter 5:10
opening music by Rocky Grasser
I'd love to hear how God repurposed your pain. email me at godinthegrief@gmail.com
What I learned from taking a class on end of life Hospice care.
4 points in how to help in the grieving process.
information on how the stress of grief effects our emotional and physical being. and what to do to get through the grieving so that we are not stuck with all this emotional and physical needs.
scriptures used:
romans 8:28
Mark 5:23
The benefits of breath.
Just a simple reminder to breath deeply, to praise with our breath and be assured God's mercy comes with each breath.
Scriptures:
Ezekial 37:5
Psalms 150:6
A stagnant mind and a stationary body are ways that will keep you stuck in your grief. We want to be progressing through grief in a healthy way. In this episode I list 7 ways to keep moving along through grief.
Scriptures used:
Job 12:7
Phil 3:14
Psalms 23;3
There is a time for everything. A time to put on black and mourn, and a time to take off black and sing.
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
intro music by Rocky Grasser
This episode is going over a quote I found on instagram by trustgodbro, and analyzing how it pertains to grief.
scripture used is1 Corinthians 14:33
This was a good reminder that the grieving process takes patience.
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
I'd love to hear from you.
music is by Rocky Grasser
A lesson on grief being an everyday part of our lives, and not making excuses for grief.
scriptures used:
Luke 14:16
Ps. 15:1-2
Ps 90:17
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
intro music by Rocky Grasser
Someday, someone might write a list of things they learned from you. What might that be? Do we have a purpose?
The episode brings out 4 purposes we can always have no matter what difficulties we might be facing.
scriptures used:
1 Peter 2:9
2 Cor 5: 18-21
Ecc. 12: 13-14
Eph 4:3
Rom. 8;28
2 Tim 3:10
It ends with things I learned from Isaac in his short 17 years.
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Be the things you loved most about the people who are gone.
Be is to be in a real state of existence.
7 things God wants us to be and 2 things he told us not to be.
9 things that the apostles encouraged us to be.
review of the things I've learned from Michael from my grief journal.
scriptures used:
Matthew 5:4,6,9,12,48.
Matthew 11:6
Matthew 14:27
Matthew 17:7
Matthew 24:6, 44
Acts 2:25
acts 13:47
Acts 22:15
Romans 1:7
Romans 4:21
Romans 8:6
Romans 12:10
1 Corinthians 1:10
1 Corinthians 4:2
When we think about the depth of God's love for us it will help us have strength in our sorrows.
A beautiful comparison of how great and small God's love is.
scriptures used:
1 John 4:7
Deuteronomy 6:5
intro music by rocky grasser
ending song by mercy me found on amazon music
if God has helped you in grief contact me and tell me about it. kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Sometimes we can become so emotionally cluttered that we are not able to benefit from what God is trying to help us with right now.
learn to sit and declutter with God's Word.
scriptures used:
Mark 6 the whole chapter
quotes used:
Get rid of clutter and you may just find that it was blocking the door you've been looking for. Katrina Mayer
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
song, I love you will still sound the same by Oh Honey on amazon. Album called with love.
This episode is a nostalgic walk down memory lane with love coming along.
scriptures used:
Psalms 113:3
Philippians 2:2
also a reference to 1 Corinthians 13
fear is real, and it can have unwanted consequences. So we want to recognize when fear is working on us and have some tools to combat it.
I talk about 8 things fear will do to us and give us 8 ideas to combat it.
Told using 8 stories in the Bible and then a scripture of how we can deal with fear.
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
The scope of what we cannot see is vast. God never meant us to see everything all at once, It would overwhelm us. He meant for us to trust and use faith.
story: "gather up the fragments" in the book , Mountain Trailways by Mrs. Charles Cowman.
scriptures mentioned:
John 6:12
Ecc. 8:17
Ps 139:1-14
2 kings 6:17 (Elisha and his servant)
Numbers 22 (Balaam and the donkey)
Job 23:8-9
Kathy can be reached at Godinthegrief@gmail.com
God will often comfort us in signs. For me it was birds. God gave Rocky a special sunset. Whatever it is we can be comforted by these things.
scriptures used:
Isaiah 51:18
Ps. 23
Isaiah 57:18
Isaiah 38:7
Tthose memory bursts make holidays hard, but we can do this. How to think and deal with the holidays when you are grieving a loved one.
scripture mentioned:
1 Thess. 4:13
book mentioned:
Kisses for Katie by Katie Majors
Daring to Hope by Kaite Majors
intro music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
If you focus on hurt you will continue to suffer but if you focus on the lesson, you will continue to grow.
scriptures used:
job 36:2-12
Proverbs 10:3
Romans 8:17
1 Cor. 13:4
2 Cor. 1:3-7
Philipians 1:29
make a gratitude list of the ways God used your pain to help you.
Poem: Looking Back by Katherine Grasser
Intro music: by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Paul reminds us that beholding the glory of the Lord will transform us. 2 Cor 3:18.
we are transformed into his likeness by looking intently into who he is. Ruth Simon.
scriptures in Psalms that go along with beholding his glory.
Ps. 24:8
Ps 24:9
Ps 57:8
Ps 62:7
Ps 63:2
Ps 138:5
The story of Lazareth retold.
being transformed into the image of God is just as much of a miracle as Lazareth walking out of a grave.
To God Be the Glory by CW Naylor
To God be the glory
For all He hath done;
For life and salvation,
The gift of His Son.
To God be the glory,
To Him it is due;
His help is unfailing,
To us He is true.
Tho' I was a captive,
From sin He did free;
In time of affliction
My healer is He.
To God be the glory,
His mercy extol,
For all He doth give us
For body and soul.
Chorus
To God be the glory,
Rejoice in His name;
To God be the glory,
Forever proclaim.
The experience of God in our grief allows us to bare our sorrows bravely, and the freedom that comes from serving God, especially the freedom in the mind allows room for us to believe and rejoice, not fret and doubt.
scriptures used:
Colossians 1:19-22
Acts 16' 19-25
Ps 119: 43-47
Is 61:1-3 and correlation scripture Luke 4:8
John 8;31-32 " You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free!"
poem found in the book, Words of Comfort and Cheer by Mrs. Charles Cowman
Pilgrim Progress by John Bunyon mentioned.
music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Ps 46:1 says, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
a closer look at what this verse means for us in our time of need right now.
ending with a story of the culvert from my journal.
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Do you know that sorrow can show us many things in life we would never learn otherwise? The difference between shallow happiness and deep sustaining joy comes out of sorrow.
examples in Nehimiah and Esther
The realization of what was (our sorrow) to what is (God), and what will be (our hope) is the ingredients for joy.
God in the sorrow = joy through our sorrow.
What reality do we look to in our grief?
John 8;32 ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.
When we base our foundation for life and death on the foundation of God's Word it will help our perspective of grief.
book mentioned: A Grace Disguised by Gerald Sittser
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Photo in icon of Michael before we adopted him with our dearly departed pastor. I hope they gave each other a hug in heaven.
Seven bullet points of ways to preserve your loved ones memory.
Ending with a poem I wrote of my boys.
Several quotes used and examples of people that wrote things down in the bible to preserve the message.
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
comments welcome
music by my husband, Rocky Grasser.
Sometimes after a loss a person may find themselves in survival mode; unable to make decisions, feeling fatigued. An array of many symptoms occur during this time. How can you help someone in this mode and how can you, as a grieving person, get out of this mode.
"At the end of the day, all you need is hope and strength, Hope that it will get better and strength to hold on until it does and God is the one that will provide both. So have hope.
scriptures used: Ps 31:24
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
music provided by Rocky Grasser
When I saw God as great and powerful in the good times then I could still grasp who He was in the hard times.
Thoughts about Abraham and what he needed to remember in order to obey. Genesis 17:1
Don't dwell on what is taken, dwell on what is given.
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
comments welcome
Ever feel like you wish you could understand or see the "why" you had to go through so much grief?
My journey for understanding when I asked the question, "Lord, can I see?"
refences from King James Bible
Mark 10:46-52
Psalms 69:3 and verses 30-36
Psalms 27:13-14
The story of Paul's shipwreck is in Acts 27
God has allowed me, by faith, to see many things He is doing.
Always pray to have eyes that see the best,
A heart that forgives the worst,
A mind that forgets the bad,
And a soul that never loses faith.
music by Rocky Grasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Our loved ones are gone, we remain here. What remains with us to help us through?
scriptures used:
Gen. 7:23
Gen. 8:22
1 Kings 18:22
Proverbs 2:21
Matt. 14:20
john 15:7-11
Heb. 4:9-11
2 Cor. 3:11
2 Cor. 9:9
1 Thess. 4:15-18
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
What happens when people don't deal with grief properly.
Not that there is a proper way that everyone should follow, each experience is individualized but that we want to avoid not dealing with grief, and getting unwanted results.
listed in the podcast are some things I've noticed in people that won't deal with the grief, and some suggestions for how to deal with it in a better, healthier way.
Poem from tears to Joy by KMG
quote by Sandra Kring
scriptures used Rom. 5:1
Psalms 32:7
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
episodes can be shared via www.godinthegrief.org
This quote from Michael, brought cheer to my heart.
God is also asking this question in our grief, How do we like him now? Now that he showed himself strong, and promised us a place in heaven?
Many scriptures speak of this eternal life promised to us.
The person at the top of the mountain didn't fall there. They got there with effort. They struggled, enjoyed the view and had lots of experiences along the way.
Zacchaeus as an example in Luke 19
scriptures used:
Gal 5:7
Heb 11:6
2 Cor. 2:14
1 John 5:4
Rom 12:21
Psalms 61:2
used King James Version
story read from Light From Many Lamps by Lillian Watson
intro music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
If you are in the fire, be thankful you get to walk with God. He will be there in the fire with you. You will come out unharmed by your circumstances. You will make God visible.
This is the story Daniel told of the 3 Hebrew children. They stood determined to trust God. How about you? Do you show God in your fire?
Story is Daniel chapter 3 in the Bible.
Song, , They didn't burn , from an old campmeeting quartet from Carmichael California.
We can be happy in the middle of sad circumstances.
The Bible will teach us how.
Listen to find out.
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
music by Rocky Grasser
If you can trust a puzzle Co. to make sure every piece is in a puzzle box, then why can't you trust God that every piece of your life is there for a reason.
Scriptures used:
2 Sam 22:31
Psalms 118:8
Col 2:10
Psalms 18:30
Acts 12:1-19
when God puts the puzzle pieces of our life together nothing is lost and its a beautiful picture.
Did you know that heaven is mentioned around 622 times in the bible?
Jesus came from heaven, He died to be able to have us be in heaven with Him. He's up there preparing a place for anyone that meets the condition of a changed heart.
There is so much we don't know about heaven but they Bible tells us many things we can know. That is what this episode talks about. .
scritpures used:
John 3:12-16
John 14:2
1 Peter 1:3-4
Hebrews 12:23
Luke 15:7
Matt. 5
Matt. 6:20
Matt 19:21
Col.1:5
Matt 18:3
2 Tim. 4:18
1 Thess. 4:13-18
Don't miss the summary at the end this is what heaven is like....
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
music by Rocky Grasser
Do you believe your trial can be a blessing.
Sometimes blessings are in disguise as is sung in Laura Story's song, "Blessings".
This is a reminder of the blessing God brought to us when his son suffered and died for us.
scriptures used:
Acts 3:11-26
Gen. 12:2
Deut. 28:2
Ps. 3:8
Prov. 10:22
Eph. 1:3
The three main aspects of blessings reviewed.
The beautiful blessing prayer in Num 6:22
How knowing these blessings' brings about praise.
All of our griefs and burdens come about as a way for God to bless us and ultimately he provides a way for us to be completely satisfied in him.
But for God where would we be?
Readings in Eph 2
highlighting the verses," But God who is rich in mercies".
other scriptures read:
James 1:17
1Tim. 6:17
make a list of all the gifts we get from God and God only, here is a short list of mine:
The holy spirit
grace
wisdom
repentence
forgiveness
faith
strength not our own
peace
eternal life
music by RockyGrasser
Kathy can be reached at godinthegief@gmail.com
Digging further into peace from episode #7.
What is peace suppose to look like in the midst of tragedy?
The answer to this and more is discussed in the episode.
Scriptures used:
Ps. 85:8
Is 9:6
Rom. 14:17
Rom 15:13
Rom 5:1
Rom 10:15
Is 52:7
Is 55:6-13
Mark 5:34
2Cor. 13:11
Gal. 5:22
When God says go in peace, we can really do that.
music by Rocky Grasser
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
These are beautiful words of Christ, first spoken to the palsied man, then to his disciples.
He would say the same to us.
scriptures used:
Matt. 9: 1-7
Matt. 14:22-27
John 16:17-33
Acts 23:1-11
Acts 27:22-26
Be of Good Cheer, God is smiling at us.
saying a final goodbye is hard, but we should never wish a person back from complete joy and supreme rest. Not to this world of chaos and hardship.
a look back at different attributes Isaac had that I wish to carry forward.
Psalms 46:10 reminds us to be still and know who God is.
take some time to be still and feel the ups and downs of emotion and feel God in the picture.
leaving this world is how god created us. All His creation is good.
We can be content with where are loved ones are knowing we will be there too someday if we stay true and faithful.
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
music by kathy's husband, Rocky
Your brokeness may not be your fault, but how you choose to repond will be.
scriptures used:
Proverbs 3:6
Isaiah 33:13
Isaiah 61:9-11
1 Chronicles 19:13
2 Chronicles 20 the story of Jehoshaphat
Job 26:7-14
1 Peter 2:9
James 1:2
Think about what really matters and respond right, you will be blessed.
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
In our grief and broken state, we are more vulnerable to many things especially emotions and thoughts.. Fear is one of those emotions that will try to come in those broken places. We must learn to recognize this and fight back.
Isaiah 41:10 is a great verse to memorize to help combat this fear.
This verse gives us 5 reasons not to fear.
- God is with us
- God is my god
- God will strengthen me
- God will help me
- God will uphold me
other verse mentioned
Isaiah 43:1-7
2 Tim 1:7
1 John 4:18
Deut. 31:6
Psalms 34:4
Psalms 27
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can email me at idgrasser@gmail.com
An example in Matthew of the women with great faith.
What can we learn from this woman?
- our faith needs to be bigger than silence.
- push past your discouragement
- Worship God even if you have no answer
- be content with crumbs if that's what you are offered
- work at pressing on
great faith shows action, persistence and praise.
Faith in grief will be a testimony to others.
This is a two part session on faith.
It is a take off, of the study I did on Paul, mentioned in epi.#2. The one on forgiveness.
Is faith needed to get through grief?
absolutely!
Take your faith, every man is given a measure of it, and use it to access God's power in your life.
scriptures used:
when we unwrap faith we...
unwrap peace: John 16:33
let go of fear. Isaiah 41:10
find strength to face each day. 2 Chronicles 16:9
remembering God will unwrap faith Isaiah 55:8-9
Ps. pardon the cat she wanted to voice her opinion on faith. lol
song: Go Light Your World, by Voices for Christ, found on amazon
as always kathy can be reached at :
godinthegrief@gmail.com
Chapter 4 of Jonah to learn how Jonah had to be asked some hard questions to see if He really wanted God's will over his ideas and comforts.
God is always showing His people small kindnesses to make us more comfortable,, and showing the lost great kindness to get them to turn to Him.
song is " Jonah" from Patch the Pirate, Praise 1,
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
We continue to learn from Jonah in chapter 2. We can see that we need to call out to God in our distress, acknowledge his way is best and give Him Thanks.
Always be prepared for death, for God's way and will in our lives by being willing to put aside our pain for God's will.
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Looking at the story of Jonah to see how Gods will needs to be more important than our pain.
Are we going to make it easy or hard for God to work his plan?
Song at the beginning and end of episode is from Praises1, 40 sing along favorites: Jonah (patch the pirate). found on Amazon.
a lost sorrow is a sorrow out of which a man failed to get the blessing which God means to come out of it for him. Jana Mc Carty
We have the freedom in Christ to take our trial and make it a blessing.
Don't waste your sorrows, let them mend you not mar you.
scriptures' used:
Psalms 13
Ecc. 7:3
2 Cor. 7:11
1 Peter 1:3-6
kathy can be messaged at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Don't give up just because your heart is broken.
Keep going, keep doing all of lifes functions.. Moving forward has its benefits.
We have so many reminders to continue on in God's word.
scriptures used:
Acts 2: 42
Acts 14:19-28
Acts 26:22
Col. 1:23
1 Tim. 4:16
2 Tim. 3:14-17
James 1:15
poem read called, "Don't Quit" by John Greenleaf whittier
Good things come to those who believe, better things come to those who are patient, the best things come to those who don't give up.
Prayer is the key to heaven, use it often. It will change you, it will show you how to be a part of the solution you are looking for..
verse used: Psalms 18: 21-32
song by Josh Groban "the prayer" found on Amazon music
kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
We like to think, This is my life, I can do what I want with it, but in all actuality , it belongs to God including the loved ones he has blessed us with.
scriptures used:
Ezekiel 18:4
Psalms 24:1,
Isaiah 43:1, 7, 21
Isaiah 64:8
Romans 9:29
Psalms 100:3
Book mentioned: Words of comfort and cheer by Mrs. Charles Cowman
Don't forget you can email me at godinthegrief@gmail.com
keep God in your Grief He will be everything you need.
Proverbs 3:27 says, withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.
Being able to see beyond your own need is a blessing.
When we put effort into giving, God notices with compassion.
When you give your heart to God then you have no need to spare what you give up, it's all God's including your grief and understanding. Give it all to God along with your heart.
Don't forget it's more blessed to give than to receive.
Don't let sadness demand to be in your life because of your circumstances.
5 things to do to dispel sadness:
- read Psalms
- pray
- allow yourself to be comforted
- choose hope
- love
verses used:
Psalms 42:11
Psalms 6:9
Psalms 66:20
Luke 8:48
John 14:26-27
book mentioned:
Driven by Emotions by Elise Allen
from the Pixar Disney movie, Inside Out.
Kathy can be reached at "
godinthegrief@gmail.com
Having anxiety will give you God - Heimers, or it will cause you to forget God.
Remembering God will be your cure for anxiety.
The rainbow is God's sign to remember him.
The colors meanings:
red-- means passion (suffering and death of Christ) vitality (state of being strong and active) and enthusiasm ( keenness of spirit), and security (free from danger). This is what God offers us.
Orange-- creativity, practicality.
Yellow-- clarity of thought, wisdom, orderliness, energy.
green--fertility, growth, balance
blue--spirituality, divinity
Indigo==sedating, self-awareness, intuition.
violet==imagination, sorrow.
God took all these colors and made something beautiful, sorrow included.
best simple advice included in podcast..
If you have had the opportunity to love someone, what an honor.
The honor is in what love brings to us. The mercy, kindness, joy and pleasure, it brings. The willingness to suffer, and the selflessness it brings is an honor. It's in the actions and the way we think toward each other, its in the way love bears up and unites. It's in the hope that endures.
scriptures used:
Psalms 119:130
Proverbs 8:17, 17:17
Ecclesiastes 3:8
1 Corinthians 13 all of it. It's the love chapter
bible love stories:
Jesus and Lazarus
Jacob and Rachel
Isaac and Rebecca
Ruth and Naomi
Ruth and Boaz
Jonathon and David
Mary and Joseph
Moses and his mom
Hannah and Elkanah
Hosea and Gomer
You've been assigned this mountain to show others it can be climbed. Our trials are not always just for ourselves,
God uses them to help others as well.
scriptures used.
Genesis 22
Numbers 13:17-20
Psalms 60 4
Take heart if you're assigned a mountain, you've been given an opportunity to view God intimately and worship Him.
Do some introspection along the way, and don't forget to place your banners so others can be encouraged.
Watch and wait with expectancy and be prepared for unexpected answers.
Included are five things that waiting does for you.
scriptures used:
psalms 25:5, 27:14, 37:7, 52:9, 62:5, 130:6
Isaiah 25:9, 40:30
John 5:2
Proverbs 8:34
1John 5:20
We wish we could get rid of our pain but God might want us to feel it.
It's a faithful God that lets you feel pain intimately.
scriptures used:
Hebrews 4:14-16
Matthew 8:17
Ephesians 3:17
Out of pain can come:
love, affection, warmth, tenderness, care, concern, sympathy, kindness, compassion, understanding, thoughtfulness, appreciation,
OR
suspicion, loneliness, neglect, disbelief, doubts, fears, disappointments,.
we want our pain to cultivate the good emotions in us.
kathy can be reached at :
godinthegrief@gmail.com
Challenges are what makes life interesting, and overcoming them is wht makes life meaningful.
four things challelnges can teach us.
- It puts us in a place to learn more than when we are at ease
- it builds character
- gives us strength for the future
- makes sweet victory
a review of the challenge of David and Goliath. A look at what Job gained in his challenge.
realizing we are better because of our challenges.
kathy can be reached at :
godinthegrief@gmail.com
Life's circumstances can leave us feeling fearful, discouraged, and alone. But God has given us some powerful tools to use to combat these difficulties.
we can be fearless and at peace in our personal grief.
These tools are:
- . the name of Jesus
- Singing and praise
- The light of God's Word
- Peace that comes from trust
The poems read are:
"keep us the song of faith" by M.E. Barber
" against a thorn' selected
kathy can be reached at :
godinthegrief@gmail.com
How and why to encourage yourself through songs.
Some good ole Hymns listed and a reading out of Kathy's grief journal.
Ends with a song by Crossroads, "God wants to hear you sing.'
kathy can be reached at :
godinthegrief@gmail.com
We can make a difference by how our grief effects us and others in our own ordinary broken life by being that one willing person God can use.
You will learn in this episode that defending God, being willing to speak up, just being faithful, and showing up with our basket, bringing what we can to God, and recognizing God has a purpose in our life will help make a difference in your grief. Keeping God in our grief makes the biggest difference.
Kathy can be contacted at
godinthegrief@gmail.com
As I was praying today I found myself praising God and thanking Him. Thanking Him for creating two amazing boys and giving them to me to enjoy for a while. Thanking Him for making a place in heaven for them and receiving them with open arms. Thanking Him that he made a way to live a life here worthy of heaven so I can see my boys again. Thanking him for being with us always even when our hearts don't understand and because he deserves all honor and praise, and who am I? I will still love him and I will forever Praise Him! When life is sweet say, thank you, and celebrate: when life is bitter say thank you and grow!
Kathy can be reached at
godinthegrief@gmail.com
I'd love to hear from you.
Perspective is one of the keys to finding joy in our grief. It will allow us to be thankful despite our hard times, .It will help us to go from strength to strength , not battle to battle.
There are two sides to dying. The earth side that is often lonely and sad. And the heaven side that is amazing. Don't forget to think about the heaven side. There was a huge happy welcome there.
song in background is by Chuck Wagon Gang, "traveling on"
poem, "Hope Ever" by unknown
Memories can be precious, or sometimes they can be painful. Either way , we need to be thankful we have them.
song, precious memories, by Alan Jackson.
We want our life to be an encouragement to others. When we go thru hard times it strengthens our testimony of who we say God is.
Let's establish a beautiful testimony for our children and others around us that will enable them to take courage from.
names mentioned changed for privacy
Let your smile change the world, but don't let the world change your smile.
Romans 8;28 tells us that ," all things work together for good." Do we still believe that when we are broken? Do good things come from broken things? The answer is , YES! God has always deemed it so. He was broken for our good, let us be willing to be broken for His glory.
God does all things well, all the time. Sometimes that takes going through difficult times to allow God to work with the soul, the most precious part of man to God.
Included are short stories of God's goodness.
music used by permission by Pam Thum, ,' life is hard'
Praising God in the midst of grief is the highest form of gratitude we can give God for who He is.
Think of simple ways to be thankful:
joy dare (mistakenly called truth dare in this episode) by Ann Voskamp,is easily found on Pinterest
Be thankful for the hard things in life, it will change your perspective.
Music in the background, "angels watching " by praise piano.
Excerpts from my journal allow me to look back and see what God has done for me.
Peace is a healing balm, and if we don't give our grief to God and let him exchange it for peace, we will be fighting ourselves. But God has a peace that passes understanding. We don't have to figure it out. We just have to trust.
Find out how God have his peace to us when Mandy's phone spoke peace .
song from the album. "scripture lullabies' called, "the peace of God."
In times of grief we feel weak, but with God in the grief, He has given us all the tools we need to gain strength. We are strong, we are brave.
the song, "He will carry you." by the Carr family
Kathy can be reached at godinthegrief@gmail.com
Learning to place our time in God's hand is not easy but if we do it we will find peace comes with it.
Finding a way out when we feel stuck between yesterday and tomorrow is possible. We can learn to make new memories and find something to look forward to for the future.
We took a trip to the coast after the funeral and stopped at Mt St Helens. The quote, "out of catastrophe comes opportunities. was on their IMAX film. I'll never forget it. .It's so true.
Eph. 5:19-20 says, "speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
we encourage ourselves that out of this chaos God will work a good work.
I learned I had to forgive myself if I didn't want anything to hinder my worship of God.
I learned that we need people in our grief to allow them to be a comfort to us and appreciate them.
"people who realize they need people and appreciate those people are the most blessed people."
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another.
The heroes in my time of grief were the people that saw a need and just showed up to fill it. People in grief will not ask for help, and are not even aware of what they need. So, if you know someone in grief, find a need and take care of it. Pay it forward, encourage one another and build each other up, 1 Thessalonians 5:11