Listening to Him

"My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!"  Psalm 119:28 [ESV] As I was meditating on part of Psalm 119 recently, verse 28 (above) resonated deeply within my heart.  We have no way of knowing with certainty the specific source of the Psalmist's sorrow in this text.  Though some speculate about … Continue reading Soul Melting Sorrow →

Not many weeks after Sarah's death, another bereaved parent shared that the second year is actually harder than the first.  I vividly remember the horror of that statement washing over me in the moments that followed.  At that point I was still struggling to sleep more than an hour or two at a time.  When … Continue reading The Second Year is Harder? →

"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; Do not be silent at my tears; For I am a stranger with Thee, A sojourner like all my fathers." Psalm 39:12 [NASB] This month has been tremendously painful.  Senior Prom, Mother's Day, Graduation festivities, and the constant yet staggering unavoidable awareness that this is … Continue reading “A Stranger With Thee” →

It finally happened. An acquaintance made it clear that my time to grieve Sarah's absence must draw to an end, it's time to move on.  I had heard horror stories of gut wrenching rebukes received by many veteran bereaved parents who have journeyed this path for years, but thankfully I had been spared from personally … Continue reading I’m supposed to be stoic? →

"O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?" 1 Corinthians 15:55 [NASB] Sometimes the scripture passage above is tossed out to grieving families as an exhortation to grieve no more.  With a victorious gleam in their eyes some will subtly rebuke in ignorance, “Take hope, rejoice, death has been defeated, it … Continue reading Death’s Sting is Right Here, Right Now →

Last week I shared my heart’s anguish in response to God’s silence.  I have since realized His silence was actually His answer to some very specific prayers Scott and I had been praying.  I was asked in March to speak on May 3rd about “Being Still in The Presence Of God.”  After  several days in … Continue reading His Silence was His Answer →

To my dismay, over the past week and a half as I've spent time in God's Word and prayer, He has been silent.  Each passing day has compounded my urgency and longing for Him.  After spending hours in the Word and prayer today seeking His face and not finding Him, my desperation for Him climaxed … Continue reading When God is Silent… →

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;  To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning And Your faithfulness by night,"  Psalm 92:1-2 [NASB] The success of Walt Disney has safely proven most of us love knights in shining armor delivering damsels in distress, true love … Continue reading When Deliverance Doesn’t Come →

"In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope … Continue reading Taking Hold of Hope →

 "And he said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." Job 1:21 [ESV] Today is a special day.  Sixteen years ago today one of our four precious daughters was born, Sophie Anne Harmening.  They … Continue reading Sixteen Years Ago Today… →