grief Archives

“Grief is just Anger” – Grief Myth

I always like to start by affirming a couple of basics of grief from the Grief Recovery Method®: Grief is the normal and natural emotional response to a loss of any kind. Grief is unique and relates directly to the uniqueness of human relationships, No two relationships are the same Grief is conflicting feelings caused by…

All Grief Is Experienced at 100% Remembering that grief is the normal and natural response to a loss of any kind and that no two people experience loss the same way - All grief is experienced at 100%. This doesn’t mean that all grief is experienced at the same level of emotional intensity. We experience…

Grief is often associated with the physical death of someone we care about. While grief certainly is experienced when we lose someone we love, there are many different kinds of loss that might cause us to experience grief. Grief is the natural and normal emotional response to loss of any kind. It is conflicting feelings…

Christmas can be stressful - the gift buying, the busy social schedule, financial pressures. These aside, for many people the holidays seem to make the grief we feel with the loss of a loved one extra fresh. This grief can certainly be a result of losing a family member or close friend to death, and it…

Is there a place for using a potty-mouth in prayer? You know, profanity, swearing. In a moment of angst, and no other word will do, is it okay for followers of Jesus to let fly with the nasty four-letter words? Never? Maybe? Depends on the word? As long as you conjugate them properly? What’s your…

Things we Gotta Stop Saying to Grieving People

The sad part for me as a Grief Recovery Specialist is how often these memes and well-intentioned comments are often propagating myths about loss which can become unhelpful barriers towards our finding some healing.

Words are important. Words are symbols that are arranged in a certain order - but these string of symbols can carry great significance. Words can be neutral or packed with negative or positive connotations which are greatly affected by the context in which they are used AND heard. It is helpful to remember that communication is…

Grief is messy. Grief is ugly. Grief is complex. Grief is painful. Grief is life-altering. Grief is a human experience - we all experience loss in a multiplicity of ways throughout our lives. Some of these losses can be relatively minor, while others can prove to be cataclysmic, disruptive and painful. We are each unique, our…

I stand in dismay and great sorrow with the recent tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. I am at a loss for words, with only a whisper of "oh dear God." My mind jumped back almost 14 years ago when we lived a similar horror here in Taber, Alberta, Where a student walked into our local high school…

Forgiveness is more than just forgiving because we think "it is the right thing to do" but because in choosing to forgive those who have hurt us we are taking a step toward peace with ourselves and thus towards a deep profound sense of freedom. Forgiveness doesn't mean we simply 'forget' what happened or that…

January 20, 2016
Spiritual Journey Series – Interior Castle 2

This seven-part series explores St. Teresa’s Interior Castle. This is not a program to be worked, but as we explore each facet in a general sense, we will gain a deeper perspective of the journey and where we may be at any giving time. The spiritual journey requires effort and deliberateness as much as grace. It is the process of becoming Continue Reading...
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August 8, 2011
Learning to Listen

I was astonished to learn that we only retain 25% of the things we hear. Not only does this further illumine the need for a variety of forms of communication - it also brings to light the need to cultivate effective listening. Julian Treasure* suggests that listening is very important for many reasons, primarily because it helps us position ourselves in Continue Reading...
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December 4, 2013
The Least of These?

Jesus tells a story in Matthews 25 of a King who calls a meeting of his subjects. He said to the group to the right of him, "I want to sincerely thank and commend you. For I was sick, and you cared for me. I was hungry and thirsty, and you fed me and gave me a drink. I was Continue Reading...
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Tag Archives: grief

“Grief is just Anger” – Grief Myth

When we Experience Grief

Loss has many faces

Dealing with Grief through Christmas

Potty Mouth Prayer

Things we Gotta Stop Saying to Grieving People

Closure – Maybe not what you want

Grief is …

Loss

What Forgiveness can mean to You

My Blog – Articles

Spiritual Journey Series – Interior Castle 2

Learning to Listen

The Least of These?