Today I’m announcing the transition from TWO blogs into ONE. A marriage of sorts, if you will. I’ve been writing this blog since February 2018, just a few months shy of two years. It has been a healing balm for my soul as I lived my first two years of widowhood through these words.
This was, in a very real sense, my replacement for grief therapy! In addition to baring my soul through most posts, I cried through the writing of almost all of them.
I’m sure some of the posts were hard to read. I HOPE some brought you insights you didn’t have before, whether it was into the world of widowhood, or how to help us through that loss, or most importantly, what God was teaching all of us through this difficult season.
Through it all, I trusted God to work through each and every post, and he NEVER disappointed.
In December of 2018, I added the ministry site, and the associated weekly blog to the mix. It was to be a more pragmatic approach to this whole topic of helping people through losses. Sure, there were some personal posts sprinkled throughout, and I will ALWAYS want to share what God is teaching during these days, but primarily I wanted to be an educator and an encourager.
With the 2-year anniversary of Dale’s death still in my rear-view mirror, it’s time for a change. I’ve felt God’s nudging for a few months now, and the line between the two blogs has begun to blur just a bit. So, I’ve decided it’s time to focus on the ministry and less on the daily “grind” of widowhood.
Does that mean I’m done grieving? Not by a long shot. This is my forever grief. But, I am focusing more and more on what God has for me in the days ahead.
So, this will be the last official post in “It’s Beyond Me.” How do I feel about that? Mixed emotions, for sure! It’s been a great therapist’s couch for me, and I’ve been honored to be used of God to share the insights from these past couple of years.
But most of that can still find a home on the ministry site, “Be a Blessing to Your Grieving Friend.”
If you aren’t following me on that weekly blog, I’d love for you to join me there! Just click on the green “Sign up” button on the home page and you’ll automatically be added to the notification list. I do hope you’ll continue with me as the ministry moves forward.
You may notice a new tab on the ministry site – “It’s Beyond Me Blog Archives.” So, if you ever want to go back and find a post from this blog site, you can find it there in the monthly archives. Eventually I hope to also sort those by topics, but that’s on the wish list in the months ahead.
I’m so very grateful for your encouragement over the past two years, whether it was comments on the blog itself, or reaching out to me directly. I cherish every one of those acts of compassion. You may never know how deeply your kindnesses have touched my heart!
I look forward to continuing our relationship for as long as God gives me this ministry – and you as my supporters!
I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you
will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:3
I have loved following your journey with this blog and have already signed up for the new one. After losing my beloved Chuck, just months after you lost Dale, I have found encouragement, insight and blessings (often through the tears) in your words. May God continue to bless you and your ministry. With love, Carol
Thanks you, Carol! I wish we weren’t on this journey together, but it is the path God has placed us on. And it binds us together like little else can! Love and hugs to you.