This post is mostly for those who have a religious faith or belong to a religion, such as Christianity. It looks at how the pain of our grief can sometimes be dismissed or minimised by others within our community of faith because of a focus on the ‘next life.’ Missing our loved ones is the…
(This post describes my Christian outlook. A lot of people who read this blog don’t particularly identify as Christians, so I like to give a little notice if a post is going to have Christian content. This one does.) The book I wrote, “A Valley Journal,” and the Living with Loss retreats are not overly…
It’s coming up to November 2nd – All Soul’s Day – a day when many of us will visit loved one’s graves to remember them, although in some traditions this might have taken place on October 31st. (“All Hallow’s Eve”, more commonly referred to as Halloween.) As Wikipedia helpfully explains, “All Souls’ Day commemorates All Souls, the Holy…
(A post from a Christian perspective.) There is a lot in the Bible about joy. “The joy of the Lord is your strength”, “happy is the people whose God is the Lord”, and so on. Many churches today emphasise these “happy messages” and sometimes equate spirituality and faith with being happy and positive. But this…
This post is a follow on to the previous article on depression, treatment, and the depressed Christian. Celebrity deaths by suicide often precipitate another round of public discussion about depression, mental illness, and the importance of talking about our problems and not just keeping everything inside. There are other topics that come out too, such…
This blog is primarily about coping with grief, and just because someone is grieving, does not mean that they are depressed. However, recently I’ve met more than a few people whose grief intersects with depression, and I think it’s worthwhile writing about depression in general, and dealing with it as Christians. Mental health problems…
(For those interested in Christian perspectives on grief and loss.) I haven’t had many opportunities to update the blog in the past 2 months, as I’ve been teaching English, but now that season is over and I’m getting ready to lead a series of retreats on “Living with Loss.” – Have a look here for more…
