Simple, Practical, Authentic Faith
Our county is once again mourning the loss of multiple lives at the hands of misguided individuals. We are at a moral crossroad that must be navigated with care. We can either abandon the truth and retreat deeper into apathy, or we can reclaim the moral high ground and revitalize our community. I’d like to … Continue reading Reclaiming the Moral High Ground
Recently, I was honored to deliver a eulogy for the adult son of one our eldest church members. After the memorial service, I had 2 conversations with another minister and the funeral director that inspired me to write this post. Here are 4 tips to consider when you’re called upon to preach a eulogy. 1. … Continue reading 4 Tips for Preaching Eulogies
This is my final segment on Dealing With Grief. I wasn't sure if I could write the last section because I didn't know if I was emotionally ready to move forward. Recent events changed all of that. On Thanksgiving night, 24 year old Shuntell Turk was murdered by her boyfriend. My family has known Shuntell … Continue reading Make a Faith Exchange
WebMD.com has the following description of the anger stage of grief: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/mental-health-coping-with-grief Anger: This reaction usually occurs when an individual feels helpless and powerless. Anger can stem from a feeling of abandonment through a loved one's death. An individual may be angry at a higher power or toward life in general. When my uncle, Shun was … Continue reading Still Angry
Another stage of the grieving is Bargaining. According to WebMD "This stage may involve persistent thoughts about what could have been done to prevent the loss. People can become preoccupied about ways that things could have been better. If this stage is not properly resolved, intense feelings of remorse or guilt may interfere with the … Continue reading I Just Got That Faith
In my research on grief, I've stumbled across information on five stages. The stages are not sequential, meaning, we don't experience them in any particular order. Depending on the circumstances, we may experience one or all of the stages in random order. Ultimately, we want to reach the Acceptance stage. The five stages of grief … Continue reading Denial, numbness, and shock
I'm a Pastor and in my role, I'm occasionally tasked with ministering to families and individuals who are experiencing grief. Some are grieving over the loss of a loved one. A few may be grieving over the loss of a job or opportunity. Still others grieve over broken friendships and broken hearts. I'm not immune … Continue reading About Grief
Two Commandments 