There are moments in life where we find ourselves stuck in a pit of despair so deep that we might want to give up on life altogether. Whether it’s a loss that occurred just a few days ago or a loss that’s been years in the making, these experiences can leave us feeling stunned, shocked,… Continue reading The Gift of Desperation: Navigating Through Deep Grief and Loss
Julie is a “God” person who once thought she had a deep faith. When her 10-year-old daughter was killed by a drunk driver, naturally, deep grief and sorrow followed and questions concerning God began to dominate. She felt guilty that she had such questions and questioned not only God but also her faith. “Something is… Continue reading Grief and Faith: Can They Coexist?
When I was contemplating entering the ministry as my profession, a trusted mentor warned me with these words: “David, many people assume that there are three sexes – female, male, and pastors.” At the time, being 20-years old, I didn’t quite get it. However, after being in ministry for over 40 years, I have gained… Continue reading When Pastors Experience Deep Loss
Note: The following section is an excerpt from my book Why Do You Hurt Me God? Stacy’s attack stunned me. “I am so #!$% angry at God! Tell me David, where the #@%& was this so-called good and great God when my baby boy needed him the most? I used to believe in this God.… Continue reading An Excerpt from “Why Do You Hurt Me God?”
Grief is often narrowly defined as how we feel when someone we love dies. But we do know there are many non-death losses that result in deep grief as well. One such loss is when someone I love decides to not love me any longer. The death of a relationship could be and often… Continue reading THE GPS RESPONSE WHEN THE LOVE OF MY LIFE LEAVES ME
What do we do with those shattered dreams when a marriage fails? Since 2009, our Spark of Life team has been honored to have hosted 115 Grief Retreats and almost 80 grief workshops for thousands of people who have been devastated by loss. We have discovered that non-death losses can also be devastating – losses… Continue reading Shattered Dreams
1) You Can Own, Take Charge, and Claim a Healthy Recovery The other 4, to be discussed in subsequent articles and videos, are: 2) RAW Honesty Helps 3) Gratitude, Daily Expressed, is Secret Sauce # 1 4) Purpose, Which is Focused on Others, is Secret Sauce # 2 5) There is Always Hope It was… Continue reading Five Things 1,700 Grievers Have Taught Us
# 1 – You Can Own, Take Charge, and Claim a Healthy Recovery # 2 – RAW Honesty is an Absolute Necessity The key word above is RAW — which is why it is in big letters — because it is a BIG, important word. RAW means it can hurt — being vulnerable and open… Continue reading Five Things 1,700 Grievers Have Taught Us | Part 2
Gratitude, Daily-Expressed, is Secret Sauce #1 One mystery in Grief and Recovery is this: Why do some ‘Live Forward’ with hope after devastating losses, while others with similar losses really never get out of that pit of grief? One lives forward with their pain of loss – another simply exists forward. There are no short… Continue reading Five Things 1,700 Grievers Have Taught Us | Part 3
‘Finding Meaning’ is Secret Sauce #2 “It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.” The quote above is one of ‘those’ quotes. My good friend Joe Beam, founder of Marriage Helper, said it at one of the marriage workshops we were doing together a few years ago. It still resonates with me, challenges me,… Continue reading Five Things 1,700 Grievers Have Taught Us | Part 4
Spark of Life exists to instill hope that, though life can never be the same after loss, it can be rich and fulfilling. We are here to walk beside you on that journey, and hope begins now. We are a non-profit organization.
