Walking in uncharted territory in grief

 

God is our refuge and strength,

an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging. Psalm 46:1-3

As I write this week's blogpost I just finished another evening of facilitating our live, in person, grief share group at New Hope Church. I learned this morning of yet another tragic loss.  

My eyes are wet whenever I read about a loss of a child for there are no guidelines for how to respond to such a loss because, after all, children are not suppose to die before their parents, right?  

I chose the title of today's blog because recovery from grief is essentially walking in uncharged territory. It is as though we're in a forested jungle, swash buckling our way   through the thick jungle brush, trying to find the end to our grief.  The loss of a child is especially painful and as the Grief share states it takes from 5-10 years to recover from such a loss.

The unit we covered last night was 'The journey of grief, part two. In this session we learned what the acronym DEER meant. (1)Drink lots of water to stay hydrated, (2)eat healthy meals, (3) exercise and (4) get plenty of rest.  After a loss occurs it is very common to have interrupted sleep patterns and when this occurs it is very important to let your primary doctor know this information so he can prescribe a sleep aide that can help you to get the sleep you need.  My experience is that there is a direct correlation between the amount  of quality sleep you are getting and how you are doing in the grief recovery process. 

In addition, we learned the importance of keeping a journal consisting of our day by day, moment by moment emotions of loss.  In a sense, our journals become a barometer of how we are doing on this journey.  In the video, one individual mentioned that after 6 months fr he didn't think he was making sufficient recovery until, that is, he went back and read his journal entries which reminded him that he had made sufficient much progress since the origination of his grief.  

My wife and I recently went on a 2 mile walk through one of our state parks. I remember as we walked, I wondered when we would reach our destination which seemed so far away.  

As I walked, I remember enjoying the scenic lookouts, the tall trees, and the swirling waters of the river. In a sense, our grief journey is like that walk- trusting God for those little miracle moments that inspire our journey.  

 Sometimes it isn't until the unthinkable happens that we learn to lean on God for the restoration of our soul.  Eventually as we continue the same rituals we did before out loss by attending a faith based community and spending time with our Savior and Lord that we will see recovery from the events that took our loved one.  

Our God is a great and mighty God who desires to walk by you like a good shepherd.

Americans 'beginning to turn against' the Black Lives Matter movement through a counter group called the Walk Away movement

First, there is the prayer rally that is taking place in Washington DC this weekend. A rally that is praying for America in the midst of the chaos from the rioting in all of the cities, brought on by the BLM movement. Destruction is everywhere in these cities, state budgets have been destroyed, and people in these cities are rapidly losing hope.


Then, I learned about the Save America, Walk away movement that is spreading like wild fire across America to stem the bleeding caused by the BLM movement. What is the Save America movement? It is a movement made up of FORMER BLM people who began to see the lies, deception, and innuendoes of the Black Lives Matter people and decided to walk away from this group. They began to see how BLM does nothing better than to make minorities and those in fringe groups to feel like they are victims and in need of the Democratic party that specializes in the victimization of people. They more they can make you feel like a victim the more likely you will 'thank them' for the ability to seek an abortion to eliminate your problem, being able to get on going government support rather than working. The more they can get you to feel like a victim the more likely they can get you to vote for their party. This has been the case since President Lyndon Johnson and his Great society welfare programs of the 60's to Bill and Hillary Clinton and now with Joe Biden.  It is a lot easier to toss money to win votes than to come up with a plan to get the country moving again.


But like someone undergoing cataract surgery and begins to see improved vision, they begin to see the hypocrisy of BLM as nothing more than a sleazy multi-level marketing campaign that rakes in millions for it's founders. For an organization that is making millions and enjoying the capitalistic system of America while espousing the virtues of socialism for those followers is appalling, and worse it is treasonous because what they are doing is destroying America and the beauty and the hope for a new tomorrow for millions who crossed oceans from other Marxist countries to experience true democracy for the first time in their lives.

There is hypocrisy with the founders of BLM when consider what their earnings have been. In one website from earlier this year, the founders of BLM make 10,000 each making public appearances. For Al Sharpton, the business of racial justice has been very lucrative — his compensation has grown fourfold since the Black Lives Matter movement was founded, tax records show.


As one former BLM follower said after he walked away from the group, "every time a BLM spokesperson shouts into their megaphone, they become a free campaign ad for the Republican party ( for the stupid stuff they say).


Then there are the corporate sponsorships to BLM that I'm sure are lining the pockets of these so-called leaders. I will list a few here: Nike, 40 million; Google,12 million; Facebook,10 million; Amazon, 10 million; Etsy, 500,000;Walmart, 100 million; Target, 10 million and the list goes on and on. As one can see, social injustice has become a very lucrative business model. Take for example the three founders of BLM who are raking in speaking monies, as well as signing book deals while enjoying the 'good life' of capitalism.


In addition, they mentioned that Kamala Harris was the worse possible running mate that Joe Biden could have chosen. The moment Kamala Harris said she would not defend America, they knew she was the wrong choice to serve as Biden's Vice President.


One former follower of BLM mentioned that if black lives matter then black babies in the womb should also matter, as well as all lives matters. They believe that there will be a ground swell of black voters voting for the Republican ticket on November 2nd, 2020. This movement may have been God's answer to our prayers to save America.


I'm praying for the Rescue America, Walk away movement that many more followers of Black Lives Matters will walk away from this hypocritical movement that is bent on lies and deception and see it for what it is- a very dangerous movement that is destroying minority owned businesses in the cities they infiltrate immediately after a police involved shooting.

 I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm pro-life and believe every unborn baby has a right to be born. This is the Republican party pro-life platform which contrasts with the Democrats who believe every woman as a right to terminate the life within her.  I believe that adoption is the platform of which both parties can agree on. I foresee a day when woman will feel honored giving another couple a chance to bring up her child.  This is why I believe this Federal judge is the right choice to replace Ruth Bader-Ginsberg as the next United States Supreme court justice.  

Trump to nominate conservative Amy Coney Barrett for court

By ZEKE MILLER , LISA MASCARO and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

 

SEPTEMBER 26, 2020 — 3:15PM

SAMUEL CORUM – NEW YORK TIMESFILE -- Judge Amy Coney Barrett addresses a Federalist Society convention at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington, Nov. 15, 2019.


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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Saturday is set to nominate Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, capping a dramatic reshaping of the federal judiciary that will resonate for a generation and that he hopes will provide a needed boost to his reelection effort.

Republican senators are already lining up for a swift confirmation of Barrett ahead of the Nov. 3 election, as they aim to lock in conservative gains in the federal judiciary before a potential transition of power. Trump, meanwhile, is hoping the nomination will serve to galvanize his supporters as he looks to fend off Democrat Joe Biden.

An ideological heir to the late conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, Barrett would fill the seat vacated after the Sept. 18 death of liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsberg, in what would be the sharpest ideological swing since Clarence Thomas replaced Justice Thurgood Marshall nearly three decades ago. She would be the sixth justice on the nine-member court to be appointed by a Republican president, and the third of Trump's first term in office.

For Trump, whose 2016 victory hinged in large part on reluctant support from conservative and white evangelicals on the promise of filling Scalia's seat with a conservative, the latest nomination brings his first term full circle. Even before Ginsburg's death, Trump was running on having confirmed in excess of 200 federal judges, fulfilling a generational aim of conservative legal activists.

"The biggest thing you can do is the appointment of judges, but especially the appointment of Supreme Court justices," Trump told supporters Friday night at a campaign rally in Newport News, Virginia. "It sets the tone of the country for 40 years, 50 years. I mean, a long time."

Ahead of the announcement, an Air Force jet flew from Joint Base Andrews outside Washington to Barrett's hometown of South Bend, Indiana, and returned to the nation's capital Saturday afternoon.


SAMUEL CORUM, NEW YORK TIMES
Judge Amy Coney Barrett, an appeals-court judge for the Seventh Circuit, in Washington on Nov. 15, 2019.



The announcement will come before Ginsburg is buried beside her husband next week at Arlington National Cemetery. On Friday, she was the first woman to lie in state at the Capitol, and mourners flocked to the Supreme Court for two days before that to pay respects.

Within hours of Ginsburg's death, Trump made clear he would nominate a woman for the seat, and later volunteered he was considering five candidates. But Barrett was the early favorite, and the only one to meet with Trump.

Barrett has been a judge since 2017, when Trump nominated her to the Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. But as a longtime University of Notre Dame law professor, she had already established herself as a reliable conservative in the mold of Scalia, for whom she clerked in the late 1990s.

She would be the only justice on the current court not to have received her law degree from an Ivy League school. The eight current justices all attended either Harvard or Yale.

The staunch conservative had become known to Trump in large part after her bitter 2017 appeals court confirmation on a party-line vote included allegations that Democrats were attacking her Catholic faith. The president also interviewed her in 2018 for the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, but Trump ultimately chose Brett Kavanaugh.

Trump and his political allies are itching for another fight over Barrett's faith, seeing it as a political windfall that would backfire on Democrats. Catholic voters in Pennsylvania, in particular, are viewed as a pivotal demographic in the swing state that Biden, also Catholic, is trying to recapture.

While Democrats appear powerless to stop Barrett's confirmation in the GOP-controlled Senate, they are seeking to use the process to weaken Trump's reelection chances.

Barrett's nomination could become a reckoning over abortion, an issue that has divided many Americans so bitterly for almost half a century. The idea of overturning or gutting Roe v. Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that legalized abortion, has animated activists in both parties for decades. Now, with the seemingly decisive shift in the court's ideological makeup, Democrats hope their voters will turn out in droves because of their frustration with the Barrett pick.

Trump has also increasingly embraced the high court — which he will have had an outsized hand in reshaping -– as an insurance policy in a close election.

Increases in mail, absentee and early voting brought about by the coronavirus pandemic have already led to a flurry of election litigation, and both Trump and Biden have assembled armies of lawyers to continue the fight once vote-counting begins. Trump has been open about tying his push to name a third justice to the court to a potentially drawn-out court fight to determine who will be sworn in on Jan. 20, 2021.

"I think this will end up in the Supreme Court," Trump said Wednesday of the election, adding, "And I think it's very important that we have nine justices."

Meanwhile, outside conservative groups are planning to spend more than $25 million to support Trump and his nominee. The Judicial Crisis Network has organized a coalition that includes American First Policies, the Susan B. Anthony List, the Club for Growth and the group Catholic Vote to help confirm Barrett, and Trump's campaign is expected to include the nomination in upcoming advertising.

Zach Williams - Fear Is a Liar (Official Music Video)

Psalm 34:4–5

“I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant, and their faces shall never be ashamed.”

As I was driving up to NowThen, Minnesota to do some repair work on my daughter's grave stone, I listened to Susie Larson, KTIS, interviewing Max Lucado, author, Pastor, husband and grandfather share about his observations during this Pandemic. He shared his experiences of going to the local grocery store all masked up and seeing masks on everyone else. What he noticed was the fear in the eyes of everyone he encountered.


If he got too close to someone the other person would move away quickly as if they might get the virus from him. He shared that the forced isolation resulting from this Pandemic is causing far higher rates of suicides than ever before. When people's economic lives have been shattered, their bank accounts destroyed, along with the hope that things would get better, it seems that suicide becomes a reality for some. 

I remember the 1980's at the height of the Aids epidemic. It was a time where the fear of being too close to someone with aids who was 'gay' was at a all time high.  We were all fearful that just touching someone with aids would give us the dreaded disease. Fear was the prevailing emotion of that time, just as fear is the prevailing one today.


The song by Zach Williams is perfect as it describes what everyone is feeling during this uncertain time. As I was walking the cemetery praying for the families struggling with the pain of their loss, I saw one new grave marker with the mom who's son died 10-years ago. Her grave site still showed the edges of where they dug. I wonder about her suffering since her son died.


I also saw the grave site of a student who attended Legacy Christian Academy who was tragically killed in a car accident. Her twin sister survived. I wondered about how the surviving members of her family were doing, and especially her surviving twin. Was she blaming herself for this loss? Has she forgiven herself?


Our ability to go to an actual workplace to perform duties and work with fellow co-worker's is for one brief moment allows us to leave our problems at home. For some, this Pandemic forces us to face the triggers that persist in the home of our deceased loved one.


My wife and I made the conscious decision to continue to go to the same church with our then 12-year-old son after Maria died. We chose not to run from our grief and instead get involved in grief groups like Griefshare.org. This involvement allowed each of us to see that we were not going crazy and that grief pain is a normal reaction for the love we had for our daughter.


I noticed that Maria's shepherd's hook didn't have a hanging plant and so I drove off to the local nursery in town. As I drove, I asked God to show me the perfect hanging plant. The young lady said they had two hanging plants and the one I liked with all the pink little flowers use to be 35.00 , now marked down to 10.00. I quickly paid for the flowers and rushed back to hang the plant while saying a word of thanks for finding this plant.


I learned from my grief journey how many different ways the Lord reveals little miracles to help us on our journey. If you are feeling alone and isolated from this Pandemic and perhaps experiencing pain from a recent or a series of collective losses, I encourage you to consider getting involved in Griefshare which will teach you in 13-weeks how to go through the pain of your grief, not around it. https://www.griefshare.org/ I assure you that you will be glad you did!


If you do not have a faith community to plug in where you can better get know this same Jesus that has helped our family, I encourage you to check out this church. There are both on-site services, as well as on-line. https://newhopechurchmn.org/

Complications of Grief

 We had another very good grief share meeting last night at New Hope Church.  Fortunately, we are meeting in a large enough room that makes social distancing possible.  When this combined with the wearing of face masks and offering hand sanitizers this was a safe meeting.  

At last nights grief share we touched on the subject of how grief effects our health.  One of our facilitators is a RN and she touched briefly on the importance of seeing their doctor to get a thorough checkup and updated blood tests.  Why is this important?  When we lose someone close to us the grief we're experiencing sends shock waves throughout our bodies and changes our brain pathways.  It is when our energy levels are depleted that we gravitate toward unhealthy eating such as easy to buy products that have plenty of added sugars.  I suggested that when they complete their physicals that they request the A1C test to determine whether or not they are diabetic.  The more I read about diabetes the more I see the connection this disease has with literally every organ in one's body.   Most people, I've learned, who have been stricken with Covid-19 had been diagnosed with diabetes.  So it really makes sense to get diagnosed and have your doctor prescribe  a diabetes medication like Metformin to treat this disease.  One of the side effects of diabetes is a lack of energy and this quite naturally transforms into weight gain which only increases the blood glucose levels and compromises the organs ability to work properly. I used my battle as an example whereby not only did I get tested and get on medication, but I met with a diabetes health coach to come up with a suitable plan that would help me lose weight and better control my blood glucose.  Just as grief share wants to partner with those experiencing loss, participants experiencing loss need the added support of their primary care doctor to help them on this journey- and it is a journey that takes years to fully recover.  

There is one final partner who wants to walk beside those who are grieving and that is our living Savior Jesus Christ.  Between our willingness to monitor our health to take appropriate action to meeting with our primary care doctor to trusting Christ it is possible to recover from our deep emotional pain following loss.

 

State health department must provide more data on COVID in Minnesota long-term care facilities

More than 70% of the state's COVID-19 deaths are happening in long-term care facilities and we need transparency to improve. 

By Gregg Larson , Eilon Caspi and Kristine Sundberg

 

SEPTEMBER 14, 2020 — 5:34PM

RICHARD TSONG-TAATARII • STAR TRIBUNE
Jeff Johnson meets Michael Johnson, his father, through a window at North Ridge Health and Rehab in New Hope, Minn.

Why isn’t the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) releasing comprehensive COVID-19 data? The department’s mission is to protect the public health, but how can that happen when stakeholders are not given detailed data with which to make informed decisions?

Over 70% of the state’s COVID-19 deaths are happening in long-term care (LTC) facilities including nursing homes and assisted living. These are our mothers, fathers and loved ones suffering and dying from this horrific disease.

These data are critically important for COVID-19 researchers, to better understand and address the impact of COVID-19 on the population; for gerontologists, to understand and address the deterioration of quality care in LTC facilities; and for families, to know if their facility is impacted and how severely, so they can monitor and advise in the care of their loved ones.

Now, as national and state officials warn of new COVID-19 surges, MDH is still not being sufficiently transparent about COVID-19 cases and deaths in LTC settings.

That inadequate disclosure began in April, when MDH wouldn’t identify which homes had COVID-19 infections, using the unfounded argument that it would violate federal health privacy law. After the Star Tribune and elder care advocates highlighted the missing information and contrasted it with public information in other states, MDH relented. It now lists care homes with 10 or more residents having one exposure in the last 28 days. But it does not include COVID-19 death data or how many are infected in each facility.

Currently, over 200 facilities are listed. However, the list is of little value without showing cumulative measures of exposures and deaths over time.

MDH asserts that robust data reporting would be burdensome, even though we are in a major public health emergency and they already collect the data. MDH also suggests that naming care homes would alarm long-term care providers, even though many of these providers are in a care crisis largely of their own making.

The Minnesota Coalition on Government Information (MNCOGI) has joined more than 130 organizations in signing a statement affirming the importance of government transparency during this pandemic. It states, “At all times, but most especially during times of national crisis, trust and credibility are the government’s most precious assets.”

Here’s what is needed — a state health department that is forthcoming with timely public disclosure of COVID-19 infection cases and death numbers in specific nursing homes and assisted living residences. Instead of a meaningless list, we should be able to see cumulative and recent data (e.g. past week) on exposures and deaths by care setting. This would give Minnesotans comparable information on the prevalence of COVID-19 exposure and deaths in these care homes, the magnitude of outbreaks, recent trends of outbreaks, where stronger and targeted infection-control measures may be needed, where COVID-19 transfers occur, and where care homes have indefinitely suppressed critical information, leaving residents and families in the dark about safety.

Where is the MDH concern for the residents and their right to know?

Here’s what is not needed — a state health department holding back public information about these care homes to “protect” the interests of the long-term care industry or the state agency.

The release of accurate, comprehensive public health data is more important than ever as COVID-19 cases are again rising. Its absence makes it impossible to distinguish between the relative health and safety risks associated with congregate care homes, it compromises the credibility of MDH and it jeopardizes otherwise laudable efforts by many of these care providers to protect their residents.

Making matters even worse is that most neglect and abuse complaints to MDH are not being investigated, leaving many residents at significant risk. With MDH redeploying 90% of their staff to address COVID-19, a significant but undisclosed backlog of cases has been created. Every day that passes, it becomes more likely that vital evidence will never be collected.

States such as Massachusetts and Connecticut have implemented adequate transparency measures. Why can’t MDH? If MDH continues to conceal the data, then the Legislature needs to demand it.

As Abe Lincoln said, “Let the people know the facts, and the country will be safe.”



Gregg Larson is operational lead, COVID-19 studies, Coordinating Centers for Biometric Research at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Eilon Caspi is assistant research professor, Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention and Policy at the University of Connecticut and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing. Kristine Sundberg is executive director of Elder Voice Family Advocates.

As believers in Christ we are to be the repairers of people- Jody Shank was one person who impacted other's through her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

    and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins

and will raise up the age-old foundations;

you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls,

Restorer of Streets with Dwellings. Isaiah 58:1-12

Today, my wife and I attended the celebration of life service for a good friend, Jody Shank, who died after a 5 year battle with cancer.  We heard lighthearted stories from her kids, as well as stories from good friends who knew her for many years.

 We heard about her commitment to her Lord and Savior, her devoted prayer life, and her love for her family, and how her commitment helped til the good soil so the faith of her kids could thrive.  Earlier this morning I watched a Ray Vanderlaan 'That the world may know' video that describes how important it was to build and maintain a firm foundation. His talk takes place on a hill side. From where he stood you saw this retaining wall built with many stones.  On top of that retaining wall was a vineyard planted in the top soil.  The health of that vineyard is dependent on the strength of the retaining wall. If the wall breaks and the top soil washes away, the vineyard soon dies.  The owners of the vineyard had to constantly inspect and repair the retaining wall to replace any missing stones.

 If the wall  fails it impacts all of the other neighbors on that hill side. We are to be repairers of those stones.  We are to help our neighbors when they are hurting. 

Our relationship with our Lord is like that foundation.  The Lord makes us strong so that we may help others who are suffering and find themselves in disrepair.  I was reminded after talking with the Pastor that our world is in  a very dark place right now with so many people suffering from the anxiety caused by the isolation brought on by the Covid-19 virus. 

People everywhere are broken.

  The person we celebrated today was a woman who poured her life into her family, her friends, and her students and colleagues at Legacy Christian Academy.  She knew how to till the tender soil of all she touched so they may have faith that is strong- a faith that will help them survive life's storms.  She was a prayer warrior who prayed for her family. She prayed that she would live long enough to see her son's wedding and witness her daughter graduate from high school. The Lord saw fit to answer that prayer.

 The Pastor reminded us that as believers in the Lord Jesus it is okay to grieve, but we should grieve with hope because just as Jesus was resurrected from the dead, his promises were that he was coming back to bring us home.  

For believers in Jesus Christ, life simply doesn't end when we take our final breath, but life continues into this very real place we know as heaven.  The final song of this celebration of life was entitled, 'Thank you'.

 Pretend you died and in heaven and you see your former coach, Sunday school teacher or other Christian who influenced your decision to accept Christ as your savior.

  If there ever is a reason for us to carry on in this often distressing life it is for the very reason to be used by God to touch another's life.  I'm  reminded this every time I facilitate our grief share group when someone says how grateful they are to have a live group to share their suffering of loss.  If you are such a person who is hurting from the absence of someone dear to you, I encourage you to check out grief share. https://griefshare.org

Most of us would rather be interacting with our friends than staying apart and social distancing.

 

  

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

This week we traveled to my wife's home town and stayed at the family home while making day trips to Stephen, Minnesota to visit her 94 year old mom who presently resides at a assistant living facility. The last time we visited her we were forced to only communicate through a glass panel. We couldn't touch her, nor hug her because of the potential of spreading the Covid-19 virus. This time they loosen the standards and allowed us to visit her out doors under the gazebo. We had several lunches with her during the time we visited her. On our final trip we brought our dog 'Sargon' who was delighted seeing her. We could tell that by the wagging of his tail and wanting to get closer to her. I noticed the joy in this older woman's eyes as her hand rubbed the head and back of this black Labrador retriever who never seems get tired with the attention. 

 This social distancing is hard on everyone of us in this world. Weddings have had to be canceled or post pone because of Covid-19. Graduation openhouses were delayed. Movie theaters were shut down and Public libraries were closed until further noticed. Funeral services couldn't have the same number of people in attendance which made collective grieving (something that is important for all us to help us recover from our emotional pain) 

Most of the public schools were doing either the hybrid model of education or the completely on line learning approach which left some students falling behind- students who learn best with personal interactions with their teachers. Isolation is killing us from a emotional and physical standpoint. We're not allowed to have one to one direct contact with the therapists who help us maintain our mental wellbeing and we're not permitted to see our doctors face to face to treat the very ailments that in the end could kill us from this virus. I believe the lesson from this experience with isolation is that we all do better when we can interact with others. On our way back to the cities we stopped at Itasca State park where we did some hiking. The park was minimally staffed due to Covid-19.

 The indoor dining service was closed with the chairs stacked and the gift store stayed closed which deprived the park from making some profit. 

 Tomorrow evening I, along with my team of 2 others will begin facilitating our next 13 week Grief share cycle. We will use a hybrid approach with some watching on line and others in class. We will be complying with the Governor's orders of wearing masks and social distance.

Grief is one of those things that simply cannot wait for the virus to disappear. The death of a loved one, sibling, parent, child, can be so devastating that it can cause biological changes to the bodies immune system. For some, unresolved grief can lead to early and untimely death or further disabilities like untreated diabetes, smoking, out of control drinking and for some vaping- all things that can make hard to survive a corona virus. 

 If you are someone who is experiencing a recent tragic and catastrophic loss I encourage you to find a group near you. If you live in the Northwest quadrant of Minneapolis I encourage you to try our grief share group at the extended campus 4741 Zealand Ave N, Minneapolis, MN 55428 (763) 533-2449 As you navigate through your journey please remember that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ wants to walk with you through the uncertain valleys of your grief.

This past week Minnesota lost the 2nd lady.  Joan Mondale, the wife of Vice President Walter Mondale went home to be with the Lord after a battle with cancer. As I read the article about her service  I was reminded how important people are in helping us survive the grief of a loved one. That quote again reminded me how few of us as parents are prepared to deal with the loss of a child, no matter how old that child is when he or she dies. Those words "  She had been in declining health for years, especially since the death of her daughter' hit home for me because as a dad who lost his daughter I knew the weightiness of those words and the impact grief can have on the physical body of  the survivors of that child. Vice President Joe Biden was at the memorial service where he shared how the Mondale's came to his side when as a freshman senator from Delaware in 1972 he lost his first wife and young child in a tragic car accident. Joe Biden knew the powerful emotions of grief and  loss and I am sure he was more than appreciative of the comfort he received from those who came to his side during the biggest crisis of his life. Over the course of the last 6 years I have heard Vice President Biden share his experiences with others who were new to grief. If you are reading this blog today with a very heavy heart please take heart that you will recover from this grief regardless if the grief was caused by a car accident, a suicide, or a long drawn out medical event.  Please also note that God wants to walk with you on your journey just as He walked with me  beginning in June 200 when my daughter died. As you work out your sorrow and pain please remember to take care of yourself. Drink plenty of water because this often is the first thing that grieving people forget to do. Try to take walks even it is only for a block because exercise will actually help you feel better. Choose to eat healthier food like natural fruit and vegetables because these will restore your body to a natural balance. Keep moving one foot forward and honor God with your presence at church. You will reap many blessings from those around you and just maybe a kind word from a stranger may be just what you need to get through the day. The day can be a lonely day for those who remember a loved one no longer present. It doesn't have to be that way. It can also be a time to celebrate with those who are currently in our lives. As you share your life with others you will begin to encounter moments where others will open up about their losses and this is where God's amazing grace will begin a mighty healing in you and the lives of those around you.Tonight, my wife and I are going to attend the Toby Mac concert at the Excel Energy center. ( This concert was long before Toby entered his period of grief with the loss of his son) We are looking forward to spending time with each other and being truly amazed how God had kept our marriage intact throughout our journey of grief.

God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life- even in this corona virus world.

 

19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

I recently reconnected with a good friend from the past. Roger Peterson start ed and operated the Stem short term missions organization to help introduce Christian's to the love for bringing the good news to some of the most impoverished countries in the world. I went on one of those trips and I believe that experienced changed my outlook on the way I see life in America. Interestingly, I married a woman who spent 3 years in Haiti as a English teacher. She too was impacted by that experience. There are many people in this world who are filled with anxiety over the uncertainty of where life is going as we battle the Corona virus. Isolation followed by anxiety seem to be strongholds in God's people- many who never attended church, sat in a bible study, or even knew a person with a Christian faith. If you are one of those people, I want to assure you that God hasn't abandoned you for He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for you and his promises to come take root in your life simply through a prayer of invite asking him to forgive you for you sin's and taking the throne of your life. God does love you and has a wonderful plan for your life! I encourage you to read the gospel of John because it is a book that will help you understand who Jesus Christ was and what he did for you.