"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion — to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."~from ISAIAH 61 Bible verse for this Blog

APOLOGY to READERS who followed a SEARCH to HERE & didn't find it

On July 18, 2017, I drafted almost 3000 blog posts that I had published since 2008 when I began blogging, rather than edit each one. So if you clicked here from somewhere else and ended up with the post unavailable or error, I am sorry but this is why. It'd be too much work for me to go back and fix them. There's an explanation on 7/19/17 as I'm still learning.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

GRIEVING GOD'S WAY ~ The Path to Lasting Hope

GRIEVING GOD'S WAY
THE PATH TO LASTING HOPE
by
Margaret Brownley
and
Haiku by Diantha Ain

"Grieving God's Way" by Margaret Brownley with Haiku by Diantha Ain helps lead the reader to a path of hope and healing through a 90 day devotional that starts you on the process of grieving in a healthy way; God's ways. The book is divided into four parts of healing: I. the grieving body, II. the grieving soul, III. the grieving heart and IV. the grieving spirit along with a Bible verse and devotion for each day and an inspirational haiku by Diantha Ain. My favorite part however was what she shared from her heart and in the section "Healing Way" at the end of each day.

Through the author's own personal experience with grief after the loss of her oldest son, she showed me how to grieve God's way instead of how I have been dealing with my losses, mixing some of man's ways with God's ways and not being able to let go. Weeks, months and even years go by without visible signs of improvement or change on their special days, wondering about that person. "Then one day, it happens ... we are no longer consumed by our loss and our thoughts turn outward. These are the first signs of healing." "Grieving God's Way" offers and inspires a different course of action than our society tells us that says "get over it", stuff itforget it, suppress it, "shouldn't you be over this?", move on ...

I. Man's Way: Numb the pain 
God's Way: Heal the pain through healthy choices
II. Man's Way: Don't dwell on your loss. Keep busy
God's Way: Slow down. Take your time. Share your pain. Heal through Beauty, Art and Nature
III. Man's Way: Grieve alone *
God's Way: Grieve with the help of family &friends
IV. Man's Way: Time heals
God's Way: Faith heals
~Margaret Brownley~

Time definitely has not healed the loss of each person no longer here in my life. Each death is different and each of us deal differently with the death of a loved one. The pain is very real. But "out of the pain comes a gift of a deeper faith" (Day 87). I have experienced death from illnesses, sudden death and the traumatic death of a suicide. Not one is the same. I felt that Margaret walked honestly through her grief and how she shared it like she "gets it". I had done many of the same things that Margaret shares throughout her book but especially Part II. I love the opening introduction of each section but Part IV's spoke the most to me from this beginning part:

"When grieving God's Way,
peace of mind is the reward
we receive for faith ..." 

through her message to the very last words on that page

"Grief is a very dark cave with no visible way out. Hope and joy are distant memories. Faith deserts us ... We cry out to God ... We question His wisdom and purpose. This is how the spirit grieves."

"Fortunately, God doesn't hold a loss of faith against us; ... This is the wonder of God's aMazing Grace."

"The spirit heals when life becomes meaningful again and we face the future with hope, courage, and a more lasting and mature faith."
my spirit received the healing that flowed from these words  ... 
Thank you, Margaret!

I am now moving forward after reading this like a devotional for the past 90 days (finishing up on the exact day 3 years after my most recent devastating personal loss from suicide of a special significant friend of mine for the past 13 years here in Mexico ) with a new hope and hopefully a more healthy way to cope that will be lasting. In some ways, reading this at this point only surfaced the pain once again but this time I was able to take hold of God's truths and ways to cope and deal better. I'm learning how to embrace my grief with hope and promise, realizing that I don't have to 'let go' of the people but can express my grief in a healthier way by continuing to love them. Now I'm pressing on to learn and apply this in an entirely different kind of grief: the entire loss of our home and belongings to a fire.

The final author note of Margaret Brownley seemed to help me the most summing up her journey so beautifully and truthfully with these words: 

"Grief knows no end, but neither does God's healing." ~ Margaret Brownley ~

Grief is an inner journey and Margaret Brownley captures it and the healing necessary to start over, hold on to our memories and look forward with hope that is lasting through her words and God's Word, we can heal God's way finally through "Grieving God's Way". 

I have read only one other book that has helped me at all, although I'm noticing more and more available. I do recommend this book for those grieving and even for helping others you know or yourself to understand more completely grief, loss and a path to healing. I know I will go back often when I'm in that valley so I can lift up my eyes to the hills from where my help comes(Psalm 121)...

Disclosure of material connection:
I received this book free from the publisher Thomas P. Nelson through the BookSneeze.com book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

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* although I found, that there are now many sites and support groups to help us deal with our loss and our grief, I prefer to be surrounded by Christians with like beliefs.
 
My problem was that I am out of the country and do not feel comfortable enough to share in Spanish as I would back home. However, I was not able to talk with family and friends back home about these things, there are places you can. And for me to share with or even see the family here bought back painful memories and increased my heaviness. 

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

THEN SINGS MY SOUL, Book 3

Then Sings My Soul Book 3 : The Story of Our Songs: Drawing Strength from the Great Hymns of Our Faith, Robert J. Morgan
Then Sings My Soul Book 3 : The Story of Our Songs: Drawing Strength from the Great Hymns of Our Faith by Robert J. Morgan is the long awaited third installment of the world's greatest hymns and their stories ... and this is not just the description of the publisher, but mine also, because it's been a 'long awaited' review from me of this third book from his series, that I so enjoyed as I've been 'long awaiting' to read at least one of the 3 books he's written. Since I missed the first two - this was a MUST! I took my time drawing strength from the great hymns of our faith that were featured in this 3rd book and plan to use much more. It's a great addition to any home or church library.


I love church music and I was sure that I'd love learning about the hymns through this magnificent collection spanning from, believe it or not, the first biblical hymns, all the way to our current contemporary praise ones, crossing through worship music in the church from ancient to medieval to Gospel from German and English ancestors to current generations. Truly an amazing accomplishment and quite the collection to treasure so very well written!

I must admit that I have never been much of a "lover of hymns" though so that may be why I tarried so because I hardly knew many of these hymns. Although I have my favorites and love to hear their stories, reading "Then Sings My Soul..." has definitely made me much more interested in listening and appreciating our hymns. I learned so much soaking in this book.

I was so thankful that this detailed collection of over 50 hymns, not only includes an overview of Christian hymnody through the centuries, as I already shared, but it includes the actual music and all the verses. This allowed me to sit and read the music to become better familiar with the hymn and in some cases, I was able to figure out that I actually did know the hymn. For this alone, I took much time in thoroughly acquainting myself with the hymns, the stories behind them and the well documented church history as told by Robert J. Morgan, truly a master of concisely covering so much history and information in such an interesting manner, making it  easy to enjoy reading.

My favorite part, in addition to singing through the hymns, was learning more about the hymn, its composer, and its composition - the behind the "hymn". When you read the biographical sketches and the lyrics, knowing what part of history they were written, it takes on so much more meaning and it does strengthen your faith as well as deepen the meaning of our church music history, realizing the great importance of hymns to our contemporary music.

The book is divided into four sections: an overview of Christian "hymnody" from Biblical scriptures to modern times as I already noted; a series of short stories for a variety of many unknown hymns to me; then the section I liked best because of familiarity of six well loved hymns that gives more detail then the previous section for these and finally the role of hymns in private and public life. I completely agree with Morgan's concluding part of "interwoven worship", blending hymns along with our contemporary worship and praise songs.

"Then Sings My Soul..." Book 3 stands alone with all of Robert Morgan's detailed background information. I'm sure that the first two are just as great but I'm glad to add this unique book to my collection and so would you. "Hymns are great therapy" (as he wrote) to draw strength from the song, the words. I love the recommendations that Robert Morgan gives us in the final part to read the hymns, memorize the hymns, meditate on the hymns, play the hymns, PRAY the hymns, proclaim the hymns, quote the hymns, lean on the hymns, start each day with a hymn, but most importantly pass them on to our children.

Even the wonderful texture of the pages makes it one that I will return to often for information and using it in my time alone with God because the 3 indexes which make it so easy to access the hymn by first line, title or author/songwriter.I believe strongly in starting each day with praise and prayer so I hope to do so more often with these hymns after reading this unique book and becoming more of a hymn lover. My soul will continue to SING more hymns and unto HIM with a deepened faith strengthened by "THEN SINGS MY SOUL, Book 3..."

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*Note: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

* extra blog NOTE:
I'm hoping to make my WOW posts into Worship OWeds. for awhile to focus on the great hymns in this book with hopes to strengthen your faith too. Remember there were more than 50 in this book alone covered...

I do not know anything about 'Scrap booking' but I bookmarked a wonderful blogger I encountered who does beautiful scrap booking and up until she was moving, she had been doing a great Challenge on this: Hymn and Scripture Challenge so I'm sure I'll be linking to hers rather than duplicate info if I do any of the ones that she's already covered... and I hope that she continues on her blog soon with this challenge. 

Maybe you would like to join me in sharing one of these great hymns/songs of our church history every week. (Weds. for me but you can do it any day) Should we do a LINK UP? Now that's real accountability and inspiration from just reading the 3rd Volume. Imagine if I had read all 3 volumes. So check back on Weds. or SONdays for more about this.

I've found many wonderful resources and today I'd like to share just one, where you can learn about a hymn each week and so much more at Center for Church Music Songs and Hymns. Also every Sunday, they have a spot for just 5 minutes on a Moody radio station for you to listen. Check this out also on the link to their website.



To my faithful visitors;
all of you who spend your valuable time here with me
I do appreciate you so much!

Thank you for taking your time to visit!

Love, Sweet blessings & Hugs!

DIOS TE BENDIGA
GOD BLESS YOU

always

Peggy