Encouragement From Elaine

Welcome to my Blog...

Please enjoy a special, short message to brighten your week.

Each Monday morning, I will add a new blog. Some will be serious and cause us

to ponder our sadness. Others will have a lighter touch and may even bring a smile.

You see, not all of us are at the same point of healing after our loved ones death.

My hope for you is to enjoy the ones that appeal to you, where you are today.

There is also a place for you to leave remarks. Please do, I would love to hear from you.

Elaine's Social Networks

LATEST POSTS

A Journey to Peace and Joy

A closed heart never heals. An open heart is a surrendered heart that finally says, “God, I need you.” Once we understand our need for...

Thankfulness Is the Language God Desires

Have you ever prayed, “Oh, God, what is your will for my life?” I thought it had to be a lofty goal, a project, a ministry. And then I...

Give It Away!

After a tragic loss in our lives, it seems impossible to give anything away. After all, we‘ve just lost a loved one unexpectedly. There...

Trust Is Another Word for Faith

How do you define faith? For me faith is resting in the Presence of God, even when circumstances are overwhelming. Faith is knowing and...

Forgiveness: Your Hardest Task, Your Greatest Reward!

You got here, in this suicide struggle, because of someone else’s action. You did not sin; someone else did, and worse yet, someone you...

Where Is God After a Suicide Loss?

My relationship with God came crashing down after we lost our oldest son to suicide. My faith in God collapsed, as though it was built on...

Suicide: 2nd Leading Cause of Death for 10-34 Year Olds

Yes, it’s true. According to the CDC, suicide ranks second in the number of deaths for 10-34 year olds. Last year, again from CDC...

A Myth: “I’ll Just Stuff All Those Negative Feelings Inside!”

About a year after our son’s suicide, I made a terrible mistake. I stopped crying. I wouldn’t talk about Matthew. I put away all his...

Do YOU Want Peace? Here’s How!

I love simple answers. Easy to understand. Step One…Step Two. The only trouble is…it may not be easy…and it may take time. Step One:...

Here’s Great News for the Journey!

A grief journey is always difficult when you lose someone closest to you: a spouse, a child, a parent. There is rarely good news to share...

How Does God Speak to Us?

God speaks to us in his Word. Take a good look at this picture. I have Maja Thoenes to thank for creating this wonderful depiction of God...

A Closed Heart Never Heals

This is not my life’s greatest moment. No, it isn’t something I’m especially proud of, but it is an honest statement after the suicide...

And Exactly What Is the Fullness of God?

Have you heard that phrase, ”the fullness of God?” I bet you have. It sounds good, doesn’t it? In fact, I think it sounds lyrical, like...

Do You Know What Solace Is?

It‘s an odd word, one we seldom use these days. We might use words like consolation, cheer, support, but years ago, I heard that one...

Trying to Understand God?

We all do this—try to figure out God, try to understand the why in our lives. A tragedy strikes our family, and we can’t comprehend what...

JOY After a Suicide Loss?

Is is possible to have real joy after losing a loved one to suicide? Yes, I think it is. I am a mother and a wife, but I call myself a...

Can Suffering and Cheerfulness Go Hand In Hand?

The words in this graphic were written by James, and put in the New Testament book by the same name. Mary was the mother of James and...

Need Patience…Right Now?

Rhetorical question, right? Everyone needs patience! But, the real question is “How do we become patient?” This may seem difficult for...

Prayer Is a Dialogue

Many years ago, I read this about Mother Teresa. A reporter had asked her, “Mother Teresa, your prayers must be very special. What...

Are You Captured by Guilt?

I was. You see, after the suicide death of a loved one, especially a child or a spouse, you feel that you contributed to their decision...

Prayers from the Psalms — Part One

Sometimes we feel helpless—just don’t know what to say to God. Here’s great news: the words don’t really matter. It’s our hearts and...

Can We Really Thank God for EVERYTHING?

For me, the book of Psalms are like a soothing lotion on my sunburn, or a cup of cool water flowing down my parched throat. I just want...

Life Is All About Attitude!

Attitude is what is found in your mind! You can’t buy it or borrow it. Neither can you blame someone else for your lousy one! But if you...

Thinking Gratitude or Grief?

After our son’s suicide, there was a dangerous side to my grief. It was my thought process. I kept repeating lies over and over and over...

What Each of Us NEEDS—Hope!

There are four important ideas in this little verse, and each one is a reason for hope in our every day life—HOPE of forgiveness and...

God Is Always...MORE!

How does one understand God? The answer to that is explained in the eleventh chapter of Romans, “Is there anyone around who can explain...

God Is With Us—Forever!

These are comforting words for us who believe: God knew us intimately before we were ever born. In fact, he carried us and cared for...

TODAY is a Clean Slate!

Each day, in fact, is a fresh start, a new beginning when we are in relationship with Jesus, our Savior. We are cleansed, spotless,...

Promises vs. Perseverance

There are thousands of promises from God in the Bible. Don’t know for sure, as I have never really counted them all. But, one thing I do...

Suicide Healing: God’s Grace Rules

When did your loved one enter heaven? This week marks the anniversary of my son’s death and his new heavenly home. I have often pictured...

Does FEAR Have a Grip on You?

Fear is insidious. It comes from deep inside. It is subtle, just creeping into your thoughts without you even realizing its hold on you....

Talking to God... Prayers on the Go!

Did you know there is a verse in the Bible that says, “Never stop praying?” It’s found in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 In the New Living...

Full Protection... Total Security

Jesus puts our mind at ease with the following words. He describes himself as our Shepherd, one who leads, guides, and protects us. But...

Easter—Resurrection Sunday

What a joy to celebrate Easter with you! This is the Sunday that makes our relationship with our Heavenly Father perfect—all is...

Faith...Oh, God, I Need More!

After my son’s suicide death, I struggled with God, and my entire belief system was challenged. Where was the God I thought I knew? I...

The Bible—God’s Meeting Place

God, in his great love, created a way for us to learn about him, to draw closer to him, to be in relationship with him. It’s called the...

Prayer and Peace Are Linked

Just like the pieces of a puzzle...prayer and peace fit together perfectly. These few words, written by the Apostle Paul, teach us the...

Need a Listening Ear? Need a Rescue?

After a tragedy, especially after a suicide, some people may say awful things to you—words that are inappropriate, even untruthful. Or...

Faith Conquers Feelings!

Oh, this poem brings back so many memories. I was struggling with how to live my life after my son died. One day I was up, and then came...

The Character of God... What is it?

Throughout the Old Testament, God paints pictures of himself. He describes himself through things that we will understand. You see, we...

He is My Sunshine

Good Morning Friends, How happy I am to be meeting with you this morning. I’ve got coffee in hand, and believe it or not, it is still...

Where Are You God?

This verse described me, exactly as I was, broken-hearted, feeling rejected, alone, with nothing left but my sorrow...and I was lost. Are...

Need Power? Ask and it is yours...

Feeling weary? Empty? I completely understand. When you are struggling with the aftermath of a tragedy, life gets complicated. There is a...

Change... Aching for something different?

Life on a pain-filled path often requires a change of direction. Ask yourself, where are you on the path with God? Where are you with...

Wounded Healers... Together we heal...

Dear friends, Where are you on the path of “suffering”? You are on one, you know. We all have just gotten on, are walking through, or...

My Heart's Desire

Hello dear friends, My heart’s desire for this blog is to connect with you as one who understands your hurt. We both have lost a loved...