This week, my dear friend, Lottie Mitchell, went to be with our Lord and with her life-long best friend, husband and sweetheart, Bill. For me and many others in the San Antonio area, it’s been an emotional week filled with ups and downs. It has seemed unusual the last couple of days not to be…
No one should have to go through some things alone. But far too often they do. No one should have to die alone. No one should have to be alone when a loved one dies. No one should have to be alone to hear, “You have terminal cancer.” I’m sure you can add other…
3 Reasons to be SILENT in the Face of Pain. Minutes after my sweet mother passed away, her pastor called to let me know Mama unexpectedly died from a stroke. I caught the first plane home. A large crowd had gathered in Mama’s living room. As I was about to enter, I remember thinking, “The…
Natural Disasters. 8 Things You Should Say. 8 Things You Should Never Say. Natural Disasters are unwanted but regular parts of our lives. They come in many forms such as blizzards, tornadoes, earthquakes, and floods. When the initial crisis ends, familiar questions always surface. Where was God? Why did this happen? Did we do something…
Storm is over. Loss of Loved Ones is Not. What you SHOULD and SHOULD NEVER say to someone who hurts. The massive 2016 NE blizzard is over, but the loss of loved ones is not. It reminds us to always be prepared when you want to say something to someone suffering a devastating loss. It…
No one thought it would happen. But it did. Harrison could have easily prevented his family all the conflict, heartache and tension. Don’t let this happen to you. More importantly, don’t do this to your family. Harrison was only forty-five and was never seriously ill before. His wife brought him into the emergency room at…
8 Helpful Things to Say When Someone Hurts I talked to hundreds of people in their most painful times. I’ve studied what experienced counselors and ministers recommend we should say in the worst of times. The following list of helpful suggestions is a summary of my experience and what many respected authors recommend we can…
When Jonathan McComb lost his wife, Laura, and their two children in the Texas Hill Country flood, friends wondered what they should say. What would you say? If a man’s heart and mind are shattered and in shock, sometimes what he needs more than words, is a silent hug, a gentle smile, and a I-love-you-pat on…
When Your Loved One Dies Young, What can we say? Their first Christmas without him was almost unbearable. When my friends lost their child, they were devastated. Who wouldn’t be, and especially during the season between Thanksgiving and Christmas? It is certainly the most tender time of the year because of our memories of…
Paid for talking about dying. DO YOU THINK IT WILL HELP? Medicare members will soon get free end-of-life counsel. Beginning January 1, 2016, for the first time Medicare will pay doctors and other health professionals to talk to families about issues related to dying. Read this article before you decide Theoretically, if people get…