Monday, March 21, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The Journey to Finding Hope!
Do you have a copy of the book Silent Grief? You can order your copy today by visiting the store at www.silentgrief.com . Why not donate a copy to your church and hospital, too? Grief from child loss is one of the most misunderstood griefs of all! –Clara Hinton
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When we are suffering intense grief, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to remember what it felt like to be happy. We do not remember that feeling of energy and zest for living. We cannot recall how much fun it was to plan out the agenda for the day. We forget the small things like the background noise of happy chatter and laughter. We forget joy. We forget the wonderful feeling of waking up each new day with hope!
Grief and loss send us to a new place. A foreign land where we are forced to learn a new language and adapt to new feelings and circumstances. We have been uprooted from what felt safe and secure and happy, and have been sent to a place that is unknown and so very frightening. This is our grief journey, and we do not know how we’ll make it!
What has helped most of us who have been called on this journey is knowing that we never have to travel alone. We have others beside us who have led the way, and they have found their new places in life and have begun to smile again. You, too, will find a new joy, and a new peace, and a new way to look at all of life again. You will find HOPE with the unfolding of each new day! --Clara Hinton
“At first I was lost in the dark, then I looked upward and saw the sun peeking through the clouds and I knew with certainty that I was on the right path to call home!” --Clara Hinton
“The Lord is for me; I will not fear.” --Psalm 118:6
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When we are suffering intense grief, we find it difficult, if not impossible, to remember what it felt like to be happy. We do not remember that feeling of energy and zest for living. We cannot recall how much fun it was to plan out the agenda for the day. We forget the small things like the background noise of happy chatter and laughter. We forget joy. We forget the wonderful feeling of waking up each new day with hope!
Grief and loss send us to a new place. A foreign land where we are forced to learn a new language and adapt to new feelings and circumstances. We have been uprooted from what felt safe and secure and happy, and have been sent to a place that is unknown and so very frightening. This is our grief journey, and we do not know how we’ll make it!
What has helped most of us who have been called on this journey is knowing that we never have to travel alone. We have others beside us who have led the way, and they have found their new places in life and have begun to smile again. You, too, will find a new joy, and a new peace, and a new way to look at all of life again. You will find HOPE with the unfolding of each new day! --Clara Hinton
“At first I was lost in the dark, then I looked upward and saw the sun peeking through the clouds and I knew with certainty that I was on the right path to call home!” --Clara Hinton
“The Lord is for me; I will not fear.” --Psalm 118:6
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
When All Feels Lost, Hope is Still Alive!
Grief from child loss is a difficult journey. Do you know someone who is grieving and in need of some help? Why not give them a gift to help in this most difficult walk? Order a copy of “Silent Grief” by Clara Hinton today. Visit the bookstore on www.silentgrief.com for details or visit your local bookstore and order a copy today.
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Grief is so common among all people, yet it is something that makes us feel so terribly alone in our pain. Even when members of a family share the same loss, the type of grieving we do can be so uniquely different. We each experience the pain of our loss in different ways that make grief so hard to understand.
Is there a common thread in grief that we can each see and feel? Yes! That one thing we long for, that one thing we each understand is that we need hope when feeling such despair. We need to find a way to move forward in life and not stay stuck in the lonely prison of grief.
How do we do this? How do we find this hope that we so desperately need? The only true and lasting hope can be found in our faith. When we know with full assurance that our Shepherd is watching over us, we can rest in Him. When our faith stretches to the point of understanding that if He calmed the stormy seas He can also calm my storm-battered heart, then I can find hope and strength in Him.
Walk among nature and experience the mighty presence of God. Read His word and allow Him to comfort your hurting heart. Look to the heavens and be filled with awe as you know He is always with you. Cling to the promise of the rainbow – our visible promise of hope! Grief is real, but hope is eternally alive! –Clara Hinton
“Without hurry or fear I will dwell in the house of my grief and wait for the promise of my hope to return!” --Clara Hinton
“…in quietness and trust is your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15
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Grief is so common among all people, yet it is something that makes us feel so terribly alone in our pain. Even when members of a family share the same loss, the type of grieving we do can be so uniquely different. We each experience the pain of our loss in different ways that make grief so hard to understand.
Is there a common thread in grief that we can each see and feel? Yes! That one thing we long for, that one thing we each understand is that we need hope when feeling such despair. We need to find a way to move forward in life and not stay stuck in the lonely prison of grief.
How do we do this? How do we find this hope that we so desperately need? The only true and lasting hope can be found in our faith. When we know with full assurance that our Shepherd is watching over us, we can rest in Him. When our faith stretches to the point of understanding that if He calmed the stormy seas He can also calm my storm-battered heart, then I can find hope and strength in Him.
Walk among nature and experience the mighty presence of God. Read His word and allow Him to comfort your hurting heart. Look to the heavens and be filled with awe as you know He is always with you. Cling to the promise of the rainbow – our visible promise of hope! Grief is real, but hope is eternally alive! –Clara Hinton
“Without hurry or fear I will dwell in the house of my grief and wait for the promise of my hope to return!” --Clara Hinton
“…in quietness and trust is your strength.” – Isaiah 30:15
Monday, February 21, 2011
Hope Arrives When We Least Expect It!
**********Silent Grief Retreat 2011***********
Have you registered for the Silent Grief Retreat being held in Warm Springs, GA this March 18 – 20, 2011? Please visit http://www.clarahinton.com to register. I can’t wait to see you there! --Clara Hinton
*********Silent Grief Retreat 2011**************
It happens so gradually that most often we don’t realize it is taking place. We wake up one morning with the sun shining brightly and we smile and welcome the day. We go through twenty four hours without crying. We join in on a conversation and there is laughter minus any guilt. And we realize that we have finally reached our new destination.
The journey wasn’t easy. In fact, we experienced every storm and hardship imaginable. We had many setbacks along the way. But, finally we have found that new place that we can call home. It is different from what we knew as our happiness before, but there is a joy here, too, and we know that we can peacefully settle in and call this new land our home.
Yes, without really know it, we have settled into our new place. There will be setbacks and reminders of our loss, but the pain will no longer take precedence over all that we think and do. Instead, we will have gentle and fond remembrances, and we will shift most of our thoughts to loving gratitude for today. And, most importantly, we will know that the dark side of our grief is no longer our landscape. Instead, we can live in the quiet, serene beauty of hope and peace. –Clara Hinton
“I will walk through this pain of grief one day at a time until I reach my new home of peace and hope.” --Clara Hinton
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry…….And, He put a new song in my mouth.” -- Psalm 40: 1 and 3
Have you registered for the Silent Grief Retreat being held in Warm Springs, GA this March 18 – 20, 2011? Please visit http://www.clarahinton.com to register. I can’t wait to see you there! --Clara Hinton
*********Silent Grief Retreat 2011**************
It happens so gradually that most often we don’t realize it is taking place. We wake up one morning with the sun shining brightly and we smile and welcome the day. We go through twenty four hours without crying. We join in on a conversation and there is laughter minus any guilt. And we realize that we have finally reached our new destination.
The journey wasn’t easy. In fact, we experienced every storm and hardship imaginable. We had many setbacks along the way. But, finally we have found that new place that we can call home. It is different from what we knew as our happiness before, but there is a joy here, too, and we know that we can peacefully settle in and call this new land our home.
Yes, without really know it, we have settled into our new place. There will be setbacks and reminders of our loss, but the pain will no longer take precedence over all that we think and do. Instead, we will have gentle and fond remembrances, and we will shift most of our thoughts to loving gratitude for today. And, most importantly, we will know that the dark side of our grief is no longer our landscape. Instead, we can live in the quiet, serene beauty of hope and peace. –Clara Hinton
“I will walk through this pain of grief one day at a time until I reach my new home of peace and hope.” --Clara Hinton
“I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry…….And, He put a new song in my mouth.” -- Psalm 40: 1 and 3
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Rest in Him for Your Strength!
For details about the March 18 - 20, 2011 Retreat, please visit http://www.clarahinton.com. Register today and give yourself the gift of hope! I look forwardto seeing you in Warm Springs, Georgia! -Clara Hinton
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There are times when we grow so weak from the sorrow and pain of this life that we think we can't go on. We die just a little bit more when others tell us to "buckle up and be strong." How can we be strong when we are so weak we cannot even open our eyes or lift our weary heads from bearing so much pain?
How greatly we are tempted to become depressed and to feel lost in this big world of ours during our moments of heartache and aloneness. This is when we most need to remember the kindness and gentle caring of our Father. He gently and tenderly reminds us to simply trust Him and "be still." Being still during our weakest moments is necessary so that we can be revived. Rest. Be still! Lean completely into the arms of our Father who intimately knows our pain, and allow Him to dry our tears.
By trusting and resting in His strength, we will gain new strength and hope. If today finds you feeling totally lost and depleted, if you are wondering how much longer you can go on, you are in need of complete rest in Him. That's all God really asks of us. Don't try to be strong; just be still and allow His deep love, His tender caring, and His strength to transfuse you with hope and new strength once again! -- Clara Hinton
"God reserves His best medicine for our times of deepest pain." --Clara Hinton
"Be still and know I am God." --Psalm 46:10
****************************************
There are times when we grow so weak from the sorrow and pain of this life that we think we can't go on. We die just a little bit more when others tell us to "buckle up and be strong." How can we be strong when we are so weak we cannot even open our eyes or lift our weary heads from bearing so much pain?
How greatly we are tempted to become depressed and to feel lost in this big world of ours during our moments of heartache and aloneness. This is when we most need to remember the kindness and gentle caring of our Father. He gently and tenderly reminds us to simply trust Him and "be still." Being still during our weakest moments is necessary so that we can be revived. Rest. Be still! Lean completely into the arms of our Father who intimately knows our pain, and allow Him to dry our tears.
By trusting and resting in His strength, we will gain new strength and hope. If today finds you feeling totally lost and depleted, if you are wondering how much longer you can go on, you are in need of complete rest in Him. That's all God really asks of us. Don't try to be strong; just be still and allow His deep love, His tender caring, and His strength to transfuse you with hope and new strength once again! -- Clara Hinton
"God reserves His best medicine for our times of deepest pain." --Clara Hinton
"Be still and know I am God." --Psalm 46:10
Monday, February 7, 2011
Finding the New Normal
“When does this pain of loss end? Is there no relief?” This is often the cry of a parent who has lost a child. The grief seems too big and too hard at times. And, there seems to be no end in sight for the pain and isolation. And, yet we know that somehow, some way life must continue on.
We keep trying; keep reminding ourselves that we must take life one day at a time. In fact, sometimes we take life one hour at a time, giving ourselves the time we need to adjust to our new world, our new way, this life that now is labeled “the new normal.”
And, so we train our minds daily to look for the good, to listen for the song, and to watch for the sunshine and blue skies. We force ourselves to move forward into this world knowing that it will never be the same again, but also understanding that we must choose to move forward into this
new land beyond our grief journey. And, so we do!
Hope is amazing as it teaches us that the very same sun is still shining and waiting to warm us. Nature is still painting the world with beauty beyond words. Our Father is still giving us comfort and help in order to help fill the void. And, so we slowly move forward knowing that one day the curtain of grief will be pulled back and we will be able to see life with new eyes and a heart filled with hope! --Clara Hinton
“There is no way out, but there is a way that goes forward.” --C. Hinton
“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” --Isaiah 40:31
We keep trying; keep reminding ourselves that we must take life one day at a time. In fact, sometimes we take life one hour at a time, giving ourselves the time we need to adjust to our new world, our new way, this life that now is labeled “the new normal.”
And, so we train our minds daily to look for the good, to listen for the song, and to watch for the sunshine and blue skies. We force ourselves to move forward into this world knowing that it will never be the same again, but also understanding that we must choose to move forward into this
new land beyond our grief journey. And, so we do!
Hope is amazing as it teaches us that the very same sun is still shining and waiting to warm us. Nature is still painting the world with beauty beyond words. Our Father is still giving us comfort and help in order to help fill the void. And, so we slowly move forward knowing that one day the curtain of grief will be pulled back and we will be able to see life with new eyes and a heart filled with hope! --Clara Hinton
“There is no way out, but there is a way that goes forward.” --C. Hinton
“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” --Isaiah 40:31
Monday, January 31, 2011
Which Blue are You?
Blue is such an interesting color! It can take on the meaning of so many different things, feelings, moods, and traditions. There is sky blue, ocean blue, true blue, blue ribbon, blue moon, feeling blue, singing the blues, and having the blues. You get the picture. Sometimes blue is associated with springtime, and nature, and wonderment. Often blue is used synonymously with peaceful and tranquil, and serene.
Blue can also take on the meaning of feeling sadness and sorrow. Blue can mean bemoaning our circumstances in life. And, having the blues can even be related to feelings of depression. What numerous contrasts of meanings found just in the simple word, “blue.”
When we are going through a loss, we will often use “blue” to describe the state of our emotions. We are feeling sad, lonely, isolated, and depressed. We don’t see the world as a place of peace and quietness, but rather our world is mixed up and out of sync. Nothing feels right or in place. We feel displaced and upset. We are sad blue. And, oh how we long for the time when we will see life as “sky blue” once again! With a heavy heart we wonder if that time will ever arrive!
If you are in a place of sad blue right now, hold on! Remember that blue is an ever-changing color! Your time of springtime and newness will arrive again! Today your world might look blue etched in the darkness of black. Your world may feel as though it is crashing apart. But, hope is alive, and will return to bring you back to a place of blue calmness just as sure as the sun rises and sets each day.
How do you know when your sad blue will take a turn for the hopeful blue? You will know when your eyes see the shades of blue differently. What looked dark and frightening will appear warm and inviting. What looked lonely and angry will look complete and filled with peace. You will once again see the sky as an expanse of blue with billowy white clouds, rather than seeing the sky dark blue filled with angry storm clouds.
Hope will color your blue with springtime! Hope will bring new life to your blue! Hope will ignite your heart and allow you to love life once again! Hold on! Keep looking upward and believe that your day of “new blue” will arrive! And, most assuredly it will! --Clara Hinton
“Who can resist the feelings of hope when staring at the expanse of the beautiful blue sky?” --C. Hinton
“Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the help of my sad countenance, O my God.” --Psalm 43:5
Blue can also take on the meaning of feeling sadness and sorrow. Blue can mean bemoaning our circumstances in life. And, having the blues can even be related to feelings of depression. What numerous contrasts of meanings found just in the simple word, “blue.”
When we are going through a loss, we will often use “blue” to describe the state of our emotions. We are feeling sad, lonely, isolated, and depressed. We don’t see the world as a place of peace and quietness, but rather our world is mixed up and out of sync. Nothing feels right or in place. We feel displaced and upset. We are sad blue. And, oh how we long for the time when we will see life as “sky blue” once again! With a heavy heart we wonder if that time will ever arrive!
If you are in a place of sad blue right now, hold on! Remember that blue is an ever-changing color! Your time of springtime and newness will arrive again! Today your world might look blue etched in the darkness of black. Your world may feel as though it is crashing apart. But, hope is alive, and will return to bring you back to a place of blue calmness just as sure as the sun rises and sets each day.
How do you know when your sad blue will take a turn for the hopeful blue? You will know when your eyes see the shades of blue differently. What looked dark and frightening will appear warm and inviting. What looked lonely and angry will look complete and filled with peace. You will once again see the sky as an expanse of blue with billowy white clouds, rather than seeing the sky dark blue filled with angry storm clouds.
Hope will color your blue with springtime! Hope will bring new life to your blue! Hope will ignite your heart and allow you to love life once again! Hold on! Keep looking upward and believe that your day of “new blue” will arrive! And, most assuredly it will! --Clara Hinton
“Who can resist the feelings of hope when staring at the expanse of the beautiful blue sky?” --C. Hinton
“Why are you cast down, O my inner self? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the help of my sad countenance, O my God.” --Psalm 43:5
Friday, January 14, 2011
Thirty Days to Finding Your Heart
A new year has begun, and yet we find ourselves feeling the same pangs of emptiness and loss as we did the year before. And, so we ask, “How does one begin anew when the heart has been taken out of life?” That is the question every parent asks when a child dies. “How? How does one begin anew?”
When our heart has been broken, we don’t have answers – at least not answers that make any sense. And, so in our desperation and brokenness, we turn to God for our help. We look to the only One who can give us the hope and the reason to go on.
Practice this exercise faithfully for the next 30 days and you will begin to notice small, subtle changes that will eventually give you back your heart. Say “thank you” aloud for five blessings each day. Take ten minutes to experience nature – listen to the birds singing their morning praises, experience the miracle of the rising sun, gaze at the twinkling stars in the moonlit sky. Memorize five verses from the Psalms – healing verses that tell of God’s mighty power and His infinite love for you.
At the end of 30 days, you will desire to continue this practice for another 30 days, and another, and another all throughout the year as this is your way of feeding your soul and bringing life back into your once empty heart! -- Clara Hinton
“Life has a way of bringing you back to places you thought were forever forgotten.” --Clara Hinton
“Cease striving and know that I am God.” -- Psalm 46:10a
When our heart has been broken, we don’t have answers – at least not answers that make any sense. And, so in our desperation and brokenness, we turn to God for our help. We look to the only One who can give us the hope and the reason to go on.
Practice this exercise faithfully for the next 30 days and you will begin to notice small, subtle changes that will eventually give you back your heart. Say “thank you” aloud for five blessings each day. Take ten minutes to experience nature – listen to the birds singing their morning praises, experience the miracle of the rising sun, gaze at the twinkling stars in the moonlit sky. Memorize five verses from the Psalms – healing verses that tell of God’s mighty power and His infinite love for you.
At the end of 30 days, you will desire to continue this practice for another 30 days, and another, and another all throughout the year as this is your way of feeding your soul and bringing life back into your once empty heart! -- Clara Hinton
“Life has a way of bringing you back to places you thought were forever forgotten.” --Clara Hinton
“Cease striving and know that I am God.” -- Psalm 46:10a
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