The ninth step in Grief
Saying for the day: Sometimes the sun does chase away the clouds.
Today and every Sunday thru next Sunday we are looking at the steps in the grief process as described by Pastor Granger Westberg. These steps are:
1. Shock
2. Emotion
3. Depression
4. Physical pain
5. Fear or panic
6. Guilt
7. Anger
8. We function poorly
9. The breaking in of hope
10. The start of the new life
We have this listed as step none but it happens through the process.
The dark cloud of gloom lifts a little and we can see some light.
For a moment ot two we feel everything is going to be okay.
Then suddenly we say something or see something that restarts the process and the gloom returns.
These moments of hope breaking through are special.
They let us know that at the end of this process there is a new life.
It won’t be the same life but it will be okay.
I think it is God who inserts these little moments of sunlight into our grief.
It is God who lets us know that better times are coming.
When the gloom returns we can hang on to that God given special moment and know the grief will pass.
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News from Pigeon Falls-The little town where the train still runs and little old ladies carry shotguns– Well I’d like to tell you the New Potatoes creamed the Trojans. One really would like to tell you that. Unfortunately that would be a lie. The Trojans defeated the New Potatoes thirty three to nothing. The Trojans played mostly subs in the last quarter. Do you think the team would play better if they were the Dragons?
Mrs. Trumble has purchased a cell phone. She says she wants people to be able to tell her where that rabbit is. She even posted her cell phone number on the community bulletin board. She bought one of those phones with a specified number of minutes. She says when she gets the rabbit she’ll get rid of the phone. Tommy, the undertaker’s kid, said he’ll be glad to take it.
The White Rabbit made another appearance for the tourists yesterday. He didn’t wave though because he was carrying a big pumpkin. Life gets stranger and stranger.
Next Saturday is the big pumpkin fest and people are wishing that the dragon will show up. Just think if it would show up when they are launching pumpkins with their catapults they might be able to hit it. Can a pumpkin bring down a dragon? Perhaps, Mrs. Trumble could put a little Holy water on the pumpkins.
Nancy is now wearing a White Rabbit for Mayor sweater. She says maybe it will shame somebody into running. Just think a White Rabbit as Mayor with two Moose, two bear, and a pigeon as the council. Could they make it through the year without one of the council members eating the Mayor?
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Link for the Day:Studio De Paloma Blog- Remember to put Dr. John in your comment to get those very artistic JCPOINTS. Check your points HERE.
Couldn't give credit to two of yesterday's commenters on the link because they put the words Dr. John in the comment but didn't put who they were.
I started the morning by visiting the blog of everyone who left a comment on this blog yesterday. I left a comment on every one of those blogs that had a new entry since my last visit.
We left the Fortress and trave4led to Hancock. The drive was beautiful. The colors were great. We gassed up when we left at $2.45 a gallon only to discover that gasoline in Baraga was $2.15 a gallon. What a difference a few miles make. We attended the Suomi Conference Fall Finnish Festival. Retired Bishop Dale Skogman gave a great sermon. Wr got to simg in both English and Finnish. There were young people that shared native Finnish dances with us. And best of all we saw old friends , perhaps for the last time sinece we will be moving away. Pastor Niemi and Pastor Holmes were there they also started their ministry in the Trout Creek Parish. It was good to fellowship with them. Some of the Trout Creek people were there as well and they remembered me. All in all it was a great day. We tried to take pictures but I don't think they are very good. If I don't blog tommorow its because I came home and discovered my monitor is going. Who knows how long it will hold up?
Well I need a breathing treatment.
GBYA
posted by Dr.John at 6:33 AM
19 Comments:
the ninth step or as i have called it, the see-saw effect. such a hard place to be. to suffer and be in the bowels of torment and to come out of it and then fall back into it. hard but i guess progress, although hard to acknoledge that then.
thank you for doing this every sunday. as you see, i take my sunday teachings seriously. i hope i can learn my lesson so as to not have to redo the experience.
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i love that Mrs. Trouble got a cell phone..can you imagine the crank calls..lol..i hope Tommy be good and doesn't get into mischief with that number..It is a small town if you don't mind putting your phone number all over the place..i hope the signs don't read as to confuse any tourists in a bad way, lol..imagine what they think of seeing signs of a number and a plead to call it,,lol..
i'll vote for the rabbit for mayor. can a canadian vote? probably not, but i throw my support being him anyways..
you had me laughing my head off with the "Just think a White Rabbit as Mayor with two Moose, two bear, and a pigeon as the council. Could they make it through the year without one of the council members eating the Mayor?" = Absolutely brilliant...one of your best thoughts, and that is saying great things, yet...
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oh, thanks for the morning laugh. i love your last paragraph there..hope you both have a great day. take care, read you tomorrow and thank you for all that you do in bringing us your knowledge and wisdom and alot lot of fun...my love to you and Betty..
If the rabbit becomes Mayor,& the two moose,two bear and a pigeon the Council, they all better hope they don't anger the townspeople- I can smell the smoke from their roasting now...and for a town with so many festivals...
Hi Dr John, I hesitated and had to look twice too -and then I doubted my eyes and had to look again.
But yes nature flowers and insects tend to mimmick other things in nature (leafs, unsavoury insects, birds, ...) to attact pollinators and/or repel predators.
Wishing You A Great SunDay!
Oh Kate is going to be surprised that you picked her blog for today's link. You need to go over to her website www.katebradley.com to see all the characters she is putting in her large fibonocci(sp?) painting.
Just a side note, her brother James Bradley co authored the book for the up coming movie Flags of Our Fathers.
Ooh, someone should give Mrs. Trumble's cell phone number to a telemarketer.
Last night I was remembering some special people that I have lost some time ago. Those who believed I have a hopeful and comforting memory of. However, I still grieve very much for those who denied God.
Like my Grandmother - she meant well, she just wasn't well in life and spirit. I believe that God is merciful and just and I would totally understand if Grandmom can't go to heaven because she did have many opportunities to believe but denied. However, I am sad about it.
My father who is still alive, I feel the same pain for. I grieve so much more for the lost than I do towards the found. That's tough Doc.
I start every morning by checking your post first....actually I pee first, THEN I check your post.
With any luck, the New Potatoes will soon be experiencing a little bit of Step 9...
;)
Grief is one of the hardest things I believe as humans we have to deal with. Death and loss are the absolute worst. You're right, God does send tiny rays of light in, just to let us know, it's not going to be bad forever- there is hope.
White Rabbit for Mayor!!!! :0)
And then it changes. We do move past the overwhelming grief and our lives move on and every once in a while, the overwhelming grief suddenly pierces us all over again. I just had one of those time. My husband died six years ago this September. Our lives have gone on, we are mostly happy and living our lives and then - wham - there it is again. I find I move through it faster now, but it remains. And I guess that is good - it proves that love does not die and that those we love always remain a part of us!
Janvangogh is so right. Thanks for the nice Sunday morning surprise of new visitors. That was very sweet of you.
I cant imagine how any person gets through a tremendous loss without faith in God. And when you are in the deepest depression and wonder if you can survive it, he shows us the way, maybe in something very small...but it is a start and it gives your heart hope.
The rabbit for Mayor is a very bad idea. We all know how they procreate. That combined with the power of office could unleash a rabbit coup. Bad for the people of Pidgeon Falls.
Im sure that God does send a ray of hope in the midst of grief..and Thank God He does.Imagine despair if He wasnt there to hold our hands!
I thank Him every day for helping me through my grief..and for the healing He does.
Dr. John, since I have to be dead to run for sainthood, I think I'll wait another 30 years or so. Is that okay?
What is the age stipulation for Mayor? I am thinking Tommy should run.
Dr. John, very interesting the steps of grief. Two years ago I was diagnosed with RA and forced to start a new path in my life. I see many parallels between how I have dealt with the RA and the steps in grieving, albeit maybe in a different order.
Thank you for the enlightenment - and you're right, it will be okay.
This man sure knows what he talks about Hoot.
He certainly seems to Nanny.
Pappy's been gone near on 8 years and I just now see some light.
I don't think the steps each take a year Nanny.
You ain't never lost your prince charming girl.
No, Dr. John! Your monitor cannot die! We need you!
I'd say Amen to that. True very true indeed.
I always neglect to tell you how much I love these sunday entries on the grief process..
I haven't really experience this type of coping with grief yet in my life.. thank God..
But it's really interesting to read the journey one takes through this difficult time in one's life..
Very informative and wonderfully written..
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