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• Journal (7) + Letter

  31 May, 2015

  Hi Darling, I must tell you about a “God moment” or “God encounter” I had the day after… [more]

• Journal (6) + Letter

  29 May, 2015

  As indicated in my last journal entry, I am experimenting with a format that I am calling "Letters to Bev".… [more]

• Journal 5 + Letter

  28 May, 2015

  My Darling, I’m quite sure in my own mind that you will never read what I write in my “Letters to… [more]

• Journal (5)

  25 May, 2015

  Last night as I thought about “resuming the journey”, somewhat unexpectedly the thought came to mind,… [more]

• Journal (4)

  24 May, 2015

  I never imagined that getting through the loss of one’s life partner would be easy. But I think it is going to be… [more]

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• Journal (3)

  3 May, 2015

  Maybe this preparation stage should include some in-depth reflection on the journey to this point? What have I learned thus far? About God? About myself? About the place and role of others? As I look back over our journal entries, there are some recurring themes that were not immediately obvious but I can see them now with the benefit of hindsight.

  PRAYER. 

  No, I don’t mean the kind of prayer that is the product of the mindset which says something like, “Well, I guess there is nothing more that we can do now other than pray”.  Excuse me?! What have you been doing up until now!! Probably exhausting every  human solution and natural resource but without success. When will we learn that prayer is our first resource not our last resort?

  As I think back over the journey thus far, one of the best decisions we made was to recruit a team of intercessors who would faithfully pray for us. Our part in this covenant was to keep our team informed of what was happening to us. In other words, we would honestly share our needs and concerns and they would treat those matters in confidence and pray about them specifically.

  Something like Moses with hands upraised holding the staff of God while Joshua engaged the enemy in combat. (Exodus 17)

  AUTHENTICITY

  We also learned the importance about being transparent and authentic with our intercessors (as well as those who visited our website to stay in touch with our progress). Time and again people would express their appreciation for the honesty of our journal comments. We didn’t pretend things were other than what they were. If we were struggling, then that’s what we reported. If we had a positive victory or breakthrough, then we reported that. We made every effort to avoid embellishment. We wanted to be authentic.

  Yesterday was the first time I felt myself over-run with the emotions that accompany a grieving heart. At least three times the dam gave way and I wept the loss of my life’s partner. “We grieve….” said the apostle Paul, “but not like those who have no hope”. (1 Thess.4/13). There’s something about grieving that is cathartic. To stifle grief because we mistakenly believe it is a denial of faith or trust, is very unhealthy.