"Tear Soup" By Pat Schwiebert and chuck DeKlyen

"Tear soup is a way for you to sort through all the different types of feelings and memories you have when you lose someone or something special."

"Because of her great loss, she knew her recipe fir tear soup would call for a big pot. With a big pot she would have plenty of room for all the memories, misgivings, all the feelings and all the tears she needed to stew in the pot over time."

"Some days when you're making tear soup it's even hard to breathe. Some days you feel like running away. You just hope a better day comes along soon. And then comes one of the hardest parts of making tear soup,"
"It's when you decided it might be okay to eat something instead of soup all the time."

"I've learned that grief, like a pot of soup, changes the longer it simmers and the more things you put into it.
And most importantly, I've learned that there is something down deep within all of us ready to help us survive the things we think we can't survive."

Human Nature

Here are the scriptures from the sermon I talked about. My Dad talked to his preacher, Bryan, and he sent the verses and a quote to him.

"What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
Ecclesiastes 1:13b

Hebrews 13:5b
…. because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.“

1 Peter 2:9a
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people belonging to God …

Ephesians 2:10a
For we are God's workmanship …

1 Corinthians 6:17
But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit.

Philippians 4:13
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Psalms 112:1
Praise the Lord.
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
who finds great delight in his commands.

He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Psalms 112:7

This is the quote from Dr. John Mark Hicks …

“My problem–indeed, humanity’s tendency – is to allow sadness to become my reality and my identity. It has defined me at times. It has colored everything in my life, blinded me to the vibrancy of life’s colors, and distorted my joys. It was often easier to feel nothing rather than risk feeling the sadness again, and thus life becomes bland, grey and emotionless. It then becomes easy to put up a facade and live quite comfortably in my own shack
of self-pity and despair. When sadness becomes our identity, everything else becomes meaningless. In the language of Ecclesiastes, when futility and meaningless become our vision of life, life itself is a burden. When we park our heart in sadness we lose our very personhood and purpose. But this is not God’s intent for us.”

God Bless … Bryan

Thank you Dad and Mr. Bryan for sharing and encouraging!

The Shack

I recently finished reading "The Shack". It was a great book, especially for what we have gone through. I love the time that Mack spent at the Shack with God, Jesus and the holy spirit. I wish I could have an experience like that weekend with the Holy Trinity.

And even more life changing was a sermon I heard in Valdosta this past Sunday. It was based on "the shack", not the book but the symbolic place that we go when we are troubled, and dealing with a "great sadness". I have been camping in my own personal Shack for about a yer and a half. Ever since I found out about my pregnancy not being "normal" I have been grieving. Then all the stress, uncertainty, joy, memories, and sadness that Jack's life and death brought to our family. I found myself running to the shack, by myself, any chance I got. Looking through pictures, watching videos and DVDs of Jack's life, and even listening to his funereal recorded on a CD when I was driving alone in my car. I know that it probably normal for anyone grieving. I guess I feel like the sadness is where my baby and the memories are. The sadness keeps me close to him, and moving on to a happiness is moving farther from Jack, and our life with him. I spent my time feeling guilt from being happy, and guilt from being sad. I still do not have a clue how to handle this, but I know that God does not want us to camp out and dwell in our shack. Please pray for me as I continue to search for the right space to be in. I want to enjoy the present with Ryan, Griffin, our family and friends. But I never want to be removed from the past and the love I have for Jack, and how much he means to me, or how much I miss him. I also long for a future of love and happiness, and possible one day more children.

On a positive note, I started my Kindergarten class. We are in week two. It is so much fun. I teach half days and it is working great. Today we went and met Griffin's VPK teacher and saw her classroom. Ryan took an early lunch and we all three went to her school and enjoyed lunch together. Now Griffin and I are home with robin, our new puppy, and doing well. I'll try to add new pics soon. Computer is running slow. Love to my readers!