Unlocking Joy After Grief | Christian Grief Support, Life After Child Loss, Bereavement, Hope and He

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1. 

   1. 38 | My Easy 3 Step Quiet Time Routine

   We all know we should be spending time every day with Jesus. It’s how we find our strength to get through the days, especially after losing our child.  I believe the key in making this a routine, a part of your every day life, is to keep it simple! So in this episode I’m sharing my easy 3 step quiet time routine that I strive to do every morning. I pray that this will inspire and motivate you as you set up your daily quiet time routine.  Links Mentioned in Episode:Free SOAP Bible Study Printable

   May 16,2024 25:34
2. 

   2. 37 | 3 Ways Walking Outside Can Play a Role in Your Healing Journey

   Y’all know how big a fan I am of walking! Walking outside in nature has played (and continues to play) such a huge part of my healing journey.  But why? Why would walking outside help with healing your heart? I’m here to tell you! Here are 3 ways that walking outside in nature, in God’s creation, is a great thing to do in your grief journey. Links Mentioned in Episode:Ep. 29 | How Does Grief Affect Your Body and Mind? 5 Ways to Start Healing After Grief Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse31

   May 02,2024 14:55
3. 

   3. 36 | Having a Bad Day? 7 Ways You Can Survive Hard Days Missing Your Child

   Sometimes you just have a plain old bad day. Either you wake up missing your child or a wave of grief knocks you down and you find it hard to come back from it. What do you do?  It can be hard to feel like you can turn the day around when it starts going south. Almost like you’ve fallen in a pit of quicksand that’s pulling you down and you don’t see any way to escape it.  No worries friend! I’m here with 7 things you can do the next time you’re having a hard day missing your child. I pray that t

   Apr 18,2024 22:24
4. 

   4. 35 | The ONE Thing That Helped Me Survive After Losing My Child

   If you were to ask me... Courtney, what is the one thing that helped you get through after losing Sam?  What would I say? What is the one thing that helped me survive?  Well my friend, in today's episode, I tell you. And I also will let you know how you can use this same thing in your grief journey to help you make it too.  Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse31 Days of God’s Character Scripture Calendar Connect With Me:Etsy Shop >> unlockingjoyshop.etsy.com  Learn >> www.unlockingjoy.com Co

   Mar 14,2024 18:19
5. 

   5. 34 | 3 Simple Ways to Create a Peaceful Home

   When we’re walking through our grief journey anything we can do to help bring some peace to our lives is helpful! So today I wanted to bring you 3 simple ways you can make your home a place of peace. These things are NOT hard at all! And most of them will cost you nothing! I pray that as you listen to this episode it will give you some ideas that you can implement inside of your own home! Links Mentioned in Episode:YouTube channels: Clutterbug and The Minimal MomPlant Therapy Oils: Chill Out ble

   Mar 07,2024 13:24
6. 

   6. 33 | How my Lifesaver Verse Has Kept Me From Drowning in my Grief Journey (Plus how you can find yours!)

   There are a few things that have been critical in me being able to make it after losing my child. One of those things, without a doubt, is my lifesaver verse.  So what is a “lifesaver verse”? And how can you find yours? In this episode I go all into what this is and how I’ve used it in my own grief journey to help keep me from drowning in my grief.  I pray that the Holy Spirit will help you be able to find the one that’s perfect for you and your journey.  Links Mentioned in Episode:Find Your Lif

   Feb 29,2024 13:22
7. 

   7. 32 | Stepping Out in Faith - Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back!

   Stepping out in faith and doing something that God has called you to do can be so scary.  What if it wasn’t God telling you to take that step?How is it going to work out? How will I know what my next step is supposed to be? The fear of not knowing can hold you back from doing what you feel God is telling you to do.  This recently happened to me. I had God telling me to do something, but I was scared out of my mind! I had NO IDEA how it was going to work out! But I’m here to tell you that it not

   Feb 23,2024 13:01
8. 

   8. 31 | How to Meditate as a Christian

   Meditation. What’s the first thing you think of when you hear that word? Is it how God defines meditation - or is it how the world defines it? This short episode is actually a clip I pulled out of another episode. After pulling it out I realized I wanted to share it with y’all! So in this little baby episode we dive into what meditation is, what God says about meditation, and if you should meditate at all. I pray this episode blesses you! Links Mentioned in Episode:31 Days of God’s Character Scr

   Feb 15,2024 06:20
9. 

   9. 30 | The Power of God’s Love as a Grieving Parent

   Valentine's Day is next week. And when I think about love, I can't go without talking about the greatest love I've ever experienced... The love of God in my grief.  After I lost Sam, the depth of my pain and sadness was so very deep, but God met me with love that was equally as deep.  So this episode is dedicated to him, the one who has been there for me every moment since we lost Sam and will be there for me every moment until I see him again. The one whose love is literally the glue that has h

   Feb 08,2024 13:34
10. 

    10. 29 | How Does Grief Affect Your Body and Mind? 5 Ways to Start Healing After Grief

    Grief affects every part of us - emotionally, mentally, and physically.  Anyone who has walked through deep grief will know the effect of grief mentally and even on our physical body. So how do we start healing after grief? Today I wanted to talk through 5 things we can do to bring healing mentally and physically so we can better process our thoughts and emotions during this journey.  And remember it’s just that - a journey. Show yourself lots of grace and kindness  Links Mentioned in Episode:Ep

    Feb 01,2024 20:14
11. 

    11. 28 | How to Find Joy in Your Grief Journey

    In my grief journey after losing Sam, there have been many times that I’ve experienced joy and sadness all at the same time. But an important lesson I’ve learned is, feeling joy again IS POSSIBLE!  I know it doesn’t seem like you will ever feel anything but sadness (especially if you’re early in your grief journey), but I want to encourage you that feeling joy again is possible. And I share with you 5 things you can do to experience the joy of the Lord daily in your life.  Links Mentioned in Epi

    Jan 25,2024 19:29
12. 

    12. 27 | 4 Ideas to Breathe New Life Into Your Daily Quiet Time

    Is your daily quiet time getting a little stale? Are you tired of doing the same thing day after day and are looking for a way to freshen it up, make you excited to spend time with Jesus again? We’ve all been there! But no worries - I’ve got you friend! In this episode I bring you 4 things that you can do to help bring a new excitement to your quiet time. I pray that you can use one of these ideas to help bring a new spark into the most important part of your day. Links Mentioned in Episode:My B

    Jan 18,2024 17:49
13. 

    13. 26 | Struggling to Find Community in Your Grief Journey? 3 Places You Can Look!

    Community is so important in this grief journey. Losing a child can make you feel so alone.  But I'm here to tell you that you do NOT have to walk this road alone! There are so many options for you when it comes to having a support system in your life. Today I'm going to dive into 3 different places you can look for a community to walk alongside you.  Plus we never need to forget the one who will never leave us, the one who started walking this journey with you from the very moment you lost your

    Jan 11,2024 11:30
14. 

    14. 25 | Finding New Purpose in Life After Losing Your Child: A Simple Way You Can Start Today

    Everything changes after you lose your child. Your purpose and passions in life is no exception. It can be hard feeling purpose or passion for anything after walking through such deep grief. And you’re right. In the beginning it’s all we can do to survive. However, there will come a point in your grief journey that you’ll feel the pull to find a new purpose for your life. But how? Where do you even start? In today’s episode I bring you simple steps you can do today to start finding your new purp

    Jan 04,2024 24:30
15. 

    15. 24 | Is There a Wrong Way to Grieve? My Answer Might Surprise You.

    I know I’ve mentioned so many times that there’s not a right way to grieve. But is there a wrong way? My initial reaction would be no, there isn’t a wrong way. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized there is a wrong way - a way that doesn’t bring lasting peace and comfort. So today I wanted to share what that is and then give you some ideas on ways you can process your grief - all partnered with Jesus. Show Notes:Find all links mentioned in this episode here:https://www.unlockingjo

    Dec 28,2023 16:38
16. 

    16. 23 | The #1 Gift that Jesus’ Birth Gave Us as Grieving Parents

    Jesus' birth brought us many things, but there is one gift that his birth brought us that is the greatest gift we could have as grieving parents. Today I want to talk about everything that Jesus' birth brought us - all based off of Isaiah 9:6. And then I want to add one important gift that he gave us. One that is the greatest gift we can have on our grief journey. One that I can’t talk about without crying. I pray that we always remember the reason for this season. And that we continually give t

    Dec 21,2023 16:22
17. 

    17. 22 | Stop the Scroll! A Step-by-Step Plan to Reduce Social Media Usage

    Social media. It’s the thing that takes up so much of our time, but we all know we should turn it off. So why is it so hard to stop the scroll? That’s what I go into in this episode. Plus I go through steps you can take to help reduce (or stop) your social media use and begin tasting the freedom that being away from your phone will bring. Show Notes:Find all links mentioned in this episode here:https://www.unlockingjoy.com/stop-the-scroll-a-step-by-step-plan-to-reduce-social-media-usage/  Free R

    Dec 14,2023 23:09
18. 

    18. 21 | In Memory Of: 5 Ways to Honor Your Child After They Go to Heaven

    After your child goes to heaven, there will come a time when you want to do something in their memory. Something to honor them. And there are so many different things you can do! I wanted to bring you 5 ways that you can honor your child that you’ve lost. You can use these 5 ideas to spark your own ideas of what you can do. Everyone’s journey is so different and unique to them, so there’s no right or wrong way and there’s no right or wrong time to do something in honor of your child. I know that

    Dec 07,2023 13:30
19. 

    19. 20 | Dreading Get Togethers After Losing Your Child? Tips on Preparing For and Making it Through Holiday Parties

    The holidays are upon us. After losing a child everything about the holidays can seem hard. But today I wanted to touch on one specific part of this holiday season - holiday parties.  Getting together with family and friends while you’re processing your grief can seem so overwhelming and impossible.  So I wanted to bring you some tips you can use to prepare for the party and also some things you can do while you’re there.  Remember, our goal is to survive!  I pray that these tips will help you b

    Nov 30,2023 15:35
20. 

    20. 19 | Give Thanks to the Lord, For He is Good: A Walkthrough of Psalm 107

    All holidays are hard after losing a child, and Thanksgiving is no exception. It’s just another reminder that our child isn’t here.  So today, I want to help us get through the day by taking you through one of my favorite “Thanksgiving” verses in scripture - Psalm 107.  I walk through this portion of scripture verse by verse and relate it to this grief journey that we’re walking. Inside is a promise that is so crucial to us on not just Thanksgiving Day, but every day.  Show Notes:Find all links

    Nov 22,2023 12:56
21. 

    21. 18 | Gratitude and Grief? 5 Ways to Experience Gratitude After Child Loss

    Gratitude and grief. They just don’t seem like they go together. How can we have thankfulness after we’ve lost our child? It seems impossible. While it’s not impossible, it also isn’t easy. It really takes concentrated effort to have gratitude in the middle of your grief. So why even try? What’s the big deal about gratitude? In this episode I tell you why it’s important and I give you 5 ways that you can experience gratitude in the midst of healing after losing your child.  Show Notes:Find all l

    Nov 16,2023 20:20
22. 

    22. 17 | The Power of Distractions in Your Grief Journey

    Distractions. Normally they are not a good thing. We hear all the time: Stay focused on your goals! Don’t get distracted!  But during your grief journey (especially in the early days), distractions are a very good thing.  When we sit for too long the grief and pain threaten to consume our mind, so we need to have some distractions ready to go for those moments.  Here are 4 things that I used in my own grief journey to help me keep my mind distracted from the pain that threatens to take over. Reg

    Nov 09,2023 20:17
23. 

    23. 16 | Sleeping After Child Loss: 5 Tips to Help You Fall Asleep After Losing Your Child

    We all know how important sleep is, but sleep is one of the things that is so hard to do after losing your child. There were so many nights that I would just lay awake, my mind refusing to stop long enough for me to go to sleep.  There were 2 things I did specifically that helped me be able to fall asleep in those early days, weeks, and months after losing Sam.  So today I wanted to share those things with you (and a few additional tips) in hopes that you’ll be able to finally fall asleep when y

    Oct 26,2023 28:08
24. 

    24. 15 | What are Your Priorities? How to Find Out AND How to Find Time For Them

    One thing that became crystal clear after we lost our son Sam is that I was done wasting time on things that didn’t matter. Because you never know how long you have on this Earth, I didn’t want to waste a moment on things that weren’t a priority. But how do you know what’s a priority and what’s not?  In this episode I bring you through 4 steps to help you: ➡️Figure out what’s important to you➡️Know what order to place them in➡️Find time in your calendar for these priorities It’s time to stop was

    Oct 05,2023 21:11
25. 

    25. 14 | Resting after the Battle: 5 Ways You Can Rest After Losing a Child

    After you lose a child, it wears you down emotionally, mentally, and physically. It feels as if we’ve just gone through battle. It’s important to be able to find some kind of rest after the dust of your loss settles. But I know that rest seems impossible while you’re starting to walk this grief journey.  So I wanted to share with you 5 different ways you can find rest for your mind and emotions. These are ways that I’ve used throughout my journey to help bring peace and rest to my life.  Child l

    Sep 21,2023 31:19
26. 

    26. 13 | Winning the Battle in Your Mind: How Turning 40 Threw Me on the Struggle Bus

    Are you struggling with a mental battle? Do you feel overwhelmed by the thoughts that won’t go away? Is this mental battle stealing your peace and your joy? Are you ready to win victory over this battle once and for all?!!! That’s exactly what this episode is about. I’ve recently been struggling with something mentally and the Holy Spirit helped me gain victory over it. So I knew I wanted to bring you the steps He showed me to win! These are the exact steps I took to finally win the mental battl

    Aug 31,2023 27:37
27. 

    27. 12 | Walk With Us: What To Do For Someone Who Just Lost Their Child

    Welcome to the second part of our Walk With Us series! Today we go into what to DO for someone who has just lost their child. It can be so hard knowing what to do for someone walking through such deep grief and sadness. Can you even do anything that will make a difference? So I went back in my journey to when we lost Sam and thought about all the things that people did for us that I STILL remember to this day.  I hope that these 6 ideas will help you in knowing something you can do for your mama

    Aug 03,2023 23:50
28. 

    28. 11 | Walk With Us: What To Say (and NOT say) to Someone Who Just Lost Their Child

    Today I’m bringing you the first of a two-part series that I have called Walk With Us.  If you have someone in your life who has lost a child, these episodes are for you to help guide you in what to say and what not to say from a mama who has lost her child too. These episodes are dedicated to all my family and friends who weren’t scared to get down in the dirt. They weren’t scared when life got hard. They walked with me. They cried with me. They laughed with me. They grieved with me. I could no

    Jul 13,2023 24:38
29. 

    29. 10 | How to Get Through Your Child’s Heaven Anniversary

    Your child’s heaven anniversary is the hardest 24 hours of the year. How are you supposed to get through the day that took your baby? It can be so hard making it through that day, but I’m here with 6 things that have helped me get through Sam’s heaven anniversary in the past.  I pray that this episode will help give you some ideas on how you can make it through your child’s heaven anniversary too.  Show Notes:Find the show notes here:www.unlockingjoy.com/how-to-get-through-your-childs-heaven-ann

    Jun 29,2023 23:32
30. 

    30. 9 | Getting Angry With God - Is it okay?

    Are you feeling angry at God? Are you wondering if that’s okay - to feel anger? Are you supposed to have that feeling on this grief journey?  Well I'm here to encourage you today friend. Not only is it okay - God completely understands. I wanted to share my story of how I got angry with God and what He showed me in return (it might surprise you). Plus what you need to do when you are feeling that anger.  I pray this episode encourages you and lets you know that it’s okay to feel angry with God a

    Mar 23,2023 15:43
31. 

    31. 8 | Making it Through the Early Days After Losing Your Child

    I see you.  You just lost your child and you don’t know how you’re going to make it. There’s only one way - Jesus. But I do have a few ways that I wanted to share with you that helped me make it step by step through the valley and to the other side, where the sun is shining, and I could see a glimmer of joy, of hope, of happiness.  Show Notes:Find the show notes here: https://www.unlockingjoy.com/making-it-through-the-early-days-after-losing-your-child/ Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse:

    Mar 09,2023 25:07
32. 

    32. 7 | How to Make Spending Time with God a Priority in 2023

    We all know the importance of spending time with Jesus, but a lot of times it’s the thing that gets pushed down the list when life gets crazy.  I want to challenge us all to make spending daily time with Jesus a priority in our lives. So I bring you some tactical tips on things you can do to make spending time with God happen in your life every day. Show Notes:Find the show notes here: https://www.unlockingjoy.com/how-to-make-spending-time-with-god-a-priority/  Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver

    Jan 06,2023 23:43
33. 

    33. 6 | How to Survive the Holidays After Losing Your Child

    There are many things that are hard in this grief journey. And the holiday season is no different. But throughout my journey, I have found a few things that helped me get through this time of year and it’s my joy to share those with you in hopes that you can find one or two ideas to help you during this time of year. So here are 6 tips (plus a bonus 7th tip) to help you survive the holidays without your child. Show Notes:Find the show notes here: www.unlockingjoy.com/survive-the-holidays  Free R

    Nov 15,2022 25:08
34. 

    34. 5 | 5 Tips for Facing Hard, Triggering Situations After Losing a Child

    If you’ve lost a child, have you ever been in a situation that triggered hard memories?  After losing Sam, there have been MANY times I've had to walk through situations that brought back such hard memories for me. How did I deal with those situations?  Today I give you my top 5 tips in being able to make it through these situations and come out on the other side with peace.  Show Notes:Find the show notes here: www.unlockingjoy.com/5   Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse: www.unlockingjoy.

    Oct 06,2022 26:29
35. 

    35. 4 | Promises of God You Can Cling to When Life Gets Hard

    Life can be so hard sometimes. But God doesn't leave us alone to figure it out all by ourselves!  Today I give you 15 promises that are found in God’s word that are there for us to cling to when life gets hard.  I pray that you can feel the peace of these verses wash over your weary heart and mind and that you feel your strength be renewed in the presence of a Father who loves you so very much.  Show Notes:Find the show notes here: www.unlockingjoy.com/4  Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse

    Sep 29,2022 17:59
36. 

    36. 3 | How Losing My Son Taught Me To Live Intentionally

    In today’s episode we’re talking about how losing my son, Sam, really put living intentionally into perspective for me. But the thought of prioritizing our time and being intentional can be overwhelming! No worries my friend!I’m going to break this down into easy, actionable steps that you can begin implementing TODAY to start prioritizing your time in ways that are most important to you. Show Notes:Find the show notes here: www.unlockingjoy.com/3  Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse: www.u

    Sep 22,2022 17:38
37. 

    37. 2 | 3 Ways You Can Have Peace in the Middle of Your Storm

    In today's episode I talk about peace. But not just any peace. Peace that doesn’t make sense. Peace that you can feel even in the middle of your storm. Tune in for 3 tips on how you can have this peace guard your hearts and your minds. Show Notes:Find the show notes here: www.unlockingjoy.com/2 Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse: www.unlockingjoy.com/lifesaver 31 Days of God’s Character Scripture Calendar: https://www.unlockingjoy.com/godscharacter/ Connect With Me:Learn >> www.unlockingjo

    Sep 16,2022 21:27
38. 

    38. 1 | My Story of Loss and Hope - How I Survived the Death of My 4-year-old Son

    This is a story of how we lost our 4-year-old son, Sam, how Jesus carried me through one of the hardest roads I’ve ever had to walk - and is still carrying me today.  I pray that you find the hope and encouragement to face whatever storm you’re having to walk through. Know that God is faithful and he is strong enough to carry you.  Show Notes:Find the show notes here: www.unlockingjoy.com/1 Free Resources:Find Your Lifesaver Verse: www.unlockingjoy.com/lifesaver 31 Days of God’s Character Script

    Sep 08,2022 17:18