Tattered Hearts and Hopeful Souls

I am very excited to share with you all about the release of my new book, “Tattered Hearts and Hopeful Souls.” The writing of this book has been a true labour of love, with the hope of releasing a devotional that would be truly helpful to those whose hearts are broken. Today, I thought I would simply share with you the Preface of the book so you have an idea of what is inside it! Check it out on Amazon and read a sample to see what you think!

Preface

On November 27, 2022, my life as I knew it ceased to exist. My son Mikael died of an accidental overdose. The devastation was beyond my ability to bear alone, and I turned to the only one I knew who could carry me. I turned to Jesus. I threw myself into his arms, as they were the only possible place of safety for my aching and shattered heart.

I began to put my reflections about this journey of grief on paper and shared them on my blog (amothersgriefjourney.com), hoping to provide understanding and comfort to others. This ultimately led to my first published book, A Beautiful Pain.

As I looked back over my writing, I could see themes and patterns emerging out of the experiences I was describing. The challenges involved in the process of learning to live with heartbreaking loss. Things like loneliness, guilt, questions, confusion, identity, and purpose. I realized that for each struggle I have had, God met me in that place. He has provided for each and every need in his own unique and loving way. And he placed Scripture in my hands to help me find answers, comfort, hope, joy, and purpose.

When I was writing my first book, my youngest sister, Shannon, suggested writing a devotional. The seed of the idea was sown, and now I have taken the lessons I have been learning about grief and healing within my salvation and God’s love and put together this thirty-day devotional. Each day’s entry is based on struggles I have faced and lessons I have learned through God's continual guidance.

This devotional is also a way of sharing who I am now. I love spending time outdoors; it is a balm for my soul. I live in Northwestern Ontario, a place of lakes and forests and spectacular beauty. So, you will find pictures of this area interspersed among the daily reflections.

I have also shared a number of my poems with you in this book. These are poems written over the past two years in my need to find words to express my grief experience. The imagery of poetry felt right to me in this endeavour, and I hope you like them!

Learning to live with grief is a life-long journey, and one that we don’t have to walk alone. Through every step we take—forward, backward, running, crawling, laughing, and wailing—our Saviour holds us oh so gently in his righteous right hand!

I continue to be a work in progress, and I will continue to trust in the Lord to carry me. I hope that the poems, photos, words, and Scriptures I have shared with you in this devotional will be of help to you.