Our Stories

  How Do I Go On?

The journey of widowhood is unique and individual.  Through the challenges and storms we have found anchors that have secured us in our faith and helped us to move confidently forward in healing.  We invite you to read our stories and think about your own.  Then during your  journey we encourage you to discover and document your answer to the question, “How do I go on?”

  1.

    My name is Julie and I married my first true love

    When I was 18 years old, in January 1996, I went on a first date with Jake Jorgensen, the man I would marry, and the love of my life.  We fell in love instantly and had a great life.  In the first 7 years of our marriage we experienced many...

  2. My Only Source for Peace and Direction

    My name is Veronica Clarke.  I am a mother of four, and at age 39 I became a widow when my husband’s plane crash ended both his life and his father’s. That tragic event shattered my reality. With my support and best friend gone, the temptation was very real to sink into utter...

  3. Standing at the Crossroads

     When life changes unexpectedly, it leaves us at a crossroads—where we have to decide which path we are going to choose, or allow paths to find us. We can choose to slide downhill or we can continue to climb forward. Crossroads find us at all walks of life. Sometimes they...

  4. Fight with service and gratitude!

     On November 28, 2011, we received a phone call that forever changed our lives. My husband, Paul, was told the horrific news that he had stomach cancer. I will never forget that moment of sheer terror and disbelief. Within two weeks of receiving that phone call, Paul had numerous scans,...

  Stories from Other Contributers

  1.

    Anchored in Love

    On the night of my husband’s murder, at the crime scene, while sitting behind a bush tucked away from everyone, I yearned for a sign that Richard was in heaven. I felt like I could only “accept” his death if I had confirmation that I would see him again and...

  2. Ain’t nothin to it, but to do it!

     August 30th 2015, a date that never held much sinificance to me, now means more to me than I thought one day could.  That’s the day that my best friend returned home to his Heavenly Father after a long and absolutely courageous battle with a rare spinal cord cancer. I...

  3. Surviving and Living after the Loss of my Wife

      by Rob WeaverAs I have reflected on my experience of loosing my wife, I have found an important principle that I have applied in my life that has made all the difference between surviving and living after the loss of my wife. I believe this principle is applicable to all...

  4. Hope Helps to Heal My Brokenness

    After Jamie’s passing people were concerned and continually asking, “How are you doing?” It was such a difficult question to answer after having been through such a heart wrenching tragedy. What do you say? It was complex. The answer had so many different levels of grief, and it wasn’t pretty....

  5. Stand Up and Live

    In July of 2008 the unimaginable happened. My husband passed away at age 40. I had so many phone calls and caring people stopping by my home the first few weeks and I was emotionally drained. No, completely exhausted from this roller coaster ride that I was on! I thought...

  6. I Can Do All Things Through Christ Which Strengtheneth Me

    We have all experienced incredible joy or excruciating pain at one point in our lives, multiple times maybe. Sometimes it can be physical, mental, or spiritual. For me it happened all at once in the course of a year. The man of my dreams made me his forever, but shortly...

  7. Hard as We Pray, Sometimes Heaven has Another Way

    In June of 2011 we received the unwelcome news that my wife Gaylynn had 8 tumors spread throughout her brain. Because of the diverse locations and number of tumors, it was not possible to surgically remove all of them. This was the beginning of a 20 month journey attempting to...