By His Grace
Shelley Singh: Shame and Honor Culture

Shelley Singh: Shame and Honor Culture

Shelley Singh is a former sikh who discovered the heart of the father through Jesus Christ. She is a Canadian by birth and has lived in India as well as in the United States. She grew up in Toronto, Canada where she was raised in a conservative sikh family and spent time learning about in the sikh faith through worship and various sikh youth camps around Toronto and Michigan.  She has been sharing her faith through social media platforms since 2015. She has spoken at a local university in Texas and shared her testimony through an online radio ministry. Her interests include world religions, shame and honor cultures, prophetic intercession, healing and apologetics. She holds a bachelors in health sciences with honors and a clinical doctorate in Audiology. Her writing topics of interest include intimacy, memoir, science and faith among others. Her heart is to teach others about the transformation and hope that redemptive grace can bring to any culture. She is fairly fluent in Punjabi and hindi/Urdu. She blogs at shelleysingh.com
Five Ways to Help When Your Friend Goes Through Loss

Five Ways to Help When Your Friend Goes Through Loss

There is an unspoken bond between mother’s who have buried their babies. I felt an instant connection to my guest, Sara R. Ward this week.This kind of bond can only be forged when you have walked through the Valley of the shadow of death and cling to the hope of Jesus because nothing else in life makes any sense.  When you allow God to heal your wounds so you can help another grieving mother know she too will get through this loss. You begin to understand the exchange of beauty for ashes.

Please welcome Sara R Ward to By His Grace this week.


Five Ways to Help When Your Friend Goes Through Loss

by Sara R. Ward

Recently, a woman I knew lost her husband to cancer. Toward the end of his life, he was in a great deal of pain, and she didn’t want him to suffer any more. 

A few months after her husband died, I talked to the woman again. The grief was in that early, raw time, and she admitted she was struggling. 

“I knew grief would be hard,” she said, “but I didn’t know it would be this hard.”

I sat there in silence. This woman had been prepared. Her husband was a pastor. She knew where he was spending eternity, but her response encapsulated the grief experience: we know grief and loss are difficult, but we don’t know how hard until we experience it ourselves. 

When I lost my son in 2012,  I sat in a grief group with other mourners who were broken from the loss of their loved ones. 

The first time I attended the support group, I dreaded even mentioning the name of my son who had passed away. 

When the time came for me to introduce myself I said, “My name is Sara, and I lost my son Silas.” Even as I said it, my voice broke and the tears started falling.

Saying his name scratched open my wounded heart, but I knew these people understood. They passed the tissue box and they didn’t try to fix my grief. Finally, I had found a community who understood that it was okay to not be okay. In those support group meetings, I learned a lot about what it meant to show up for people in their heartache.

I was starting to understand why the Jews had their own tradition for grief, a process called sitting shiva for someone after they lost a loved one. For seven days after a Jewish funeral, the grief-stricken family sits together and mourns. No work is done. The friends who visit during a shiva call come in quietly. 

Tradition says the usual small talk is usually replaced by silence or allowing the mourner to open the conversation. Their job is to be present, to sit in the quiet, or listen to the mourners.

The tradition of sitting shiva is a good example of how we can provide help. You can’t fix the grief, but you can show up and make yourself available. Choosing to be present in grief is an incredible gift. Share on X

If you’re looking for other ways you can help, choose something that makes life easier for the family who has suffered loss. Food is an obvious choice, but there are other tasks that can be just as helpful.

One neighbor offered to do our laundry after Silas died. At first, I balked at the idea of passing on our dirty clothes. But she wanted to bless us this way and I knew I needed help. It was just so hard to accept it.

“You take away someone’s blessing when you reject help,” a friend once told us. “Because it blesses them as much as it does you.”

When the neighbor returned, laundry folded in neat piles, a wave of relief washed over me. She had blessed me with a simple act, and in return, doing this kindness gave her something in return.

We all need community, but it’s especially vital when our world crumbles. When our community shows up and offers what they can to ease the burden, it gives us a sense that we are not alone.

Together, we will get through this.

Ways you can help a friend in need:

  1. Show up. Be present and available. Don’t shrink from the hard stuff.
  2. Offer to take something off their plate: cooking, cleaning, laundry, lawn mowing, childcare,  The list is endless. If you can’t do it yourself, send a gift card covering the expense if possible. Make life easier for them in some small way.
  3. Don’t show up only during the week of a major event, but continue to reach out months afterward when the phone calls stop.
  4. Pray for them regularly. This may be the most overlooked act and yet, one of the most important.
  5. Affirm what they are feeling. Listening is one of the greatest gifts you can offer to a friend going through heartache.

About the author

Sara R. Ward is the author of the book, Made for Hope: Discovering Unexpected Gifts in Brokenness. She is a wife and mom to three children, including a son who passed away from Leigh’s disease in 2012. She writes about grief, child loss, adoption, and faith on sararward.com. She is a writer for adoption.com and has been published on the Today Show Parenting Team, Focus on the Family and Homeschooling Today.

Receive free grief resources at sararward.com

Facebook: @sararwardauthor

Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest: @sararward


For more encouragement please listen to my conversation with Sara and share it with it with a friend.You

Sara Ward: Tender Loss of a Child

Thanks so much for visiting today! You may also like Choosing Joy in Grief and From Grief to Grace.

Much love,

 

 

Misty Phillip

Sara Ward: Tender Loss of a Child

Sara Ward: Tender Loss of a Child

In this episode of By His Grace, Sara clings to the hope of scripture to see her through some of life’s most difficult trials. Sara R. Ward speaks from a wealth of personal experience on loss and disappointment. Through her husband’s cancer and two-year-old son’s death, she has learned what it means to follow God through hard circumstances. 

Sara is a wife and mom to three children, including a son who passed away from Leigh’s disease in 2012. She’s also a staff writer for adoption.com and has been published in Focus on the Family Magazine, the Today Show Parenting Team, and Homeschooling Today Magazine

Her first book, Made for Hope: Discovering Unexpected Gifts in Brokenness, will be available in October, 2019.
Kelly Needham: Friend-ish

Kelly Needham: Friend-ish

Navigating friendships can be a challenge, especially for women and young girls. Our feelings get hurt, and we can be easily offended. If a friend has wounded us, it can be hard to open up and trust again. My guest this week, Kelly Needham tackles this tricky subject head-on in her book Friendish: Reclaiming Real Friendship in a Culture of Confusion.

Kelly Needham is married to popular Christian singer and songwriter Jimmy Needham. She first began writing and speaking to his fan base in 2008 as they traveled together and has since garnered a much wider platform. Kelly is a regular contributor for Revive Our Hearts, and her writing has been featured at Desiring God, The Gospel Coalition, The Ethics and Religious Liberties Commission, Eternal Perspectives Ministries, and Crosswalk. She has been on staff at two different churches, serving in youth, college, and women’s ministry. Kelly and Jimmy live in the Dallas area with their three children, Lively, Sophia, and Benjamin.

For more about Kelly visit her website: kellyneedham.com

Thanks so much for listening to this episode of By His Grace! Hit subscribe on iTunes and be sure to leave us a review.

Please feel free to share this episode and tag me @MistyPhillip.

Be sure to join the By His Grace Community

Spark Christian Podcast Conference

Spark Christian Podcast Conference

Spark Christian Podcast Conference – Sparking Conversations for the Kingdom

What is Spark Christian Podcast Conference? 

I am glad you asked. Did you know that Christianity is one of the most popular and fastest growing podcast categories and happens to be the least represented at main stream conferences? I want that to change. In February 2020, I am gathering Christian podcasters, podcast fans, and influencers to collaborate in Houston, Texas for the first ever Spark Christian Podcast Conference and two day networking event.

We want to educate and empower Christians to spread their message of hope through podcasting. Share on X

Spark Christian Podcast Conference will be THE CHRISTIAN PODCAST EVENT.

What can you expect?

You can expect to be motivated, inspired, and equipped. 

Conference attendees will be learn to create, launch and market the podcast show of their dreams. Podcasters with existing shows will gain expert insider tips to take their show to the next level. Sessions will cover a wide range of topics from podcasting 101 to advanced podcasting techniques, including the importance of branding, marketing, and production. You will discover creative ways to monetize your show, and how to get more listeners.

We’ve secured some of the best Christian podcasters in the industry to host sessions and provide personal coaching. We will talk equipment, editing, and the essentials to help you stand out from the competition. We launched a kickstarter campaign a few days ago to fund the conference, and we have already raised $2,035! We have 21 days left to raise the remainder of our funds or we don’t get any of it.

If You are a Podcast listener or enthusiast like many of us, we NEED YOUR HELP! Share on X

Here is a link to our Spark Kickstarter Campaign.

YOU can help by praying for this event and our team. Donating to help us reach our goal or sponsor part of the conference every dollar makes a HUGE difference and brings us one step closer.

We have a variety of ticket options to fit your budget, and some exciting bonuses that will only be available on the kickstarter, like $99 tickets!!! Be sure to take advantage of our kickstarter special if you would like to attend the event and you are on a budget. There are a limited number of $99 dollar tickets, and this price is good only through this campaign for a limited time!

Spark Christian Podcast Conference Distinctives

10 Main Sessions – Beginner to advanced sessions from podcasting 101 to advanced podcasting techniques.

Industry Expert Panel Discussions – Get the insider scoop on the latest in podcasting.

Town Hall – Q & A – You will have the chance to submit questions prior to the conference. Participants will 90 Seconds at the mic to answer and ask follow questions. 

Speed Networking – Get to know your fellow podcasters in this fast-paced time of connection.

One on One Coaching Sessions – These one on one sessions will help you take your podcast to the next level.

Off-site networking opportunities – Connect with peers and speakers at local area restaurants 

This is THE PLACE to be for all things Christian Podcasting. Share on X

Join fellow podcast creators and entrepreneurs to be inspired to start, launch and market a podcast, and walk away with all the tools you need to start the podcast of your dreams. If you already have a successful podcast, don’t worry we got you covered. We will have have advanced podcasting techniques including how to find more listeners, creative ways to monetize your podcast, and opportunities to collaborate with other successful podcast entrepreneurs.

Visit Spark Christian Podcast Conference for more details, and while you are there be sure to sign up for the latest conference news and updates.

Much Love!

 

Misty Phillip

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