My relationship with God came crashing down after we lost our oldest son to suicide. My faith in God collapsed, as though it was built on sand. What I have come to see is that I was in a spiritual battle after our suicide loss. My faith and trust in God was battered, bruised, and broken. My mindset, unfortunately, became dark. My self-talk revolved around lies, guilt, and a lack of forgiveness. After many years, I had to honestly answer the question, “Elaine, would you like t

Yes, it’s true. According to the CDC, suicide ranks second in the number of deaths for 10-34 year olds. Last year, again from CDC statistics, there were 93,300 accidental drug overdoses. There were over 19,000 homicides—all tragic losses for those families. I challenge Christian churches worldwide to speak out about suicide. Last year, there were 1.4 million suicide attempts—in America alone, and that is only those recorded by hospitals. It is a staggering and sobering though

About a year after our son’s suicide, I made a terrible mistake. I stopped crying. I wouldn’t talk about Matthew. I put away all his pictures. I refused to grieve. I put on my ‘happy mask’ and believed the lie that it would simply all go away. My dear friends, eventually you will have to touch those horrible feelings that you stuff deep into your sub-conscience. They will not melt away, evaporate, or flee the scene, and they will surely eat away at your mental and physical he

I love simple answers. Easy to understand. Step One…Step Two. The only trouble is…it may not be easy…and it may take time. Step One: Don’t Worry About Anything. Step Two: Pray About Everything. Ahh…but what if my life is out of control? What if tragedy has struck? What if? What if? Believe me, I understand. Life is hard, and at times, we are broken, hurting, and full of anxiety. What then? The only answer I have for you is prayer. Yes, talk to God, talk to him about everythi