As we begin the new year, has anyone asked you about your new year’s resolution? I was speaking to one of my son’s friends the other day and he was telling me about his new year’s resolution. He told me his resolution was to live a more Christ-centered life. I told him I thought that was great and asked him how he planned to achieve his resolution? He replied, I am not sure. I have not really thought about it.

Then he asked me what my new years resolution was? I told him I do not make “new year’s resoultions,” instead I prefer to look at the year ahead and what I want to accomplish, set goals and create a plan for achieving them. This 14 year old boy’s  reply was, “oh”!

Yesterday on the radio I was listening to K-Love and rather than talking about new year’s resolutions the question they were asking people was, “How will your life be different this year?” I thought what a great question. To me, that question prompts ownership and accountability for how your life will be this year.

If you are someone going through a divorce or recently finalized your divorce, you already know your life will be “different.” Change which implies “different” can make you anxious or filled with fear, possibly dread because of the unknown that lies ahead.  Whether divorce was forced upon you, or you feel set free from an abusive relationship, the transitioning to single life from married life will make your life “different.” Change is inevitable.

The fact is your life will soon be different, but ”how” your life will be different is largely up to you. If you are familiar with Stephen Covey and the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” you know that the 2nd habit is “Begin with the End in Mind.” If we begin with the end in mind, let’s fast forward to Januray 2011. Next year when you look back at 2010 what will you say about 2010? Will you have accomplished anything? Will your life have improved in any way? Did you learn anything, and if so, what? Did it change your life in any way? for the better or the worse? Did you make good choices? Do you have any regrets? Are you at peace with where you are? Are you blaming someone else for how your year transpired or accepting responsibility for the outcome?

If this is a year of transition to single life for you, how do you picture your life a year from now? You may be facing a lot of unknowns this year, but you do not have to fear the year ahead. Remember you are not alone. God is with you. If you will seek Him and continue to lean on Him for strength, wisdom, courage, guidance, healing and comfort, He promises to be with you and see you through your trials and difficulties.

Spending time with God daily in His Word will help you get through the days and months ahead. If you are not sure where to begin, go to your local Christian bookstore, or visit one of the many on-line Christian bookstores or amazon.com and get a  daily devotional. There are also several good books that lead you through reading the Bible in a year. Whatever method is most appealing to you, this would be the perfect time to develop a habit of spending time with God (if this is not already a habit.)

Spending time with God can give you the strength, comfort, encouragement, wisdom and the hope you need for the year ahead. He is available 24/7. No appointment necessary. Your life may be different by developing a more initimate relationship with God.

As the realization of the new year sets in, stop and consider yourself looking back in January 2011. Will you be able to say I did the best that I could given my circumstances? I have no regrets. I accepted responsibility for what I could control and made good decisions for myself and my family. I sought God and His will for my life. I am at peace. I am trusting and believing God for the good things He has in store for me and my family. I am a victor and not a victim. It is my hope that this will be your reflection in 2011. 

If the year ahead seems daunting and overwhelming as you prepare, or finish, the divorce process, if you feel the need for support, creating a strategy to survive the process, working through your life changes, or developing a plan for the future, then please feel free to contact me for a complimentary coaching session. Having someone who has been through a divorce, understands the challenges, the pain and how to overcome them can help reduce your stress. Having a trained coach to encourage you, ask powerful questions, help you discover what you really want and hold you accountable for taking action, can establish the foundation you need for rebuilding your life.

May God Bless You and Your Family in 2010.

Copyright 2010. Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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Are you struggling with the holiday season this year? Do memories of the past trigger sadness for the present? The holidays can be especially difficult for the first year of being single. It is okay to recall past memories of happy holiday seasons. Be thankful for those memories.

When we think of holidays, we think of parties and gatherings of family and friends. You probably have received an invitation or two to such an event. If this is your first year as a single person, you will need to decide what feels right for you. You may have friends that try to tell you what they “think” you need. If you don’t want to go to a certain gathering, you prefer to stay home, then stay home.

If your life has been really busy, having some time to do what you want to do may be a welcomed opportunity. I know that for myself having children, the time they were with their father often gave me a chance to get last minute details finished, or to finally relax when the celebrations were over.

Tips for Getting Through the Holidays:

1. Do what feels right for you. If family or friends try to pressure you into doing what they think you should do, let them know you appreciate their concern, but let them know what you want to do. Everyone is different. For some people they may want to be alone and for others they may need to be around other people. You decide what is best for you.
2. Pamper yourself. Give yourself permission to do something you enjoy. This could be relaxing reading a book, watching a movie, having a friend over, working on a hobby you enjoy, ordering take out from a favorite restaurant, or preparing a special meal/dish.
3. Focus on the reason for the season. Instead of focusing on your circumstances, be intentional about focusing on Christmas, Jesus birth and the reason we celebrate. Read the Christmas story in the Bible, or a book about Christmas, or watch a movie about the meaning of Christmas, try to learn something new.
4. Make a Gratitude list. Write a list of all the things you have to be thankful for in 2009.
5. Make a list of things you would like to do in the coming year. You could brainstorm on how you might make them happen. Is there a friend or family member you would like to do something with? Could you begin researching details or information about a trip or hobby you would like to begin?
6. Avoid beating yourself up. If you decide not to do something you have traditionally done for years, give yourself permission not to do it this year, to take a break or to start a new tradition. It is okay to give yourself a break or to change traditions.
7. God is with you. It is not unusual to feel lonely during the holidays. If you find yourself feeling lonely, remember you are not alone. Seek God and His presence. How does that look for you? Is it reading your Bible, listening to teaching tapes, sermons, worship music, talking to a mentor, or fellow believer?
8. Avoid dwelling on circumstances and events for which you have no control. If you find yourself having a pity party, then redirect your thoughts and focus on someone else. Get your mind off of yourself. There are several things you can do;

• Ask yourself if there is someone you could bless by doing something for them? giving them something? buying them something? Then do it.
• Is there somewhere you could volunteer or help others and make a difference?
• Journal or write out prayers for other people. Is there someone who could use encouragement from a phone call or a card in the mail? A small gift of appreciation or thoughtfulness from you?

You will get through the holidays. The media would like us all to believe that this is a joyous, happy, wonderful time of the year. Everyone is with family and friends having fun, celebrating with delicious food and receiving an abundance of gifts. Even though we know this is not reality, we can easily fall into the trap of believing everyone else is having a glorious holiday except for us. Please know that the first year of being single is usually the most difficult. It will get better. Do the best you can to get through it.

May God bless you with His peace, healing and comfort this holiday season.

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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We cannot always control our circumstances, nor can we control other people. The only thing we can control is how we respond to our circumstances and the choices we make. It can be really frustrating when our circumstances take a downward turn and no matter what we do, despite our best efforts and prayers, we can not change them.

If you are in the process of divorce, you may relate to the frustration of feeling like you have no control. Possibly your spouse gave up on your marriage and/or found someone else. You may feel as if your life has been turned upside down and there is nothing you can do about it. Being forced to go through a divorce you never wanted can be devastating, unfair, crushing.

The truth and reality becomes, we are getting divorced. We may not like it. We may not want it, but it is reality. Now what? How does one persevere through the valley? In my last post I told you I would share how I found encouragement to persevere through the valley.

Below I have listed the 4 main sources that encouraged and motivated me to persevere through the valley.

Faith. If you are a Christian believer, your faith is the best source of encouragement. Seeking God, His Word, wisdom, guidance and promises can give you the strength, hope and encouragement to persevere.

For me, I “thought” I was a Christian, before my marriage problems. It was not until I was faced with problems in my marriage that I became a true “believer” and developed a relationship with God.

Counseling/Therapy. Meeting with a good therapist or counselor that can help you sort through the emotions, feelings, grieving process and gain understanding. For me it was important to work with a Christian to help me process all of this through a faith perspective.

Support. Who is your support system? Family? Friends? Be sure to do the best you can to surround yourself with people who love you and care about you. At the same time, it is important to find support from people who share the same faith, beliefs and values, as you do.

Amazing how much advice you may receive that does not align with your values and beliefs. Going through my separation, becoming a “believer,” I learned a lot about people based on their advice and thoughts they shared with me. I really had to use discernment and process some of the advice with more mature Christians.

Be open to seeking out support. If you do not have any friends or family near you or who have gone through divorce, find people who are going through or have been through a divorce. People going through a divorce can feel like they are the only one. Not true.

For those of you who do not know my story, I had moved to Colorado away from all my family and friends. The friends I had made were all married. A year and a half after moving to Colorado, my marriage issues surfaced. Finding a divorce recovery group was one of the best things that helped me persevere through the journey. 

Children. When you have children living at home and you are about to become a single parent, may your children be a source of encouragement. For me, my children were very young. I knew I needed to get myself healthy, to overcome my divorce and try to become the best parent I could be. I came from a broken home. I never wanted my children to experience divorce. My children were a great source of motivation for me to recover.

I hope these sources give you ideas or inspiration to help you persevere through the valley. God never said that life would be easy. The Bible says we can expect trials and tribulations. It is in the “going through” that we become refined, learn and grow. It develops our “character.” If you feel like you already have enough “character” you are not alone. I remember thinking; “How much character do I need?” God knew.

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or would like to share a source of encouragement to persevere, feel free to leave a comment below. You never know when your comment may help someone else. Blessings to you as you persevere through the valley.

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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If you are in the process of divorce or your divorce process is final, I wonder if you truly know the “reason” for your divorce? Did your spouse have an affair, or are they “in love” with someone else? Possibly the reason you were given was, “I just don’t love you any more,” or how about this one, “I am not happy. I want to be happy.”

Are any of these satisfactory reasons or explanations for a divorce? I wonder what did your spouse say to you, (if you were on the receiving end) when he/she asked for a divorce? Whatever the reason that may have been given, does it make it any easier to move on? The fact that a spouse gives you a “reason,” is it really necessary to have a “reason” before you can move on with your life?

Let me explain what prompted me to write about this subject. I was recently involved in a conversation where a person’s husband had asked her for a divorce and refused to give her any explanation. The divorce is final. This woman continues to be hung up on getting an explanation. She is so focused on this issue that it is preventing her from moving forward with her life.

I understand her desire to have some sort of an explanation. When a person is wanting to walk out on what is intended to be a life time commitment, I believe the spouse is entitled to an explanation. However, we do not always get what we want. Since we have no control over other people, we can request an explanation as many times as we want, but it does not mean we will ever get one. So what do you do?

If this happened to you, if your spouse did not give you an explanation or a “satisfactory” explanation, I encourage you to let it go. The fact is your ex-spouse decided they no longer wanted to be in a marriage relationship with you. (I do not mean this to sound harsh) Having a “valid” (after all what is “valid”?) reason will not change your circumstances. Your former spouse took action to move on with his/her life. Now you have a choice to make. Will you choose to accept your circumstances and move forward? Or will you choose to put your life on hold, hoping some day to get an explanation as to why your ex-spouse wanted to get a divorce?

If you would like to read more about this subject, you can read my recent e-zine article; “Is Not Knowing the “Reason” for Your Divorce Holding You Back?”  Feel free to share comments from your experience below. What are your thoughts. Do you think having an explanation helps you to have closure with your marriage/divorce relationship? Does having an explanation make it any easier? Your story may help someone else.

Blessings to you as you persevere to let go of the past and embrace your future.

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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Let me start off by saying, “Divorce does not make you a failure.”  Just because your marriage may have failed, you are not a failure!  Zig Ziglar says,”Failure is one of life’s greatest teachers as long as we are not crushed by it – as long as we learn from it.”

Too often people that get divorced allow themselves to get crushed by it, rather than learning from it. The people who get crushed by it remain stuck and hopeless. The people who learn from it, will accept responsibility for their part in the marriage failure, discover how to make changes and better choices in the future, and move forward with their life. People who move forward understand that their past does not define their future.

Zig Ziglar in his book “Better Than Good, Creating a Life You Can’t Wait to Live” lists the following as some of the best lessons to learn from failure:

Failure teaches us to depend on God.

Failure teaches us humility.

Failure teaches us that we can’t always get what we want.

Failure teaches us to make a correction in our course of action.

Failure teaches us character.

Failure teaches us perseverance.

Failure teaches us that we can survive.

If you are like most people you fear failure. Yet, there is so much to learn from failure. You may be saying to yourself it is one thing to fail a test, or to fail at trying to lose weight, but to fail in your marriage, that is huge.

It is true, some failures are more significant than others. Some failures are easier to admit than others. I believe we often struggle more with the failure of our marriage because we feel we have not only failed ourselves, but our spouse, our family and God.

Years ago David Brinkley interviewed Ann Landers, the advice columnist. He asked her what was the question she received most often? Her answer: “What is wrong with me?” It was apparent to her that people struggle with feelings of failure, negative thoughts or beliefs about themselves.

To overcome adversity and failure it comes down to your perspective and how you choose to respond. How do you perceive your divorce and how will you choose to respond? Divorce is devastating, there is no doubt about it. Will you allow it to crush you or will you learn from it?  How many of the lessons mentioned above have you learned?

Blessings to you as you ponder the lessons to be learned and the value you can take from your failed marriage.

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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Your attitude is a choice you make. You may have heard the saying “Your circumstances do not determine your attitude, it is your reaction to your circumstances that determines your attitude. If you choose to take a positive approach in difficult times, even during divorce, you can take control of your life.

A positive approach does not mean that you are “happy” about your circumstances, or that your circumstances are not difficult. A positive approach is looking at our circumstances, accepting our reality, having the courage to change the things we can control (taking action) and letting go of those things which we cannot control. A positive approach looks for good in the circumstances, the blessings, the things for which we can be thankful.

I like this essay by Charles Swindoll on the importance of having a positive attitude.

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts.

It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home.

The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our pasts, we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string that we have, and that is our attitude.

I am convinced that life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it. And so it is with you- we are in charge of our attitudes.

During and after a divorce, I often see people dwelling on things for which they have no control. I admit I was guilty of focusing on things I could not control, like my ex-husband and choices he made, how he parented our children, the poor example he was setting, etc. It can take time to learn to let go of those things you cannot control and focus on those things you can control.

The next time you find yourself having a bad attitude, stop and take a reality check. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Why do I have a bad attitude?
• Is there anything I can do to change my circumstances?
• How is this attitude serving me?
• What can I do to change my attitude?
• Is there something I need to let go of? If there is something out of your control, turn it over to God and trust Him with the outcome.
• Do I need to change my belief about my circumstances? Sometimes it is our belief about our circumstances that can affect our attitude.
• Realize that you are the one choosing your attitude. Will you continue with this attitude or choose to change your attitude?

So, how is your attitude today? Is there an area where you might need to change your attitude? What do you think you could do to change your attitude? Are you willing to take the necessary action(s) to change your attitude? If not now, when will you be ready?

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved

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My previous post was directed to single parents with regard to children going on vacation with their other parent. As my children left on vacation this past week with their father, many thoughts came to mind that I wanted to share with you.

In my last post I explained how I had dreamed of taking my children to Disney World as a family. I mentioned how crushed I was when my ex-husband was the one who took our children to Disney World for the first time. It just so happens my children are currently vacationing in Florida. You see, their grandmother bought a condo in Florida several years ago. So, once again my children will be visiting the Disney World theme parks. This may be their 4th or 5th visit to Orlando.

As I reflect back, it was tough letting go of the Disney World hopes and dream. To this day,  I do not believe my children have any idea how painful it was for me not to experience Disney World with them as young children. I have had to accept that Disney World vacations and memories will be with their dad.

On the other hand, my children and I have vacations we take that are special to us. My sister and brother-in-law live on a farm in Kansas. My kids love going to the farm and exploring the many opportunities the country and farm provide. Last summer my children and I went to the Night Vision festival on the western slope of Colorado. Night Vision is a two day contemporary Christian music festival. It is not likely that their father would choose to attend such an event.

The point I want to make is that children of divorce can end up getting a broader variety of experiences. If my ex-husband and I were still married, attending the Night Vision festival and Contemporary Christian concerts probably would not happen.  Children of divorce may have the opportunity to take more vacations because of their family situation. Also, when you are the decision maker, your choice of vacation may be different as a single parent than it was as a married couple.

For those of you with young children, sending your children off on vacation with the other parent does become easier over time. For my children, their “normal” family vacation has been separate vacations with each parent. Although this is not what I would have ever wished for my children/family, it is our reality. Their father has taken them on vacation to places I probably would not choose to take them. Yet, they enjoyed the trip and the experience.

My advice to you as a single parent;

• Think of your children. Is there something you can do to help them have a good/better attitude about taking a trip, if they do not want to go?
• Put your feelings aside. Show them a good attitude.
• Ask yourself what you can do to support and encourage your children, to enjoy their vacation with the other parent.
• Reassure them that you will be okay while they are away. Some children worry about the parent not going on the trip.
  

For more information on how you can support your children when they go on vacation with the other parent, you can read my Ezine article; Single Parents: When Your Children Go on Vacation with Your Ex. This article provides ideas on what you can do and need to do for your children when they take vacation with their other parent.

Next time, I will share some final thoughts on children and vacations. In the meantime, should you have any ideas or comment you would like to share, please feel free to post them below.

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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If you are a single parent with young children, it can be difficult to send your children off on vacation with your ex-spouse. I remember how difficult it was the first time my children left for vacation with their dad. My children were particularly young at 3 and 5 years.

If you are like me, your dream of having a family probably included the idea of taking family vacations. I looked forward to the day we could experience new places, take road trips and fly with our children. I wanted to be there with my children as they encountered new places and experienced activities for the first time.

I understand how heart breaking it can be to feel deprived of getting to experience all the excitement and adventure of family vacations with your children. This is an aspect of divorce that can be difficult to accept.

As a child I never had the opportunity to go to Disneyland or Disney World. I experienced Disney World as a young adult when one of my friends moved to Tampa, Florida. One of my dreams was to one day, as a family, take my children to Disney World.

I can still recall the pain I felt when my ex-husband decided to take our children to Disney World. The kids were a little older maybe 4 and 6 years old. In my eyes, he was about to crush yet another one of my dreams. He was taking our children to Disney World.

My ex husband was about to experience our children’s initial reactions, witness their surprise, and share their joy of being surrounded by life size Disney characters. For me, taking my children to Disney World for the second time would just not be the same. The much awaited anticipation, the high expectations, the element of surprise and wonder would be gone.

Letting go of dreams can be a painful process. What can make it even more challenging is when we have to cover it up for the sake of others. If you are in the process of divorce or recently divorced you may be tired of letting go of your dreams. It can be exhausting covering up how you really “feel” in front of your children, I know. I have struggled with this myself.

As hard as it may be, for the sake of your children, I encourage you to be supportive of vacation plans, and time spent with the other parent. In the best interest of your children, avoid letting them know how sad, hurt, jealous, and/or angry you may feel about a vacation they are preparing to take with the other spouse.

Respect the fact that this is a time for them to vacation with the other parent. Realize, the children may feel as awkward going without you, as you may feel not going. Turn the tables and think about how you will want your ex-spouse to support you when you take the children on vacation. Sort of that “do unto others as you would want them to do unto you” rule.

Children naturally would prefer to go on vacation as a family, especially when they are young. I remember my children telling me how they wished I would have been on the trip to Orlando with them and their dad.

If you are recently divorced, young children may still be trying to figure out their new family dynamics. In their mind, they may perceive your not going as you do not want to go. Your children want and desire your approval and support. If they sense your disapproval or resentment of them going on vacation with the other parent, you may spoil and/or impact their vacation experience.

Also, young children can have issues of separation from one or both parents. The thought of leaving a parent behind for a week or several days can be stressful to them. In situations such as this, the child(ren) need reassurance and encouragement from you that both of you will be okay.

If you have any comments or stories you would like to share related to this topic, please free to leave them in the comment section below. Thank You!

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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Did you happen to see Michael Jackson’s Memorial service today? CNN said this may be the most watched live event in history, with people being able to watch on the Internet and television. Michael was and is a world wide icon. He was called the Greatest Entertainer of all time.

I, myself, grew up watching him on television from the time he appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and was a big fan of his music. I know this statement will date me, but in many ways I grew up with Michael Jackson. Yet, I have to confess that over the past 10-12 years I have been less of a fan.

Watching the service today gave me a renewed appreciation for Michael Jackson, his amazing talent, creativity, the incredible contributions that he made in his short lifetime. I did not realize the extent of his donations, and support for numerous charities and causes through the years. I enjoyed hearing the personal stories about Michael, revealing a side of him that the public did not know.

Rev. Al Sharpton made the statement to Michael’s children; “Your daddy wasn’t strange — what he had to deal with was strange.” I felt sad for Michael, his children and the struggles he experienced over the past 10-12 years. How many of us would want to have lived his life? Who am I to judge him?

Gotham Chopra, Deepak Chopra’s son, who was a good friend of Michael’s made the comment that he did not think Michael realized the degree of the impact he had on the world and how much people appreciated him. The comment was then made, how sad that it is often not until a person dies that people truly appreciate them and what they have done.

Memorial services and funerals are such a reminder of just how short life can be on this earth. You often hear about people who come close to dying, survive, and then their lives are changed forever. They start living life more fully.

Divorce is essentially the death of a marriage. People do survive divorce. The difference is many people do not go on to live life more fully. During my recent trip back to Kansas, I asked one of my girlfriends how her sister was doing? Her sister had gone through a divorce probably 15+ years ago, no children. Her response was, not so good. Aside from the fact that she had just been laid off from her job, she said it seems her sister never recovered from her divorce.

If you are recently divorced or going through a divorce, how will people describe you 15 years from now? Will you be one of those people that decides to make the most out of life and live it more fully, or will you be described as someone who never recovered from your divorce? What about your memorial service, how do you want to be remembered? What will people say about you?

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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Today, April 20, 2009, marks the 10th Anniversary of theColumbine High School shootings. Living in Colorado, not far from Denver where the shootings took place, this day sparks significant memories for me. You may recall hearing about the two teenage gunmen, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold who massacred 12 students and a teacher.

This was a tragic day for many people. When an event like this happens so close to home, it somehow becomes more real. You receive more media coverage because it is local. You realize if something of this magnitude can happen 40 miles away, it could possibly happen in your town as well.

This day was also significant for me because it was the day that I knew in my heart that my marriage was over. You see it was in December 1998 that my husband had informed me “he wasn’t happy.” We had met with a Social Worker through his company work program for counseling, a couple of times in January. My husband then decided he should seek some counseling on his own. He began meeting with a psychiatrist. After meeting with the psychiatrist several times, the doctor helped him reach the conclusion that it was okay to take care of yourself and do whatever to make yourself “happy.”

At the time I had been meeting with someone from the counseling department from our church. The pastor said he would be willing to meet with my husband. In my mind my husband needed to hear some Godly advice and wisdom, rather than the “worldly” advice he had received from his psychiatrist. I was hopeful when my husband agreed to meet with Gary. Certainly Gary would be able to help my husband see our situation from a Godly perspective.

The afternoon of April 20, 1999 was when my husband was scheduled to meet with Gary. I remember vividly my husband coming home from work that day, standing in our kitchen telling him about the Columbine shootings because he had not heard about it yet. After informing him of this horrific event, I asked him about his meeting with Gary.

As he told me the details of the conversation, some of Gary’s questions and how he responded, my heart sank. He never said the words, but I knew in my heart at that moment that our marriage was over. A day that was already horrible now became unbelievably awful. The day of the Columbine Massacre became a defining moment in my life. Whenever that historically tragic day is mentioned, I think I will forever correlate it to the day I knew my marriage was over.

How about you, was there a defining moment when you knew your marriage was over? Or did it progress over time and you cannot say exactly when you knew there was little to no hope in saving your marriage? Although I knew my marriage was over on that day, I continued to pray and hope for a miracle. It was not until January 5, 2001 that my husband officially told me he was ready to move on.

I wonder about your story? Did you come to the realization that your marriage was over, for a period of time, before it resulted in divorce? Did you hang on praying and hoping for a miracle? Were you left hanging in limbo while your spouse gathered the courage to actually go through with a divorce? Please feel free to share your comments or story below.

In memory of the Columbine victims, may God bless and surround their families and loved ones with His comfort, grace, love and perfect peace as they remember their loved ones and that tragic day in history.

Copyright 2009 Shelley Grieser All Rights Reserved.

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