S6 E7 Joy Blossoms After Sorrow with Kelly Guest

Show Notes It can be difficult when you are in the midst of deep grief and sorrow to feel like you will ever find joy again. From special moments shared with loved ones who have now left us to the simple joy of their presence in our everyday lives, it can become overwhelming. How can we not only have faith and trust that we will experience joy again but that our joy will return greater than ever after deep sorrow?Join Andrea and Jennifer as they discuss this topic with Kelly Guest in this truly beautiful episode.Guest BioKelly Guest is a wife and the mother of ten children, one of whom is in heaven. Working for the Catholic Church for over 30 years, she has been a religious sister, teacher, youth minister, DRE, and is now the Director of Family Faith Formation at her church. She is the author of "Saintly Moms: 25 Stories of Holiness" and blogs at nun2nine.com.Connect with Our Guestnun2nine.comScriptureJohn 16:22 Nehemiah 8:10 James 1:5 LinksSaintly Moms: 25 Stories of HolinessSt. Elizabeth Ann SetonThe National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann SetonPrayer for the souls of Kelly’s parents*, Richard Louis Hauf and Katherine "Cookie" Hauf; also for Kelly and her siblings.*Special note: Since the recording of this episode, Kelly sadly lost her mom, “Cookie”. We send our deepest condolences to Kelly and her family as we pray for the repose of the souls of both of her parents.Journaling QuestionsKelly shared about how she used to seek her dad’s feedback in her writing and that it is something she deeply missed after his passing. What are some special moments or memories you shared with your loved one who has passed?Andrea asked Kelly what some of the joys are that she is starting to feel right now. What are some joys you feel in our life in this present moment?What are some things that make you happy, even small things that you can do now to bring a little more joy into your day? In talking about St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Andrea brought up how at some point in her life, St. Elizabeth came to a place of acceptance and found the strength to persevere through her pain. Have you been able to “sit in a place of ‘it just is what it is’” as Andrea mentioned? Is this something you currently struggle with in your own journey?Have you ever had any times in your life when you found it difficult to trust God because you were in a season of darkness? What helped bring you out of it? What is your relationship like in terms of trusting God now?  It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of life and allow that to affect our prayer lives. How do you feel about your prayer life right now?  Take some time to explore that.When was the last time you took time to rest, to really withdraw in silence for God to meet you where you are?What is your mourning glory?Are you new to the podcast? We’d love to hear your feedback. Send an email to [email protected]. Also, we would greatly appreciate it if you would subscribe to our show and rate us on your favorite podcast platform. This helps us continue to reach others so they know they are not alone on their journey. You can also follow us on Facebook or check out our website, www.mourningglorypodcast.com where you’ll find links to all of our episodes with shownotes, links to our private online community hosted by Mighty Networks, resources, and more. ~God bless!