Understanding Grief ~ Honoring Loss ~ Finding the Way Forward
Hi! I'm Wendy, and I am here to help you have more honest conversations about grief, loss, trauma, and not only survive it all but thrive in spite of it. . .
I’m a fire service chaplain, grief educator, first responder, speaker, and author who has spent over thirty years walking alongside others through disasters and some of life’s most difficult losses. For years, I believed that experience had taught me everything I needed to know about grief.
Then my husband died, Chief John Norris, died in the line of duty.
I was stunned to learn just how different it is to stand with someone in their grief than it is to wake up one day and find it has become your own story.
His death didn’t just change my life. It changed the questions I ask. How I listen. How I show up for others and for the work I feel called to do. I intimately understand that grief isn’t something we get over. Trauma isn’t something we simply “move past.” And, healing doesn’t mean we return to who we were before our heart was broken. True, restorative healing means learning how to reconstruct our shattered lives and learn to love with our broken hearts wide open.
I created this site for anyone who is looking for someone who can relate to their experiences, offers credible resources, meaningful guidance, or just a simple reminder that they are not alone on this grief journey. Whether you find yourself grieving a loss, trying to support others through grief, or just don’t know how to go on after the life you once knew has ended, I hope you discover something here that reminds you there is still purpose to be found.
Two things can be true at once...there is beauty in brokenness. There is joy amidst the pain. And there is a way to move forward without forgetting. We shouldn’t have to choose one over the other. We just learn to live with both.
Encouragement in Your In-Box
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Personal Journal
I offer more of my personal insights and experiences as a grief educator, first responder, and widow on my Substack, On Holy Ground. You can check that out by visiting this link: On Holy Ground.
Resources
You're welcome to download and use any of the resources you find useful here. These are resources I have created for those journeying through something difficult. You will find resources that have been gathered for those seeking spiritual footing, grieving a loss, or serving on the front lines. Most are free, but there are a few deeper offerings that are available at a nominal fee for those who would like to explore one of these issue a little more. Check out the resources here.
Spiritual Direction
Spiritual direction and spiritual formation coaching: walking through grief with purpose. ***Coming Soon***
For First Responders
For first responders and their families, trauma seats itself at the kitchen table, most of the time uninvited. Exposure to trauma changes a person. Vicarious trauma, those who hear second-hand accounts of traumatic incidents can also be deeply impacted. We can't unsee what we've seen. Our loved-ones can't unhear the stories from the front-lines you have told. But there is beauty in the ashes of our work. God takes the worst moments that we have been exposed to and uses them to reshape our hearts and our minds. Click here for more
Loss & Trauma
The loss you have survived and the circumstances you never chose don't define you. They are part of what shaped you and they are a part of your story this is rich with empathy and compassion for yourself and others. It may not feel like it, but there are still more stories of goodness and mercy ahead that is worth reaching for. Want to know more? Click here.
Finding God
In our darkest moments, when it feels as if we are about to disappear into our despair, we can sometimes wonder if we'll ever see the light again. If God is near or if he has abandoned us. God is closer than He feels in those moments. You don't have to search for his presence alone. Learn More
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Let's Hang Out!
Still have your cup of coffee and your not quite ready to say goodbye? Come find me at Substack or on Instagram where I share a little more of my daily life, the things I am into at the moment, my travels, my favorite photographs, tips, and more resources!
Prayers ~ Sacred Pauses ~ Reflections
It's incredibly difficult to find ourselves in the shadows of pain and suffering. Even though we know that suffering is part of being human, we still don't expect to find ourselves in a place where we feel as if we are suffocating from the pain and overwhelm.
If you’re going through a heavy season, finding the right words to pray or a reflection to meditate on can feel impossible. I’ve been there many times, both personally and professionally. There have been numerous times when I was trying to pray and connect with God, but I was coming up blank. It was frustrating.
Eventually, in moments when words became clearer and more accessible, I started writing my prayers down so I could reach for them when I couldn't find the words. I also gathered the prayers and reflections of others. I would like to offer these prayers, reflections, and additional resources to you. You will find words for grief, anger, doubt, missing your old life, or feeling terrified of moving forward.
Please use these words as you navigate through your own dark days. Speak them to God and speak them over yourself. My hope is that you will find hope as you read through them.
Coming Soon