S6 E7 Joy Blossoms After Sorrow with Kelly Guest

Shownotes

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 Bio

Kelly 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 Guest

• nun2nine.com

Scripture

• John 16:22

• Nehemiah 8:10

• James 1:5

Links

• Saintly Moms: 25 Stories of Holiness

• St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

• The National Shrine of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

Prayer for the souls of Kelly’s parents*, Richard Louis Hauf and Katherine "Cookie" Hauf; also for Kelly and her siblings.

*Special note: At the time of this recording, Kelly had only lost her dad, Richard. Since the recording, she has sadly lost her mom, “Cookie”. We send our deepest condolences to Kelly and her family and pray for the repose of the soul of Kelly’s mother, Cookie Hauf, in addition to the soul of her dad, Richard Louis Hauf.

Journaling Questions

1. Kelly 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?

2. 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?

3. 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? 

4. 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?

5. 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?  

6. 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.

7. When was the last time you took time to rest, to really withdraw in silence for God to meet you where you are?

8. What is your mourning glory?