Episode 131 :: Lisa Appelo:: Stories of Grief and Hope After Loss and Life Can Be Good Again

Today, I have an incredibly special conversation to share with you. Lisa Appelo is a writer, speaker, Bible study teacher, and homeschooling Mom of 7. As a young couple, Lisa and her husband had a vision of how they thought their life would unfold, and the Lord redirected those plans a number of times. One of the biggest things they never saw coming was that her husband, and high school sweetheart, passed away very suddenly. After this devastating loss, Lisa began trying to navigate life with her children ranging at the time from ages 4 to 19, and as a woman whose life had been so tightly woven together with her partner’s, and a woman who had always believed in and loved the Lord, but needed Him to be near, and real and good to her in a way she had never known before.

In her new book, Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It Falls Apart, and in our conversation today, Lisa shares what her journey of grief, wrestling with God, and truly depending on Him looked like in those first tender days and weeks, but even now as she continues to walk with the same God who has always been near to the brokenhearted in this broken world. We talk about some of the big questions we honestly ask in lament before our Maker like: are you going to be there for me? How are you going to provide for me? How are you going to fix these broken hearts? Are you really good? Is God doing this to me? Is He a mean God? As Lisa sought out God in His word and experienced His tangible care through those around her, she wrestled through these questions and shares today the difficult but life-giving process of turning to the Lord in crisis, and not turning away from Him. God has healing and purpose in everything He calls us to, and He is truly good. I know this is an episode many, many people need to hear and I pray it ministers to you today.

Just remember the pain you see around you, or that you personally know, this is not how the story ends. You matter, and your story matters.

Today’s episode sponsor: Tony Crabtree Homes with Exit Realty

Home buyer guide: http://bit.ly/buyersguidecrabtreehomes

Seller guide: http://bit.ly/sellerguidecrabtreehomes

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Connecting with Lisa:

References:

Lisa’s book Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It Falls Apart

The science of tears (sidebar, apparently in Japan there are clubs called rui-katsu- its fascinating)

The Bible Recap (the Bible reading chronologically in a year plan I used)

Lisa’s 7 Day Bible Study 7 Days of Hope for Your Shattered Heart

The book of Exodus

Mount Sinai is NOT a tiny hill. Moses climbed it (by some accounts 8 times)