by Sharon Keller Johnson | Feb 14, 2022 | Joy in the Trenches
Ephesians 6:17 and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, I got my new sword yesterday. That might seem like a strange statement coming from a sixty-nine-year-old woman. If I said I received a new cross-stitch kit (which I...
by Sharon Keller Johnson | Jan 17, 2022 | Joy in the Trenches
*Stone of Help I Samuel 7:12 January 17, 2022 Today, my daughter would have turned thirty-nine. There was a World War I documentary called, “They Shall Not Grow Old.” It came out five months before she died, and I’ve always thought of it in connection to Kiki. She...
by Sharon Keller Johnson | Jan 17, 2022 | Kids' Stories
James 1:2-4 (ESV) 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Story There was once a little white Lima bean who lived with other beans in a plastic bag. “I am so...
by Sharon Keller Johnson | Jun 3, 2019 | Joy in the Trenches
It is nine weeks, six days, and thirteen hours since Kiki died. Today, the grief has been gentled. Instead of being at home where everything brings back memories, I am in the Lake District of England with my brother, Tim, his wife, Kathy, and Kathy’s sister, Lynn....
by Sharon Keller Johnson | May 25, 2019 | Joy in the Trenches
It’s been two months. Two months since my daughter left this world. I still talk about her in the present tense. I still think of what I must share with her, what I must show her. The future is tough to think about now because it comes without Kiki. It’s astonishing...
by Sharon Keller Johnson | May 8, 2019 | Joy in the Trenches
Our job is to trust in God’s protection and to copy the actions of our Master and Savior, Jesus, who when he was reviled did not revile. We give glory to God when we suffer without hatred and retaliation. May 15, 2019 The mark of wisdom is to be ready for suffering....
by Sharon Keller Johnson | May 6, 2019 | Joy in the Trenches
It’s been six weeks since Kiki died, seven since she became sick with the stomach virus that caused her death. There’s still a sense of unreality about it. I still pray for her and Mike when I pray for my kids and their spouses. Coming across her picture still brings...
by Sharon Keller Johnson | Apr 28, 2019 | Joy in the Trenches
It’s been a hard weekend. Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been able to catch up on sleep, binge-watch Designated Survivor, start a painting, start a new chapter in my latest book, and even got to the store. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, a quiet house is a haunted...
by Sharon Keller Johnson | Apr 22, 2019 | Joy in the Trenches
I made it through my first holiday without Kiki, and I only cried a little. There should be medals for people grieving losses. My life is now forever split in two; before Kiki’s death and after Kiki’s death. I woke up this morning and thought, “Ugh. Another day....
by Sharon Keller Johnson | Apr 21, 2019 | Joy in the Trenches
Sharon said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my daughter would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your daughter will rise again.” Sharon said to him, “I know that she will rise again in the...
