Start Here!

One of my blogging goals for 2025 was to create a landing page that organizes what I have already written. Here it is! 

Welcome! Carrying Sheaves is a blog where I write about my grief journey in losing my son, Oliver, in 2019 at the age of 10. The name is taken from Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. I also write about faith and family. It is an old-school blog, written in diary format, and can be read forwards or backwards using the month-by-month archive at the bottom of the page. There you can also find a subscribe button, which will deliver new posts to your email as they publish. 

Below, I included an outline of sorts, which puts the posts into categories. Hopefully the outline will make it easier for a new reader to find posts of interest. 

Happy Reading!

Janet

1. The Beginning

1. Welcome to Carrying Sheaves - a quick introduction to who I am https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2023/12/

2. Why Now? - on why I choose to begin writing 4 ½ years after my son passed away https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2023/12/why-now.html

3. Love Story - a look at how my husband and I met and built our family by God’s grace https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/02/love-story.html

4. One Thousand Gifts - on how the book One Thousand Gifts and the practice of gratitude shaped and prepared me for the trials to come https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/one-thousand-gifts.html

5. The First Tears - a post about the loss of my sister, MaryJo https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-first-tears.html

6. The Story - a post about the days right before and right after Oliver died, a testimony to God’s sovereignty and faithfulness https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/02/the-story.html

2. Sowing with Tears

1. Sowing with Tears - a post about how the blog got it’s name and all I have learned through Psalm 126:5-6 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/sowing-with-tears.html

2. Tension - an acknowledgement that everyone grieves differently and this creates tension in our relationships https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/tension.html?m=1 

3. Book Review: Through the Eyes of a Lion - a review of the book that had the most influence on me in my early grief journey and continues to provide hope and help today https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/book-review-through-eyes-of-lion.html

4. Songs for Mourning with Hope - a few song recommendations that have been a big help to me as I grieved https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/02/songs-for-mourning-with-hope.html

5. 10,000 Reasons - a look at how God used a song to help me grieve both Oliver and MaryJo https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/04/10000-reasons.html

6. Memories are Funny Things - on what happens to memories and a reminder to remember and press on https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/11/memories-are-funny-things.html

3. Carrying Seeds

1. Harvest from God’s Word - a look at all God taught me about grief as I opened my Bible each week for three years with a Bible Study Fellowship group in eastern Washington https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/02/harvest-from-gods-word.html

2. Answers to Prayer - a post describing how God taught me to pray again after the loss of Oliver https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/04/answers-to-prayer.html

3. Called to Tell Our Stories - how God reminded me that we are called to share the stories of God’s faithfulness to us with others https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/04/called-to-tell-our-stories.html

4. Early Lessons from Sharing My Story - a few things I have learned from writing the blog and taking other opportunities to share my story of the loss of Oliver and God’s faithfulness in our grief https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/04/early-lessons-from-sharing-my-story.html

5. I Wanted to Throw the Book… I Made a List Instead - a list of ways God is at work in our suffering https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/05/i-wanted-to-throw-book-i-made-list.html

6. Reap that Joy - a song by Rend Collective based on Psalm 126 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/11/rend-collective-reap-that-joy.html

4. Fear

1. Fear After Child Loss - the first post in a series about the fear I felt after the loss of Oliver https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/05/fear-after-child-loss.html

2. God Gave Us Ash - a look at the way God used our dog to help me feel the fear I needed to work through https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/05/god-gave-us-ash.html

3. More Thoughts on Fear: habits, grace, afraid of being afraid - the final post in the series about fear after child loss https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/05/god-gave-us-ash.html

4. Why Are You Afraid? - a question that can help in the face of mounting fears https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/09/why-are-you-afraid.html

5. Grief Stirred

1. Maple Syrup Making and Reflections on Family - a post describing facing grief, letting it stir up feelings, and trusting that it will settle a little more comfortably after each stirring https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/03/maple-syrup-making-and-reflections-on.html

2. The Body of Christ - a post about grieving, remembering, and celebrating with others https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/03/the-body-of-christ.html

3. Happy Easter! - a look at the special meaning Easter takes on after the loss of a loved one https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/03/happy-easter.html

4. Five Years - a letter to Oliver written five years after his passing https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/07/five-years.html

5. A Quick Thought on Doubt https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/08/a-quick-thought-on-doubt.html

6. Milestones - a look at the challenges on facing milestones after child loss https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/09/milestones.html

6. God at Work

1. My Writing Journey - a look at how childhood dreams of being an author came true in unexpected ways https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/06/my-writing-journey.html

2. A Mom’s Perspective on Siblings and Child Loss - on answering the question: could I believe that my daughter’s faith would not be destroyed by this valley but that God would build it here? https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/06/a-moms-perspective-on-siblings-and.html

3. Blessings - a look at how God longs to bless us right now and the many shapes that can take https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/07/blessings.html

4. Fruitful - a post about how God tends his garden https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/07/fruitful.html

5. A Parenting Lesson Learned From Child Loss - https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/08/a-parenting-lesson-learned-from-child.html

6. A Reminder from Glorious Autumn - a quick look at how God’s ways are better than our ways https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-reminder-from-glorious-autumn.html

7. Healing Grace in Children’s Books - a list of children’s books that have helped me and my family in our grief https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/10/healing-grace-in-childrens-books.html

8. Nothing is Wasted - a review of the Nothing is Wasted podcast and book https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/10/nothing-is-wasted.html

9. Perfection - a look at letting go of perfection and watching God do the work https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/11/perfection.html

7. Eternity

1. Work in Heaven: A Fresh Perspective - a look at the question: what will we be doing in heaven? https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/07/work-in-heaven-fresh-perspective.html

2. On Diabetes and What Remains - a few thoughts on Oliver’s diabetes diagnosis and how I remember him now https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/08/homeschool-plan-for-2024-2025-school.html

3. A Sweet and Golden 16 - a look at birthdays and Psalm 84:10a Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-sweet-and-golden-16.html

4. To the Victorious - a post about Revelation 2-3 and the eternal rewards God promises those who remain faithful to Him https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/11/to-victorious.html 

5. Today - as we look forward to eternity, grief also reminds us the only day we are promised is today https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/12/today.html

8. Homeschooling and Other Random Updates

1. Light of Christmas - a few update pictures from Christmas 2024 - https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/light-of-christmas.html

2. Janet’s Homeschool Day in the Life (with a 13-year-old) - a post about what an ordinary day looks like in our homeschool https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/03/janets-homeschool-day-in-life-with-13.html

3. Things I Don’t Want to Throw - a list of things I was loving in May 2024 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/05/things-i-dont-want-to-throw.html

4. Thoughts While Traveling - a quote from a Eugene Peterson book and marveling at a God who knows, sees, understands, forgives, extends grace, blesses, and redeems in the midst of the hard, the impossible, the ordinary, the exciting, the nerve wracking, and the memorable https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/06/thoughts-while-traveling.html

5. Homeschool Plan for the 2024-2025 School Year - a look at my approach to planning and what I have planned for the 2024-2025 school year https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/08/homeschool-plan-for-2024-2025-school.html

6. Where Am I? - an update on my life from August 2024 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/08/where-am-i.html

7. Counting My Blessings - a week of gratitude from September 2024 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/09/counting-my-blessings.html

8. A Thanksgiving List - November 2024 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/11/a-thanksgiving-list.html

9. Things I am Loving This Christmas Season - December 2024 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/12/things-i-am-loving-this-christmas-season.html

10. Blogging in the New Year - blogging goals for 2025 https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/12/blogging-in-new-year.html

9. Devotional 

1. Rush Your Life - a few thoughts from the Song “Take Your Time” by Joseph O’Brien https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/rush-your-life.html

2. Laughing in Church - a timely reminder to worship and not to worry about what to eat and what to wear https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/02/laughing-in-church.html

3. Fruitful - a look at leaning on God https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/09/fruitful.html

4. The Lord Has Done Great Things for Us - an advent devotional https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/12/the-lord-has-done-great-things-for-us.html

Resources for Mourning with Hope

As I work to organize the blog posts I have already written, I realized I wanted to pull out a separate page for resources that have been most helpful to me as I strive to mourn with hope. Here is a list of those resources, and the posts I wrote relating to them (this list formats weird on my mobile device for some reason, but looks fine on my computer).

1. One Thousand Gifts (book) - https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/one-thousand-gifts.html

2. Through the Eyes of a Lion (book) - https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/01/book-review-through-eyes-of-lion.html

3. Songs for Mourning with Hope - https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/02/songs-for-mourning-with-hope.html

4. Healing Grace in Children’s Books - https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/10/healing-grace-in-childrens-books.html
5. Nothing is Wasted (podcast and book) - https://carryingsheaves.blogspot.com/2024/10/nothing-is-wasted.html