3 Steps to Finding Your Joy as a Widow during the Holidays
Dear Friends,
I can hardly believe that it’s already December! This year has flown by! The challenge, at least for me, during the holiday season is balancing PEACE with PACE. How God is leading me to set the pace for a peaceful season and how may I find His JOY for me and my family in this time?
For our family, the month of December has several important dates.
- December 5th is my late husband, Dr. Jason Ramke, birthday
- December 17th is my wedding anniversary, which we now call our “Family Anniversary”
- December 25 is Christmas
- December 31 is New Year’s Eve
On all of those special days, there are moments when I’m challenged with missing my life the way it was when I was married. So, as a family and Widow Strong organization, we have a plan…
Operation Giving Back Christmas: A mission however large or small to give back during the holiday season.
Years ago, I discovered that a military widowed mom with three children in our budding Widow Strong community hadn’t had presents for her family for Christmas in three years.
I shared this need with my neighbors and we created a holiday yard sale within a couple of weeks. We took the funds 
and bought gift cards and shared them with the military widowed mom and with other widowed moms that also needed support during the holidays.
And we ALL had so much FUN that my daughters and I have incorporated, in one way or another, giving back during our Christmas season.
Each year we plan events to give back on or around our special dates in December and each year God leads and blesses us in His giving adventure!
God’s giving adventure in our lives has grown over the years. Here’s a link to our Merry Widows’ Gift Gathering at Kate’s Club last year.
This year, we have two in-person events and one online event happening:
1. Sunday, December 4th: we are hosting our FIRST Widow Strong Member and Donor Christmas appreciation event FROM 4-6 PM at our NEW office location at Thrive Co-working in downtown, Alpharetta. We have gift bags for the first 50 attendees! Click here for details! Widows, Kiddos, Friends, and Supporters are Welcome!
2. December 10th: We will also distribute gift bags to widowed families (up to 400 families) at the Kate’s Club Holiday Hugs event on December 10th. Kate’s Club families, hope to see you there!
3. December 15: Live, Zoom Online Hope for the Holidays Workshop with your’s truly. Widows, click here to register.
I’ll share a secret.
I’m a Christmas Thrill Junkie. I love that feeling of joyful excitement that I first experienced as a child on Christmas morning. Every year, I ask God for that Christmas thrill and He never fails to lift my heart if I take the time to listen and follow His leading!
That Christmas thrill, for me, comes as God guides me and my family to serve others.
If you’re looking for a fresh infusion of His joy this season, I challenge you to ask the Lord, “How can I Give Back Christmas this year?”
My 3 Steps to Finding JOY in Widowhood during the Holidays:
1. Spend time in listening-prayer asking God for direction
2. Become sensitive to the needs of your family or community and ask God if or how you can participate
3. Choose to safely take action and bring friends or family along for the adventure
This is my secret sauce for starting a wonderful Christmas adventure and a fresh way to experience His JOY in your life today!
We would love to hear about your Give Back Christmas stories! Please email us so we may share in your God-Adventure!
Onward,
Mishael Porembski
Founder, Widow Strong
