Christmas doesn't arrive on our terms. Whether we are ready for a party or not, the holiday is still here. It's okay to be sad (and if you are, it's okay to give yourself permission to be sad.) It's also okay to have grief and joy at the same time or on different days. There is no right way to feel this Christmas.

Our guest for this episode, Jami Nato, knows a few things about grief during the holidays. Her life as she knew it fell apart nearly a decade ago - right between Thanksgiving and New Year's. For years to follow she couldn't figure out why she wasn't better able to welcome the holiday season. She needed to give herself permission to grieve. From infidelity to addiction to that missing person at the table, we cover how heartbreak can feel acute this time of year.

And yet....we also know the very holiday we are celebrating right now is our reminder that God comes near to us because he loves us. He doesn't come because we have put together lives, just the opposite, he comes because we need him. If you are feeling low today, or you love someone who is, this is a great listen to remind us all that God loves the sinners - that's all of us - and he is with us no matter what.

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A few things mentioned

Jami's book This Must Be the Place: Following the Breadcrumbs of Your Past to Discover Your Purpose Today

Breathing Through Grief: A Devotional Journal for Seasons of Loss by Dorina Gilmore-Young

Some questions for reflection

-How are you going to make sure you take care of yourself in your grief?

-How are you going to reach out to a friend who may be hurting?

-How might you hold on to the hope that is Christmas?