Janet Grimes

Janet is the author of The Parent's Guide to Uncluttering Your Home, scheduled to be released early in 2011 through Atlantic Publishing. She launched Abbandoned Ministries late in 2010, which leads others through her writing and speaking to seek God, as Abba, during times of abandonment. She currently writes monthly for Christian Woman Today, The Christian Pulse, the grief website Open to Hope, and Mamapedia. For additional information on Janet, visit her website at http://janetmorrisgrimes.com or http://abbandoned.com.

Articles:

My Fathers in Heaven

Both my fathers are in Heaven. For me, it has always been this way. If God watched me from the moon, Daddy rested on the brightest nearby star. I grew up dreaming of the time I would get to meet my Daddy, face to face. I sought out his footsteps, so I could somehow follow a shadow never seen for myself. From my earliest memories as a three-year-old, trying to grasp the meaning of “forever,” I reached out to God, which formed the beginning of a beautiful relationship. God became my hero; always there, ready, willing and able to provide […]

Poem: We Promise to Remember

Dear Children, We promise to remember your eyes so blue The joy in your faces that remained so true. Your hair so blond, it seemed almost white The way you hid behind your parents, acting so shy. We promise to remember your bashful grins and quiet chatter The way you spoke to each other, as if no one else mattered. The way you loved each member of your family With lots of hugs and kisses; the way it should be. We promise to remember that you’re with Jesus now. Two perfect angels, with wings and with crowns. The three of […]

Poem: My Anna, My Angel

Across the room, I feel your touch. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Above the silence, I hear your laugh. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Through the night, I see your face. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Stretching into the morning, your heart beats with mine. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. Your presence invites me to a place we can be together. So perfect, only Heaven can hold you. How my Jesus must adore holding you in His arms He loves you more than I do. So impossible, but true. My Anna, my […]

Meeting the Needs of Fatherless Children

Perhaps there is one in your life, a child who needs a father, or at least a father figure while his own might be away for an extended period of time. For children, the absence of a father is most apparent during the holiday season. Children tend to dream within their means, sensing the financial strain and recognizing the fact that their mother is working as hard as humanly possible. They also know that Mom is the one who keeps the family functional, providing their every need. For this reason, some children may back away from asking Mom to stop […]

Father’s Early Death Inspires Questions for a Lifetime

I often wonder how it went, that last week of his life. The accident was on Tuesday morning, November 14, just outside of Memphis, TN. Daddy was the passenger, taking his seatbelt off for a moment to get some books out of the back seat. The brakes failed. He went through the windshield, hitting his head on a tractor trailor parked on the side of the road. Mom tells me he never woke up. His head was shaved and swollen, his broken jaw wired shut, making him unrecognizable. Jerry, the friend he was supposed to meet for lunch that day, […]

Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.