L.I.V.E. – Love Infinite, Vigorously Exercised

  • When Heaven Meets Our Hurt: The Birth of Jesus Through the Lens of Grief

    The birth of Jesus is often wrapped in the warm glow of Christmas lights, celebration, angels, shepherds, and songs of joy. But when we sit closely with Matthew’s account (Matthew 1:18–2:23), another reality emerges; one filled with fear, loss, displacement, trauma, danger, and divine presence in the midst of suffering. When viewed through the eyes…

    Ze Selassie

  • Three Steps to Effective Grief Care: Presence, Practice, Praise

    When Development Meets Loss: A Pastoral Map for Grief Companionship Why Grief Needs Both Psychology and Theology Grief is more than pain to be reduced; it is love searching for a new way to live. Psychology helps us understand how people grow; cognitively, socially, morally, spiritually. Theology grounds us in a hope that does not…

    Ze Selassie

  • Supporting Grieving Children: A Compassionate Guide

    When Little Hearts Grieve: A Pastoral Guide to Gentle Companionship Grief doesn’t arrive with a map, it arrives with a person. And that person, whether three or thirty-three, needs presence more than perfection. As pastors, chaplains, counselors, and caring adults, we often meet grief in its most tender forms: a child who won’t sleep since…

    Ze Selassie

  • Healing Hearts: A Guide for Pastoral Grief Support

    When Pastors Grieve: A Gentle Path for Grief Counseling and Grief Companionship A pastoral, research-informed guide to grief counseling and grief companionship; how churches can normalize lament, care for grieving hearts (including pastors), and cultivate sustainable rhythms of support and hope. Grief is not an interruption to ministry; it is the landscape we all eventually…

    Ze Selassie

  • Compassionate Care for Grieving Seniors: Best Practices

    Elders, Loss, and Love: A Grief Companion’s Guide to Walking with Late-Life Sorrow (Not Away From It) A pastoral, research-informed guide to grief companionship with older adults covering integrity vs. despair, wisdom over productivity, Kübler-Ross’ insights, grief vs. mourning, and practical steps churches and families can use to offer sacred presence. Introduction: When Presence Becomes…

    Ze Selassie

  • Dominion and Discipleship

    I. Introduction Genesis 1 and 2 form the foundation of the Christian worldview. They reveal God as Creator, humanity as His image-bearers, and the earth as the stage of His glory. Central to these chapters is the concept of dominion (Hebrew: radah), humanity’s God-given responsibility over creation. Yet, this dominion is often misunderstood. Is it…

    Ze Selassie

  • Navigating Grief and Conflict through Faith

    Conflict, Grief, and the Will of God Grief is never just about the loss of a loved one. It often stirs conflict; conflict within families, within communities, and even within our own hearts. In moments of sorrow, disagreements can intensify, old wounds resurface, and silence can cut as deeply as words. But what if these…

    Ze Selassie

  • Navigating Grief: Conflict as a Path to Glorify God

    Conflict, Grief, and the Call to Glorify God Conflict often feels like the last thing we want to face when grief is already heavy. Families mourning a loved one may find themselves torn apart over funeral arrangements, inheritance, or even unspoken resentments that surface in sorrow. In those moments, grief feels doubled: we mourn the…

    Ze Selassie

  • She Is Clothed in Strength: Reclaiming God’s Design for Women

    “Let all that you do be done with love.”— 1 Corinthians 16:14 Somewhere along the way, the word submit became a dirty word. It was hijacked, twisted, and used to make women small, silent, and stripped of their God-given identity. But when we look back beyond cultural distortions, beyond misinterpretations, beyond centuries of misuse, we…

    Ze Selassie

  • Rediscovering Presence in Grief Support

    Beyond Bowling and Ping-Pong: Rediscovering Presence in Grief Companionship Grief has a way of silencing words. For those who sit with the bereaved—whether as counselors, pastors, or simply friends—the question is not what do I say? but rather how can I truly be present? In his book Making Friends, Em Griffin describes two metaphors for communication: bowling and ping-pong. While these analogies…

    Ze Selassie