According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the word, “Bittersweet” is defined as “being at once bitter and sweet, especially pleasant but including or marked by elements of suffering or regret.”

Basically, a bittersweet feeling is a mixed emotional state combining happiness and sadness at the same time. It represents joy of a memory, tempered by sadness that it has now passed.

Since the passing of my husband, I have had many bittersweet memories that included being at certain places where the two of us had gone, and thinking about certain things that occurred during the years we spent together as husband and wife.

My husband’s recent birthday was one of those days filled with bittersweet memories. It helped to talk about him and focus on the happy times we used to share.

Although some of the bittersweet memories have brought me to tears, they have also helped in my emotional healing as I continue to walk a new path without him.

Have there been any bittersweet moments in your life recently? If so, how did you cope with them?

We all have days, weeks, or sometimes even months when we feel sad due to unexpected things that occur in our life. A feeling of sadness is normal, especially during the loss of someone we love. Sickness, financial difficulties, or relationships that have gone sour can also cause us to feel sad. However, if those feelings linger too long, despair and depression can take over. God’s Word has plenty to say on this topic. For instance, one of my favorite Bible verses, which is found in Proverbs 17:22 (NIV) says: “A cheerful heart is good medicine; but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

We don’t feel well emotionally, or physically, when we are sad all the time. It’s harder to function when despair sets in. Positive thoughts are replaced with negative ones, and a feeling of hopelessness can drag us down spiritually.

The Bible also has something to say about what we should do when sadness lingers too long or we are in a negative mood. Philippians 4:8 (KJV) says: “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report: if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Here’s what I do when I’m absorbed in sadness for too long: I pray, spend time in God’s Word, sing praise songs, spend time with positive people who make me smile and laugh, and focus on beautiful things God created, like a sunrise, sunset, birds chirping happily in my yard, and the list goes on.

What do you do when sadness takes over for too long? Is there something special that brings joy back into your life?

As the days keep moving on in this New Year, and I work on my next book, scheduled to come out later this year, it’s easy to get overwhelmed when things go wrong or there are too many interruptions. Sometimes other issues pop up that need my attention, and it temporarily slows my writing schedule down. If you’re wondering how I deal with it and still manage to get everything done, it’s fairly simple—I take one day at a time. Sometimes, it’s one hour at a time, or even one minute at a time. We aren’t promised tomorrow, but it’s what we do today that counts.

In Matthew 6:34 (KJV), it says, “Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”

How do you deal with the challenges of life? Have you learned to take one day at a time, or do you worry about tomorrow and wonder how you’ll get everything done?