An Advent Laced with Grief
a free 10-day devotional that holds space for your grief and helps you find hope in the Advent season

Is your heart heavy with grief?
Are you struggling to get through the holiday season?

The December after my dad died unexpectedly, I was drowning in grief. I felt lost, broken, and had no idea how I was going to endure the holiday season without him. I searched for a gentle guide to help me navigate the season but everything came up short. What I wanted —an Advent devotional that would honor my grief, bear witness to my pain, and help me find hope and light in the season— didn’t seem to exist. So I wrote the devotional I knew I needed, and my prayer is that it’s what you need too.

Through Scripture, reflection, and the Biblical tool of lament, An Advent Laced with Grief will guide you to express your pain to the Lord, offer practical steps to find peace, and help you anchor yourself to the light, hope, and comfort that co-exists with grief because of Jesus.

This year, An Advent Laced with Grief is available exclusively as a free downloadable PDF—no daily emails. Sign up below to receive the entire devotional.

What’s inside An Advent Laced with Grief:

• 10 days of devotionals—plus special bonus readings for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day

• A specially curated For you to consider section at the end of each devotional offering simple practices to help you find peace amidst your grief

• An Advent Laced with Grief Spotify playlist

• Extra resources like sermons or book recommendations to further encourage your heart

• Free, beautiful downloadable PDF for access anytime and easy printing

On the surface, Advent intensifies the ache of grief — it’s a season of celebration and togetherness that begs us to “be merry and bright” when all we feel is the agonizing absence of what was lost. But, if we dig deeper, because of Jesus, Advent is a safe space inviting us to embrace our longing, and in the depths of it, discover hope.

Testimonials:

It was nice to feel like I had a compassionate companion on the journey…I appreciated the stories and practical suggestions for things to try (which felt gracious in not feeling like a “should” but a “can” to follow through on). Very grateful—by far the best Advent material I attempted this year. — Lauren R.

I just wanted to tell you how much this series has impacted me and helped me. I loved sitting down at night and reading through it; your stories captivated me and you put into words what I couldn’t express. I loved the section “For you to consider”. It was golden. Such great and practical suggestions in there and such a good variety as well. — Michelle M.

As I stood alone before my family for our traditional Christmas gathering to give the expected prayer message of hope and the “thank yous” for the preparations made. What could I say? The best part of me would not be there to lean on, share her thoughts, to give her expressions of love of our Lord and our family. Fresh in my mind were some of the thoughts, insights and experiences of the writer of An Advent Laced with Grief. Thank you Mindy Larsen. Perhaps the best family share time ever. — Mike B.

For the person filled with grief -

I’m so sorry you’re navigating the pain of grief.
I see you. I understand how much you’re hurting and how heavy this Advent season feels.
I wrote this series for you.

An Advent Laced with Grief is my way of coming alongside you as a gentle friend who gets it, listens to how you’re feeling, commiserates with your pain, and reminds you that even if you can’t see it right now, there is always hope.

Want to read more of the heart behind this devotional?
Tap here to read the full introduction where you’ll hear more about my story with grief, and why I believe Advent is a unique opportunity for the grieving heart.