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Journaling TemplateGrief & Loss RHM Internal Guide

Honest Before God — Lament Journal

Psalm 42:5

These guides are for personal reflection and spiritual formation. They are not a substitute for professional counseling. If you are in crisis, please contact us or call 988.
Introduction & Foundation

"Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God." — Psalm 42:5

The biblical lament is a gift — it models how to bring raw emotion, honest confusion, and real pain into conversation with God rather than away from Him. This journal is structured around the pattern of Psalm 22, 42, and Lamentations: turn, complain honestly, remember, trust.

  1. 1

    Begin by addressing God — not a cleaned-up prayer, but the real one. What do you actually want to say to Him?

  2. 2

    Write it without editing. Use the Psalms as permission: God can handle your honesty.

© Restoring Hope Ministries — for personal and counseling use only. Not for redistribution.

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Care That Is Measured — Because People Are What Matter

Restoring Hope Ministries tracks the well-being of every participant in our clinical and faith-based services using empirically validated screeners, clinical interviews, behavioral analysis, and self-report — so we can honestly see whether the people we serve are getting better.

This rigor reflects the training of our founder, Dr. Jeffrey Gross, who earned an M.S. in Clinical Psychology from the Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology and is continuing his Psy.D. studies in Clinical Psychology, with completion anticipated in 2028. His Th.D. in Theology and Ph.D. in Christian Counseling complement that clinical education with theological preparation for Christ-centered soul care.

At Froedtert and the Medical College of Wisconsin, he served as a Student Psychologist and later Chief Student Psychologist, supporting veterans and first responders with traumatic brain injuries through the BRAVE program. His work included assessment, individualized treatment planning, multidisciplinary rehabilitation, psychoeducational and process-oriented groups, and peer supervision. His experience also includes supervised psychological testing of clergy at Milwaukee Psychotherapy Collaborative, recovery-focused group development at The Manor by Windrose, and case management and peer-support supervision at Biehl Bridges to Recovery.

Continuing education in assessment, trauma, neurobehavioral conditions, supervision, ethics, and risk management further informs this approach. Together, these experiences help shape RHM’s commitment to careful assessment, responsible documentation, collaborative care, and attention to each person’s spiritual, relational, emotional, and practical needs. His clinical psychology doctorate remains in progress; this background does not replace the qualifications or licensure required for regulated clinical services.

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