Planning Ahead Archives » Urns

Posted on March 6, 2019March 6, 2019 by Daniel — Leave a comment

What is the “Death Positive” Movement?

Quick take: The Death Positive movement encourages people to think and talk freely about death. Distinctives include a focus on family-centered funerals, hands-on participation in the body preparation and burial/cremation, “green” and natural burial options, more affordable burial and cremation choices, meaningful rituals and ceremony, and an acceptance of death and decay as part of the natural world

Introduction

When you hear the word “funeral,” you probably get some sort of image of suits and ties, black dresses and veils, a stately church or chapel, a heavy casket. Words like grief, dreary, formal, morose, sad, depressing, cemetery, expensive.

Posted on December 17, 2018November 27, 2018 by Daniel — Leave a comment

Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope (Book Review)

Book Review: Remember Death by Matthew McCullough

Christianity gets death backwards. You see, our advanced civilization tells us constantly to look forward to a long life, healthy and sexy bodies, a bright future in a steadily advancing career followed by an early retirement filled with travel and leisure.

Yet at the same time, we have more depression, anxiety, and chemical dependence than ever before. We have wealth but not fulfillment, leisure but not contentment, Instagram-worthy lives but not peace.

In all this, no topic is taboo except, perhaps, one: Death.

What’s going on here? Continue reading Remember Death: The Surprising Path to Living Hope (Book Review)

Posted on October 15, 2018September 28, 2018 by Daniel — Leave a comment

Death Doulas & Caring for the Dying

Have you heard of “Death Doulas”? They, of course, prefer the term end-of-life doula, but the catchier term is the one that sticks in the mind and is what most people search for when first diving into this broad topic of death, dying well, and end-of-life care. Continue reading Death Doulas & Caring for the Dying

Posted on September 24, 2018March 6, 2019 by Daniel — Leave a comment

What is a death doula or end-of-life doula?

Applying the doula approach to end-of-life care

Death is coming. It’s easier to not think about it at all, but when the dreaded diagnosis or the irreversible decline from age comes it’s hard to avoid.

Still, we can keep busy in a number of ways bypass thinking deeply about death. There are always surgeries, procedures, medications, and other medical interventions that offer hope. Sometimes these help, or at least delay death. But ultimately it is a false hope. Death inevitably comes. When we spend all our time and effort looking for the perfect cure, death seems to hit even harder.

Posted on August 1, 2018September 17, 2018 by Daniel — 3 Comments

5 Steps To Make Sure Your Funeral Plans Are Followed

Do these five things to make sure your final wishes get carried out

How do you ensure that your funeral plans are followed? This can include big decisions like whether to be buried or cremated, which funeral home to use, an eco-friendly natural burial or a big bold marble sarcophagus, services led by a pastor or a close family member.

Your wishes for your funeral can include smaller touches as well. Perhaps it is important to you that those who attend the service receive a “funeral favor” such as an engraved coin, a packet of forget-me-not seeds, or a bag of your favorite tea. Maybe you have a favorite hymn you would like sung, or a favorite poem you would like read.

These choices are important to you, and you can rest easier knowing that they are going to be respected. Here are five ways to make sure that your funeral arrangements are honored and carried out. Continue reading 5 Steps To Make Sure Your Funeral Plans Are Followed

Posted on May 7, 2018February 25, 2019 by Daniel — 4 Comments

Funeral Planning Guide: How To Plan A Funeral

Funeral Planning 101 - Holw to plan a funeral, memorial service, burial, and cremation

Funeral planning is a smart idea. Often, people are completely overwhelmed when faced with the death of a loved one. What ends up happening is that they simply take the advice of the funeral home. Sometimes, that works perfectly fine for everyone.

But what if there were ways to make the service more meaningful and personal? What if there were options that could save the estate thousands of dollars? It pays – both financially and emotionally – to educate yourself and to come prepared.

Posted on April 16, 2018April 16, 2018 by Daniel — Leave a comment

What Happens to Your Passwords When You Die?

Emergency access to your online accounts using a password manager

If you’re anything like me and most other humanoids living in this digital age, you probably have just under a billion website login username and password combinations. Somehow you keep it all together (thank the Lord for password recovery emails). But what happens to all those passwords when you die? Continue reading What Happens to Your Passwords When You Die?

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Daniel — Leave a comment

What papers do you need when someone dies?

Documents to gather when someone you love has died

If you are the spouse or executor of the estate of a person who has passed away, there are many documents you will need to work through. What papers do you actually need?

Most will be financial statements, insurance and membership papers, and legal papers that already exist. These ones you will need to find. Others you will need to create.

Note that in the digital age, some of these affairs can be arranged completely online using digital documents and accounts. Even so, there will still be many copies and forms you will physically need to handle. Here is the list of papers you need when someone dies. Continue reading What papers do you need when someone dies?

Posted on March 6, 2018May 29, 2018 by Daniel — 3 Comments

10 Biblical Funeral Prayers for a Christian Funeral Service

Biblical funeral prayers are one important way for Christians to honor God, show their trust and faith in him, and proclaim his goodness and sovereignty over all of life’s affairs. In life and in death our hope is in God and in the saving work of Jesus his Son. Continue reading 10 Biblical Funeral Prayers for a Christian Funeral Service

Posted on January 22, 2018October 17, 2018 by Daniel — 1 Comment

How do I arrange a cremation?

Once you or your loved one has decided on cremation as the best option for final disposition, the next steps are to arrange for the actual cremation to take place. Here is a step-by-step guide for you to plan or arrange a cremation with simplicity, affordability, and peace of mind. Continue reading How do I arrange a cremation?