Mari van Ormer is a mother, blogger, runner, widow, divorcee, and she loves pumpkin cookies… with chocolate chips. After losing her husband when she was just 34, she started a blog called www.clingtocourage.com. Her blog became a source of healing and hope, and it helped her to connect with others who were grieving and who had also experienced loss.

In the beginning of her widowhood journey, Mari tried hard to live by the motto: “Choose Happiness.” She did everything she could to feel happy… including training for and running a marathon. But after the finish line, and as her life and experience with grief and pain through death and then a divorce progressed, she decided to change her life motto to: “Embrace Grace.”

 She has learned that healing and feeling joy requires a daily effort, not a one-time finish line event. She believes that when we stay close to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and when we have daily grace for ourselves (and for others), along with gratitude to our Heavenly Father for small and simple things … we can experience extraordinary, beautiful, joyful, and magical moments, even on bad days.

 She invites all to cling to courage and Christ, and embrace His Grace, no matter what.

Mari has 5 beautiful children who she loves even more than cookies. She also loves music, photography, teaching gospel doctrine, watching home improvement shows, staring at Christmas twinkle lights, and chasing thunderstorms.