It was, as she says herself, a challenging 2018 for Roma Downey, who endured the loss of her brother and the California wildfires that forced her and her husband Mark Burnett to evacuate their home in Malibu.

There were also some unwelcome headlines when actor/comedian Tom Arnold and Burnett, creator of The Apprentice among other shows, scuffled at an Emmy Awards party over alleged unreleased recordings of Donald Trump from The Apprentice – Roma claimed that Arnold bruised her hand in the altercation.

Roma wrote a piece for the Christian Post website detailing her tough year, and hopes for 2019.

“For me, this year has been challenging, filled with personal heartache and loss as well as truly traumatic events in our community. Losing my brother this fall broke my heart and I still feel waves of grief wash over me even as I write. Then several weeks ago we got an urgent call to evacuate our home due to rapidly approaching, out of control wildfires,” she wrote.

Read more: Roma Downey on building her bible tale miniseries empire (VIDEOS)

“After weeks of evacuation, uncertainty and anxiety we are finally back in our home. We are more fortunate than many families here in our hometown of Malibu as at least we have a home to return to. For this, we are truly grateful and holding tight to God’s unwavering goodness, even though the grief feels too great at times.”  

The Derry native added that the man above is helping her cope: “I have struggled this year more than any year in my life. I sit here feeling the weight of loss bound up in this year and know how easy it would be to tumble into a well of sorrow. But for every blow I have felt, I am reminded evermore of the need to be grateful as I trust in His ability to uphold me. And it is there, in the safety of His presence, with gratitude, that I find freedom from the pain of loss.”

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