The loss of a love one is often devastating. And while each of us experience grief in a unique way, finding your way back to a place of wholeness may seem impossible. The emptiness, loneliness and darkness seem to never fade. This book will help you find comfort and grow closer to God, who often seems far off or even absent in your journey through grief. Drawing from both personal testimonies and religious texts, this book also contains practical advice on how to overcome some of the emotional followed by practical aspect of grief, and a prayer on each topic. This book will also help you make decisions about what to pass on and what to keep in order to treasure your memories of your loved one. Grief is a very unique and personal experience. Through this book, you will be given the confidence to grieve in your own way. Ultimately, they will see grief as a journey that can lead you into a richer spiritual life.

Love in the Midst of Grief is the story of a devastating double tragedy; the deaths of two much-loved young men within a short time of one another, one from a terrible virus, the other from unknown causes. Their loss devastated their family. Nine years on, their younger brother-in-law, Satenam Johal, who has a professional background in social care, has written a detailed account of the tragedy and its aftermath. In doing so he hopes not only to help his family in their continuing grief but to provide others who are mourning loved ones to understand and manage the grieving process. The book will also be of great help to professionals seeking to help the bereaved.

Welcome to a journey of heartache and hope, of deep loss and deeper healing. This book is written for anyone who has encountered loss and is navigating the tumultuous path of grief. Whether you are dealing with the death of a loved one, the end of a significant relationship, or any other profound loss, the purpose of this book is to offer you solace and guidance during your most challenging times. Loss is a universal experience—a stark reminder of our vulnerability and our humanity. Yet, within each loss lies the potential for profound spiritual growth and renewed strength. In these pages, we explore the comforting embrace of God’s love and the steadfast promises that sustain us when the ground seems to give way beneath our feet. Through biblical wisdom, we will seek to understand the nature of our suffering and the purpose that can emerge in its aftermath. Each chapter of this book is designed to address different aspects of the grieving process. We delve into practical advice on how to navigate daily life while bearing the weight of grief, from managing overwhelming emotions to adjusting to new realities without our loved ones. Personal reflections are offered to connect with your experiences, providing empathy and insight. These narratives are companions in your journey, acknowledging your pain and offering a shared understanding. Furthermore, we explore how to safeguard your faith when it is most vulnerable and how to channel your pain into pathways that lead to healing and hope. This exploration is grounded in the truth that you are not alone—neither in your suffering nor in your recovery. The community of faith, the wisdom of Scripture, and the presence of God are your allies, ready to support you every step of the way. As you turn these pages, may you find words that resonate with your heartache and point you toward the light. May you discover comfort in knowing that even in the darkest hours, God’s promises are unwavering. His love is a refuge, His word a foundation, and His presence a constant in the ever-changing landscape of life. This book is both an invitation and a guide. It invites you to walk through your grief with eyes open to the healing and transformative power of God’s love. It guides you through the stages of grief, offering tools and insights to help you move forward with grace and resilience. May your journey through these pages help illuminate your path from mourning to morning, bearing witness to the dawn that follows even the darkest night.

Amazing Grace in the Midst of Grief describes the grief process as well as providing insights and stories about many of the ways God's grace is at work in the midst of our grieving. The closer one has been to the person who has died, the more intense and lengthy the journey through grief will be. This book describes ways God's grace accompanies and aids us as we move through the dark valley of grief. When we accept the gifts of grace, we are able to affirm life and our lives, even when life and our lives are not the way we want. God's grace is with us in our grief, pushing and pulling us through. Because of this grace, we have the strength to face life and the power to move on.

Trust the God Who Allows This? The last thing you want to do when crushed with indescribable pain and suffering is turn to the very God who allows it all to happen. What right does He have, especially now, to ask for your loyalty, your obedience, your love? When cancer took his wife and left him despairing alone, James Means unwillingly had to ask God the same questions facing you. A Tearful Celebration is the candid, pull-no-punches account of his struggle to understand God’s ways and to stand firm in the face of incalculable loss. This new edition of a 1986 Gold Medallion finalist will lead you to the place you most truly long to be: right with God and secure in Him again. "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." —Psalm 34:18 To all who long for the steadfast, quiet confidence of godly men and women who rise triumphant out of the cruel calamities of life… The experience of life is very good—and very bad. Beauty is side-by-side with ugliness. I cannot now soar with wings like the eagle. It is a treacherous road, painful to my feet, but He makes my heart burn within me. We must rejoice not merely because it is commanded, but because faith necessitates it and grace promotes it. The God of adversities provokes tearful celebration. …take heart and find hope. These pages will guide you in your search for faith and meaning. You will not be disappointed. “James Means’s honesty and his sensitivity to God is a combination that makes this book a source of comfort and strength to those caught in the grip of grief. The ability with which he shares his sorrow with us is extraordinary.” —The Pentecostal Minister “A great deal of refreshing honesty for a grieving heart.” —Lyla Mattozza, New Beginnings Bereavement Support “This testimony of God’s grace is most impressive.” —The Baptist Standard “A Tearful Celebration is an honest and thought-provoking account of what the author’s difficult journey has taught him about himself, his grieving, and God’s sufficiency.” —Caregiver Quarterly Story Behind the Book Ugliness comes in a great variety of forms, but few are more confusing and horrific than the drawn-out death by cancer of a precious loved one. Such was the experience that caused James Means to come face-to-face with the harsh reality that God failed to respond as he had asked and expected Him to. Means grapples with the mysteries of God and finds meaning in catastrophe. This book contains no glib platitudes and no shallow apologetic for the bitter realism of suffering. There is, however, the powerful testimony to God’s sovereignty, grace, and ultimate goodness. There is also a revelation of the biblical brand of faith that stands rock-solid in the most distressing of human experience.

Treasures of Darkness: Finding God When Hope Seems Hidden People generally consider dark times in life as times that are filled with pain, fear, anxiety, depression, loss, or sadness. Tara Soughers recognizes such moments in her own life. When hope seemed hidden, however, she encountered God. She tells us that she does not always recognize her times of darkness as grace-filled. “There are times when God seems absent in the darkness. There are times when I feel lost and even abandoned. But my journeys through the darkness have revealed God to me in ways that I could never have imagined.” She shares personal stories about dark times in her life and how she encountered God through the experiences. She invites us to embrace the darkness as an opportunity to experience the treasure of God’s love, presence, and power. Soughers invites us to explore several biblical stories in which darkness plays a major role, and each of the scripture readings offers a unique treasure in the darkness. Psalm 139:12 proclaims a powerful truth about God. “Even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.” God creates in darkness (Genesis 1). God gives us “life . . . the light of all people” in Jesus Christ (John 1:4). Abraham, Paul, Jacob, Job, Nicodemus, and Jesus encounter treasures from God in the darkness. As Soughers explores each biblical account, she offers a unique point of contact for contemporary Christians, treasures that can sustain us as we encounter darkness in our lives. Book contents contain: Prologue: Discovering Treasures in Darkness 1. Darkness is as Light to You (Psalm 139:7-12) 2. Let There Be Light: Creation and Creativity (Genesis 1:1-5) 3. Count the Stars: Hearing God's Promise (Genesis 15) 4. Who Are You? Overcoming our Blindness (Acts 9:1-19) 5. Why Have You Forsaken Me? Bringing Life Out of Death (Matthew 27:45-56) 6. Wrestling with God: Transformation (Genesis 32:22-32) 7. Listen to this Dream: Enlightenment through Dreams (Genesis 37:1-11; 41:1-36) 8. Out of the Whirlwind: God as Mystery (Job 3:1-8; 38:4-21) 9. How Can These Things Be? Being Born Again (John 3:1-10) 10. Gate of Heaven: Encountering God Where Least Expected (Genesis 28:10-22) 11. The Light Shines in the Darkness: God's Self-Revelation (John 1:1-15) 12. The Night Is as Bright as the Day (Psalm 139:7-12) Epilogue: Treasures of Darkness Each chapter includes questions for reflection and discussion.This book is ideal for use in local church book groups.

Following a helpful introduction about the role of spirituality in grief, this practical mourning guide suggests activities based on meditation, prayer, yoga, and contemplative solitude to help with feelings of despair. For mourners who suffer from anxiety, breathing exercises are recommended, and massage is suggested for those who experience fatigue. Each description of these practices offers a brief activity to try out before continuing to read.

Christopher and Hilda Talley were living what they thought was the American dream. They had two beautiful and healthy daughters, a comfortable home, cars, clothes, food on the table, a wonderful faith community, and two terrific jobs they loved. They played at life just as hard as they worked for their lifestyle, traveling in the United States and to foreign lands as often as possible. But in 1999, that all came crashing down. Hilda went from a happy and healthy person to someone who struggles for every breath she takes, after an inadequately trained pesticide tech came into her office. Two minutes after he left, she was fighting for her life. The chemical permanently damaged her lungs and vocal cords and led to two debilitating diseases: reactive airways dysfunction syndrome and vocal cord dysfunction. Their family life changed instantly. In God in the Midst of Thorns, Christopher and Hilda share their story, a story intertwined with the testament of God’s love and the power of Christian community, as they began their journey of learning to live a new normal. The Talleys discuss how, in their struggle for understanding, they both found a new and deeper relationship with God.

Sitting in this chair, Wondering how I’ll live. Lost in questions, Lost in, “Why?” Through clouded mind, Your quiet voice whispers, “Live, my love, to the full. I did not die! I’m awake! I’m alive!” Grief is a personal journey that is often filled with unexplained emotions and numberless moments of walking side-by-side with Christ, praying for words, wisdom, and answers. In a candid collection of narratives, stories, and poetry shared to help those struggling with loss, Mark Lanford offers an inspirational glimpse into his sometimes lonely, sometimes supported walk through heart-shattering grief after losing his wife of forty-two years. Within his confessional, redemptive, and restorative writings lie forgiveness; a surrendering of trust, faith and freedom; and finally a celebration of life as God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—lovingly ministers and guides through every joy, memory, and sorrow. Themes in the Midst chronicles a journey of great loss, immense grace, surrender, and finally profound joy as they interweave to create healing, all with utmost care by the hand of God.

In "Raging with Compassion", Michael Ramsey prize-winning author John Swinton argues for a practical theodicy, one embodied in the life and practices of the Christian community. This practicality does not seek to provide an explanation for the existence of evil, but rather presents ways in which evil and suffering can be resisted and transformed. This, he insists, will enable Christians to live faithfully with unanswered questions as they await God's redemption of the whole creation. Swinton explores essential practices of redemption - lament, forgiveness, thoughtfulness, hospitality, and friendship - drawing out their implications for the faithful resistance of evil. Enhanced by case studies from current events and by Swinton's own experience as a pastor and mental health nurse, "Raging with Compassion" seeks to inspire fresh Christian responses and modes of practice in our broken, fallen world.