Grief Is A Journey

In this “volume of rare sensitivity, penetrating understanding, and profound insights” (Rabbi Earl A. Grollman, author of Living When a Loved One Has Died), Dr. Kenneth Doka explores a new, compassionate way to grieve, explaining that grief is not an illness to get over but an individual and ongoing journey. There is no “one-size-fits-all” way to cope with loss. The vital bonds that we form with those we love in life continue long after death—in very different ways. Grief Is a Journey is the first book to overturn prevailing, often judgmental, ideas about grief and replace them with a hopeful, inclusive, personalized, and research-backed approach. New science and studies behind Dr. Doka’s teaching upend the dominant but incorrect view that grief proceeds by stages. Dr. Doka helps us realize that our experiences following a death are far more individual and much less predictable than the conventional “five stages” model would have us believe. Common patterns of experiencing and expressing grief still prevail, yet many other life changes accompany a primary loss. For example, the deaths of parents, even for adults, modify family patterns, change relationships, and alter old family rituals. Unique to this book, Dr. Doka also explains how to cope with disenfranchised grief—the types of loss that are not so readily recognized or supported by society. These include the death of ex-spouses, as well as non-fatal losses such as divorce, the end of a friendship, job loss, or infertility. In addition, Dr. Doka considers losses that might be stigmatized, including death by suicide or from disease or self-destructive behaviors such as smoking or alcoholism. And finally, Dr. Doka reminds us that, however painful, grief provides opportunities for growth.

This spiritual companion for mourners affirms their need to mourn and invites them to journey through their very unique and personal grief. Detailed are the six needs that all mourners must yield to and eventually embrace if they are to go on to find continued meaning in life and living, including the need to remember the deceased loved one and the need for support from others. Short explanations of each mourning need are followed by brief, spiritual passages that, when read slowly and reflectively, help mourners work through their unique thoughts and feelings. Also included in this revised edition are journaling sections for mourners to write out their personal responses to each of the six needs. This replaces 1879651114.

For those of us working through the heartbreak of grief, author Bozarth offers wise and comforting advice. For those of us working through the heartbreak of grief, author Bozarth offers wise and comforting advice.

This classic resource helps guide the bereaved person through the loss of a loved one, and provides an opportunity to learn to live with and work through the personal grief process.

“Offers hope to anyone that struggles with being ‘good enough’ for God” (Julie Zine Coleman, author of Unexpected Love). Perhaps you’ve experienced a defining moment, one that explains who you are today. God had a defining moment. His Son died on the cross for our sins, changing history and his relationship with mankind. Still, His forgiveness, love, and sacrifice are concepts unfamiliar to much of the world. Ignorant of such grace, society bombards us with the daily temptation to measure up or perform. When we fail to achieve the desired results, we struggle to feel God’s grace. This is especially true when life hits us hard through tragedy, unfortunate events, and prolonged suffering—we question; we wonder; we misunderstand His amazing grace. This can cause us to battle shame, self-doubt, and bitterness. When dark times come, are you able to find strength in God’s grace? Do you defeat insecurity, lack of self-worth, and guilt through your view of grace? Have you seen your Lord’s footprints in the sand when you look back at the most difficult times in your life? Do your struggles and disappointments bring you to a deeper understanding of His grace? In this book, Erica S. Kim starts with a defining moment in her personal life—the tragic death of her mother—to describe her journey to rediscover God’s grace. Through poignant true-life stories and teachings about women in the Bible, you will be led from the book of Genesis to the cross to see without a doubt how God has carried each one of us in His arms through every dark and hopeless moment, to help you to experience fulfillment and spiritual growth.

Grief touches all of our lives, but it does not have to paralyze us with fear or inaction. God allows suffering because He knows how powerful it can be to our spiritual lives and to helping us fully embrace His love and mercy. In this insightful and practical book, you’ll learn how to live a life of redemptive suffering that will draw you through grief into a state of tenacity, meaning, holiness, and joy. Author Jeannie Ewing is no stranger to suffering. Her family has long struggled with bipolar disorder and depression, and her baby daughter was born with a rare genetic disorder that caused her bones to prematurely fuse together. Despite the many layers of sadness, loss, confusion, and anger, Jeannie responded to God’s calling and transformed her life into one with profound purpose and joy. Combining her training in psychology and counseling with real-life examples, Jeannie will show you that there is much life to be lived in the midst of loss, and that all things – even the most painful life experiences – are working together for a greater good. You’ll also learn: The all-too-often misunderstood difference between grief and depression.The spiritual benefits to uniting your crosses with Jesus’s Passion and Death.The counterintuitive notion that grief and joy can coexist.The spiritual danger of internalizing our pain and hiding it from othersHow great saints like St. John of the Cross and St. Therese of Liseux struggled to make sense out of suffering.The six spiritual principles that will assist you on the journey of navigating grief.How to know when you should seek professional help.Ways in which God is calling you to bring hope and joy to those dwelling in darkness.How to confidently confront the nothingness and emptiness you feel in your interior life.And Meditations on the Stations of the Cross, the Sorrowful Mysteries, and the Seven Sorrows of Mary that will help you reflect on how redemptive suffering can help you embrace God’s love and mercy.

It was approaching noon, and my wife and three other women in her photography club were due to return home after a morning of photography at a nearby alpaca ranch. I was waiting anxiously because we had scheduled a golf match at our local country club after a quick lunch. As I restlessly looked out the front window for her car, I witnessed a state police vehicle pull into the driveway. Two officers emerged and walked toward our front door. I welcomed them and inquired as to the reason for their visit. The young female officer asked if I had heard about an accident on Route 209. I replied that I had not. She informed me that a large semitrailer truck had rear-ended a car stopped at a traffic light. She hesitated a moment and then added, "Your wife was a passenger in the back seat of the car and was killed." Following the subsequent funeral, that announcement continued to haunt me. Grief became more pronounced each passing day. In a conversation about my condition with a friend, he made the comment that I try dealing with my grief by writing. As we talked further, I mentioned how much I missed talking with her, how our conversations were always so alive and animated. This prompted another recommendation. "Write her letters, express to her your feelings of grief and more." I liked that, and this book is the result. It consists of a series of letters to Mae, whoever remains alive in my imagination. It has helped bring my grief to the surface and provide necessary therapy. I have determined to publish with the hope that in some way, it may provide grief insight for others who have lost loved ones.

"Where do you turn for daily comfort and help? Where do you find the tools to move forward? Through a Season of Grief is the first 365-day devotional designed to support and uplift you in the first, most difficult year of bereavement."--Page 4 of cover

Enhance your understanding of the process and dynamics of grief and loss with GRIEF AND LOSS: UNDERSTANDING THE JOURNEY! Providing a human voice to the experience, this counseling text uses examples that allow you to enter the world of real people and their losses. A chapter on ethics allows you a glimpse in to the complicated ethical labyrinth involved in end-of-life decisions. Definitions of terms provide you with easy access and make studying easy.