Grief & Loss

Nationally recognized grief educator Harold Ivan Smith brings over twenty-five years of professional experience in grief recovery to ABCs of Healthy Grieving. Seventy-two brief suggestions for healthy grieving, each two-pages in length and titled starting with a letter of the alphabet followed by an "I Can" statement, encourage those suffering the loss of a loved one to grow through grief spiritually and emotionally. One particular aspect of living with grief day-to-day is introduced with relevant quotes and short excerpts. Readers can read ABCs of Healthy Grieving cover to cover, or choose a single topic to help them through their day.

Daring to Dance Again: Pearls of Wisdom for a Soul-Filled Life is a compilation of personal stories - sad and joyful, painful and funny. They are also universal stories that speak to our common humanity. The stories embrace our fallibilities and our weaknesses. They show us at our lowest moments. They also shine a light, showing the way. The author hopes these stories, in some small way, will help others embrace God and His heavenly and earth angels who are there to lift us up.

Life is full of journeys that we did not choose to make. Some journeys - divorce, cancer, death - choose us. They test our faith. Yet it is faith, along with the love of others that save us.

Each chapter of Daring to Dance Again will elicit different emotions, and each chapter concludes with "A Pearl of Wisdom," a bit of inspiration the author has gleaned from her life. Together these stories will resonate with readers who have dealt with divorce, grief, and loss, a serious illness, or any other challenge in life. And it will leave them with a renewed faith in God and a sense of hope.

" Grief Light is for anyone who is grieving. From her personal perspective on the "light" side of grief, the author illuminates many of the universal truths of grief through practical, spiritual illustrations and examples from ordinary life. Written in an informal, approachable style, each brief meditation offers grief insight through the rich imagery of stories and scenes from everyday experience, supported by Scripture and a prayer idea. Through these positive, uplifting reflections on life and love and death, you will discern how your faith can grow as a gift of grief through the steadfast love and faithfulness of God. When you read these "almost devotionals," you may think, "Oh yes, that happened to me" or "Now I understand more about what it is I'm feeling" or "I thought I was the only one who'd ever experienced that" or "There's really some plain talk here about human nature." Grief Light also addresses some of the more contemporary, yet seldom fully acknowledged issues that surround grief, including collective/communal grief, incomplete grief, compound grief, and complicated grief. The hope is that the heart and spiritual truths of Grief Light will guide you toward a better understanding of your grief and direct you away from the darkness, toward the light of new life."

In his counseling work, Harold Ivan Smith has heard all the questions - even the most obscure, personal, and difficult ones - that occur to grievers as they process their loss. Here he compiles more than 150 common questions, explores the emotions behind them, and provides clear and forthright responses. Whether readers find the answers they seek, new perspectives to ponder, or comfort from knowing that others ask similar questions, this valuable resource will guide individuals who are in the midst of grief and those who wish to provide comfort.