Losing a loved one is wrenching, and, in times of grief, wordy reading on healing offers little solace. In ABCs of Healthy Grieving, nationally recognized grief educator Harold Ivan Smith combines over twenty-five years of professional experience into seventy-two brief suggestions that treat particular aspects of living with grief day to day. Each suggestion starts with a letter of the alphabet and ends with an I can statement that offers both realistic hope and a goal toward which to strive. Readers can read ABCs of Healthy Grieving cover to cover or choose a single topic to help them through each day.

The death of a friend is one of the most significant but unrecognized experiences of grief.

Almost everyone will, at some point in their lives, suffer the death of a beloved friend. Yet though this experience is just as common as the loss of a father or mother, there are fewer resources for those who experience this devastating and sometimes confusing loss. Drawing on his own experiences losing dear friends, as well as the experiences of others, grief counselor and educator Harold Ivan Smith guides readers through this unique grief.

In this updated edition of his 1996 classic, Smith encourages readers to embrace and listen to their grief as a natural response to loss, and to give themselves time to work through sadness, ambiguous feelings, memories, and the reality of living without a valued friend. With gentle and wise words, Smith speaks to those who have gone through this loss, and those yet to face it.

Written by a grief counselor and educator, this book is for those who have loved and lost their mother.

Losing a mother is a difficult transition in life. No matter the status of the relationship, grieving the loss is a process--one that sometimes begins before the physical loss has occurred. Drawing on his own experience of loss, as well as on the experiences of others, Harold Ivan Smith guides readers through their grief, from the process of dying through the acts of remembering and honoring a mother after her death. This book provides a way forward.

By shifting the grief process from something to rush through, Smith encourages readers to embrace their grief as a natural response to loss and to give themselves time to work through the sadness, pain, memories, and reality of living without their mom. All of us will experience the loss of our mother at some point. A mother's last breath inevitably changes us. Through wise counsel, Smith speaks gently to people who have gone through this loss and helps those yet to face it. This edition includes a new foreword from the author.

Vincent van Gogh's last words resonate with many grievers this holiday season: La tristesse durea--the sadness will never go away.No, it will not go away. But it will change.Grief can be overwhelming, and it is especially intense during the holidays--those weeks that have always been spent in preparation and anticipation with a loved one who has been lost. While the world seems to be moving forward and celebrating life, grievers face a season of darkness and loss.For you--or as gift for someone you know who is grieving--Harold Ivan Smith guides the reader beyond the darkness with illustrations and insights that emphasize God's ability to transform the holidays into a time of grace and healing.

Losing a father can be a complex and confusing transition.

Whether a father was beloved or feared, the loss and grief is a process--one that sometimes begins before the physical loss has occurred. Drawing on his own experience of losing a father, as well as on the experiences of others, grief counselor and educator Harold Ivan Smith compassionately guides readers through their grief, from the process of dying through the acts of remembering and honoring a father after his death. This book provides a way forward.

By shifting the grief process from something to rush through, Smith encourages readers to embrace their grief as a natural response to loss and to give themselves time to work through the sadness, ambiguous feelings, memories, and reality of living without a father. A father's death inevitably changes us. With gentle and wise words, Smith speaks to people who have gone through this loss and helps those yet to face it. This edition includes a new foreword from the author.

More than fifty years after her death, Eleanor Roosevelt is remembered as a formidable first lady and tireless social activist. Often overlooked, however, is her deep and inclusive spirituality. Her personal faith was shaped by reading the New Testament in her youth, giving her a Jesus-centered spirituality that fueled her commitment to civil rights, women's rights, and the rights of all â oelittle peopleâ � marginalized in American society.

She took seriously Jesus' words and despite her life of privilege, she made the needs of those on the margins her priority. Eleanor: A Spiritual Biography provides insight into one of America's most famous women, particularly the spiritual influences that made her so active in social justice issues.

Intersections are those crossroads in life where life experiences can draw us together and draw us closer to God. The Intersections Small Group series helps church members integrate faith into their daily lives as they discover Bible-based answers to questions about common life experiences. The books are interactive, easy-to-use, and focus on important issues shared by all members.

The death of a friend is one of the most significant but unrecognized experiences of grief in American culture. In this unique book, Harold Ivan Smith guides the reader to move with rather than against the natural grief process as he explores its many aspects, including the friending, the passing, the burying, the mourning, the remembering, and the reconciling.

Many of us will grieve the death of a friend. Yet, this particular kind of grief is not recognized as often as that experienced when a spouse, child, or parent dies. Grief counselor and speaker Harold Ivan Smith has worked with friend grief both professionally and personally. In this short volume, he offers comfort and encouragement to those who have lost a friend by validating their grief, urging them to give their grief a voice, and remembering their friend.

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.

For those who have a friend that has been devastated by the loss of a loved one. When others care enough to rub shoulders with grieving friends and are willing to be inconvenienced. It requires someone to care enough to put aside cliche condolences and stick close through a long grieving process. An individual's grief can never be fixed. But friends can wash a sink full of dishes, listen, go along on a cemetery visit. Sharing another's grief is not about fixing-it- it's about showing up.Harold Ivan Smith, popular speaker and grief educator, guides others to respond with their heart. He shows tangible, meaningful ways to make a significant difference as one journeys through grief with someone they care about.

Grief affects everyone. Every week there are names of people in the church have experienced or are facing the loss of someone they love. For many, knowing what to do or how to help in these situations can be difficult, especially when sending flowers or offering a sympathetic word just doesn't seem like enough.The Grief Care Kit is a practical resource to help churches provide real help and healing for people facing grief. Designed to help leaders establish a grief ministry, it includes a copy of a grief seminar by author Harold Ivan Smith as well as instructions for leading a grief recovery group, which include a leader's guide and student workbook. The material also comes in electronic files and is completely reproducible, so leaders can adapt and reuse these resources to fit their changing group needs year after year.Resources include: a DVD of the seminar 'Leading in Times of Loss'a CD, which includes a reproducible leader's guide and a student workbook and morea variety of suggested letters to help you send your condolencesquotes, prayers, and blessing that lead toward healing

Once upon a time it would have been taken for granted that a pastor's responsibility as shepherd and curer of souls would be to be present for the griever. The Gallup Organization reported in 1997 that only one in three believe a member of the clergy could be comforting in a time of loss; only one in four say that it is very important for a member of the clergy to be on hand when a person is dying. Death and dying have become very secularized in this country. Many would more likely turn to a counselor or psychologist than a minister. Yet the hunger is there. It is the spiritual helper who repeatedly points the griever to another perspective who gives hope. It is the godly minister who helps grievers continue to love and live in anticipation of reunion.When Your People Are Grieving calls upon pastors to embrace their positions of leadership and to be a means of grace and mercy to grievers during trying times. In this easy-to-read book written directly to the pastors, well-known grief specialist Harold Ivan Smith probes the many facets of grief ministry, presenting practical advice in dealing with one of the most challenging yet rewarding parts of ministry in the local church. You'll learn: What family members expect from their pastors during times of grief What you should never say to those who have experienced loss How to equip your congregation to care for grievers How to counsel grievers who question the existence of God Why we no longer talk about the five stages of grief Each chapter includes a spiritual formation exercise you can use to help grievers grow in the Lord. You'll also find A Story That Will Preach in every chapter to help you as you strive to relate and connect with you congregation in trying times.

Acts of caring and compassion can make all the difference in a grieving child's life. Adults can often worry about saying and doing the right thing, too often giving children quick answers instead of the support they really need.Widely-recognized grief specialist Harold Ivan Smith explains that quick answers are not what children need when they are grieving. They need support, and most of all they need to be allowed to grieve-for as long as it takes.With an ABC-like approach, Smith offers insights and activities for the parent, teacher, or friend-anyone that loves a child and wants to offer his or her support. This new and revised edition of When a Child You Love is Grieving will help ensure that the child is receiving the healthy and necessary outlets during the loss of a loved one.

What do Dexter King, Condoleeza Rice, Mackenzie King, Corazon Aquino, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bill Cosby, Tony Dungy, Theodore Roosevelt, George H. W. and Barbara Bush, Caroline Kennedy, Arthur Ashe, Lady Bird Johnson, Colin Powell and C. S. Lewis have in common? They all have significant grief experiences that have shaped their lives in dramatic ways, stories that have also shaped our lives.

Grieving individuals, through borrowing narratives, look for inspiration in biographic, historical and memoir accounts of political and religious leaders, celebrities, sports figures, and cultural icons. In a time of diminishing trust in heroes and sainted leaders, who will speak to us from their grief? In a diverse society grief counselors and educators need to identify and mine the experienced grief(s) of historical personalities for resources for reflection and meaning-making. This book will help readers:

• find, read, evaluate, extract, and adapt historical/biographical materials
• create bio-narrative resources for use in grief counseling and grief education
• explore the wide diversity of experienced grief in biographical narratives
• identify ways to harness grief narratives for personal reflection.

This book not only examines friendgrief from a theoretical and clinical framework, but also Smith offers fascinating vignettes from the lives of well-known friendgrievers such as Elton John, Diane Sawyer, Ralph Abernathy, C. S. Lewis, Harry Truman, Tommy Lasorda, Jimmy Carter, Fritz Mondale, Bill Clinton, Calvin Trillin, and Alan King. The author includes moving narratives of numerous individuals who have never gained notoriety but have become seasoned friendgrievers.

What do Dexter King, Condoleeza Rice, Mackenzie King, Corazon Aquino, Eleanor Roosevelt, Bill Cosby, Tony Dungy, Theodore Roosevelt, George H. W. and Barbara Bush, Caroline Kennedy, Arthur Ashe, Lady Bird Johnson, Colin Powell and C. S. Lewis have in common? They all have significant grief experiences that have shaped their lives in dramatic ways, stories that have also shaped our lives.

Grieving individuals, through borrowing narratives, look for inspiration in biographic, historical and memoir accounts of political and religious leaders, celebrities, sports figures, and cultural icons. In a time of diminishing trust in heroes and sainted leaders, who will speak to us from their grief? In a diverse society grief counselors and educators need to identify and mine the experienced grief(s) of historical personalities for resources for reflection and meaning-making. This book will help readers:

• find, read, evaluate, extract, and adapt historical/biographical materials
• create bio-narrative resources for use in grief counseling and grief education
• explore the wide diversity of experienced grief in biographical narratives
• identify ways to harness grief narratives for personal reflection.

This book not only examines friendgrief from a theoretical and clinical framework, but also Smith offers fascinating vignettes from the lives of well-known friendgrievers such as Elton John, Diane Sawyer, Ralph Abernathy, C. S. Lewis, Harry Truman, Tommy Lasorda, Jimmy Carter, Fritz Mondale, Bill Clinton, Calvin Trillin, and Alan King. The author includes moving narratives of numerous individuals who have never gained notoriety but have become seasoned friendgrievers.