While it’s on my mind, I wanted to alert you to the fact that Tim Wesemann wrote the cover article for the February issue, focusing on the topic of clinical depression. If you are a pastor or serve in some other care ministry, I encourage you to read Tim’s insightful comments. He shares his own personal story from the heart. It includes priceless insights for those who minister. (Since pastors and other church professionals are not exempt from this malady, it may help you on a personal level, too.)

Oh, and don’t miss this month’s Smiles as You Serve. Also written by Tim, these are among the best we’ve published in recent months.

Not yet a Grab & Go subscriber? Find CTA’s home page and scroll down until you see the E-mail Sign Up field in the far left-hand margin.

Many blessings on your continued service for Jesus and his people!

Past issues of our ministry newsletter articles are available here.

As a CSR for CTA, I recently talked with pastor who had just read, Grieving with Hope . . . Leaning on Jesus. He passed it on—to a family grieving the loss of a child several years ago. The family came back a few days later to say, in essence, “We so wish we had read this at the time of our child’s death!”

Grief seldom evaporates the day after the funeral! Many people continue to grieve for months and even years. Experts in grief tell us that individuals each grieve in their own way, following their own timetable.

Do you have friends who struggle with grief? When you act in faith, our Savior will step in to care for those whose lives you touch. It’s never too late to bring the hope of Jesus to those who are grieving.

Editor’s Note: CTA’s Grieving with Hope . . . Leaning on Jesus has become a best-seller in only a few months! It costs much less than most sympathy cards and it comes with an envelop for easy mailing.  The Christ-centered message coupled with four-color, eye-striking photos, make it a truly valuable ministry tool! Churches, Stephen Ministers, chaplains, and others will want to buy a case to have on hand.

Please don’t think I’ve lost my way or that I’m ready to abandon my faith. My walk with the Lord is more real than ever; indeed, I think I’ve grown closer to Him during this season of struggle.

But stuff happens. The loss of a son to suicide. Distance with a grieving spouse. Fathering two head-strong teenage daughters. The financial pressures of being the lone breadwinner.

In such times, any sign that God knows and God cares is a welcome relief. Strangely, I have found that relief in recent days from an air freshener. That’s right, an air freshener from CTA that hangs from the rear-view mirror in my Buick.

The Lighthouse Car Air Freshener has been a surprising reminder – to both my nose and eyes – of God’s blessings in my life. Every time I get in my car, the fresh “ocean” scent and the visually striking lighthouse let me know that my Savior is bigger than any problem I face and that He will guide me through the darkest nights of my life.

Who would have thought an air freshener could do that?

“I recently ordered copies of “Facing Illness with Hope” and “Grieving with Hope” from CTA. I shared a copy of “Grieving with Hope” with a recent widow from our church. I knew she needed encouragement as she had not returned to church since her husband died several months ago.

She told me it was just too hard to think of going alone. I mailed the booklet trusting that God would use it to lift her spirits. Several days later she called to thank me for the booklet and to tell me how much it has meant to her. She reads it over and over and finds it provides her with a much needed boost of hope and confidence in the Lord’s provision for her. She has marked her favorite pages and prayers and turns to them first thing each morning and night. She even commented on the beautiful photos that accompany each page. She is ordering copies of “Grieving with Hope” so she can share them with the members of her grief support group.

Best of all, she has been able to return to the fellowship of her church family due, at least in part, to the encouragement and gentle reminders of God’s love for her in this book. Thank-you, Rev. Wesemann, for allowing God to use you in such a meaningful way. And thanks to CTA for providing this resource for us!”

- Cindy S., Missouri

And what about Grieving with Hope outside the congregation? Funeral homes always keep resources on hand to give grieving families. Make sure your local funeral director knows about this book! Grief support groups. Hospice Care. Counselors. Why and where else could copies be helpful? Share your ideas with us!

As the author, here’s my vision. Let’s start with churches. CTA offers a discounted price for larger purchases of both books. Imagine if congregations kept a large number of these on hand for their people to purchase at church (not trying to make a profit from them, of course) or even provided them free for their members. Individuals and families could then keep several of each at home, ready to share when a need arose. Every one of you can probably name several people facing an illness or dealing with grief at this very moment–family members, co-workers, neighbors, and even acquaintances God has placed in your life. Think of the personal ministry possibilities! Especially if you don’t have the right words yourself, let this Christ-centered, Scripture-based resource speak for you to all those affected by an illness or death–family members (parents, children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters, all) and even friends. You can easily provide hope and encouragement for those you see hurting, and what a blessing if you can also know you can pick more up at church whenever you need them. Catch the vision! Provide these resources to empower everyone in your congregation to bring hope in Christ to the hurting!

Has your church, group, or ministry caught the vision in a special way? Have you? Let us know via email.

By the way, how have you or someone you know benefited by the books? Are there other details about the book you found helpful?