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.

As much as we need courage, our Lord wants to give it to us. Courage is a virtue—one that comes to us as a gift from our Savior. He wants to pour courage into to us throughout life. That gift makes it possible for us to give ourselves to him and trust in him in body, mind, and spirit. 

As we face life’s difficulties, we can remember those who came before us. This past weekend in many liturgical churches God’s people observed “All Saints Day.” Among other thing, it reminds us that no generation was without its trials and sufferings, its ordeals and struggles. We thank God for our parents and for Christians in generations before them who relied on him, courageously raising their families, building our schools and churches, and inspiring us in our generation to take a stand for what is good, true, and beautiful. 

We “bend our knee before the Lord who made us” (Psalm 95:6). And we ask for his gift of courage.

Yet here we are, looking at the end of the summer. It is time for new shoes, new school supplies, and new beginnings. Once again CTA is here to help us help our children. God is lighting our way into the season of fall! 

Check out the great God Lights Our Way (G.L.O.W.) activity books with free pencils — great for getting ready back to school and encouraging children! 

It’s 16 pages include hints to help parents talk with their children about using Scripture in solving problems. As a parent, I will be using these books to talk about my child about problems he may face at school this year. Not only is this activity book Scripture based, but it is a great introduction to the rest of the fall products I will be using and writing about soon!

I slipped downstairs, knowing my family would sleep for another three hours before beginning the weekly, pre-church bathroom battle. (The only male in my household of four, I try to clear out of the way early on Sundays. Dads everywhere are nodding in agreement.)

The summer morning in North Carolina was unseasonably cool, so I grabbed my Bible and headed for the screened-in back porch to enjoy some quiet time with God. I didn’t know till I got there, but there wasn’t enough light to read by yet. Besides, as I soon learned, God had a different lesson planned–one that had nothing to do with reading a few verses.

I sat silently for some time, serenaded by birds who were signaling the first signs of daylight. I also prayed, seeking the Father’s wisdom in some personal struggles I had endured. That’s when the lesson started.

Without warning, thunder rumbled in the distance, causing the birds to cease their singing. Moments later, a quick downpour could be heard making its way across our small subdivision. Lightning cracked! Thunder boomed! Dark clouds swirled. And a sheet of rain visibly marched toward me from my neighbor’s yard.     

I stood and prepared to go inside, but something in my spirit stopped me. I’m not claiming to have heard an audible voice, but everything in me was saying, “Stand still. . . . Watch and listen.”

Suddenly, the overgrown maple tree in my backyard started swaying in a southerly direction. The shifting direction of the wind seemed to sweep away the rain as well. In a matter of seconds, calmness reigned and ushered in the dawn. Playful chirping soon filled the air again.

That’s when I realized it. I can’t prove it, but I don’t think the birds ever stopped their singing. I couldn’t hear them as the storm was nearing because my ears were tuned to the rain, thunder, and lightning.

Lord, help me not to focus on the problems in my life or the noise they create. Help me instead to be still and trust in you. I want to watch you work in my life. Teach me to listen to the reminders of your continual care.

How about you? Has God ever used nature – his creation – to get your attention?

Many churches use these words at the conclusion of their worship service. Thinking more deeply about the passage, phrase by phrase, can make that part of the worship service even more stirring. Be Blessed provides refreshment and renewal—the perfect gift for any woman on Mother’s Day.

As a free gift to you, we also provide a “Be Blessed” Ministry Message^SM, a one-page presentation devotion you’re welcome to use when you give these gifts to the women in your church. The devotion is also available in Spanish.

And then there’s one of my personal favorites: sesquipedalophobia (fear of long words). Maybe I’m the only one who finds it funny that it takes 18 letters to … nah, just forget it.

Anyway, the same smart folks who come up with all of these tongue-twisters tell us that we are born with only two fears: the fear of loud noises and the fear of falling. So all the other couple of thousand phobias are learned behavior.

Have you ever heard that there are 365 “fear nots” in the Bible? (Who counts these things, anyway? Thank you, Mr. Strong, or whoever is responsible.) Regardless of the numbers, we are told again and again to face our fears, to expose Satan’s lies for what they are.

Whatever you’re facing today, isn’t it rational to believe that the Creator of the universe is bigger than your problem? Indeed, to believe otherwise would be irrational.

So, to borrow a line from FDR, the only thing we have to fear is … fear itself. That’s called phobophobia, by the way.

“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!

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