Category: Grief
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No Longer Any Sea
Today is World Freedom Day. This special day is an observance of the tearing down of the Berlin Wall—the vast and terrible wall of barbed wire, concrete, and watch towers separating East from West Germany, dividing friends and family members from 1961–1989. I can’t even imagine the feeling of being separated from loved ones for…
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Where Are You, God?
Where are you, God? We often ask that question when we experience moments of terrible tragedy and heartbreaking loss. When such things happen, we understandably want to know where God is. God is not silent in his Word. Let’s be clear about that. When we cry out to him, we know our God hears and…
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God Our Refuge: Letter From the Editor
Dear brothers in the ministry, After spending over a quarter century serving as an editor at Northwestern Publishing House, I can safely say that there are few NPH and WELS publications—present as well as past—that I’m unfamiliar with. With this letter to you, I’m calling attention to one publication that had completely escaped my attention…
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Purposeful Grieving: Letter From the Editor
Dear brothers in the ministry, As a seelsorger, each of us has opportunities to minister to those who are grieving the loss of loved ones. As time passes after a loss, we may wonder if we have followed up with these hurting souls adequately, or if they are in need of further encouragement from God’s…
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Trauma and Faith
One of the most important of all parental responsibilities is to protect children from harm and shield them from disaster. But hardships and catastrophic events still happen. And Christians are not immune from such tragedies. It is only with faith in a loving, almighty God that one can effectively deal with trauma. Crisis takes many…
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Challenges That Come with Change
God does not change. His love and his promise of help is always there. We can always depend on that. God’s promise “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20) assumes that there will be changes, not only in our individual lives but throughout the ages. So life…
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Childhood Depression
It’s hard to imagine that a child in grade school could be depressed. These years should be filled with friends, sleepovers, sports, and other fun activities. Can a child actually be depressed? According to some estimates, about 5 percent of school-aged children experience clinical depression.
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A Letter from the Editor regarding A Christian Guide to Mental Illness, Volume 1
Dear brothers in Christ, Once in a while I run across a book and I think, “I wish I could have had this book at the beginning of my ministry.” A Christian Guide to Mental Illness, Vol. 1: Recognizing Mental Illness in the Church and School is just such a book. The subject of ministering…