After a sudden death in his family, Pastor Jim Mann found himself unprepared to handle the unfamiliar issue of grief. An idyllic childhood made grief an unfamiliar foe. Years of seminary and pastoral ministry hadn’t prepared him. So the Lord led him on his own journey through grief. Daily, he read the Bible, prayed, cried, and journaled his thoughts. This book is the result.
Grief will touch us all at some point, and it comes in many forms, great and small: loss of loved ones, loss of a dream, a broken marriage, accidents and disasters—even the loss of a beloved pet or a move to a new town. When we experience loss, life changes and will never be “normal” again; it can’t be . . . life is different now. But God will lead you to a “new normal.” The key is dealing with your grief head-on—owning it. As you bring God into the process, seeking answers and relating your fears, struggles, and even anger to Him, He promises to walk you through the grieving process.
This honest and insightful month-long journal is intended to help the reader work through grief in a healthy, healing way. You can emerge from the process in a stronger relationship with God and prepared to “get on with life.” Not only will you be stronger after the journey, you will be better prepared to help others who may need you.
About
Dr. Jim Mann is the founding and Lead Pastor of New Life Church in Denton, Texas—the town he grew up in. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and serves as Adjunct Professor of New Testament for Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Christine, have two teenage children. Christine Mann wrote the study questions for this journal and serves as the Women’s Minister for New Life Church.