Joy & Grief

Joy and Grief Resources

There used to be separate pages for Joy and Grief books, but since joy and grief can co-exist, a decision was made to merge the two pages.

Joy Books

Choose Joy Because Happiness Isn’t Enough – Kay Warren – Very uplifting, and heart-warming. Affirms joy being a deeper emotion than happiness.

Choosing Joy, A 52-Week Devotional for Discovering True Happiness – Angela Thomas – Each week has a Bible verse for Mondays with deeper study the next four days.

One Thousand Gifts 10th Anniversary Edition, A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are – Ann Voskamp – The Greek word Eucharisteo (Thanksgiving) contains the root word Charis (grace) and contains a derivative Chara (Joy) (pg 32-33)

101 Prayers For COMFORT In Difficult Times – Kate Motaung – This is listed under Joy Books because as Kate writes in the introduction “As followers of Christ, we have access to a limitless fountain of comfort, hope, and peace through our intimate personal relationship with the living God.” Now that is joy! Each page contains a Bible verse that relates to the accompanying prayer.

Grief Books

Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working Through Grief – Martha Whitmore Hickman – Joe’s aunt gave a copy of this at his wake. It is not geared towards any one religion. Ms. Hickman used her grief experience to write an excellent book that helped me work through my grief. I have also given this book to others on a grief journey.

Postcards from the Widows’ Path, Gleaming Hope and Purpose from the Book of Ruth – Ferree Hardy. – This book combines a study of the book of Ruth with Ferree’s first-hand account of her journey down the widow’s path.  However, it is not just for widows.  It is a great education for anyone looking to learn more about the book of Ruth and what it takes to survive widowhood.

God’s Healing for Life’s Losses, How to Find Hope When You’re Hurting – Robert W. Kellemen, Ph.D. – A book that will help you work through any time of loss, from death – to job loss and anything in-between.

Through a Season of Grief: Your Journey from Mourning to Joy –Bill Dunn & Kathy Leonard – also available via daily email by signing up on Griefshare.org.

Letters To Grief, Finding Healing And Comfort In Your Loss – Kate Motaung – Twelve letters to grief with reflection questions, space to write your own letter, and a reflective prayer.

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her adventures, hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. Michele is a lover of Jesus, history, books, and lipstick. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com.