The first Christmas after Mark's death I wanted to run as far away from Christmas as I could. But I also knew that this was one of the most important Christmases in my life. Our first Christmas without Mark. Mark's first Christmas in heaven. Surely God had treasures for me in this most awful, terrible, yet precious time of the year.

Every November we air a special broadcast, Preparing for Christmas in the Midst of Grief, in which Chuck and I talk about how we faced that first grief-drenched season. We made some practical changes in our traditions and at the same time gave ourselves room and permission to grieve.

You can hear this interview by clicking here. You can order a copy of Preparing for Christmas in the Midst of Grief by clicking here.

If you order my book, Treasures in Darkness, A Grieving Mother Shares Her Heart, we'll include this special interview as our Christmas gift to you.

I encourage you to visit the website of Griefshare where you will find more articles on Surviving the Holidays. This is one of the best sites I have found for grieving families: http://www.griefshare.org/holidays/#articles

May you experience God's sweet, gentle presence as you choose to believe that He is sovereign and you can trust Him.

In His Grip,
Sharon