Begin the journey of recovery from grief
Let's start now on a twelve-step path that will lead us out of the death grip of grief into the restoration of life. In the Life Recovery Workbook for Grief, discover real-life stories of fellow travelers, great questions for individual or group discussion, and a Bible-centered approach to freedom. Twelve beautiful blessings await after our hard work on the journey of recovery from grief.Step 1: Open our hearts to God's power to free us from the grip of grief. "Have compassion on me, LORD, for I am weak." (Psalm 6:2)Step 2: Allow God to join us in the powerful emotions of grief. "My heart is heavy with grief. Weep for me, for I wither away." (Isaiah 24:16)Step 3: Rest in God's care and help to take our loss and grief. "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)Step 4: Gain a true picture of how God sees us as we grieve. "Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength " (Nehemiah 8:10)Step 5: Experience the healing that begins with confession. "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins." (1 John 1:9)Step 6: Get ready for repentance and movement through our grief. "Would you like to get well?" (John 5:6)Step 7: Allow God's Spirit to heal our hearts from grief. "I will comfort those who mourn." (Isaiah 57:18)Step 8: Create a list of people our grief may have adversely affected. "Do to others as you would like them to do to you." (Luke 6:31)Step 9: Restore relationships damaged by our sins and experience a clean slate. "Go and be reconciled to that person." (Matthew 5:24)Step 10: Review daily the defects in us that hinder healthy life with God and others. "Be careful not to fall." (1 Corinthians 10:12)Step 11: Grow closer to God through prayer and meditation. "The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him." (Lamentations 3:25)Step 12: Bless others with the blessing of healing from grief. "Gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path." (Galatians 6:1)STEPHEN ARTERBURN is the founder of New Life Ministries--the nation's largest faith-based broadcast, counseling, and treatment ministry--and host of the nationally syndicated New Life Live daily radio program. He is a Gold Medallion-winning author and co-editor of The Life Recovery Bible.

DAVID STOOP, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and the founder of The Center for Family Therapy in New