Death | Words To Live By

Moving To The Head Of The Line

I post this article today in memory of my dad, a World War II veteran who was proud of his service. He died in December 2005.

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My dad had two fears: the nursing home and a long-winded speaker at his funeral. He avoided the first; the jury still debates the second.

The call from his apartment [...]

Helps For Grieving

These three items have been an encouragement to me in the grieving process after the loss of loved ones, and I’m hopeful that they will be for others as well. Please feel to pass them on. There’s a link to a printer-friendly version at the end.

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HOW TO GRIEVE

“After the first death, there is no other,” [...]

Finding Hope In The Death Of A Child

From my own experience, the loss of a child is one of the most difficult experiences we ever face in life. The pain and darkness are indescribably intense, and there are no easy answers to comfort the hurting heart. Can there be any hope in such a situation?

Following is a summarization of the tribute delivered [...]

The Last Times Of That October

I saw her for the last time on such a rare and wonderful autumn day as this. With fall crispness charging the air, our long, lingering stroll around the campus let her enjoy the unique texture of October breeze and sun upon her cheeks.

Our visit completed, I offered my goodbyes–without realizing she was hearing them [...]

Prayer That Changes Things

Despite my best intentions, I’ve often been disappointed in the lack of results from my praying. Since the death of my wife, however, I can honestly report more effectiveness than in any previous recollection.

But why? Perhaps because the trauma of death forced a shift in focus. Presenting God with only a list of needs no [...]

A Letter To My Mom

Following is the talk given by my son Barrett at his mother’s funeral. I post it again for Mother’s Day as a reminder of just how quickly our time with our mothers, wives and daughters can slip away from us. There are other Mother’s Day posts under the Holidays category on the right-hand side.

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As many [...]

Crises, Choices And Confirmations

On the healing of both body and soul. This is the poem mentioned in the message:

DREAMS

Late at night they skitter
Through my mind on velvet paws.
Silent, it seems, to elude my grasp,
But I sense them crouching in the shadows—
Waiting to pounce.

They often seek, I think,
Some occasion to linger
And boldly whisper hints
Of “incredible” and “impossible”:
Of what might [...]

Taking Time To Heal

“I walk on an isolated, lonely beach, and her absence is a vast and angry sea that breaks over me repeatedly–one black and terrible surge after another. Each batters me relentlessly, and I am powerless to resist, stand, endure. And I go down under their weight and intensity.” Thus reads my journal a scant six [...]

Remembrances & Regrets

Remembrances and regrets one month after Maryâ€™s death.
Copyright 2007 James McAlisterÂ Â Â Â Listen here

The Day The Tears Came

I was strong during her rapid physical decline. I was strong during her painful suffering and death. I was strong at her funeral and at the graveside. But today the tears came.

They came in simple, trivial ways. Shutting off her cell phone. Cancelling reservations in Branson. Closing a department store account. Returning books received but [...]

Words To Live By

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