PRESENT COMFORT

Hope and Encouragement for Grief

...you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.
John 16:20 (NIV)

We grieve because we love.

If we did not love, our heart would not be broken by the death of one we love. Grief is often referred to as a journey. The journey begins when one we love dies. Though the journey does not come with a precise roadmap, along the way we find answers to some of the most difficult questions of life and death through prayer, introspection, and soul-searching. We near the end of the journey when we move beyond our grief toward hope and new life.

I hope that you will allow me to serve as your guide and walk beside you on your journey through grief. This is a place for your personal comfort, encouragement, and support as you encounter many of the practical, spiritual, and emotional challenges of grief. My hope is that you will use the books, blogs, daily devotionals, prayers, and grief group media to lead you toward renewed hope, recovered love, and belief in the future.

My hope is that you will use the books, blogs, daily devotionals, prayers, and grief group media to lead you toward renewed hope, recovered love, and belief in the future. You are invited to watch the video as an introduction to the heart and spirit of hope offered in these grief support resources.

“For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future”
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV

Explore Resources

Present Comfort
Inside the Broken Heart
Beyond the Broken Heart
Beyond the Broken Heart
Beyond the Broken Heart
Beyond the Broken Heart
Secure in the Storm
A Journey Through Grief

From The Blog

One of the most sacred things we can share with others is what we have learned from our personal experience of grief. We offer the wisdom, insight, and perspective of our encounter with death and grief when we open our heart and invite others into our grief. On this website you will find blog posts on a wide array of topics. Hopefully you will find a word of affirmation or encouragement that speaks to your heart of hope for life beyond the broken heart.

Blog

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Conflicted Christmas

For many, the holiday season is about superficial pleasure and merriment rather than the pursuit of deep spiritual joy. Those who are grieving the death of a loved one may feel tentative, conflicted, or even skeptical about entering into the festivities. We fear that if we participate, somehow our loved one will be lost or forgotten amid the stir of celebration.

Festival: Day 2

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.
Isaiah 7:14 NRSV

Thought

The festival of Christmas celebrates the season and the day. Likely your secular reference is tradition, now changed by the loss of your loved one. Is it too much effort to put up a tree? Do you decorate, or should the ornaments stay packed away this year? Is it too painful for you to send Christmas cards? Is gift selection a daunting task without your loved one? As you gather with family, or others you choose as family, you realize that the festival of Christmas will never be the same again without your loved one.

Prayer

God, the birth of Christ is the miracle to celebrate at this Christmas season. I am grateful that through this holy gift of your love you are with me. Amen.

Assurance

Emmanuel—God with us.

Grief Groups

For many, a grief group can be a safe emotional and spiritual place that provides grief understanding and deep fellowship with others who are experiencing grief. Though a grief group is not for everyone, those who need direction and guidance often find the way forward through grief in the context of a confidential grief group community. Group leaders are encouraged to use the resources available on this website for inspiration as they offer their personal support and spiritual care to those who grieve.

Find a Group

"My prayer is that you will experience both personal and spiritual growth as your broken heart is transformed through the presence and grace of God."

Julie Yarbrough

Testimonials

"Great material and resources to help grieving people move Beyond the Broken Heart."

"A great leader's guide with devotional suggestions."

"Excellent information and great lesson plans."

"With each turn of page, readers of Present Comfort will come to know Julie as a new friend who has a vulnerable, compassionate, and courageous heart--just like them."

"Present Comfort is a rich exploration of the sacred space of grief. Filled with deep spiritual insight and her own personal story, Julie Yarbrough writes in exquisite prose to lead her readers through the “valley of the shadow” into the bright hope of God’s love, joy, and new life."

"Present Comfort is a marvelous exposition of one of the grand themes of the Bible, that “God is with us,” especially in the darkest and most difficult times in our lives. This is simply a wonderfully “hope-full” book for all of us in uncertain and challenging seasons in our lives."

"The author gives us a book that is skillfully written, biblically based and a wonderful blend of spirituality and personal experience. The reader will find hope and healing on every page."

"Julie Yarbrough is like a friend who lovingly guides you through the heartbreak of loss and shares hope in a time of great need."



More Testimonials

Contact Julie

If you need to share the pain of your heart with a confidential, understanding listener, I am available to you by email. I will pray for you individually and personally because like you, my faith has been tried and tested by death and grief. I believe with absolute certainty that the power of a loving, caring God will comfort and heal your broken heart, just as it has mine. You are not alone, I am here for you.