Fly High: Understanding Grief With God's Help
Experiencing loss—in the varied ways it comes to us—affects everyone differently. As adults, we have ways to verbalize how we are feeling. Many children, however, lack the vocabulary and the understanding to name the emotions they experience when they go through grief. They just know they are hurting inside. They are feeling sad, angry, lonely, or maybe even scared. These feelings manifest in different ways depending on the age of the children.
Fly High tells the story of a sister and a brother who love watching a mama bird care for her babies until the unthinkable happens—the mother bird dies. In this story, the reader is taken on a journey through various stages of emotions associated with grief. It ends, however, with baby birds learning to fly, and the promise of hope that is found in new beginnings. With hope-filled language featured in the layered-text format, our desire is that each reader will discover it’s okay to have the feelings he or she is having and that each new day holds healing, hope, and promise.
There are two versions of this book - one with specific faith based language for use in churches and parachurch organizations.
This title contains more of the faith-based language and would be ideal for uses in church, Sunday School, and home settings. The second title would be appropriate for use in school settings, counseling offices, or hospitals.
Themes:
Loss
Feeling sad, angry, lonely or scared
Grief
Love you Forever meets Gone but Never Forgotten
Gracie and Bennett love helping Mama fill the bird feeders and clean the bird bath. But one day, they find baby birds without their mama. When they discover the mama bird is hurt, and the doctors cannot help her get better, Gracie learns an important lesson about loss, recovery, and resilience.
“I know it’s hard to say goodbye,” Mama said. “Just like it was hard when we had to say goodbye to the mother bird. But it’s almost time for her babies to fly high.”
Children going through difficult periods of loss will find the encouragement needed through the gentle, comforting words of Fly High.
Meet the Authors
Michelle Medlock Adams and Janet K. Johnson
Michelle Medlock Adams
Michelle Medlock Adams is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author of more than 100 books with over 4 million copies sold. She has earned more than 75 industry awards from the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, the Hoosier State Press Association, and the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards to name a few.
When not working on her own assignments, she ghostwrites articles, blog posts, and books for celebrities, politicians, and some of today’s most effective and popular ministers. In fact, she helped pen a New York Times Bestseller.
Michelle is celebrating the release of her two latest children’s books, Cuddle-up Prayers and I Love You Bigger Than the Sky. She and her husband, Jeff, share their home in Southern Indiana with a miniature long-haired dachshund, a rescue Greyhound/Lab mix, and two cats. When not writing or teaching writing, Michelle enjoys bass fishing with her husband, cheering on the Indiana University Men’s Basketball team, and all things leopard print. To learn more, check out her website at: www.michellemedlockadams.com online.
Janet K. Johnson
Janet K. Johnson is a pastor, mentor in spiritual formation, author, freelance writer, and speaker whose passion is helping others draw closer to God in all of life’s situations. She finds joy in the ordinary things of life and knows it is God’s love that has sustained her on her life’s journey, especially through her times of grief.
Janet holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Evansville, a BA in Education with Master’s hours from Black Hills State University, a Master of Social Work degree from Rutgers University and a Master of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary in addition to the completion of the Academy of Spiritual Formation, the Pastors of Excellence Program, the Methodist School of Supernatural Ministry and is an associate member of the Order of St. Luke, a healing ministry. She worked as a public assistance social worker, medical social worker, psychologist’s assistant, home-school coordinator and an elementary school teacher before God called her into full time ministry in 1996.
Janet serves on the Board of Directors of Aldersgate Renewal Ministries and is the Community Spiritual Director for the Blue Ridge Walk to Emmaus where she also serves on the Board. She is a member of Serious Writers and She Writes for Him Tribe as well as the American Association of Christian Counselors. Janet has pastored congregations in Ohio, Colorado, Kentucky, and North Carolina.
Janet currently writes regularly for a Christian magazine and has authored Grief the Unwanted Journey: Reflections to Help Navigate Your Way through Tragedy and Loss. Additionally, she looks forward to two more books being released this year including Surviving the Holidays While Living with Grief. Now retired, she continues to preach at local churches as well as speak and teach at conferences.
Having moved many times due to her husband’s job, Janet understands what it is to make friends and leave them behind. She has sat with, prayed with, and counseled with many people grieving losses, helping them to find God’s faithfulness and ever-present love amid the most difficult times in life.
Married for fifty years to her husband, Richard, who is a retired Chaplain in the Air Force, they have four grown children, one of whom is in his heavenly home. Additionally, they have fostered several children over the years and now enjoy the blessing of several grandchildren and great grandchildren. She considers herself most blessed.
