Celebration of Life
A Ten-Step Planning Guide
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
Introduction
Blessed
are they that mourned: for they shall be comforted ~Matthew 5:4~
We know how unprepared most people are when a death
occurs. That is why we decided to write
this 10-step guide. Making funeral
arrangements can be overwhelming and grief numbing. Within 24 hours after death, the family must make many
decisions. Clear and strenuous choices
can be difficult to make. When you take
the time to make these choices now, you will spare your family the added
burden, both financial and emotional, of having to make decisions on your
behalf.
The best gift you can give your family is to make
your wishes known in writing. This
guide is design to give you peace of mind for the benefit of your family. You are doing this for them. More family disputes arise following a death
than almost any time in our lives.
Emotions are at a peak and venting them occurs at inappropriate times.
Prepay your funeral expenses, or make sure you have
a designated life insurance policy for this expense. Meet with your local funeral director and find out what expenses
to expect and the best way to take care of this obligation. Don’t leave your final ceremony to someone
else. After all they are celebrating
your life.
We hope that you will use Celebration of Life
as a guide to create a meaningful memorial.
We hope that the information you have included in this guide will
provide valuable memories to you survivors.
It is a good idea to review the contents of this
guide periodically with whoever will be carrying out your wishes. This review will make sure that your
intentions are current and up-to-date.
If you feel uncomfortable about using Celebration
of Life and planning ahead of your death, it’s okay. When you are ready, take a few minutes to
browse the contents. You will be
surprise how your attitude will change and how positive you will feel about
reflecting on your life’s story.
Remember that you are giving your love ones a
gift. This guide will help them to know
that you were able to face this difficult matter. It also will bring a comfort to them to know that they are carrying out your “life’s
celebration” the way you would have wanted.
It’s okay.
~Harriet & Sarah~
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About the Book
The best gift you can give your family is to make
your wishes known in writing. Celebration of Life: A Ten-Step Planning
Guide is design to give you peace of mind for the benefit of your
family. The death of a close relative
or friend can be a bitter experience for any of us. Although we may sense that
time can eventually soothe our grief, the present feeling of shock and loss is
very real.
The funeral should help family and friends to
express and share their sadness. It is likely to be the last opportunity when
together they will be focusing their thoughts on the person who has died. The
ceremony deserves to be remembered as an occasion which uniquely and
affectionately honored that person's life, and for that it needs to capture the
essence of their personality. More and
more people wish to celebrate the important times in their life and ultimately
their death in their own individual way.
Don’t leave your final ceremony to someone
else. After all, they are celebrating
your life!
About the Author
Sarah Hamm, is a Christian woman first, a wife,
mother, grandmother, daughter, sister, friend, and a teacher by spirit. Sarah retired after nearly 32 years of
employment with the government. She
enjoys a busy and rewarding life with many church, community activities, and
other volunteer efforts.
Harriet Spradley Thompkins loves the inspiration of
God’s Word. She loves participating in
church activities, family reunions, and gospel singing events. She retired from the United States Coast
Guard Reserves with 27 years of service.
Harriet is a published poet and producer/host of a local awarding
television show. She is a Librarian and
the mother of one daughter.