Synopsis
Grief is a universal experience that impacts everyone. While often associated with the death of a loved one, the sources of grief can be diverse, and once their symptoms take hold, the symptoms and stages associated with the experience of a significant loss in one’s life can be debilitating. This book dives deeper into the impact grief has on physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual being and provides insight into the author’s own personal encounter with debilitating grief. This book proposes that even in these difficult times, a connection to God and faith in Jesus Christ can help people walk with grief, even when the hurting feels like it is too much. This book offers a guide to contemplative prayer, based on Méjico’s experiences engaged in ancient, powerful practices of encountering Christ that helped him manage deep and personal loss in his own life. He shares his walk with grief and journey discovering contemplative prayer, in the hopes that readers will learn to encounter Christ while leaning into their relationship with him in the most painful moments of life. On the other side of grief is joy. This book helps lead readers to the place after grief that did not seem possible.
About the Author
Dr. Antonio Méjico, Jr., was born in Los Angeles, California and he and his family later settled in Colton, California. Dr. Méjico earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Master of Arts in Education Counseling K-12, and Doctor of Education in Leadership for Educational Justice from the University of Redlands. Dr. Méjico has served in the fields of child welfare, education, and mental health for over 23 years. During that time, he has provided direct case management to children with complex needs who have experienced acute maltreatment, including initiated gang youth in Orange County and the Inland Empire.
Later in his career, Dr. Méjico served in executive leadership roles in nonprofit child welfare settings successfully leading teams to build and expand upon existing programs to support foster and other adjudicated youth. He also participated in state work groups to advance equitable child welfare policies impacting adjudicated youth. He later transitioned into Christian higher education with the desire to contribute to the professional development and spiritual formation of highly competent social workers and helping professionals.
Dr. Méjico serves as the Associate Dean for the Division of Social Work, and an Associate Professor of Social Work at California Baptist University. Antonio's expertise lies in teaching courses rooted in diversity, cultural humility and responsiveness, organizational leadership, and faith integrated teaching practices. He provides consultation and training on cultural humility and responsiveness to leaders and practitioners within child welfare, education, and juvenile justice settings, as well as church leaders and their congregations, and serves on multiple boards with secular and faith-based organizations throughout the Inland Empire.
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