Friday, May 24, 2013

BOOK REVIEW: Peace after Divorce

I haven't been through a divorce myself, but I wanted to read "Peace after Divorce" initially, to help me better understand my mother and daughter who have. And while this inspirational book answered many of my questions about holding on and letting go, I also found that many of the helps in "Peace after Divorce: Choosing Concrete Actions Rooted in Faith," would assist me in my own life.
Available at Amazon

Two of my favorite helps:
"Have a Peace Box--Write notes as prayer needs come to mind and put them in the box. Pull them out and talk to God about them daily."
"As crazy as it sounds to add one more thing to your list of things to do, talking with God can help ease your burden so that you may approach your day with a greater sense of calm."
Renee Smith Ettline has a beautiful way of expressing what we all feel no matter our path in life. She says, "You can't control all circumstances, but you can work within your reality to make your life better. You can exercise the power of choice to move in a positive direction. Furthermore, you can draw on the healing power of God to support and guide you along the way."
I love how Ettline shows through personal experience, the experiences of others, as well as her work in After Divorce Ministries, LLC, how to overcome the difficulties of divorce. I love how I feel empowered by her words.  Any person going through a divorce will be eager to take on the steps that she suggests to improve their life; and for those not experiencing divorce they can better understand those who have.
Ettline takes a struggling individual beyond just "getting through divorce." She doesn't just draw out the steps, she adds the emotion and testimony of God to extend the reader's learning and focus. Read a scripture. Answer some questions. Talk with God. Act. Going through a divorce is anything but easy, but with God's help, getting to the other side is possible.
I recommend this book for anyone going through divorce, and for their loved ones who really want to know what  going through a divorce is all about.
 
From the author:
Divorce changes your life. Whether you are dealing with a current divorce or the lingering impact of a past divorce, we congratulate you on your efforts to make your life better. We have each been through a divorce. We know the pain. We know that peace after divorce is possible.
Peace After Divorce: Choosing Concrete Actions Rooted in Faith is the result of a need we discovered when developing our divorce ministry. We wanted a book that would offer guidance, not just for getting through the immediacy of divorce, but also for moving beyond divorce. The book had to share real-life strategies as well as the power of God's love. When we did not find the book we wanted, we proceeded to write Peace After Divorce.
Field-tested in our After Divorce Ministries workshops, Peace After Divorce has proven effective in helping readers to move beyond a life defined by divorce. Chapters have short topical readings that make it easy to move through the book and to reflect on what you have read. Each reading in the book concludes with questions designed to help you apply concepts to your life. Scriptures add support. You cannot control all of the circumstances that come from your divorce, but you can work within your reality to make your life better.

4 comments:

  1. Thankfully, I have not struggled through divorce, but I can imagine those methods you mentioned would be extremely helpful, Kathryn. Great job on the review.

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  2. Kathryn, Thank you for the great review! Divorce is tough and we really pray that this book helps many people. Renee Smith Ettline www.AfterDivorceMinistries.com

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  3. Yes, divorce is tough. Thanks for sharing your experience to "lighten" the load.

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