Human Resiliency: the ability of the human spirit to ""heal"" from traumatic experiences. In 1943 Hitler and his Nazi army were in the midst of enacting their plan of cleansing Germany of the non-aryans which included those that were Jewish, the ""Gypsies,"" Jehovah's Witnesses, the physically disabled, those married to non-aryans and all who were against Hitler. Auschwitz was the largest death camp during this time. This novel is set during this time, when Human Resiliency was tested often. Through the perspectives of the two main characters: Kurt and Ilsa, the novel captures the resiliency of the human spirit as they face the traumatic experiences during this time period. The role that love has in fueling the resiliency of the spirit; both the loss of love, and being surrounded by it.
“‘Jesus, where are you?’ I prayed every night as I wept . . . I felt I had failed as a priest, for I had preached love and the people made genocide. . . .Then I heard God speak to me. Jesus wanted me to use these experiences to evangelize later. It was then that I knew my life would be spared. God would make a way.” During the 25th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga tells the dramatic story of how he survived while losing more than eighty of his family members and 45,000 of his parishioners in the killings. In the aftermath, Fr. Ubald experienced a renewed sense of purpose as a minister of reconciliation and a healing evangelist in his homeland and around the world. In Forgiveness Makes You Free, he offers five spiritual principles that can help those traumatized by the past to experience healing and peace in Christ. In 1994 the world looked on in disbelief and horror as Rwanda erupted in violent bloodshed. All across the landlocked African country, militant Hutus rose up to exterminate the Tutsi population, including women and young children. One hundred days later, a million bodies littered fields, streets, and even churches. Now, on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, a powerful testimony emerges of the power of God to bring peace and reconciliation into hearts full of fear and hate. In Forgiveness Makes You Free, Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga shares his own dramatic story of how he survived the genocide and its traumatic aftermath. He testifies about how God spared his life so that he might help others with deep physical, emotional, and spiritual wounds to experience peace and healing. In retelling the story of how he forgave the man who killed his family and cared for the man’s children while he was in prison, Fr. Ubald demonstrates how showing mercy can facilitate true forgiveness even in the most painful circumstances of our lives. Throughout the book, Fr. Ubald teaches about five spiritual keys that draw us to Christ, the only source of lasting peace: be thankful and have faith choose to forgive denounce evil decide to live for Jesus claim the blessing Each chapter combines Fr. Ubald’s story with reflection questions that guide readers along their own path of healing: from fear to faith, from shame to freedom, from isolation to reconciliation, from resentment to mercy, and from conflict to peace. The final chapter offers a guided meditation to help those who need to experience the power of God to release those held in bondage by fear and hate and to find the secret of peace. An appendix contains information about “The Mushaka Reconciliation Project,” a catechetical tool that has been used successfully by parishes in Rwanda, and could easily be adapted by parishes in the United States, to mediate reconciliation between individuals and groups who have become estranged by violence, trauma, and ethnic or cultural divisions.
Have you ever been hurt, betrayed, used or done wrong? At some point in life, we all experience wounds from others. But, staying hurt is not okay. When we refuse to let go of the hurt, it turns to unforgiveness and unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other guy to die. It eats our lunch. This book is all about HOW to forgive...
Let go of anger and learn how to forgive with these journal prompts and self-assessment exercises to get you one step closer to peace, health, and lightness of spirit. I forgive you. Those three little words can improve your physical and mental health, release anger and resentment, and boost your overall well-being. Research shows that holding on to hurt is toxic to your mind, body, and spirit—increasing your chance of heart disease, inflammation, and depression. The solution is to forgive—but that doesn’t mean letting the person who hurt you off the hook! Through exercises and journaling techniques, certified life coach Meredith Hooke teaches the power and importance of forgiveness. Providing a step-by-step guide, Let Forgiveness Set You Free helps you learn to forgive in a satisfying and healthy way so you can move on to a happier and more enjoyable life.
Bitterness often grows out of a small offense: perhaps a passing word, an accidental slight, or a pair of dirty socks left in the middle of the living room floor. Yet when bitterness takes root in our hearts, its effects are anything but small. "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Heb. 12:15) In this collection of short articles, Jim Wilson and others discuss what it means to live as "imitators of God." As the Apostle Paul says in Ephesians, we have been called to leave the bitterness and anger of the world and instead embrace the love and compassion of our God. The authors remind us that we are to forgive others just as we have been forgiven, pointing to Scriptural admonitions and examples as they offer sound teaching on the trials and temptations of everyday life.
There are over twenty-five million children growing up in America today without their biological father in the home, and single parents account for approximately 37 percent of all households. Yet, there is still a huge lack of Christian-based ministries for single parents, especially when it comes to the dads. Based off of his experience as a single dad himself, Matt Haviland shares with us his journey of joy, trials, and grace that has brought him to this point in single father ministry. He tells in dramatic detail the testimony of how Jesus not only rescued and redeemed him from a destructive lifestyle, but how God has given him the ability to lead and guide single dads along the way and become a great dad as well. A Fathers Walk is not just another self-help book. It is a tool, resource, and inspiration written by someone who is in the trenches every single daya man who knows the love only a father can have for his child, the daily struggles of being a single dad, and the unimaginable grace that our Savior bestows upon those who call upon Him. This is a must-have for any single dad looking to grow as a father and in their walk with the Lord!
One of the core messages of the gospel is that of total forgiveness…not only that we can be totally forgiven by God, but also that we must, in turn, totally forgive others.
Upon hearing the news that his father has gone to jail, a six-year-old boy poses the question of this generation: Whos going to take my Dads place? The Daddy Gap takes an uncensored look at the distress so many fatherless families are in and provides desperately needed answers about how God responds to this question and how the Church should as well. Dawn Walker and Matt Haviland build a compelling case that not only are single parent families the widows and orphans of this generation, but that it is the Church, not the government, that should be responsible to care for them. Drawing from their own journeys as single parents, Dawn and Matt give heartfelt encouragement to these often marginalized families by sharing how God really sees them, loves them, and wants to heal and restore them. Full of rich insights and lavish grace, they also offer some hard truths about what redemption and restoration really require. Most importantly, they clear a path to help all wounded sons and daughters discover the Father theyve always wanted and who has always wanted them.
In Love Life Again, Tracie reminds readers they each get only one life to live and inspires them not to take it for granted. Through compelling personal stories and powerful insights from Scripture, she helps women identify the stumbling blocks to their joy and offers tools and insights to take back control of their happiness. Every chapter ends with a practical call to action to motivate readers to begin loving their lives again. She also offers reflection questions, prayers, and creative ideas to help readers smile. Love Life Again helps readers learn how to live the abundant lives Jesus died for them to have, despite the circumstances they may face.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER What do you do when God’s timing seems questionable, his lack of intervention hurtful, and his promises doubtful? Lysa TerKeurst unveils her heart amid shattering circumstances, inviting you to live assured when life doesn't turn out like you expected. Life often looks so very different than we hoped or expected. Some events may simply catch us off guard for a season, but others shatter us completely. We feel disappointed and disillusioned at best and overwhelmed and hopeless at worst. We quietly start to wonder about the reality of God’s goodness and why he allows us to suffer and experience grief and loss. Lysa TerKeurst understands this deeply. But after many tears, godly counseling, and prayerful seeking, she's also discovered that our disappointments can be the divine appointments our souls need to radically encounter God. In It's Not Supposed to Be This Way, Lysa invites us into her own journey of faith and, with grit, vulnerability, and honest humor, helps us to: Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations. Train ourselves to recognize the three strategies of the enemy, so we can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes. Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give us more than we can handle. Shift our suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing us. Know how to encourage a friend and help her navigate hard realities with real help from God's truth, the Bible. Look for additional biblically based resources and devotionals from Lysa: Good Boundaries and Goodbyes Forgiving What You Can't Forget Uninvited You're Going to Make It Embraced Seeing Beautiful Again
