About the Book
Author: Cynthia Cavanaugh
Genre: Women’s Issues
Release Date: May 12, 2020
It’s not often we speak about abortion, shame, betrayal, depression, anxiety, and loss in our circles of faith. It can be uncomfortable as we try to reconcile why a good God allows suffering and pain. Life is messy, and yet we need not silence these stories.
She Writes For Him: Stories of Resilient Faith is written by brave women who have boldly ventured out to tell their hard stories. These resilient women have found that God can be trusted in the midst of difficult and tragic circumstances. They have found God’s redemption in their pain and their willingness to look doubts in the face and claim God’s steadfast love over their trials.
This book is Redemption Press’s debut in a series meant to infuse hope and courage to others who have experienced a similar journey, that they might know they are not alone and can find healing.
Click here to get your copy!
My Thoughts
In She Writes for Him: Stories of Resilient Faith, the
contributing authors have traversed valleys of trial and deep rivers of pain as
they thirsted for healing. Due to their life experiences, their stories felt
authentic and credible. The truths they communicated surpassed popular platitudes.
Every single story held my attention.
She Writes for Him divides into five parts: Shame, Loss, Abortion, Depression and Anxiety, Betrayal. The sections can be read in any order, but the stories within each section are best read in order. Read on for my thoughts on each topic.
- Shame: This section contains several stories from authors who have experienced sexual assault. As a fellow survivor, I can say that I was not “triggered” by the stories. Rather, I found the stories and the spiritual truths very encouraging.
- Abortion: I have never had an abortion, but I imagine this section would be hard to read for someone who has. Some concepts within these stories are applicable to all, regardless of past experience or lack thereof.
- Depression & Anxiety: I felt like most of the stories in this section focus on depression, but many truths presented also apply to anxiety. Like the section on loss, I felt comforted that I am not alone in my struggles.
- Betrayal: The very first entry focused on forgiveness and that bothered me. I believe before victims are told to forgive, they need acceptance, affirmation, assurance of God’s concern and nearness, and boundaries that create physical and mental safe spaces. That is where healing (and forgiveness) can grow. That being said, I recognize there are different levels of betrayal and not all betrayal is deeply traumatic. The stories in this section were authentic and encouraging, but I still think this section could have been better.
Final Thoughts: I am glad I took the time to read She Writes for Him: Stories of Resilient Faith. It is a good devotional infused with encouragement and hard-won truths. I will keep this book and read it again. Five stars!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a
copy of this book by the author or publisher. All opinions in this review are
my own.
About the Managing Editor
She is the strategic marketing coach for Redemption Press, and you can find her at www.cynthiacavanaugh.com, Facebook, and Instagram, and her new podcast, Soul Anchor.
More from Athena
In May 2019, while driving home from the Northwest Christian Writers Renewal with the sun out and the mountain in view, God gave me a vision of a movement. He gave me the name “She Writes for Him,” and I knew it would start as a book compilation, then a podcast, and finally a conference.Here we are a year later, and She Writes for Him: Stories of Resilient Faith launched on May 12, 2020. Featuring Carol Kent, Tammy Trent, and Dr. Saundra Dalton Smith, 27 brave women share their hard stories of abortion, depression and anxiety, betrayal, loss, and shame.
The second edition is already taking submissions, and best-selling author Liz Curtis Higgs leads the lineup of contributors sharing on suffering, cancer, mental health, addictions, and abuse for She Writes for Him: Stories of Living Hope.
My hope in this book series is to address topics that have long been a struggle for the church to be the safe place it needs to be for those still hurting from wounds of the past. Those of us who love the Lord but have trauma in our pasts and are still on our healing journey need to be encouraged by others who have walked in our shoes. Perhaps we haven’t even started our healing journey yet, convinced we are the only one struggling the way we do or are too ashamed to admit our failures of the past. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, this compilation of brave women will encourage you to process your pain and experience the redemption in your areas of struggle.
Athena Dean Holtz, publisher and creator of the She Writes for Him compilation series.
Blog Stops
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 24
For Him and My Family, September 25
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, September 26
deb’s Book Review, September 26
Texas Book-aholic, September 27
Inklings and notions, September 28
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 29
CarpeDiem, September 29
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, September 30
Artistic Nobody, October 1 (Guest Review from Joni Truex)
Ashley’s Bookshelf, October 3
Beauty in the Binding, October 3
A Reader’s Brain, October 4
Sara Jane Jacobs, October 5
Spoken from the Heart, October 6
Splashes of Joy, October 7
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Cynthia is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of the book signed by herself as the managing editor!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
Your book sounds like a great read and thank you for sharing it with us.
ReplyDeleteWonderful review! Sounds like one not to miss. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a really good read.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds quite encouraging!
ReplyDelete