The Hope In Our Scars

Aimee Byrd peels back the church's underlying and pervasive theology of power to face the shame that lurks there and find the lasting hope of belonging in Christ. Some things happening in the church these days should provoke our anger. It's racked with scandals of fraud, abuse, cover-up. It's embroiled in racism, misogyny, marginalization, and hatred. The truth is that we have to fight to love Christ's church. Many of us are left wondering what kind of hope can the church offer if its leaders will not care for its wounds, admit their complicity, and move toward true reconciliation with God's people. From the author of Recovering from Biblical Manhood and Womanhood comes a passionate plea to work through our disillusionment with the church and rediscover what's true and beautiful about our covenantal union with Christ. Having tread her own path of disillusionment, Aimee Byrd invites us to see Christ among the chaos so apparent in his church. Along the way, Aimee guides us through deeply theological and personal reflections on how we can: Cultivate healthier forms of trust by recognizing power structures at work. Understand the limits of authority, and free ourselves from tribes and celebrity culture. Take appropriate social risks by speaking up when we're uncomfortable. Rediscover how our stories matter to God. This book is written to those who have been wounded by the church. To those who have suffered abuse at the hands of church leaders and are left with deep scars. To those who are disillusioned or deconstructing their faith, The Hope in Our Scars offers a way forward with a God who walks with us in our affliction and wants to make it into something beautiful.

"You are not broken, you're becoming."--Back cover.

When all seems lost, where can you find hope? Katherine and Jay Wolf married right after college and sought adventure far from home in Los Angeles, CA. As they pursued their dreams--she as a model and he as a lawyer--they planted their lives in the city and their church community. Their son, James, came along unexpectedly in the fall of 2007, and just six months later, everything changed in a moment for this young family. On April 21, 2008, as James slept in the other room, Katherine collapsed, suffering a massive brain stem stroke without warning. Miraculously, Jay came home in time and called for help. Katherine was immediately rushed into brain surgery, though her chance of survival was slim. As the sun rose the next morning, the surgeon proclaimed that Katherine had survived the removal of part of her brain, though her future recovery was uncertain. Yet in that moment, there was a spark of hope. Through forty days on life support in the ICU and nearly two years in full-time brain rehab, that small spark of hope was fanned into flame. Hope Heals documents Katherine and Jay's journey as they struggled to regain Katherine's quality of life and as she relearned to talk, eat, and walk. As Katherine returned home with a severely disabled body but a completely renewed purpose, she and Jay committed to celebrating this gift of a second chance by embracing life fully, even though that life looked very different than they could have ever imagined. As you uncover Katherine and Jay's remarkable story, you'll be encouraged to: Find lasting hope in the midst of struggle Embrace the unexpected Welcome God's miracles into your everyday life In the midst of continuing hardships, both in body and mind, Katherine and Jay found what we all long to find: a hope that heals the most broken place--our souls. Let Hope Heals be your guide along the way. Praise for Hope Heals: "As I read this book, tears streamed from my eyes even as joy flooded my heart. Jay and Katherine are a raw yet refreshing testimony to the unshakable trustworthiness of God amidst the unimaginable trials of life. This book reminds all of us where hope can be found in a world where none of us know what the next day holds." --David Platt, author of the New York Times bestseller Radical and president of the International Mission Board "Hope Heals is a beautiful, true story that illustrates the love and protection God has for us even in the darkest times of our lives. Katherine and Jay's dedication to each other and the Lord through their most devastating season is inspiring. This book will help your heart believe that He sees, He knows, He cares, and He is still working miracles today!" --Lysa TerKeurst, New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

Find beauty and hope by facing and dealing with the messiness of family life. The family is an imperfect institution. Broken people become broken parents who make broken families. But actually, broken is normal and exactly where God wants us. In The Beauty of Broken, Elisa Morgan, one of today’s most respected female Christian leaders, for the first time shares her very personal story of brokenness—from her first family of origin to the second, represented by her husband and two grown children. Over the years, Elisa’s family struggled privately with issues many parents must face, including: alcoholism and drug addiction infertility and adoption teen pregnancy and abortion divorce, homosexuality, and death Each story layers onto the next to reveal the brokenness that comes into our lives without invitation. “We’ve bought into the myth of the perfect family,” says Elisa. “Formulaic promises about the family may have originated in well-meaning intentions, but such thinking isn’t realistic. It’s not helpful. It’s not even kind.” Instead she offers hope in the form of “broken family values” that allow parents to grow and thrive with God. Values such as commitment, humility, relinquishment, and respect carry us to new places of understanding. Owning our brokenness shapes us into God’s best idea for us and enables us to discover the beauty in ourselves and each member of our family.

This book is about 23 women's heart-wrenching stories. They share their different journeys, and yet have all felt hurt and alone.

Thirty biblical meditations for women that offer hope in times of suffering. Thirty biblical meditations for women that offer hope in times of suffering. Hurt is real. But so is hope. Kristen and Sarah have walked through, and are walking in, difficult times. So these thirty biblical reflections are full of realism about the hurts of life-yet overwhelmingly full of hope about the God who gives life. This book will gently encourage and greatly help any woman who is struggling with suffering-whether physical, emotional or psychological, and whether for a season or for longer. It is a book to buy for yourself, or to buy for a member of your church or friend. For anyone who is hurting, this book will give hope, not just for life beyond the suffering, but for life in the suffering. Each chapter contains a biblical reflection, with questions and prayers, and a space for journaling.

The message of Scars of Love, Tears of Hope is simple. Become a keeper of hope and change the life of a child forever. Scars of Love explores the world of education in a surprising new light by using as a backdrop the stories of numerous at-risk kids Debbie Goforth has taught and counseled over her 27-year-career by exploring the remarkably effective approach she has developed in giving them hope for their futures. Scars of Love is based upon eleven attributes that an effective keeper of hope must demonstrate, from being approachable and dependable to creating hopes and dreams and showing compassion. It represents the tools that have helped the author to acknowledge and validate her kids, to make them feel good about themselves and their places in the world, and, most important by far, to show them how much she cares for them as people and individuals, not just as warm bodies. It should be of no surprise to find love at the center of this model, because none of the attributes the book discusses mean a thing if they don't lead to a willingness to love the kids in our care. For educators, as adults, as keepers of hope, we have a choice. We can choose to leave scars of love on the kids we see and interact with everyday or we can leave scars of hurt. In the eyes of Debbie Goforth, the answer is the only one she is capable of leaving: scars of love. SCARS OF LOVE may be written from a teacher's point of view, but it is meant for anyone who loves kids and longs for their happiness and success. The stories are as poignant as they are refreshing. They evoke tears as well as laughter. They inspire as well as educate. They illustrate the author's eleven attributes the way a beautiful painting brings to life a moving landscape. Join us. Become a keeper of hope.

Are you believing the great lie that God does not, maybe even could not, love you? The real you? Women struggle under the ongoing weight of “not-enough-ness.” Not attractive enough. Not smart enough. Not fit enough. Not creative enough. Not good enough. Not sexy enough. Not strong enough. Not whole enough. Not womanly enough. And therefore, not beautiful. We are broken and ashamed to be so. In our eyes, brokenness makes us unlovable and unusable. But in his Word, God is clear that he sees us the way we already are in Christ: deeply loved and abundantly influential. Yet we hang back, believing instead the toxic not-enough labels. Hello, Beauty Full explodes the shame-based mythology of our “not-enough-ness.” Instead of believing the hiss of the enemy, women are encouraged to see their beauty the way God does. Chapters include: Voice Lessons: Beauty in Your Unique Personality Valuable Vessels: Beauty in Your Physical Body A Womb of Your Own: Beauty in Your Creative Purpose Scar Stories: Beauty in Your Painful Story Have Your Sway: Beauty in Your Influential Legacy Challenged to not settle for emptiness when Jesus came to give life to the full, women will find the freedom they need to accept their identities when they not only hear but embrace God's heavenly message: "Hello, Beauty Full!"