Torn: Jud Wilhite

Author: Jud Wilhite

Pages: 224 pages

Publisher: Multnomah Books

Summary (from publisher):
When our world comes crashing down, it does more than steal our peace. Something inside us tears. We feel broken, stranded—torn.
 We naturally ask the question “Why?” when we’re hurting. But as pastor Jud Wilhite turned to the Bible in his own pain, he was surprised to discover that another question matters more: “Who?” Who is worthy of our trust when our trust when our lives are in pieces?
 You may be experiencing a time of such darkness that you wonder if you will ever find “normal” again or look toward the future with hope. In Torn, Jud explores your questions as well as God’s answers—and God’s mysteries. With a pastor’s heart, he looks with you at practical ways to fight for joy, deal with anger and depression, and make the million tiny decisions that add up to a life committed to God, even when your heart is broken. 
 It’s not about having better arguments for the purpose behind our suffering. It’s about our relationship with God—a relationship that can flourish even when our whys go unanswered.

Thoughs:
Everyone who has ever questioned God about the purpose of pain and suffering should read this book. Pastor Jud Wilhite writes from a refreshingly different perspective. Chances are if you choose to read this book, you have a "Why God?" moment in your life. I know for me, at the time, I was definitely feeling condemned. However, Jud's purpose of this book isn't to answer that "why". Instead, he's trying to get you to see the "how" to push through your circumstance and the "who" it is you're living for. 

If you are a pastor and wish for an emotional, loving testimonial  then this is the book for you. If you are a Christian and are going through pain and suffering and want to make sense of it all, this book is for you. However, if you're looking for an intellectual debate of the troubles and purposes behind evil, you're not going to find it here. 

A change of pace: Healing is a Choice

Change to this blog:
To spice things up this year, I'm going to try and dedicate Fridays to NBC TV. I already catch up on Hulu every Friday and go on and on to my boyfriend about all the episodes I watch. I figure it would be cool to broadcast it, since I think my blog needs to get a little more entertaining. I'll also space the posts out by network (Wednesdays will be Fox shows, Thursdays for ABC). So from now on, look forward to recaps of the latest episodes of the shows I watch:

• The Office
• Parks and Recreation
• 30 Rock
• The Mindy Project
• Modern Family
• Raising Hope
• New Girl
• (MAYBE) The Walking Dead

Now, onto an old book review I should've done a long time ago for booksneeze.com. 

Author: Stephen Arterburn

Pages: 480

Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Summary (from publisher):

The power to heal—physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually—is in God’s hands. But the choice to be healed is yours. Everyone, at some level, needs healing. You may have prayed for healing many times, for many years. Perhaps you have lived with your brokenness so long that you have become accustomed to it. Maybe you wonder just when God is going to take all the hurt away.

He can. But you also must choose to let the hurt go and let the healing begin.

In this special edition of Healing Is a Choice, author Stephen Arterburn offers a unique combination of book and workbook, outlining ten choices crucial to receiving healing. Embracing these choices means rejecting the lies we often tell ourselves. These are not hoops God requires you to jump through to earn your miracle; they form, instead, the journey He desires for you. He can—and will—walk with you. But you must put one foot in front of the other and choose to let the hurt go and let the healing begin.

Thoughts:

This is targeted towards Christians. I had just signed up for BookSneeze at the time and going through a broken engagement, so seeing this book seemed like a sign at the time (especially since it was for free). When I got this book, I was shocked by its size. It's a thhiiiccckk book. Upon inspection, I realized that it's because after every decision, there's a workbook you can complete, so that takes up about half of the book. They are 10 decisions, a workbook section for each one, and a final commentary on the entire process and God. On page 186, Afterburn says," This book is about healing choices." He's not promising your problems to be gone. Rather, he's suggesting to explore inwards and see why exactly you've been holding onto baggage and why it's time to let go. It's a guide to how to get closer to getting the closure or healing you desire. I like that he made it more personal by talking about his own struggles in divorce. It's a great tool to those who need it. 

'til next time, stay classy! ♥

-M