Finding Joy: The Year Apart That Made Me a Better Wife by Hope N. Griffin

by Hope N. Griffin

If you’ve ever found yourself in a long-distance marriage and wondered if it was possible not only to survive but also to thrive, then Finding Joy is for you.As a military spouse and mother (with one of her children being a young cancer survivor), Hope has faced some long, lonely nights questioning God’s faithfulness and the strength of her marriage.Hope invites you—through personal experience, examples of others in history, and Scripture—to explore the possibility of a stronger more fulfilling marriage.Together we are stronger. Together we can overcome any obstacle. You don’t have to do it alone.

Mass Market Paperback

First published September 14, 2015

Reviews

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the distinct pleasure to read and review this book written by my blogging friend, Hope N. Griffin. In Finding Joy, Hope talks about the reality of being a Mother and Army wife while enduring a long deployment filled with uncertainty and the hardships she had while enduring a cancer diagnosis for her daughter. What I love about Hope and her writing is her ability to open herself up to her readers. Hope doesn't hold back! She shares her struggles, her heartache, her questioning of God and "How can this happen to me?".
Whether you are a military spouse or not, her book brings up heart probing questions that provide you the opportunity to open up lines of communication between you and your spouse and allow you to examine your faith. This book is also applicable to those that have to endure long distance relationships or long business trips. She gives you practical advice on how to overcome those long nights alone- by turning to God and relying on His faithfulness and sovereignty. It seems as though every time she brought up a struggle that she went through I was able to say, "I know what you mean!" or "I've been there, too!".

Hope encourages you and ultimately points you back to the source of your strength through any kind of difficult phase in your life. As Christians, we are called to live a life of faith and reliance upon our Heavenly Father. Hope helps prod you back to our Lord and Savior by reminding you to "Find Joy" no matter the circumstance you're in!

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Makeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I found it very encouraging and insightful. Through her personal experience, writings, and biblical studies, Hope offers her reader encouraging words to deal with the struggles that they might be facing in life. She offers a new perspective on the various situations that every military wife will experience at sometime during their husband's career.

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I thought it was going to be a bit more of an explanation of how she found joy and became a better wife. Instead, I found that it read more like a memoir, but offered questions at the end of each chapter for the reader to dig deeper into her own heart. Although unexpected, I found this format helpful.

I wanted to give the book 5 stars because I really enjoyed reading it and found that it was full of great content. However, I removed one star because it was difficult to read at times, due to a lack of transitions between paragraphs. I felt the I had to jump from one frame of mind to another because she did not transition me smoothly from one idea that she shared to next one.

Overall, I think this is a good book and would recommend it to other women, especially military wives.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this thoughtful and thoroughly encouraging book. Though Hope describes her own struggles being separated from her military spouse, the biblical examples and words of encouragement could apply to anyone struggling to choose joy. With thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter, this book could be used in a study group or for personal reflection. Loved it.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars! This was so engaging that I read it in much less than 24 hours. I was absorbed by the well-written truths and discussion questions that were included. The simply-put, understandable, and perfectly aligned Bible stories gave great perspective and guidance on being a Milso.

[Carrie Daws · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful gem in the mix of books for military spouses! Mrs. Griffin does a good job being honest about her life during her husband's deployment while focusing on the lessons learned and the hope available to all of us. I loved the lessons she shared based on Queen Esther of the Bible, and the truth of her year of beauty treatments--even though they ended up looking very differently than what she first anticipated. I believe those in the midst of or facing a deployment will benefit from this book.

[Glenn Kreider · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hope has written a practical, and honest, personal narrative of her time away from her deployed husband. Her vulnerability, passionate love for God and her family, and honesty are attractive and engaging. She weaves biblical stories of women with her own and she presents a compelling case for God's love and concern for his children. I am not a wife of a military spouse, and I am not a mother, but I resonated with her feelings and her struggles. I recommend this book highly, particularly for wives of deployed servicemen.