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How Can I Possibly Forgive? Rescuing Your Heart from Resentment and Regret
Sometimes it's a struggle to forgive a friend, a family member, a coworker, or a neighbor. This book helps you to look at the meaning of forgiveness and the impact that choosing to forgive--or refusing to forgive--has on your life. It will help you identify the battles worth fighting and the ones that aren't and how to tell the difference.
As she did in her popular one-year experiment with submission, Sara Horn reveals through personal experiences and stories what she's learned about forgiving with God's help and healing. In the process, she explores the steps toward forgiveness, including how to
take care of the little problems we allow to become big issues move on from painful slights and deep wounds be real with ourselves and God first and then be real with others find closure when disappointment in others doesn't resolve itself let go of regret, anger, and bitterness that keep us from living in the freedom God intends
Life isn't about holding on to destructive and painful experiences. It's about letting go. And it's about letting God work in our trying situations so we can see Him more clearly on the other side.
As she did in her popular one-year experiment with submission, Sara Horn reveals through personal experiences and stories what she's learned about forgiving with God's help and healing. In the process, she explores the steps toward forgiveness, including how to
take care of the little problems we allow to become big issues move on from painful slights and deep wounds be real with ourselves and God first and then be real with others find closure when disappointment in others doesn't resolve itself let go of regret, anger, and bitterness that keep us from living in the freedom God intends
Life isn't about holding on to destructive and painful experiences. It's about letting go. And it's about letting God work in our trying situations so we can see Him more clearly on the other side.
208 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2014
5 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Sara Horn
11 books41 followersSara Horn is passionate about encouraging women. Through her books, she writes to share honest life wrapped in biblical truth and challenges women to live out the same.
An award-winning writer, Sara has published numerous articles and more than six books in her decade-long career. She is also the founder of Wives of Faith, a military wives ministry she began in 2006 when her husband prepared to leave for his first deployment to Iraq as a Navy reservist.
Sara's first book, A Greater Freedom: Stories of Faith from Operation Iraqi Freedom, was written with Oliver North and received a nomination for a Gold Medallion, the highest honor given in Christian publishing.
Since then she has focused on subjects very close to her heart as both a military spouse and wife and mom including the book GOD Strong and the Bible study, Tour of Duty. Her purpose as a writer is to encourage women to seek God in every aspect of their lives, whether in the midst of a deployment or every day challenges.
Her most recent book, My So-Called Life as a Submissive Wife, released in 2012 as the sequel to her most popular book to date, My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife.
Sara has been married to the love of her life, Cliff, for fifteen years, who is currently serving in his third deployment overseas in the last six years and they have one son, Caleb, who is in seventh grade this year. They reside in the Baton Rouge area.
An award-winning writer, Sara has published numerous articles and more than six books in her decade-long career. She is also the founder of Wives of Faith, a military wives ministry she began in 2006 when her husband prepared to leave for his first deployment to Iraq as a Navy reservist.
Sara's first book, A Greater Freedom: Stories of Faith from Operation Iraqi Freedom, was written with Oliver North and received a nomination for a Gold Medallion, the highest honor given in Christian publishing.
Since then she has focused on subjects very close to her heart as both a military spouse and wife and mom including the book GOD Strong and the Bible study, Tour of Duty. Her purpose as a writer is to encourage women to seek God in every aspect of their lives, whether in the midst of a deployment or every day challenges.
Her most recent book, My So-Called Life as a Submissive Wife, released in 2012 as the sequel to her most popular book to date, My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife.
Sara has been married to the love of her life, Cliff, for fifteen years, who is currently serving in his third deployment overseas in the last six years and they have one son, Caleb, who is in seventh grade this year. They reside in the Baton Rouge area.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
October 1, 2014
As I sit drinking my sweet tea under the South Texas afternoon sun, I'm reading Sara Horn's newest book, "How Can I Possibly Forgive?". From the moment I heard Sara was releasing a new book, I was ecstatic!! I love her other books I've read and I knew this one would be no different. From the beginning of the book, I could relate to so many experiences she wrote about from the phone call she contemplated on avoiding to learning how to forgive yourself. I love how she provides lists at the end of every chapter to help you learn to forgive. At the end of the book, she even provides discussion questions for journaling or small groups. As I learn to choose forgiveness, I'm beginning to feel the relief of letting it all go and I am a much happier person. I’m also learning to let go of anger and in doing so, it has caused me to be more joyful in life and has made me see that life is about love, being happy, and forgiving others, along with yourself. This is a book I recommend for everyone.
September 27, 2014
How Can I Possibly Forgive?: Rescuing Your Heart from Resentment and Regret by Sara Horn is a highly recommended book that will help guide readers to the path of forgiveness.
As Horn points out in How Can I Possibly Forgive? forgiveness is the act of letting it all go, it being resentment, anger, bitterness, frustration, and unresolved issues of both the seemingly insignificant minor annoyances to the unfathomably deep wounds that have left scars. It is an action on your part to let go of the pain. Some of these issues can be forgiven much easier than others, which can take years to heal. Horn makes it clear that a personal relationship with God will help you forgive and heal your wounded heart.
There are several numbered steps or characteristics included in the book. Horn expounds on each step or characteristic and includes Biblical passages and principles along with personal stories to illustrate and explain. An example would be "Five Ways to Start Forgiving Right Now" which include: 1. Pray for the person who wounded you; 2. Look the offending person in the eye, say hello, and offer a compliment; 3. Do the right thing; 4. Be OK with what you’ve got; 5. Pick your battles. Or the "Five Ways to Choose Forgiveness over Resentment Right Now" include: 1. Offer compassion; 2. Offer kindness; 3. Offer humility; 4. Offer gentleness; 5. Offer patience.
An example of characteristics includes "Seven Habits of Highly Forgiving People." Highly forgiving people are: 1. intentional about living in peace; 2. kind; 3. generous with their time, money, and life; 4. living by the Golden Rule; 5. meeting with God regularly through prayer and Bible study; 6. offering the benefit of the doubt to others when their actions are hurtful or disappointing; 7. consistently praying for other people.
I do want to make it clear that this is a helpful book and could be a nice guide for a Bible study on forgiveness. Horn offers some great advice, especially for the small niggling issues that can pop up or minor acts that can become huge battlegrounds. For some more serious issues that people have to deal with, while very helpful and full of basically the information people need, this book would be "Forgiveness: the lite version." It is certainly true that when people learn to forgive and let go of the little things, following Biblical principles, it is easier to tackle forgiving the huge things, but, because this is a general book of helpful information and principles, Horn simple isn't dealing with the specific problems involved in some major traumas people struggle to forgive. While she mentions some of these big traumas, they are quite different from the examples she gives. Most people will understand that it is easier to forgive someone for a cruel remark than to forgive the person who sexually abused you as a child.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Harvest House for review purposes.
As Horn points out in How Can I Possibly Forgive? forgiveness is the act of letting it all go, it being resentment, anger, bitterness, frustration, and unresolved issues of both the seemingly insignificant minor annoyances to the unfathomably deep wounds that have left scars. It is an action on your part to let go of the pain. Some of these issues can be forgiven much easier than others, which can take years to heal. Horn makes it clear that a personal relationship with God will help you forgive and heal your wounded heart.
There are several numbered steps or characteristics included in the book. Horn expounds on each step or characteristic and includes Biblical passages and principles along with personal stories to illustrate and explain. An example would be "Five Ways to Start Forgiving Right Now" which include: 1. Pray for the person who wounded you; 2. Look the offending person in the eye, say hello, and offer a compliment; 3. Do the right thing; 4. Be OK with what you’ve got; 5. Pick your battles. Or the "Five Ways to Choose Forgiveness over Resentment Right Now" include: 1. Offer compassion; 2. Offer kindness; 3. Offer humility; 4. Offer gentleness; 5. Offer patience.
An example of characteristics includes "Seven Habits of Highly Forgiving People." Highly forgiving people are: 1. intentional about living in peace; 2. kind; 3. generous with their time, money, and life; 4. living by the Golden Rule; 5. meeting with God regularly through prayer and Bible study; 6. offering the benefit of the doubt to others when their actions are hurtful or disappointing; 7. consistently praying for other people.
I do want to make it clear that this is a helpful book and could be a nice guide for a Bible study on forgiveness. Horn offers some great advice, especially for the small niggling issues that can pop up or minor acts that can become huge battlegrounds. For some more serious issues that people have to deal with, while very helpful and full of basically the information people need, this book would be "Forgiveness: the lite version." It is certainly true that when people learn to forgive and let go of the little things, following Biblical principles, it is easier to tackle forgiving the huge things, but, because this is a general book of helpful information and principles, Horn simple isn't dealing with the specific problems involved in some major traumas people struggle to forgive. While she mentions some of these big traumas, they are quite different from the examples she gives. Most people will understand that it is easier to forgive someone for a cruel remark than to forgive the person who sexually abused you as a child.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Harvest House for review purposes.
October 14, 2014
We at Wives of Faith are pleased to announce that Sara's latest book releases today! How Can I Possibly Forgive?: Rescuing Your Heart from Resentment and Regret.
How Can I Possibly Forgive? How can we forgive others? Ourselves? How can we heal from resentment, and how can we fight against letting that bitter root grow in our hearts? This book answers all of these questions and more.
Unlike Sara's previous one-year experiment "My So-Called Life" books, this book is more of a Bible study of forgiveness. Sara uses examples from the Bible and her own life experience--both good and bad--to show how God worked through her life to forgive and to write a book about forgiving others and forgiving ourselves.
Each of the ten chapters in the book deals with a different aspect of forgiveness: letting go of hurt, scars, when you're the one who is wrong, holding on to hurts, forgiving yourself, and several others. With her typical honesty and conversational tone, she shares both Biblical truths and personal examples for each of the topics in the book.
I related to so much of this book, I had over 120 notes and bookmarks in the Netgalley on my Kindle! Here are just a couple of quotations that spoke to me and that I am still thinking about.
"When we care more about our hard feelings than what God might want for us in a specific relationship, we do poison ourselves."
Another one is:
"When we refuse to let hurts go, we miss out on opportunities to serve God, to let him work through us and to see him work in us. We can miss blessings and overlook his gifts."
This book has really resonated in my heart, showing me how far I've come in my journey of forgiveness for some deep hurts, as well as showing me how to move forward in more recent heart-bruising instances.
___
Received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
How Can I Possibly Forgive? How can we forgive others? Ourselves? How can we heal from resentment, and how can we fight against letting that bitter root grow in our hearts? This book answers all of these questions and more.
Unlike Sara's previous one-year experiment "My So-Called Life" books, this book is more of a Bible study of forgiveness. Sara uses examples from the Bible and her own life experience--both good and bad--to show how God worked through her life to forgive and to write a book about forgiving others and forgiving ourselves.
Each of the ten chapters in the book deals with a different aspect of forgiveness: letting go of hurt, scars, when you're the one who is wrong, holding on to hurts, forgiving yourself, and several others. With her typical honesty and conversational tone, she shares both Biblical truths and personal examples for each of the topics in the book.
I related to so much of this book, I had over 120 notes and bookmarks in the Netgalley on my Kindle! Here are just a couple of quotations that spoke to me and that I am still thinking about.
"When we care more about our hard feelings than what God might want for us in a specific relationship, we do poison ourselves."
Another one is:
"When we refuse to let hurts go, we miss out on opportunities to serve God, to let him work through us and to see him work in us. We can miss blessings and overlook his gifts."
This book has really resonated in my heart, showing me how far I've come in my journey of forgiveness for some deep hurts, as well as showing me how to move forward in more recent heart-bruising instances.
___
Received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 9, 2014
How Can I Possibly Forgive?
Rescuing Your Heart from Resentment and Regret
Harvest House Publishers
Sara Horn
Copyright 2014
Sara Horn tackles an important subject hear and that is Forgiveness. If we are honest with ourselves Forgiveness is something most of us struggle with.
One important truth in this book is that a resentful spirit can not reside in our hearts if God is working in our midst. We are also reminded that we cannot see Gods plan when we are blinded by the pain. It's also pointed out that we need to give our emotional scars time to heal as well. We are also reminded that our lives belong to God and that he holds our lives firmly in his hands. Another important reminder that when we let go of something negative in our hearts we make room for something new.
Horn points out that we need to submit to God in order to forgive...
I would recomend this book to anyone who is or has struggled with the ability to forgive.
Five out of five stars. ..
Rescuing Your Heart from Resentment and Regret
Harvest House Publishers
Sara Horn
Copyright 2014
Sara Horn tackles an important subject hear and that is Forgiveness. If we are honest with ourselves Forgiveness is something most of us struggle with.
One important truth in this book is that a resentful spirit can not reside in our hearts if God is working in our midst. We are also reminded that we cannot see Gods plan when we are blinded by the pain. It's also pointed out that we need to give our emotional scars time to heal as well. We are also reminded that our lives belong to God and that he holds our lives firmly in his hands. Another important reminder that when we let go of something negative in our hearts we make room for something new.
Horn points out that we need to submit to God in order to forgive...
I would recomend this book to anyone who is or has struggled with the ability to forgive.
Five out of five stars. ..
October 3, 2014
What a delightful read on a very serious topic! My word this year is perspective and this book did just that for me. It gave me perspective. I think we all deal with the issue of forgiveness, big or small. It's not easy to deal with, however, Sara Horn gives great insight into how we can tackle forgiveness in healthy ways with the help of God and his word! A great chapter for me was chapter 6, Holding on to Hurts. Sara writes, "Stop holding things that aren't yours to hold on to. Realize that whatever those people in your life are doing, however they're behaving, doesn't have anything to do with you. There's something in their hearts, their lives that they're not dealing with." Wow, now that can change your perspective! I definitely recommend this book, you won't regret picking it up, and it will have a positive influence on your heart!
September 30, 2014
Sara has once again taken a subject that can be very hard/touchy for people to discuss and made it clear and down to earth. I was privileged to be part of the launch team for this book and am so glad I was! Forgiveness can be something easily said but so hard to actually do - in the same winsome style as her previous books, Sara helps readers to get to the nuts and bolts of the matter all while expressing understanding, empathy and grace. I only wish the last chapter had been a little longer and meatier. Definitely a must read!
October 1, 2014
This is an incredible book for teaching how to forgive others and yourself. This occurs through the authors solid
biblical teachings,as well as, the her very own experiences, situations, pains, hurts, and struggles. These
examples allows the reader to relate on many different levels. In addition, she provides us with steps after each
chapter that can keeps one moving forward and aids us in our own journey of forgiveness. Again, Sarah Horn,
has knocked it out of the park with this book!
biblical teachings,as well as, the her very own experiences, situations, pains, hurts, and struggles. These
examples allows the reader to relate on many different levels. In addition, she provides us with steps after each
chapter that can keeps one moving forward and aids us in our own journey of forgiveness. Again, Sarah Horn,
has knocked it out of the park with this book!
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews