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Return to Joy: Finding Healing in the Arms of Your Savior
In Return to Joy, Bev DeSalvo shares her own story of healing from past pain to draw other women along a journey toward intimacy with their Savior. The road to healing is arduous and long. But when we bow our pain in worship, this broken road leads to the heart of God, where all masks are removed and divine comfort can be experienced.
On this journey, understanding the true nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit brings healing and restoration to all father, relational, and mother wounds. Learning to aggressively fight against Satan, who is devious but not creative, replaces his evil lies with the truth of God so that they no longer define the person. Recognizing that God is always “with me” leads to a place of rest where there is no fear of being rejected or abandoned. As a result of these new insights, the reader can finally return to joy and experience emotional and spiritual balance. Out of the overflow of intimate worship, God becomes their refuge, provider, and protector, enabling them to move toward others in forgiveness and true community.
Includes a ten-week Bible study.
On this journey, understanding the true nature of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit brings healing and restoration to all father, relational, and mother wounds. Learning to aggressively fight against Satan, who is devious but not creative, replaces his evil lies with the truth of God so that they no longer define the person. Recognizing that God is always “with me” leads to a place of rest where there is no fear of being rejected or abandoned. As a result of these new insights, the reader can finally return to joy and experience emotional and spiritual balance. Out of the overflow of intimate worship, God becomes their refuge, provider, and protector, enabling them to move toward others in forgiveness and true community.
Includes a ten-week Bible study.
- GenresNonfiction
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2016
5 people are currently reading
45 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 31, 2016
On the back cover of Bev DeSalvo’s book, Return to Joy, we read:
Pain. Abuse. Neglect. Abandonment. These issues lie just under the surface of our lives. So we stuff the ache, paste on a smile, and make the forced march to church on Sunday.
If this is where you are, DeSalvo wants you to know that the road to healing awaits. The books tells her painful story and how she found her way onto the road of brokenness and into the arms of her Savior. And chapter by chapter she’s left breadcrumbs so her readers can follow her there too.
The content of each chapter is invaluable, full of Scripture, easy to understand analogies, and personal experience. Following each chapter, however, is a five-day Bible study related to its content. Readers will want to purchase notebooks for answering deep questions and recording new insights.
They’ll also want to read the book again!
As a ten-week study, this book can be explored by an individual, with a friend or counselor, or in a small group. I enjoyed reading it on my own and highly recommend it to you!
Pain. Abuse. Neglect. Abandonment. These issues lie just under the surface of our lives. So we stuff the ache, paste on a smile, and make the forced march to church on Sunday.
If this is where you are, DeSalvo wants you to know that the road to healing awaits. The books tells her painful story and how she found her way onto the road of brokenness and into the arms of her Savior. And chapter by chapter she’s left breadcrumbs so her readers can follow her there too.
The content of each chapter is invaluable, full of Scripture, easy to understand analogies, and personal experience. Following each chapter, however, is a five-day Bible study related to its content. Readers will want to purchase notebooks for answering deep questions and recording new insights.
They’ll also want to read the book again!
As a ten-week study, this book can be explored by an individual, with a friend or counselor, or in a small group. I enjoyed reading it on my own and highly recommend it to you!
June 7, 2024
Don’t talk yourself out of it. So incredibly enlightening.
June 30, 2016
With Return to Joy, Bev DeSalvo uses her personal experiences, Bible verses and several discussion questions to illustrate how readers can heal their pain through Christ.
Despite a happy marriage, several friends and an abiding faith, Ms. DeSalvo continued to feel deep emotional pain, shame, loneliness and low self-worth from her dysfunctional and abusive childhood. Her healing journey finally began in her forties when her long repressed memories began haunting her. Her struggle to gain control over the pain of her past was long and arduous and she now shares her experiences in an effort to help other women heal their emotional wounds.
This ten week course provides in depth analysis of Scripture that will help readers begin then complete the necessary steps to heal their pain by deepening their Spiritual relationship with Christ. The various chapters break down each of the stages of healing and at the end of each chapter, relevant Scripture, various discussion questions and prayer suggestions help readers move onto the next phase of healing. Ms. DeSalvo also uses utilizes other women's personal experiences to illustrate how they found peace through their relationships with their Savior.
Return to Joy by Bev DeSalvo is a short, informative book that is designed to be used with discussion groups. Highly recommend to devout Christians or readers with strong faith.
Despite a happy marriage, several friends and an abiding faith, Ms. DeSalvo continued to feel deep emotional pain, shame, loneliness and low self-worth from her dysfunctional and abusive childhood. Her healing journey finally began in her forties when her long repressed memories began haunting her. Her struggle to gain control over the pain of her past was long and arduous and she now shares her experiences in an effort to help other women heal their emotional wounds.
This ten week course provides in depth analysis of Scripture that will help readers begin then complete the necessary steps to heal their pain by deepening their Spiritual relationship with Christ. The various chapters break down each of the stages of healing and at the end of each chapter, relevant Scripture, various discussion questions and prayer suggestions help readers move onto the next phase of healing. Ms. DeSalvo also uses utilizes other women's personal experiences to illustrate how they found peace through their relationships with their Savior.
Return to Joy by Bev DeSalvo is a short, informative book that is designed to be used with discussion groups. Highly recommend to devout Christians or readers with strong faith.
August 4, 2016
If you have experienced a painful past that includes childhood trauma or life experiences that have caused you heartbreak, it’s time to turn over your pain to God and let Jesus wipe away your tears.
Return To Joy – Finding Healing In The Arms Of Your Savior by Bev DeSalvo is a 10-week Bible study that promises you just that.
Unlike most traditional Bible studies where the focus is primarily intellectually-based, Return To Joy encourages you to journey into the healing presence of the Holy One through God’s Word, reflecting on personal experiences, and giving God your individual worship.
Each lesson is broken into five days of study, and the book is designed for use as a personal or group study, but Bev emphasizes the importance of making your daily worship time a priority, because, as she says, “this is where healing can take place”.
Return To Joy is a powerful and life-transforming Bible Study that I recommend to anyone who feels the chains of bondage upon them and wants God to set them free.
This review is an excerpt from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my experience with this book.
Return To Joy – Finding Healing In The Arms Of Your Savior by Bev DeSalvo is a 10-week Bible study that promises you just that.
Unlike most traditional Bible studies where the focus is primarily intellectually-based, Return To Joy encourages you to journey into the healing presence of the Holy One through God’s Word, reflecting on personal experiences, and giving God your individual worship.
Each lesson is broken into five days of study, and the book is designed for use as a personal or group study, but Bev emphasizes the importance of making your daily worship time a priority, because, as she says, “this is where healing can take place”.
Return To Joy is a powerful and life-transforming Bible Study that I recommend to anyone who feels the chains of bondage upon them and wants God to set them free.
This review is an excerpt from the original review that is published on my blog. To read my review in its entirety, please visit Create With Joy.
Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review purposes. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own, based on my experience with this book.
April 17, 2023
This book is comprised of reading portions and then “workbook” q&a. I read this many mornings and found it to be encouraging and uplifting as I began my day. I appreciated that, at the end of every day piece, it had you sit with a psalm and worship. DeSalvo gives real life examples of brokenness that many can relate to. Her writing portion is good, well written & thought provoking. But the q&a section felt so repetitive to me, bummer! Felt like I was re-answering something I’d processed earlier in the book. Overall good content but could have been shortened maybe by 4 chapters and you still would’ve gotten the most out of it.
Quotes that made me ponder a lot:
“Satan is crafty but not creative. He uses different methods but always with the same purpose: to keep us from trusting God and other people.”
“Pain is pain. Unfortunately, merely coping with the pain will never be enough, and avoiding God’s invitation to the broken road will result in even more pain.”
“I’ve had a deep fear of intimate relationships for most of my life and have kept friends at an emotional distance.”
Quotes that made me ponder a lot:
“Satan is crafty but not creative. He uses different methods but always with the same purpose: to keep us from trusting God and other people.”
“Pain is pain. Unfortunately, merely coping with the pain will never be enough, and avoiding God’s invitation to the broken road will result in even more pain.”
“I’ve had a deep fear of intimate relationships for most of my life and have kept friends at an emotional distance.”
August 30, 2019
A Road to Healing
This book takes you from wounded to loved and beautiful. Bev does an amazing job of guiding one from a broken past to truly understanding what scripture says about where God was, where He is and who we are in Him. Highly recommend!
This book takes you from wounded to loved and beautiful. Bev does an amazing job of guiding one from a broken past to truly understanding what scripture says about where God was, where He is and who we are in Him. Highly recommend!
June 1, 2019
A great book for when you are grieving.
September 17, 2016
Bev DeSalvo draws from her personal experience with abuse and difficult relationships during childhood to bring hope to those who are hurting. She clearly defines the freedom and hopeful future which can be found in the love of Jesus. I loved the optimism and ,well...joy! which radiated throughout this book. It was easy to read; I began and finished it one Sunday afternoon. However, I recommend reading this book more slowly with time to ponder the stories and truths within. Also, I think it would be good to give some thought towards the discussion questions.
Although my review is positive, I can't give this book 5 stars because it wasn't as life-changing as other similar books I have read within the past few years. It was good though and I have no negative comments.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.
Although my review is positive, I can't give this book 5 stars because it wasn't as life-changing as other similar books I have read within the past few years. It was good though and I have no negative comments.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.
June 16, 2016
Opening your eyes and taking part in a spiritual realm of faith and freedom with this author as she gathers you in her work. It is a great book that helps with the hurt and also shares God's hold as well as love.
- What did you like about the book and why? The writing style. It was easy to read through and follow.
- What did you not like about the book and why? I found nothing wrong with the book.
- What did you learn? The author cares highly for her faith and really wants to help.
- To whom would you recommend this book and why? Women especially because of the tone and topics included.
- What did you like about the book and why? The writing style. It was easy to read through and follow.
- What did you not like about the book and why? I found nothing wrong with the book.
- What did you learn? The author cares highly for her faith and really wants to help.
- To whom would you recommend this book and why? Women especially because of the tone and topics included.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews