Dealing with Separation or Divorce

Do you need help walking through marital chaos?  Are you one of the thousands of Christian women every week sitting silently in homes and churches across the country, agonizing over your crumbling marriage with nowhere to turn?  Is your family left broken and fragmented, engulfed in pain and grief trying to figure out what's next?  What can you do if you find yourself in this situation?  Here are some potential resources to meet you where you are at.  

Books on Separation

One More Try:  What to Do When Your Marriage is Falling Apart  by Gary Chapman

Distress or even separation do not necessarily mean divorce is imminent. Matter of fact, it’s possible that these may even lead to a restored, enriched, growing marriage. The outcome of this challenging time is determined solely by the individuals involved. If you’re willing to make the most of that process, then begin the journey with confidence as Gary Chapman walks you step-by-step towards healing and hope.

I Want To Stay Married, But How? Empowering Christian Women in Marriage  by Kathy Schoenborn

In I Want To Stay Married, But How?, author Kathy Schoenborn provides a resource to women in difficult marriages that will help them find strength and courage through their relationship with God and the skills they need to put feet on how to love and accept their spouses without accepting bad behavior. Real life marriage stories are used throughout the book providing help and hope to begin working on a difficult marriage. Each chapter provides some personal application questions to further help readers. Available on amazon.com or iwanttostaymarriedbuthow.com 

Hope for the Separated: Wounded Marriages Can Be Healed  by Gary Chapman

Many women find themselves in marital conflict that can lead to a separation. But does separation have to mean the end? You may not feel like reconciling. You may not see hope for a reunion. But the biblical ideal for a separated couple is reconciliation. So how do you do it? When things just aren’t working out, and even when your spouse has abandoned your trust, there is hope. This book will help you see how your marriage can be restored. However, recognizing  that restoration will not happen for everyone, Dr. Chapman also gives insightful advice for those who experience the pain of divorce. 

Books for Divorce Recovery

Healing the Divorced Heart:  Devotions for Hope and Encouragement  by Rose Sweet 

Often those who suffer the "heart attack" of divorce fail to follow a plan to recovery. They allow the build-up of bitterness to continue to clog emotional arteries. Just as the cardiologist orders heart medication, divorce recovery needs a prescribed course of action-rest, medication, and changes in routine or daily diet.  Healing the Divorced Heart offers pocket-sized prescriptions for various symptoms that come as a result of divorce. Rose Sweet invites those who have been damage by divorce to take their spiritual temperature and examine emotional x-rays. The book is full of practical advice, encouragement, and hope centered on daily doses of God's Word.

Christian Chick's Guide to Surviving Divorce:  What Your Girlfriends Would Tell You if They Knew What to Say  by Suzanne Reeves

"I walked into my local Christian bookstore with my head down, hoping no one would see the tears streaming down my face," writes Suzanne Reeves. "I didn't want the usual version of surviving divorce.  I needed Godly advice from a woman who had walked in my shoes and lived to tell about it."  With a good dose of humor, this book is full of life-giving encouragement as well as practical guidance. A book full of hope - from someone who has been there. Divorced does not have to be your label. You can heal and come out on the other side in triumph.

The YOU Plan: A Christian Woman's Guide for a Happy, Healthy Life after Divorce  by Connie Wetzell and Michelle Borquez

You never thought divorce would happen to you. But it did. You may feel traumatized, relieved, hopeful, afraid, or all of the above. What choices will help you heal? How can you minimize the trauma for your kids?  How can you learn from your mistakes instead of repeating them? And where is God in all of this? This book is a powerful reassurance that no matter what has happened or what may happen next, God still has good plans for you. You will live and laugh and love again.

Internet Resources

Hope Restored:  A Focus on the Family Marriage Intensive Experience

If you or a couple you know are in a hopeless place, Focus on the Family’s Hope Restored marriage intensives can help. Right now, your situation may feel like two people, too far apart, with too much damage done to save the marriage. But, before you and your spouse close the door forever, you owe it to yourselves and possibly your children to give saving this marriage one more try. Take one more step and contact us now at 866.875.2915.  You have everything to gain and so much to lose if you don’t.

DivorceCare.org

Find help and healing for the hurt of separation and divorce.

DivorceCare is a friendly, caring group of people who will walk alongside you through one of life’s most difficult experiences. Don’t go through separation or divorce alone.

DivorceCare seminars and support groups are led by people who understand what you are going through and want to help. You’ll gain access to valuable DivorceCare resources to help you deal with the pain of the past and look forward to rebuilding your life.

There are thousands of DivorceCare divorce recovery support groups meeting throughout the US, Canada, and in other countries around the world. There’s one meeting near you!  Call US: 800-489-7778; International: 919-562-2112 OR email at info@divorcecare.org