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21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Provacative and Compassionate, March 10, 2007
There are not too many Christians who would have the courage to tackle the difficult and messy subjects that this book. Alot of people in the Christian world today seem to believe that our struggles suddenly stop at the time of salvation. I really wish that were true, but I know from experience it is not. There are a lot of people in the church today who struggle with these types of issues, but very few who are willing to actually admit it. Tammy is shockingly honest about her own struggles. She pulls no punches. Thankfully, she also avoids the quick fix and pat answers that permeate so many Christian self-help books today. These are issues we need to talk about. But unfortunately, most people would rather sweep issues like these under the rug. After, talking forthrightly about issues such as addiction, sexual sin, mental illness and suicide makes a lot of people uncomfortable. Even though I haven't had personal experience with all of the issues in the book ( including domestic violence and divorce) I still benefited from those chapters and got a better understanding of the struggles that come from those types of events. I would definitely recommend this book to any Christian who is struggling with a lot of these isssues. It takes a lot of courage to admit you are struggling with these types of issues. I know that the shame and stigma attached to these types of issues can be incredibly intense. In my opinion, the Church has a long history of shooting the wounded rather than attempting to deal with these types of issues head on. After all, it's much easier to simply judge and criticize than it is to try to walk a mile in someone else's shoes. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Just because someone is a Christian that doesn't mean that all their previous hang-ups, problems, brokeness, and struggles just simply disappear. I became a Christian just a little over 3 years ago and I can tell you, I struggle on a daily basis with some of the issues in this book.
Another thing I really like about this book is that Tammy is not afraid to call sin what it is. So many Christian books today focus on our failures, mistakes, shortcomings, but are reluctant to call sin what it is. Tammy does not do that. When I first started this book, I was a little concerned that it was going to be just another "Jesus loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life book." The love, mercy, forgiveness and grace are God are definitely central to this book. But so is the issue of sin. In every chapter, Tammy talks about how each issue is rooted in sin, the consequences of sin, and how it can lead to other sins.
This is a rare book indeed. I know I will be thinking about and referring to this book for a long time. If you know someone who is struggling with these types of issues (or if that someone is you) do them a favor and give them a copy of this book.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brutally Honest and Transparent, March 2, 2007
I highly recommend Tammy's book. It is not so much the type of book that one enjoys as it is one that resonates with the heartache in one's own life. It reminded me a lot of Shiela Walsh's books because of the transperancy and honesty, looking at difficult subjects to discuss within the context of Evangelical Christendom. After all, we've all been taught to always present the perfect picture. It has to be one of the most common myths of the Church that once you're saved everything should be just fine and hunky-dory in your life. If you have issues, then it usually is seen as being a sign that you're just not living up to being a real Christian. But oh how we're learning the truth of brokenness in the church these days, and God is beginning to teach us that we need to be transparent in our brokenness so that real restoration can be experienced within the Body. I hope that finally people will be able to begin to pull down their masks and reveal their true brokenness, so that the world might see the real power of the Wounded Healer working in the lives of His people. This book is a good first step. If you are a woman who has been wounded by the circumstances of your life, this book is for you.
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18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Confessions" is good for the soul, April 29, 2007
Tammy is awake to what others have buried their heads in the sand to: we're all broken inside, and our journey to wholeness comes in sharing our stories with one another. Why is it that we struggle so with this?
Why does it seem like Christians are the last ones in on the joke: we claim to love others, yet are known to our neighbors as hypocrites? Motivated more by guilt and shame than by love, we hide our hurts from everyone including ourselves. It's a broken way to live and it certainly isn't Jesus' way.
And that's why we need more books like "Confessions" as an invitation to others that says not only is it safe to be vulnerable, but that is the only way to health, and in fact, is the only way to be a true disciple of Jesus. In "Confessions" you'll recognize parts of yourself and you'll see where perhaps you still need healing and how that healing can begin.
If you're like the great thundering herd of Christians that, lost in the dust and the noise of others around you, struggle to voice the broken parts of your story, you need this book as a catalyst to your healing and growth. The paradox is that by confessing your humanity to others, Christ, the God-man, is formed in you. Read "Confessions" and weep - with joy and recognition.
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