Thriving Despite A Difficult Marriage [Paperback]

Michael Misja (Author), Chuck Misja (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 2009

Christian psychologists Michael Misja and Chuck Misja show you how to be free from shame if your marriage is not “successful” by conventional Christian standards.

Learn:

• the practical theology of desire
• how the battlefield of the soul impacts your life
• the relational process for moving from hoping in your marriage to hoping in God
• how to love from godly strength, without asking for a response from your spouse

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

It’s a hard reality for some: Marriage is difficult, disappointing, and painful. Your spouse is unwilling to change. How do you continue, and not just exist but thrive?

Christian psychologists Michael Misja and Chuck Misja show you how to be free from shame when your marriage is not “successful” by conventional Christian standards. Their relational process for shifting from hoping in your marriage to hoping in God will help you move beyond suffering and mere surviving to finding joy and supernatural thriving.

About the Author

Michael Misja, PhD, BCPCC, is a Christian psychologist and cofounder of North Coast Family Foundation in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. He has counseled, taught, and spoken on Christian counseling for more than twenty years. In addition to the daily call show he hosted for six years, Michael developed and taught a program in Christian counseling for Moody Extension School for ten years. He has also served as cofounder and clinical director for inpatient and outpatient Christian counseling centers. He and his wife, Lin, found God and were married in New York City, where they were active in the arts and in ministry. They have been married twenty-seven years and have four children.

Charles F. Misja, PhD, is a licensed psychologist and cofounder of North Coast Family Foundation in Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. He has hosted a Christian call-in talk show on several radio stations and has taught at the college and seminary level. Chuck maintains a clinical practice and has been involved with missions work in Brazil for many years. He and his wife, Jackie, are high school sweethearts and have been married thirty-seven years. They have three grown children and six grandchildren. Chuck enjoys running marathons, downhill skiing, and fishing with his grandchildren.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: NavPress (March 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1600062148
• ISBN-13: 978-1600062148
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #100,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #85 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Relationships > Conflict Management

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thriving In Marriage, Not Just Surviving, March 22, 2009

By 

Robert W. Kellemen "Doc. K." (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Thriving Despite A Difficult Marriage (Paperback)

The Misja brothers despise pretense. So . . . if you are looking for a fairy-tale book about a fairy-tale marriage, please avoid "Thriving Despite a Difficult Marriage." But . . . if you long to have a good heart even if you are experiencing a bad marriage . . . then "Thriving" is for you.

Satan, the Thief, comes to steal and destroy--he comes to rob the heart of hope. The Misja's understand that Jesus came to offer the heart the hope of abundant living in an abusive world. In reality, "Thriving Despite a Difficult Marriage" is a book about a well-lived life in spite of an unfulfilling marriage. It is about moving beyond suffering and mere surviving to finding joy and supernatural thriving.

While this all may sound "deep," in the hands of master soul physicians like Misja and Misja, the hidden chambers of the heart come alive with wisdom for living. Their practical theology of desire, their explanation of the battlefield of the soul, and their relational process for moving from hoping in your marriage to hoping in God, are each worth the proverbial price of the book.

Through a process of moving from awareness, to brokenness, to repentance, to forgiveness, to disengagement, to re-engagement, the authors walk readers on a journey whose final destination is God, the ultimate Soul Physician, performing open heart surgery, regardless of the state of one's marriage.

"Thriving Despite a Difficult Marriage" is a hard book about a difficult topic. It is an honest book about real change from the inside out. It is the book for any spouse who wants to love well, hope endlessly, and rejoice deeply . . . despite external circumstances and relational disappointments.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., LCPC, is the author of Beyond the Suffering, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must read if you have a difficult marriage !!!!!, April 3, 2009

By 

4Life "Walking Daily" (North Liberty, IA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thriving Despite A Difficult Marriage (Paperback)

Michael and Chuck Misja make it very simple to understand how marriages become "difficult" and how one can "thrive despite". I have been to numerous counceling sessions (alone..."since I'm the one with the 'problem'...") and have not received this indepth understanding nor practical ways to restore my dignity and learn to live again. I have a long way to go but feel hope for the first time after reading this book.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Moving Forward Even When Things Are Tough, June 15, 2009

By 

Dr. David Frisbie (Rancho Santa Fe, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Thriving Despite A Difficult Marriage (Paperback)

How do you keep moving forward when your marriage is hurting? Often, when our marriage is unhealthy or even unsafe, we tend to avoid the people we love --- friends, family, co-workers --- so that no one asks questions.

Why do we isolate ourselves? Maybe it's fear. Maybe we're ashamed of the condition of our marriage relationship. Maybe we feel guilty. For whatever reason, we withdraw and isolate, and things just get worse.

"Thriving Despite A Difficult Marriage" offers honest, wise advice about what to do when things are tough. Nothing is sugar-coated here, nothing is phony or fake. Instead, the authors tackle the tough questions and show you the steps to take to move forward.

This is an excellent book for anyone whose marriage is hurting. Don't worry about whether your spouse will read it: Buy a copy for yourself. Read it slowly and think about what you're learning. This book can help you change your marriage for the better; it can also help you feel better about yourself, while you wait for things to improve.

Dr. David Frisbie
The Center for Marriage & Family Studies
Del Mar, California
Author of: "The Soul-Mate Marriage: The Spiritual Journey of Becoming One"