When You Are Facing Change (Resources for Living) [Paperback]

J. Bill Ratliff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1989 | Series: Resources for Living

Pastoral counselor J. Bill Ratliff shows that facing change in our lives doesn't have to be a traumatic experience--it can be a time of enlightenment. Ratliff describes the types of chosen and unchosen changes one is likely to encounter in life and then tells how to deal with endings, uncertainties, and new beginnings. If we listen for the voice of God, Ratliff says, we can emerge from a time of major change more whole than we were before we entered.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

A pastoral counselor who has midwifed many through important life changes and has also journeyed through some transitions of his own, Ratliff shares thoughts on dealing productively with the stresses and opportunities involved. More a reflective guide to transitions in general than a "how to" book for particular kinds of crisis, this is helpfully organized according to "phases" one may encounter ("Endings," "The Wilderness," "Beginnings"), with resources for growth along the way. For readers reflecting on past traditions or hoping to prepare for new ones.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

J. Bill Ratliff has been actively involved in pastoral counseling since 1970 and has written several books on the subject, including Out of the Silence: Quaker Perspectives on Pastoral Care and Counseling. Ratliff has also taught courses in Applied Theology at Earlham School of Religion in Richmond, Indiana.

Product Details

• Paperback: 140 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press; 1st edition (January 1, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0664250483
• ISBN-13: 978-0664250485
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,372,771 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars A great resource for difficult times, July 11, 2004

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: When You Are Facing Change (Resources for Living) (Paperback)

I found this book at a local public library and, after reading the book, I decided to buy a copy. Since I'm planning a major relocation, this book was very helpful in confirming that the feelings and reactions I've been experiencing are normal and necessary. I found Mr. Ratliff's words to be very reassuring and inspiring. He includes a quote from Thomas Merton that was so appropriate, "In order to be true to God and to ourselves we must break with the familiar, established and secure norms and go off into the unknown."

5.0 out of 5 stars Entering the Wilderness, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: When You Are Facing Change (Resources for Living) (Paperback)

As I write this review, I am hoping that I will be able to purchase a copy of this out-of-print book. I have had access to one section of it, "The Second Phase: The Wilderness" which paints a graphic and very helpful image of change and transition. Ratliff uses the analogy of the wilderness, taken from the 40 years spent by the people of Israel in the wasteland before entering the Promised Land, to describe the emotional changes which occur when one is in the process of transition -- a time of danger, as well as of new assurances of God's faithfulness. I appreciate his accurate and vivid description of this confusing time, as well as the very practical hints he suggests for weathering it. I look forward to reading the rest of the book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Entering the Wilderness, April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: When You Are Facing Change (Resources for Living) (Paperback)

As I write this review, I am hoping that I will be able to purchase a copy of this out-of-print book. I have had access to one section of it, "The Second Phase: The Wilderness" which paints a graphic and very helpful image of change and transition. Ratliff uses the analogy of the wilderness, taken from the 40 years spent by the people of Israel in the wasteland before entering the Promised Land, to describe the emotional changes which occur when one is in the process of transition -- a time of danger, as well as of new assurances of God's faithfulness. I appreciate his description of this confusing time, as well as the very practical hints he suggests for weathering this time. I look forward to reading more of what Ratliff has to say.