books
Gone for Good:
Lessons from a Midlife Exodus
Why did God allow such pain and trauma in my life?
What good could possibly come from it?
And will I ever get free?
When Karen Sjoblom relocated to her Midwest birthplace after her daughter left for college, she anticipated exciting possibilities. Instead, she found herself on an unexpected pilgrimage through past trauma, family fractures, and rigid generational expectations. That’s when she discovered she’d have to cross through a wilderness of pain if she wanted to reach her own promised land.
Mirroring the biblical Exodus in which the Israelites were delivered out of Egypt—a place familiar but enslaving—Sjoblom’s reflections on her healing journey illumine the unique losses, lies, and failings we can stumble on, especially at midlife. And yet, they also point to healthier beliefs, relationships, and possibilities to carry us forward.
With humor, hope, and hard-won wisdom, Gone for Good will help you:
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Understand the healing reasons for your desert seasons
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Trust that God is a good guide who wants to redeem your pain
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Walk in authentic freedom from the pain of what’s been to the promise of what might be
Sjoblom poignantly captures the exhilaration of new beginnings, the longing for what’s left behind, the grief over our wandering years, and the truths required to leave “Egypt” behind. A good God does indeed allow hard journeys, but there’s redemption on the other side: renewed trust in his character, freedom from the past, and knowledge that it’s never too late to embark on a soul-healing expedition. As Sjoblom demonstrates, when we stay with the lessons until the lessons are learned, God enables us to release our wounds and losses so they’re gone—for good.
Filling You Up,
Two Pages at a Time
Christian Literary Awards 2018 Henri Award Nominee
If you’ve ever wondered how you got to this place, what you need to make it through, whether the loneliness will subside, and if the money (and your energy) will hold out until your kids are raised, you’ll find your story on these pages…required reading for every single mom.
one traces the full-circle journey of solo parenting, capturing both the ordinary and extraordinary and proving you really only need a single point of connection to keep going—even on your hardest days. Designed to be read on-the-fly, these short stories meet you where you’re at with all the dark humor, occasional despair, and surprising joy inherent in raising children alone. They celebrate the sustenance provided by connections to God and each other, and invite women to take courage from hard endings that give way to wobbly, promising beginnings. With wisdom on building community, embracing our imperfections, forgiving ourselves and others, and staggering triumphantly to the other side of great loss, one refills and refreshes single moms up to their elbows in life and living.
7 Reasons to be Grateful You're the Mother of a Toddler
This charming and genuine book encourages moms who may feel they are living the same day over and over. With disarming joy and lightness, this volume lifts spirits and encourages moms to be thankful for their journey, embracing the perfect imperfection of life with a toddler.
