A couple of months ago I did a review on the book, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero. But today I’m going to do a giveaway and review of his wife’s book, Emotionally Healthy Woman.

If you don’t know Peter and Geri Scazzero’s story, then you are missing out on insightful journey that took them really from the “messiness” and unhealthiness in their life, work and marriage to one of authenticity, integrity and surrender.

Peter and his wife, Geri founded New Life Fellowship Church in New York City 25+ years ago. In time, this pastor and pastor’s wife found themselves being crushed by the “ministry machinery” that they had put in place.

Geri was the first one to realize how unhealthy her life and marriage had become and made the life-altering decision to quit the church they had founded. Let me be clear, she did not step away from her marriage, nor did she step away from church or God. She simply stopped playing “the game” that she and her husband had been playing all their lives—the inauthentic, people-pleasing and disconnected existence.

This book will challenge you on many levels. As a pastor’s wife, I remembered feeling the way Geri did—being all things to all people and at the end of the day feel spent and adrift. She takes you on a journey through those unhealthy years and reveals the way God grew her through this dark time that ended up being a blessing in disguise.

Each chapter is based around the 8 unhealthy patterns she sensed God was asking her to quit:

• Quit Being Afraid of What Others Think
• Quit Lying
• Quit Dying to the Wrong Things
• Quit Denying Anger, Sadness and Fear
• Quit Blaming
• Quit Overfunctioning
• Quit Faulty Thinking
• Quit Living Someone Else’s Life

I found myself most identifying with the chapter on “Quit Overfunctioning.” That has always been an area where I struggle to find balance and I’m challenged by her insights to reexamine this area of my life and make some necessary changes.

The only sticking point I have with this book is the fact that she quit her church, even though her husband desperately did not want her to. However, I do see how God used that to bring about a “wall” that her husband could not ignore as he had for so many years. Regardless of what you believe about the rightness or wrongness of her choice, I think you’ll find her godly wisdom and authentic struggle to be refreshing, eye-opening and challenging.

So if you’re interested in being entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment* below by Thursday 22, 2013, telling me your thoughts on either of these two questions:

Do you feel it is always wrong to go against your husband’s wishes, even if it brings about a positive and healthy result?

What “Quit” from the list above are you most interested in reading and learning about?

*Be sure to include your email when you “sign in” to comment through Disqus. (It will only be seen by me.) Otherwise, I won’t be able to reach you if you’re a winner! Ah, but you’re all winners, aren’t you?!

And the winner selected by random number generator is … Laurie Collett! Congrats to you, Laurie! I’ll be in touch to work out the details on sending you this insightful book! And thanks to everyone else who shared thoughts and self-disclosed. It was very interesting to read all of your responses!

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Joining with NOBH, Works for Me Wednesday, To Love Honor and Vacuum, Whimsical Wednesday, Essential Fridays and T.G.I.F.

Now, it’s time for Wedded Wednesday!

WW rules:

Write in any way you feel inspired about marriage, parenthood or anything that reflects Christ’s redemption in your life.

1. Enter in a permalink directly to your blog post and not the main URL to your blog.
2. Be sure to include a link to Wedded Wednesday or add the WW button (code is in MM’s footer) to your current blog post and/or sidebar.
3. Visit and comment on at least one other person’s blog that’s linked up here.
4. Please no offensive or inappropriate content or sexually explicit images!

Optional but encouraged:

1. Consider setting up your Gravatar profile and Disqus Profile with a link to your blog … it makes it so much easier for all of us to find those of you who blog!
2. If you have the time, visit those who visit your blog and comment at their place as well … sort of a “Say it forward.”

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