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Reviews
The Emotionally Healthy Woman: Eight Things You Have to Quit to Change Your Life by Geri Scazzero
xzp314's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
everything always in moderation and also some parts were not as pertinent to me at my current life place.
uncannycanuck's review against another edition
1.0
This book just wasn't written for me - it speaks to a subset of generally conservative Christianity where self care (or even admitting that you have needs of your own, despite of course being primarily a wife and mother) is revolutionary. If you struggle with the idea that your own needs are valid and your opinions matter as much as your husband's... then this would be a good place to start exploring the idea of being honest in your relationships, valuing your own time and feelings, and taking care of yourself guilt-free.
I was also hoping for a more memoir style, which would have let me connect more with the author. This was a book club pick, so I did my best to power through despite my mis-match to the target audience.
I was also hoping for a more memoir style, which would have let me connect more with the author. This was a book club pick, so I did my best to power through despite my mis-match to the target audience.
lizzie_buckland's review
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
adrielleshay's review against another edition
3.0
Straightforward advice and reminders, but for a very specific segment of women. The author doesn't acknowledge that it takes a certain amount of privilege to relate to many of her examples, but there are some scriptual life basics here that women who have grown up in the Evangelical Christian church do not hear - certainly not from a place of authority.
Helpful in beginning to unlearn wrong theology and lots of opportunity for refection and discussion.
Helpful in beginning to unlearn wrong theology and lots of opportunity for refection and discussion.
oceanagottareademall's review
3.0
A lot of helpful guidelines to living a healthier life. I didn't relate to a lot of it because the author used her marriage and ministry for a lot of examples, and I'm not married, but still a lot of solid advice.
livingpalm1's review
4.0
Approximately a dozen years ago, when Brian and I were poking our heads up from the ground of ministry leadership, we had the privilege of hearing Pastor Pete Scazzero speak at a major church conference. His story made a major impact on our minds -- if not yet on our youthful idealism.
The story Pete and Geri Scazzero tell of of both ministry and relational collapse, when it seemed like it would have been easier to quit both, is powerful. (I actually found myself wishing so much that my mom and Geri could have been friends.) Out of the pain of the church planting burnout in Queens, NY, the Scazzeros sought spiritual, emotional and physical healing within the long story of Christianity. They learned the wisdom of the disciplines of contemplative prayer, silence and Sabbath from outside their own non-denominational tradition. In a beautiful redemption, they experienced personal healing which then multiplied throughout their large church family. Out of these changes and learnings, the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality ministry was born.
In a fun twist, a mutual friend connected me to Geri Scazzero to discuss a ministry that I've had experience in leading for about ten years. Imagine my surprise to discover I was giving ministry advice to the wife of the man who'd had such an impact on Brian and me a dozen years ago! As a result of the conversation, Geri encouraged me to dig into some of the more recent books she and Peter have released. I started with Emotionally Healthy Woman, and I'm especially grateful for God's timing in this as Brian and I set out to lead a church in the near future. I highly recommend the book, and hope to go back through again in a study format with a few women this year.
Brian and I are reading The Emotionally Healthy Leader out loud together, which is turning out to be another gem. May God strengthen each one of us for the work he's given us to do, and may He bless all those who have persevered -- imperfectly -- in positions of leadership in His Church throughout the ages.
The story Pete and Geri Scazzero tell of of both ministry and relational collapse, when it seemed like it would have been easier to quit both, is powerful. (I actually found myself wishing so much that my mom and Geri could have been friends.) Out of the pain of the church planting burnout in Queens, NY, the Scazzeros sought spiritual, emotional and physical healing within the long story of Christianity. They learned the wisdom of the disciplines of contemplative prayer, silence and Sabbath from outside their own non-denominational tradition. In a beautiful redemption, they experienced personal healing which then multiplied throughout their large church family. Out of these changes and learnings, the Emotionally Healthy Spirituality ministry was born.
In a fun twist, a mutual friend connected me to Geri Scazzero to discuss a ministry that I've had experience in leading for about ten years. Imagine my surprise to discover I was giving ministry advice to the wife of the man who'd had such an impact on Brian and me a dozen years ago! As a result of the conversation, Geri encouraged me to dig into some of the more recent books she and Peter have released. I started with Emotionally Healthy Woman, and I'm especially grateful for God's timing in this as Brian and I set out to lead a church in the near future. I highly recommend the book, and hope to go back through again in a study format with a few women this year.
Brian and I are reading The Emotionally Healthy Leader out loud together, which is turning out to be another gem. May God strengthen each one of us for the work he's given us to do, and may He bless all those who have persevered -- imperfectly -- in positions of leadership in His Church throughout the ages.
ohiosarah's review against another edition
4.0
When I first started reading this book I thought it’d be the same old rhetoric about what we’re doing wrong and how to change but the changes were too big and not realistic – I have to say I’m always happy when a book surprises me and knocks me off my assumption pedestal. The Emotionally Healthy Woman is a book not just for a woman who may have past hurts, although it’s for her too, but it’s for all women – women who may not be able to say no, women who over-function, women who blame, women who lie and more.
I’d look at this book as a tool kit, and if you look at the above list and think, “oh I don’t lie”, well then you may want to grab this book – because you just lied to yourself. The book will cover the following areas:
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 think that the chapter that really spoke to me was over-functioning – I tend to take on too much and then I become stressed out and then my temper flares. Then next was the fact that I too often deny myself my true feelings, I bottle things up and instead of telling my husband I’d rather now see such and such, I’ll grin and bear it then keep that anger and misery bottled up. Geri Scazzero gives a lot of ideas to work through the things you need to quit so that you can be better for yourself, for your family and ultimately for God.
Now, don’t think I am going to put this book on a pedestal, there were some things that I didn’t totally agree with but they weren’t major issues and easily over looked. The one thing I wasn’t sure about was something called the Prayer of Examen which I did go and look up and it’s something that St. Ignatius Loyola came up with to better help Christian’s discern God’s will, find Him in all things and enhance their understanding of His creation. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but again it’s not something one has to do in order to make the most out of this book.
**Special thanks to Rick ******** for sending me a review copy.
I’d look at this book as a tool kit, and if you look at the above list and think, “oh I don’t lie”, well then you may want to grab this book – because you just lied to yourself. The book will cover the following areas:
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 think that the chapter that really spoke to me was over-functioning – I tend to take on too much and then I become stressed out and then my temper flares. Then next was the fact that I too often deny myself my true feelings, I bottle things up and instead of telling my husband I’d rather now see such and such, I’ll grin and bear it then keep that anger and misery bottled up. Geri Scazzero gives a lot of ideas to work through the things you need to quit so that you can be better for yourself, for your family and ultimately for God.
Now, don’t think I am going to put this book on a pedestal, there were some things that I didn’t totally agree with but they weren’t major issues and easily over looked. The one thing I wasn’t sure about was something called the Prayer of Examen which I did go and look up and it’s something that St. Ignatius Loyola came up with to better help Christian’s discern God’s will, find Him in all things and enhance their understanding of His creation. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but again it’s not something one has to do in order to make the most out of this book.
**Special thanks to Rick ******** for sending me a review copy.
uncannycanuck's review against another edition
1.0
This book just wasn't written for me - it speaks to a subset of generally conservative Christianity where self care (or even admitting that you have needs of your own, despite of course being primarily a wife and mother) is revolutionary. If you struggle with the idea that your own needs are valid and your opinions matter as much as your husband's... then this would be a good place to start exploring the idea of being honest in your relationships, valuing your own time and feelings, and taking care of yourself guilt-free.
I was also hoping for a more memoir style, which would have let me connect more with the author. This was a book club pick, so I did my best to power through despite my mis-match to the target audience.
I was also hoping for a more memoir style, which would have let me connect more with the author. This was a book club pick, so I did my best to power through despite my mis-match to the target audience.
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