David A. Stoop

If you are struggling with deep hurt and sorrow caused by scarring offenses, if forgiveness seems an unfair or ridiculous expectation, if letting go of hard feelings and healing from betrayal seems impossible... this book is for you. In truth, I did not agree with every idea presented by the author, but I did find most of his suggestions helpful. I learned a great deal about the process and benefits of forgiveness, especially what it actually means to forgive. Many of the example stories resonated with me. They demonstrated how forgiveness is both possible and beneficial to the person who was hurt, betrayed, or offended in what may seem like unforgivable ways. The author builds his case on religious beliefs, but religious or not, there is a healing path to forgiveness outlined here. I do recommend reading the book.… (meer)

Dr. David Stoop encourages readers to celebrate the positive influences their dads had on them and to make peace with their fathers for the difficulties and problems they may have caused. Making Peace with Your Father offers a comprehensive look at the role of the father, a study of father-absence, and a thorough description of the impact of abusive fathers. Readers will learn the 11-step process that gives hope and healing for relationships with fathers. This is a journey toward healing that all of us must take if we want to be whole.… (meer)

I like the NLT translation; it’s less formal than the NIV, which means I usually like it better.

I also like the Arterburn/Stoop recovery notes. I worked through the 12-step recovery devotional, and after I was done with that I watched the twelve (free) videos on the tyndalebibles site as a refresher. (There are also two other recovery devotionals built into it, and all the regular chapter-and-verse, or book-wide and verse-specific I guess, commentary, from a Christian counseling perspective.)

So all in all I find it a highly worthy offering.… (meer)