Betrayal

What Meg Wilson thought she knew about her husband became a lie when she discovered his porn addiction. Her world fell apart with her husband’s confession, but in her struggle with darkness, she found hope and a renewed life after betrayal, including insights from his recovery. To help you find healing and wholeness, regardless of your circumstance, Meg founded Healing Hearts Ministry, with advice for women whose husbands are caught in the web of sexual addiction.

It’s your choice to let God restore you to wholeness and possibly rebuild your marriage. It takes faith, in the face of big odds against you, in terms of damage control. Though it may seem out of reach, there is hope after betrayal.

Wilson was blindsided by her husband’s initial confession, thinking they had a great relationship. But then it got worse. Her book Hope After Betrayal is a powerful account of healing. She is followed by Dr. John Splinter, with the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, who specializes in helping couples deal with porn addictions. He is candidly frank in addressing what keeps a couple together, when and if one must leave and why, and generally taking on the uphill climb out of this addiction back to trust and healthy intimacy.

Dr. Splinter and Meg Wilson admit that not everyone makes it, but they insist that when certain variables are in place, you have more than a fighting chance. Give yourself or someone you love the chance they deserve to get out of porn addiction and its effect on their lives, when you tune in to this program.

Destruction

“What are the typical, perhaps inevitable, consequences of an emotionally destructive relationship that is not stopped?” That’s one of the questions I ask Leslie Vernick, a clinical social worker with a private counseling practice, who specializes in cognitive therapy. Her book The Emotionally Destructive Relationship is one of the keenest I’ve read on this situation, and I want you to meet her on the next show.

Her basic approach to breaking down and changing our emotionally destructive relationship patterns is succinct: Know how to see it, stop it and survive it. This can be a challenging relationship with someone close, someone professional – a boss or co-worker or a neighbor. We all have them and we can all use some coaching in this regard. Leslie Vernick teaches how to take on the “pro’s” who can wear us down and wipe us out, unless we have the tools she’ll provide! You’ll be passing this show around to your friends – and there will be a few people you won’t share with, so you can keep the “edge” on the situation!

A Survivor’s Story

Where were you and what were you doing on 9-11? What was your reaction? Where did you find comfort and strength in the days following the terrorist attacks on our country? Lt. Col. Brian Birdwell stood twenty feet from where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. That was 2001, and after narrowly escaping death and nearly forty surgeries to repair the 60% of his body that was badly burned, he now talks about how his life was completely changed that day.

Lt. Birdwell wrote Refined by Fire and joins us, along with his wife, Mel, to tell his story of triumph through adversity. These days find him encouraging other burn victims and speaking about how full recovery from tragedy is possible. For him that happened by calling on God to restore him to wholeness to live victoriously in Christ. Wait ‘til you hear what that means in his case – totally amazing!

If you’ve ever heard these words from the Bible (Romans 8:37), “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us,” tune in for an incredibly moving example of how that plays out in a life, like Brian’s and like yours!

Recovery from Divorce

You’ve seen the greeting cards that congratulate you on your divorce and suggest you’re free to celebrate now. If you are divorced, just hearing the word divorce can elevate your blood pressure. There’s hidden history and excess baggage and the trauma of rebuilding your life. Divorce takes its toll on a couple and the ripple effect can be far reaching. But as wounded as a person can be from the causes and aftermath of divorce, healing is possible. The Psalmist says that God “heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” Life doesn’t end just because your marriage does!

Dr. John Splinter is with the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families, serving as Executive Director of their St. Louis, Missouri, office. He’s counseled thousands of couples and shares a wealth of information on this week’s show. His wisdom speaks to your head and heart. It could also give you the tools with which to reach out to someone else who’s experienced divorce.

Cindy Jensen Clark was a Woman to Woman® guest years ago as a recovering divorcee and returns with fresh insights and three proactive steps to smooth out your transition between divorce and recovery. She also speaks to seeing yourself in a positive way after the divorce and addresses the real source of the pain you’re feeling. Do you owe people an explanation of what happened to bring about the divorce? How do you feed the hunger in your soul, post-divorce? When the love you thought would thrive in your marriage has faded, ask God for faith to believe and trust His love to pull you through. And be sure to listen to this program!