Many thanks to David Peterson, pastor of Apostles Lutheran Church in Chesapeake, Virginia (LCMC), for giving us a video review of his first book, “Journey to Forgiveness: 21 Milestones to Freedom.” A link to David’s review can be found here. A link to our You Tube channel, which contains reviews of around three dozen books as well as a dozen CORE Convictions videos on various topics related to the Christian faith and life, can be found here.
David writes, “After some thirty years of active ministry in congregations, hospices, hospitals, and fire and law enforcement settings, I have encountered many people wrestling with unforgiveness in their lives. Many well-meaning pastors have told folks, ‘You just have to forgive,’ yet have done little to share how to forgive. This book is intended to share the ‘how to forgive’ as well as provide some explanations of why extending forgiveness is so difficult.
“As I wrote, ‘Journey to Forgiveness: 21 Milestones to Freedom,’ I knew that I needed to share a bit of my own journey to forgiveness and the devastating effects that unforgiveness has had on my own emotional, physical, and spiritual health. But these effects also had a very real and devastating toll on my personal relationships as well. I was born with a common neurological disorder known as essential tremor which causes tremors in my hands and arms. Because of it, I encountered much painful teasing and bullying as I grew up. To add to my hurt, when I was twelve, I was targeted by a neighborhood pedophile and lived silently with shame and inner torment until I was nineteen. My parents were devastated but thankfully started me on a path of healing with competent emotional and spiritual providers. Through years of walking on my own journey of forgiveness, I have discovered some helpful methods or ‘milestones’ that have enabled me to experience peace and harmony not only with myself but with those in my life that really matter most – my wife, my family, and those that I have been called by God to serve.
“In this book, I share the ‘how to forgive’ but also a number of reasons that explain why extending forgiveness is so difficult. I even share a bit about the latest in brain science and neurochemistry which begins to explain why forgiving others can be so difficult, yet with God, all things are possible! This is not a seminary textbook. In fact, it’s more of a field guide providing content, scriptures, and questions for deeper reflection. This little handbook is 136 pages in length and I have been so pleased that pastors and chaplains have appreciated having a helpful resource to offer those in need. Congregations have also found this book to be very useful for Bible studies and home groups. Imagine the inner peace that awaits you on your own ‘journey to forgiveness’!
Here is a link to more information regarding the book.
