I’m thankful to fellow blogger Boma Somiari for this review of Restoring the Shattered.
by Boma
(Restoring the shattered: illustrating Christ’s love through the church in one accord by Nancy E. Head)
Brokenness can happen before you even realize it. Nancy learned this many years ago as a young woman doing her best to see her family thrive.
All was fine and going well (on the surface, at least) until suddenly, it wasn’t.
Without much notice, she was thrown into separation, divorce, single motherhood and poverty.
Her family would never remain the same. They were broken, but what kind of broken?
As Nancy tells it –
There are two ways to break glass. One is to simply shatter it. The other is to score it, guide the break, and shape the glass for beauty and function – Restoring the shattered. Pg. 21
When her family experienced brokenness, the Church was there to help them through that time. Now Nancy tells the story of today’s Church through the lens of this personal experience.
Written in a way that’s easy to follow, the book explores subjects like brokenness, suffering, joy, grace and the Church’s response to the present state of this world.
The Church truly does have a place in all of this because –
God’s hands reshape shattered hearts and rebuild broken lives for placement in His story. Being broken can hurt. But God can use our brokenness to glorify Himself – Restoring the shattered. Pg. 21
And –
Joy is to have His grace wash over me and splash onto you. To have His grace soak us both through. And stain us forever with His love – Restoring the shattered. Pg. 41
If you want to lend a hand and do your part in making someone else’s experience of life somewhat easier, this book is full of simple, yet practical ideas to help you do that.
If you want to learn a bit more about the history of the Church; the similarities and differences that exist within, Nancy sheds light in a way that’s easy to follow.
Plus, did you know toothpaste is the way to go if you need to get crayon markings off your mother-in-law’s wallpaper quickly? True story!
Nancy E. Head attends the non-denominational First Church of Christ. Nancy is a lifelong resident of Blair County in central Pennsylvania, dwelling for most of her years in Altoona―with a brief interval in Logan Township. She is a graduate of Penn State and Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She teaches Advanced Placement English at Great Commission Schools and composition classes at Penn State Altoona. Nancy is a United States Armed Forces Mother and a member of the Blair County Republican Committee and Toastmasters. Nancy worked in both radio and print journalism before becoming a high school and college-level teacher. She blogs about Church and social issues twice weekly, and CBN.com has published several of her devotionals. Her experiences as a single mother raising five young children showed her how poverty alleviation is an issue for the church and an issue requiring a Church in accord.
Restoring the shattered is available for purchase on Amazon.
*****
Disclosure
I [Boma] received this book free from the author for this review.
Thanks very much for sharing your story, Nancy. And congratulations on the release of your book. Blessings to you!
Thank you, Boma, for a lovely review. God bless!
Thank you for this message, and the tip about cleaning crayon off of wallpaper. 🙂
It works, Melissa! Thanks and God bless!
Sounds like a great book! We are all broken, but when we let God use it, He can make great things!
Thank you, Julie. When life seems dark Christians can trust that the light of Christ will bring the dawn of a new day. God bless!
This sounds intriguing, Nancy, and a necessary topic for today’s church. There is much brokenness, so much divorce and other relational dysfunction. My own small group lost 3 couples to it. I pray your book will find it’s way into suffering hearts and that there is redemption.
Thank you, Stephen. Yes, brokenness is pervasive today. But God restores the shattered who find Him. God bless!
Thank you for sharing your brokenness with us to encourage others and point us to Christ! I love how God uses all things in our lives to bring Him glory.
I love that about Him too, Emily. Thanks and God bless!
This sounds like a great book. This is exactly why the church is supposed to be here — to help us in our earthly faith walk and come alongside us in love and support.
Yes, Jessica! We share Christ when we walk alongside others. God bless!
Congratulations Nancy
Thank you, Yvonne. God bless!
Congratulations on the book, Nancy! Nice work. And thanks to Boma for sharing her thoughts. I really liked the concept of breaking glass. I’ve experienced this and I can safely say this is a deep truth. When we allow God to shape the breaking, we come out of it purposeful and beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Chip. Glass is the only substance that we can continually recycle. It doesn’t decay.
Souls live forever. In one place or another. When God restores the broken, it’s so that He can take us home to be with Him someday.
God bless!
This looks like a good read. I was especially touched by this quote:
God’s hands reshape shattered hearts and rebuild broken lives for placement in His story. Being broken can hurt. But God can use our brokenness to glorify Himself.
Thank you, Stephanie. Hope you enjoy the book. God bless!
What a great review and the book sounds amazing, Nancy. Love the two ways glass is broken…shattered or purposeful/guided. And this that Boma quotes from the book, “God’s hands reshape shattered hearts and rebuild broken lives for placement in His story. “
Thank you, Karen. The motif of glass kept coming to my mind even as I resisted it. I didn’t think it would work. But God showed me much I didn’t know about glass and His leading. God bless!
Recently, there have been several books about how broken the church is or how unnecessary. It’s refreshing to see a book about how churches restore and help the broken. Congratulations, Nancy!
Thank you, Anneliese! God bless!