If Only

by Michelle Van Loon

Overview

The relationship that didn't work out.

The medical decision that led to negative consequences.

The career choice that didn't turn out the way it was planned.

Regret. It can imprison us in the past, deplete our present, and disable our future. A seemingly endless loop of "if onlys" wears deep ruts in the souls of those with unresolved regret as we attempt to overwrite our mistakes and poor choices. If Only: Letting Go of Regret will help readers accept God's healing as they learn to let go of the "woulda, coulda, shoulda" thoughts in life. Find out how Christ can redeem our regrets for his glory and our good. In him, past regrets can be transformed into present wisdom and a flourishing, free future.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780834132504
Publisher:	Beacon Hill Press of Kansas City
Publication date:	07/01/2014
Pages:	160
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments 9

Introduction 11

1 Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda Versus Me: Recognizing Regret 17

2 Oh, the Places We Go! Hiding from the Sins We Commit 27

3 Doing a Whole Lot of Nothing: Avoiding the Messes of others 39

4 I Want What I Have and I Want What You Have Too: Stealing Your Own Life 51

5 Hiding in a Stack of Fig Leaves: When Someone Else's Sin Tries to Write Your Story 61

6 What's in the Vault? Compartmentalizing as a Way to Silence the Past 73

7 The Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing but the Truth: The Confession Cure 83

8 Truce like a River? The Peace That Crosses Our Dividing Walls 97

9 When the Past Becomes the Present: Why Our History Still Tells Tales 109

10 All Things Work Together For...: The Story of the Sequel to Our "If Onlys" 123

11 Running with the Pack: When Everyone Is (Just a Little Bit) Responsible, No One Is Responsible 133

Conclusion: Letting Go 143

Appendix A: Counseling Q & A 149

Appendix B: Key Scriptures Featured in Each Chapter 153

Notes 155