A Healing Balm for the Soul

In a compassionate, kind, and heartfelt way, Lisa Appelo places her arm around her reader's shoulders and gently leads them on a journey from brokenness to the One who binds their wounds. Through personal stories, Biblical truth, and a message of hope, this book is like a healing balm for the soul. A plethora of encouraging quotes is found throughout the book, like this one: "Tucked inside unexpected hard is unexpected good." - Lisa Appelo

I highly recommend this book for anyone walking through loss, grief, and hardship, but also for those friends who want to learn how to walk beside them well.

I was intrigued to read this and I’m so glad I prioritized it. Grief has been a theme in my life and I’ve seen life pivot in unexpected ways throughout my 20s, again in my 30s, and yet again in my 40s. In all of it, God has been faithful. I love having resources for others who are grieving that I can recommend and this is definitely one. I’ve ordered a hard copy and will be working through it again more slowly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy.

A wonderful book that showed up in my life at just the right time. Lisa lovingly walks with you through this book and gives hope in the long process of grief of losing someone you love.

On August 23, 2022, my beloved Mama and best friend suffered an unexpected stroke, went into cardiac arrest, and almost died. After two weeks in the ICU and a life-saving pacemaker surgery, she miraculously recovered and was able to come home. Something none of her doctors thought possible.

While I’ll be forever grateful God gave our story a happy ending, life will never go back to the way it was before. Instead, we’re facing a new life of follow-up appointments and daily medications. New challenges in the form of overwhelming exhaustion, emotional after-shocks, and scars no one can see. While we didn’t lose my mom, we almost did, and the almostness casts its own oppressive shadow.

All that to say, when I came across this title on NetGalley—Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart—it could not have been timelier.

A poignant testimony of God's sustaining grace, "Life Can be Good Again" is a beacon of hope for those experiencing the darkest days of their life. Navigating the subjects of grief and trauma with a tried voice of experience, Lisa Appelo shares her story of unexpected loss with raw vulnerability and extends a tear-wetted hand of empathy to the reader. Instead of blithe quips, she gives the brokenhearted permission to feel and space to process their emotions. Not alone, but in the company of our ever-present Comforter. With gentle encouragement, she reminds us of Biblical truths our pain has made us forget and offers practical ways to start taking those first tremulous steps toward healing.

“Life Can be Good Again” is more than a book title. It’s a promise that this too shall pass. That one day, life will most assuredly be good again, because our loving God is good always.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. A favorable review was not required. All views expressed are my own honest opinion.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC. This is a solid book exploring what happens when your world falls apart and where you can find God in the midst. Lisa's story was heartbreaking and inspiring.

I needed this book so much. I’ve been making an effort to read through books that talk about and process suffering from a Christian perspective. I think Lisa’s book is great for when the suffering is fresh, but even better for when you’ve sat in it a while and don’t really see a way out. She encourages you with scripture and compassion, while sharing her own story of working through health challenges in her family, as well as the death of her husband. If you’re hurting right now, God sees you and you are not alone. When you’re ready and able to read longer than a couple minutes, Life Can Be Good Again will be here.

Change is inevitable. We live open-handed, knowing that this moment in time is a passing thing. Even so, some changes land in our lives like a force of nature, uprooting the landscape and causing us to whisper, “Will life ever be good again?”

This was Lisa Appelo’s story after her husband died suddenly in his forties, leaving her to raise their seven children alone and to walk a path of grief for which she was completely unprepared. Life Can Be Good Again is a trail of breadcrumbs for her readers, strewn in faith that after the tidal wave of emotion that accompanies loss, there is a way forward to a new and flourishing life.

God’s promises are not nullified by grief or loss. His goodness and faithfulness are unchanged, even in seasons of difficult emotions, so he welcomes us into his presence, bringing with us our pain and sadness. The North American tendency to stuff our emotions and resort to happy talk and bootstraps is unbiblical.

In fact, Appelo points to scripture as our play book for walking through the wilderness. Sticking close to biblical truth ensures that our hearts will receive a “daily dose of hope,” nourishment in what feels like a howling wasteland, and a “daily exchange of our thoughts for God’s thoughts.” Furthermore, the words of lament in scripture provide words for bringing our load of painful emotions to God.

While it’s true that the unthinkable can and does happen, we do not walk through tragedy alone. A well-placed hope in God’s faithfulness carries the believer to the other side of tragedy with a deeper connection to him and a stronger faith in his ability to restore beauty in spite of brokenness.

Many thanks to Baker Publishing for providing a copy of this book to facilitate my review, which is, of course, offered freely and with honesty.

A valuable, biblical resource for navigating life when it falls apart

As a women's ministry leader, I collect resources that I can grab at a moment's notice to help women in crisis.

Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo is one resource that's now on my list.

Lisa provides encouragement for any woman going through a life-changing event that's caused their world to fall apart.

Lisa does not point women to herself; she points them to God and His Word - the one true place where we can find hope and peace.

Leaders, be sure to add this book to your resource library! It is certain to bless the women who receive it.

If You Have Experienced Loss…

Most of us have experienced a loss having at least lost one person life or had other kinds of loss.

I lost my mom & step dad in a small plane accident when I was 16. My brother in a motorcycle accident when he was 34. My Father in Law ultimately from agent orange… way too early. We have been walking through Alzheimer’s with my Mother in Law for years now. Which is ongoing loss.

I became office manager at our church of over 30 years and then 5 years later to the day… lost it. I felt this was my ministry and way to serve but due to issues with the new Sr. Pastor I no longer was welcome. I lost my job, ministry and church home of over 30 years. I felt I had failed. I struggled.

Recently, I lost my niece, Lauryn, to Covid after an 8 month fight in February. She left behind a loving husband and a 3 year old and 10 month old. I’ve struggled with each loss. I think every time I’ve come to a place where God has given me the peace only He can give… Every new loss spirals me down… I end up picking it all back up.

This book has given me much to ponder and wrestle with. It has challenged me in ways I haven’t expected. There are prayers and scripture and much encouragement.

I highly recommend this book to those wrestling with their own pain and loss.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from NetGalley on behalf of the Publisher and was under no obligation to post a favorable review.

This book is for anyone who feels that life will always remain as bad as it currently is. Lisa Appelo does an amazing job at helping readers find hope and anchor their hope in the promise that life will get better and God will be there every step of the way. Very emotional read and truly heartbreaking for a mom to become a widow with seven children. Encouraging read for widows and any woman experiencing feelings of hopelessness.

Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo is an amazing book. The author wrote this book in such a way that it is like a good friend coming alongside you and telling you how they made it through their struggles. This author has experienced deep pain and she writes this book with such grace and gentleness. Through stories of other women, you will find inspiration and hope that things can be much better than they are now. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

If you're looking for superficial solutions to cope with painful loss, don't read this book. Lisa does not follow the pattern of this world by either blaming others (including God) for her suffering, or by slapping a platitude "band-aid" over pain and hoping it will just go away. She has experienced deep loss and endured it by embracing deeper truths from the Savior who walked with her through it. Lisa graciously shares her story and the lessons it is teaching her in the hope that you, too, will find Him faithful. "Pain doesn't get the final say in your story. God does."

If you're looking for hope in a nonfiction read, encouragement for the journey, and a girlfriend who'll point readers toward our true Help, then this is your book.

Lisa Appelo became an unexpected widow at an age far too young and was left to raise seven children on her own. Talk about hard! I automatically assumed Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart was for death-related situations, but that's not the whole picture. Of course, God uses her story and journey back to "together" to encourage those who've experienced a loved one's loss, but those of us who've faced disappointment, a dream diminished, and other life detours will find light on the pages of this book, too. (And if you're like me, you'll find it starting in chapter one. No joke!)

Run out and grab the version that's best for you: audio, ebook, softcover, or hardcover. Why? Because this one's well worth the read--and to gift, too. (I already have a couple of friends in mind.)

There is a life beyond "This is to Hard"
Speaker, writer, and Bible teacher Lisa Appelo is also a widow and single mother of seven children. Her book "Life Can Be Good Again. Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart", published by Bethany House Publishers, is her honest and open personal testimony
about the unexpected death of her husband. Appelo starts her introduction with the nightmare waking up to her husband's irregular breathing including the statement "But God had not spared Dan. In two short hours, life took a turn I never saw coming." She underlines that "life can dish out many kinds of loss." As a goal for this book she states: "This book is for all of us navigating the space between the life we desperately wanted and the life we’re living. Later in this book, you’ll find stories of other women who navigated their own shattering disappointments" (in Introduction). In thirteen chapters with titles such as "This Is Too Hard. I Cannot Do This," Find Your Footing," or "Hanging On to Threadbare Hope," talks about different kinds of disappointments, different kinds of loss. Appelo opens every chapter with Bible verses and quotes from various persons (e.g., Washington Irving, Anne Graham Lotz, or Martin Luther King jr.).
I appreciate her statement in chapter 1: "Circumstances that are too much for us to handle make us face the reality that self-sufficiency and control are illusions. Finding ourselves neck-deep in overwhelming, unexpected circumstances may be the first time we realize we are utterly dependent on God, which is partially why these crises are so shocking. How do we move beyond these centers of self and control and allow God to hold us in our deep loss and sadness? Let’s go there." In the same chapter she says: "God delights in doing what we cannot. And while you wouldn’t choose the circumstances that landed you here, you’re now in a place to see God in ways you never would otherwise."
The book also includes two appendices: "40 Promises of God" and "Grace Guide for Hard Seasons", as well as Endnotes for reference and further study. I consider this book as a book that needs to be read more than once and highly recommend it to people who are going or went through loss and for those who walk alongside of them.
The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
#LifeCanBeGoodAgain #Netgalley #BethanyHousePublishers

Life Can Be Good Again.
Such an appropriate title for this inspiring book.
Lisa speaks/writes with an incredible passion for LIFE in the middle of finding herself thrown into a desperate and overwhelming situation. After her husband died unexpectedly, Lisa faced every moment of grief, decisions, fear, doubt, and even loneliness with a raw and authentic dedication to finding life for herself, and for her precious children. Throughout this incredible book, Lisa weaves the love of God as she sheds tears and moves into action(s).
Lisa provides some of the most clear options for any of us to embrace when we are hit hard with the shock of deep loss that tempts us to stand still, and her depth of understanding of pain and helplessness is evident through her writing. She provides encouragement as she leans into faith and over and over the love of God is revealed throughout her story.
Honestly...this book is rich in revealing her journey to deepen her relationship and trust in God when circumstances seemed hostile to that path - and goes on to provide tips and tools for each of us to enlist when we hit rock bottom.

"Life Can Be Good Again" is a very basic primer for a theology of suffering. The author shares stories from her early days of widowhood as while as those of other women to illustrate her points, as well as numerous scripture references. This book offers very elementary lessons for helping women walk through some of the fundamental struggles and doubts when dealing with struggles and trials. The title may be a huge turn-off for some as the very idea that life can be good again when they are hurting is too much to bear. Some of the issues discussed in the book lack nuance, such as dealing with asking for help. This book would be best suited for a suffering person about one to two years out from their primary suffering situation.

A hopeful, encouraging, honest read for anyone who is grieving the loss of a loved one. If you're the friend of someone who is walking through loss, read this if you don't know what to say/do and then consider giving a copy as well.

This book was a hard read. Not because it was bad, but because it made me feel EVERY EMOTION. I love books like this. I appreciate the connection from the author, by explaining what she went through and could only imagine how difficult it must've been for her to get it all out on paper. It's always hard sharing what hurts the most, but I appreciate it. Especially knowing I'm not alone. I applaud the author, and agree that leaning on faith can help. It has for me a lot lately, but understand it's not for everybody. I would read this book again, and recommend it to others.

This book was recieved as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I heard about Lisa Appelo from another Christian author I follow on Instagram. In "Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart", Appelo details the horrifying morning when she woke up to discover that her husband was having trouble breathing. Despite calling an ambulance and rushing him to the hospital, he sadly passed away. This book is an account of the rollercoaster of emotions that followed, and her desperate attempt to hold her family together. I appreciated her honesty and the transparency with which she shares her story. She doesn't try to whitewash anything, and you can feel her genuine emotions as she has to figure out how to go on.

She speaks very honestly about her faith and encourages women who are going through their own difficult times. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I read Lisa Appelo's Life Can Be Good Again: Putting Your World Back Together After It All Falls Apart at a perfect time in my life after the loss of my wonderful husband. It gave me some much needed hope that I have been seeking.