Afton Rorvik - Storm Sisters: Friends Through All Seasons

I love the notion of storm sisterssoul friends who help us get through lifes most raw and painful transitions. In her new book, Afton Rorvik invites readers to reach for friendship when we struggle. Part memoir and part spiritual guide, Storm Sisters is an excellent resource for womens groups and retreats. Read it with the women who show up for you and find new, life-giving ways to support your spiritual sisters when they are navigating hard times.

Jennifer Grant, Author of Love You More, MOMumental, Wholehearted Living, and Disquiet Time

Storm Sisters is an authentic and encouraging book in which the author shares how to walk through both the highs and lows of life with a friend. Yet this book is more than a how-to manual. Each chapter will invite the reader to engage in self-reflection through suggested journal questions. Storm Sisters is a must-read for the mind, emotions, and the soul.

Jennifer Stenzel, Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor and Executive Director of Stenzel Clinical Services, Ltd.

As Afton travels through the storm of losing her mother, the Bible is her boat. Through the rough currents of life, she shares how she has drawn strength from that sourceShe encourages you to search out and enrich your life with the sisterhood relationships that help stay your course. Very well written and touches your heart.

Karolyn Grimes, Zuzu Bailey in the holiday film Its a Wonderful Life

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I read Storm Sisters and was reminded of precious friends who have been present in my own painful struggles. Afton Rorviks stories of the blessing of friends who walk beside us during struggles are a precious reminder that God calls us to be encouragement, strength and help for one another. Aftons gentle stories of her own difficult times and those of her friends are wonderful reminders of the blessing of friends who show up to do those things as they gently point us to Gods presence and love even when life is very painful.

Carolyn Larsen, author of the best-selling The Little Girls Bible Storybook for Mothers and Daughters

Deep female friendships do not come naturally to all women. Personally, I have often admired them from afar, but not known how to engage in them in my own life. Author Afton Rorvik models these friendships in her book Storm Sisters. As I read, I implemented her ideas, contacting friends who are enduring storms. Afton gave beautiful words to my heartfelt emotions, borrowing them from her book made caring for my friends more doable.

Marie Allison, Director Connect Ministry, Wheaton Bible Church

Weve all been through the storms of life. What a comfort to know the One who quiets the winds and calms the raging seasand sometimes uses our sisters-in-Christ to do it. In Storm Sisters, Afton Rorvik shares the wisdom she gained on her journey through a difficult storm, and introduces us to the godly women who supported her along the way. Full of depth and biblical comfort, this book is a must-read for all women. Because at some time or other we will all need, or need to be, a storm sister.

Virginia Smith, bestselling author of the Sister-to-Sister Series and Rainy Day Dreams

Afton has written a transparent and open account of struggle and loss, and what it means to have your sisters of the heart walk with you along lifes challenging paths. Readers will find themselves inspired, and they will also discover thought-provoking questions to help them explore their own hopes, needs and directions. Thus, Storm Sisters becomes a dialogue, an encouragement and a help in difficult times.

Liz Duckworth, author of A Perfect Word for Every Occasion and Wildflower Living

STORM
SISTERS

Copyright 2014 by Afton B. Rorvik. All rights reserved.

ISBN 978-1-61795-386-6

Published by Worthy Inspired, a division of Worthy Media, Inc.,
134 Franklin Road, Suite 200, Brentwood, Tennessee 37027.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. New Living, NLT, and the New Living Translation logo are registered trademarks of Tyndale House Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked The Message are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

This book contains true stories. I have, on occasion, changed names and details to protect the identities of some people.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher Worthy Inspired.

Cover Design by Kim Russell / Wahoo Designs

Page Layout by Bart Dawson

Printed in the United States of America

1 2 3 4 5BVG18 17 16 15 14

FRIENDS THROUGH
ALL SEASONS

AFTON RORVIK

For John, my beste venn
and storm-strong husband

A new command I give you: Love one another.
As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
By this everyone will know that you are my disciples,
if you love one another.

John 13:3435, NIV

Table of Contents

Foreword

by Mary Whelchel

We often say, Well, thats just life, but when we are personally in the midst of lifeone of those inevitable stormsthe clichs dont help. Even the well-intended reminders that all things work together for our good can fall on resentful ears and cause us to curl up and isolate.

Getting through lifes storms for those of us who are Christ-followers is uniquely challenging. After all, were supposed to have all the answers. Somehowsomewherewe sisters have gotten this erroneous idea that being strong means never admitting we cant make it on our own. Yet the Bible shows us a different picture.

I think of Mary traveling to see her cousin, Elizabeth, as soon as the angel announced that she would give birth to the Messiah. She needed a sister who understood what she was facing; she needed someone to simply listen and encourage and be there for her as she processed this life-changing event coming her way. As was prophesied, though she was the most blessed woman who ever lived, a sword would pierce her soul, and there were many storms ahead for her. She needed Elizabeth.