Georgia Shaffer - Taking Out Your Emotional Trash: Face Your Feelings and Build Healthy Relationships

What people are saying about
Taking Out Your Emotional Trash

Decide now to have a better lifefree of constant emotional stress, miscommunication, pent-up anger, and out-of-control responses. In Taking Out Your Emotional Trash, Georgia Shaffer provides mentally healthy choices and a workable plan of action. Whether you have your own emotional clutter or live with people who are stuck in the rut of unforgiveness and unfulfilled expectations, this book is the tool you need to move into emotional and spiritual health.

Carol Kent, speaker and author,
A New Kind of Normal; Between a Rock and a Grace Place

As our level of emotional stress rises, so does the need for Georgia Shaffers Taking Out Your Emotional Trash. Whether we hoard our feelings or unload them on those closest to us, we can all benefit from this excellent resource. If you are a parent, counselor, pastor, life coach, or simply want to strengthen your closest relationships, I highly recommend this book.

Dwight Bain, Executive Director of Christian Coaching Alliance,
nationally certified counselor, certified life coach

At first glance, you might be tempted to think that you dont have enough emotional trash to worry about. However, you may be surprised to discover what God has planned for you by reading this insightful book. Georgia skillfully yet gently leads you through the process necessary to clear heart and mind of emotions that may be keeping you from experiencing the abundant life Jesus came to give. Im really glad I read it!

Candy Davison, Womens Ministry Coordinator,
Sandy Cove Ministries

Broken lives, broken dreams, broken hearts. All this brokenness means the emotional trash is piling high in most of our lives. I am thankful Georgia Shaffer has written a book that is better than a dumpster, trash compactor, and garbage bag in getting the junk out of our hearts, minds, and lives so we can have the life and the love we dream of, the life God intended for us, the life that brings a future and a hope.

Pam Farrel, author,
Men Are like Waffles, Women Are like Spaghetti;
Love, Honor and Forgive

Our emotional well-being is vitally connected to our spiritual health and maturity. Georgia Shaffer guides us on a journey of transformation in Taking Out Your Emotional Trash. She offers practical resources so we can clear out the junk to make space for more joy, peace, and healthy relationships.

Dr. Catherine Hart Weber, therapist, teacher, author,
Flourish: Discover the Daily Joy of Abundant, Vibrant Living

This is a much needed, practical, honest and authentic book for those who want to develop the skills that will enable them to properly express their emotions. Georgias own life experiences and her willingness to share it is refreshing and healing.

Michelle Cavinder, Lead Pastor,
Relational Ministries, Crystal Cathedral

Georgia Shaffer

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

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

Verses marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Verses marked MSG are taken from The Message. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Verses marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. ( www.Lockman.org )

Verses marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, Copyright 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Verses marked NCV are taken from The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Nashville, TN 37214. Used by permission.

Italics in Scripture citations and most quotes indicate author emphasis.

Cover photo PhotoAlto / SuperStock

Cover by Left Coast Design, Portland, Oregon

Published in association with the Books & Such Literary Agency, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, CA 95409-5370, www.booksandsuch.biz .

Some names, histories, and details have been changed to protect the privacy of the people who shared their stories.

TAKING OUT YOUR EMOTIONAL TRASH
Copyright 2010 by Georgia Shaffer
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Shaffer, Georgia.

Taking out your emotional trash / Georgia Shaffer.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-7369-2726-0 (pbk.)

1. Christian womenReligious life. 2. EmotionsReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.

BV4527.S39 2010

248.843dc22

2010009383

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, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Printed in the United States of America

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 / ##-SK / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To those who wish to get rid of the emotional trash
that hinders so you can experience more
peace, joy, and love in your lives and relationships.
By picking up this book youve shown you have
the heart, honesty, and courage needed to succeed.

I am deeply grateful to my early-in-the-writing-process readers (friends and colleagues) who sacrificed their valuable time to help refine my writing: Leslie Vernick, Laura Stufflebam, and the Lancaster writers group.

Special thanks to Linda Jewell, my trash talking friend. You encouraged me to visit a recycling center and landfill, clipped articles on trash, prayed with me, and spent many hours helping me verbalize my thoughts.

My deepest gratitude goes to Deb Haggerty who read and reread this manuscript at least three times. Your friendship is such a gift.

Thanks are also due to Deb Strubel for her early editorial suggestions and support. They were invaluable in helping me keep on keeping on.

To my editorial team at Harvest House: Terry Glaspey, Hope Lyda, and Barbara Gordon. Please know how much you are appreciated. Its a joy to work with you.

I want to thank Mom, Aunt Cecelia, Penny Olivieri, Sue Smith, and Marilyn Neuber Larson. You encouraged and supported me in numerous ways, especially in your prayers.

To Rex; my son, Kyle; my daughter-in-law, Jillian. Each of you are a special blessing in my life.

I love walking on the beach on warm summer days. But on this July morning, no matter how intently I tried to focus on the natural beauty around me, all the trash on the beach and in the water ruined my serenity. A tattered piece of rope, a white plastic tub with two decaying fish inside, a used bandage, flip-flops in various sizes and colors, broken sunglasses, a dirty T-shirt, and crushed soda cans assaulted my senses.