Linda Barrick - Beauty Marks: Healing Your Wounded Heart

What people are saying about

Beauty Marks

Every woman bears a scar of some sort, and often it is a source of quiet shame and disappointment. In her newest book, Beauty Marks, my friend Linda Barrick gently peels back the scar to reveal the God-blessed hidden beauty and source of strength in each disappointment. As a fellow sufferer, I can attest that Gods purposes behind our pain are worth every tearthe Lord and His plan for you is that good! Read this remarkable book and you will long for the true loveliness God is ready to unfold in your life! Linda shows us Gods desire to turn every hurt into a heroic display of His beauty and grace. I give Beauty Marks a double thumbs-up!

Joni Eareckson Tada, founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center

Beauty Marks will take you on a healing journey that will break the power of past wounds and bitterness. You can change your thinking and actually improve the way you feel physically. Beauty Marks will equip and motivate you to allow God to transform your pain into passion and purpose.

Dr. Tim Clinton, president of American Association of Christian Counselors

From the foot of the cross to the depth of her soul, Linda takes us on a personal journey of hope and healing. As her dad, Ive watched her emerge from life-threatening challenges with beauty and grace. Dont miss her powerful, passionate, and insightful biblical perspective. It will bless your heart and change your life.

Dr. Ed Hindson, dean of the School of Divinity at Liberty University

If youve ever wondered how God could use you despite your brokenness or pain, Beauty Marks is for you. Linda shares incredibly helpful tips for dealing with pain and suffering, while shining a light on the One who can offer true healing: Jesus. In Beauty Marks, Linda reminds us all that Jesus truly can turn ashes into beauty.

Dr. Laurel Shaler, author of Reclaiming Sanity

Have you faced a life-altering circumstance? We all have. Linda Barrick takes readers to the only place they can find true heart-healingat the cross of Christ. Through the words of Jesus on the cross, Linda shares hope for a hurting world. I love her message that our scars are beauty marks that make us more of who God uniquely created us to be. Linda reminds us that if we let Him, God will use our pain, heartache, and wounds to also draw others to the healing found only in Him. This is a beautiful book we all need to help process the hard, unexpected things that happen to us and to know where to turn for hope.

Tricia Goyer,USA Today bestselling author of 70 books, including Walk It Out

BEAUTY MARKS

Published by David C Cook

4050 Lee Vance Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this book may be reproduced or used in any form without written permission from the publisher.

The website addresses recommended throughout this book are offered as a resource to you. These websites are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement on the part of David C Cook, nor do we vouch for their content.

Details in some stories have been changed to protect the identities of the persons involved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV. Copyright 1973, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION and NIV are registered trademarks of Biblica, Inc. Use of either trademark for the offering of goods or services requires the prior written consent of Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked THE MESSAGE are taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 2002. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.; NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The author has added italics to Scripture quotations for emphasis.

LCCN 2017933739

ISBN 978-1-4347-1102-1

eISBN 978-1-4347-1112-0

2017 Linda Barrick

Published in association with the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.

The Team: Alice Crider, Margot Starbuck, Amy Konyndyk, Nick Lee, Jennifer Lonas, Abby DeBenedittis, Julie Neddo, Susan Murdock

Cover Design: James Hershberger

First Edition 2017

To my daughter, Jennifer, who shows me every day what it means to have childlike faith.

To my sister, Christy, for her wisdom and encouragement.

To all the women who allowed their stories of victory and pain to be shared in this book to bring healing to many.

By his wounds we are healed.

Isaiah 53:5

I woke up with my face smashed against a crushed glass windshield.

Is this real, or is it a dream? How did I get here?

Moments earlier Id been watching my beautiful fifteen-year-old daughter sing in her first choir concert at church. Our familys moment of joy and excitement suddenly became our darkest moment.

On November 5, 2006, a drunk driver traveling more than eighty miles per hour struck our van head-on. In an instant, my husband, my two children, and I were physically broken, crushed in countless ways. We had no idea whether we would survive. My daughter, Jen, wasnt expected to live through the night because of traumatic brain injuries and multiple skull fractures. She remained in a coma for five weeks, and months passed before we were all reunited. Today our lives dont look like they once did, and they never will.

If youre reading this book, I suspect youve had a life-altering circumstance of your own. Maybe it was a divorce or a miscarriage. Perhaps youve experienced the death of a spouse or a child. Maybe you suffer from chronic pain, depression, or disease. My heart aches for you. Because of this circumstance, which you may or may not have chosen, your life will never be the same again. You might be feeling hopeless because you can no longer see the future you once imagined. You may still be in pain, wrestling with questions for which there are no answers. You may wonder if you deserve to be healed.

I get that.

What you may not realize is that if you havent dealt with the wounds of your past, youll carry that pain into your future. When your wounds remain buried, pain and infection spread. In the midst of your suffering, you end up hurting the ones you love most.

Perhaps you wonder if healing is really possible. Whether its physical, emotional, or spiritual healing, were all desperately searching for relief.

When youre brave enough to step into the broken places of your life, God promises to walk right beside you. Your escort is Jehovah Rapha, the Lord your healer, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you (Isa. 41:13).

Though I know it can feel scary to expose those tender places, this moment is your opportunity to experience more healing in your wounded heart. And because God helped me in my darkest days, I have hope for you today.