My friend Tina Konkin experienced a fiery trial in her marriage. Divorce could have been the end of her story, but instead, through prayer, hard work, and a powerful dose of Gods redemptive grace, she and her husband emerged from that crisis with a deeper and stronger relationship than they had known before. Now Tina has dedicated her life to ministering to couples in crisis and helping them find healing and renewala mission we heartily embrace at Focus on the Family. If your marriage is at a breaking point, this book can help.
GREG SMALLEY, PSY.D.
Vice president, Marriage and Family Formation, Focus on the Family
This courageous story of brokenness and betrayal reveals how God can bring hope and restoration in the midst of marital devastation. Journey with Tina and her husband, Ron, through their struggle to learn and apply the healing principles they discovered while rebuilding their marriage with compassion and forgiveness. Their Relationship Lifeline ministry has breathed new life into hundreds of marriages, including many in my own church family. For anyone experiencing the pain of betrayal, I encourage you to grab hold of Tinas story and trust Jesus to transform your relationships into something more than you could ever imagine.
MATTHEW CORK
Senior pastor, Friends Church Yorba Linda, and superintendent, Evangelical Friends Church, Southwest Region
This book is a treasure. Everyone needs this book or knows someone who needs it. Tina courageously invites us into her story to learn from her journey. She has filled this book with godly wisdom and insight on how to take steps to move forward in life. As pastors, we are committed to seeing marriages, families, and relationships thrive, and we consider it an honor and privilege to support and endorse this book and the work and ministry of Tina Konkin.
JOHN AND HELEN BURNS
Pastors, Relate Church, Canada
Tina passed through order (a secure marriage) to chaos (infidelity) and back to order (restored marriage) and then chaos (widowhood). This is a remarkable story of choosing to let the power of love conquer all.
DR. CAROLINE LEAF
Cognitive neuroscientist
Heres the book on radical relationship restoration for a throwaway society. This book comes not from the voice of theorists but from hardcore practitioners. Tina and her late husband, Ron, challenged so many couples to face the fractured facts of life with faith, hope, love, brutal courage, and even a sense of humor. This is not a book for the faint of heart, escapists, or blame- and shame-based reactionaries. Read itand prepare to rewrite the story of your life.
GORDON RIDDLE PENNINGTON
Founder, Burning Media Group
Pastors see many marriages go through challenges and hardships, but betrayal is perhaps the most deadly, destructive force of all. In her book, Tina shows how God healed her marriage to Ron and taught both of them to walk in obedience to Gods plan for their lives. The book is rich with experience and wisdom for life and will give readers practical guidance.
DR. DAVID KOOP
Pastor, Coastal Church, Vancouver BC
How God Usedthe Other Woman: Saving Your Marriage after Infidelity
2019 by Tina Konkin. All rights reserved.
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This book is dedicated first and foremost to the God of second, third, and many more chances. If it wasnt for Gods unfailing grace, I would not be here to tell my story.
Also, to all the first responders deployed in crisis situations, you are the defibrillators who snatch life back from the brink of darkness and give hope to all who have experienced the long, dark tunnel of betrayal.
I want to specifically dedicate this book to my personal first responders. Pastors John and Helen Burns, from the bottom of my heart, a book filled with a million pages and each page filled with a million thank-yous would not cover the amount of gratitude I have in my heart for you both. You took me in when I had nowhere to go that dreaded Sunday afternoon and opened my eyes to the truth: What the enemy meant for evil, God would most certainly use for good. Because of you, thousands of marriages have been touched and, God willing, will continue to be touched through our story.
Fighting Your Way out of the Nightmare
S UNDAY WAS MY FAVORITE DAY. I loved everything about Sundays: the big lunch at Grandmas house, the freedom of playing outside with no adult supervision, and most of all, going to church. I couldnt wait to hear my grandma yell out the window, Cmon, its time for church!
Growing up in a small village in Belgium, my cousin and I would often walk to church on our own. I can still feel the cobblestone street under my shiny dress shoes. My mom made me wear those stupid shoes, and it drove me crazy because I couldnt run as fast as my cousin could. But I didnt care how slippery the shoes were; Id run anyway.
I wanted to be early and sit in the front row of that little basement Sunday school class. I wanted to see every picture go up on the flannel board. I enjoyed the stories about Gods love and how He loved me just the way I was. I can remember so many great stories, but my favorites were always the ones about heaven. The teacher told us that in heaven we wouldnt cry anymore and that no one would laugh at us or hurt us ever again. Those stories made me feel good all over.