I Choose to Forgive: An Intimate Journey with God (Expanded Edition)

by Dianne B. Collard, Greg Asimakoupoulos (Foreword by), Shann Ray (Foreword by)

Overview

We live in a fallen world where offenses and serious grievances occur in every person's life. These painful situations, no matter how slight or serious, demand that we face the question, "Does God expect me to forgive?" The answer is clear. The choice is ours to obey. The power comes from God alone. I Choose to Forgive tells the heartbreaking journey from devastation to freedom from the unique perspective of a mother, father, and sibling on the ultimate offense of murder. In addition, the powerful testimony of the murderer's journey of finding forgiveness is shared in his own words. These personal stories are rooted in a strong biblical foundation, which undergirds the practical steps of choosing forgiveness.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781532642968
Publisher:	Wipf & Stock Publishers
Publication date:	08/13/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	170
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Dianne B. Collard is a missionary, international speaker, creative catalyst, and advocate for artists. She serves as the Europe Ministry Director of A.C.T. International and is the Director of ArtsCharlotte.

Table of Contents

Permissions ix

Foreword Greg Asimakoupoulos xi

Foreword Shann Ray xv

Preface: The Route Defined xxv

Prologue: The Quest xxvii

Acknowledgments xxix

Introduction to the Expanded Edition xxxi

Part 1

Chapter 1 The Journey Begins 3

Chapter 2 God's "Impossible" Destination 7

Chapter 3 The Destructive Detours 13

Chapter 4 The Roadblocks 21

Chapter 5 The Itinerary 28

Chapter 6 Homecoming 35

Chapter 7 A Perpetual Expedition 46

Conclusion to the First Edition: Join Me on the Journey 48

Part 2

Explanation: The Journey Becomes a Pilgrimage 53

Chapter 8 The Pilgrimage Continues 71

Part 3

Introduction: Fellow Travelers Share Their Journeys 75

Chapter 9 My Road to Revenge Glenn T. Collard 77

Chapter 10 A Sister's Forgiveness Journey Wendy Collard Skenderi 98

Chapter 11 From Murder to Freedom: Mike's Journey 112

Conclusion to the Expanded Edition 117

Applications For Your Journey

Addendum A Challenges along the Way 121

Addendum B Leaders Fostering Environments of Forgiveness 127

Addendum C Small Group Bible Study: Examples of Forgiveness 133

References 137

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“This is the book I was hoping Dianne could write in 2010 when the first edition was published. Hearing from her husband, her daughter, and the man who murdered her son in this edition helps us to see how we process grief in different ways. The facilitation material at the end is also an excellent addition. A deeply personal, powerful book for hurting people.”

—Judith Lingenfelter, Biola University Faculty Emerita



“If your adult child were murdered, could you ever forgive the killer? Is that really what God would have you do? Could you grow to experience God’s love and forgiveness yourself in such a way that you then could actually face your son’s killer, see his need for God’s love, and forgive him?

God did just that in Dianne and Glenn Collard’s lives. I Choose to Forgive tells their remarkable, heart-stirring story. As you read their story, I know you will find help to forgive and release those whose lives have hurt and traumatized you. And, in the process, God will give you new freedom yourself.”

—Byron Spradlin, president, Artists in Christian Testimony Intl, Brentwood, Tennessee



“As a father, I can’t quite imagine how I would forgive a person who murdered my children. I would likely be overcome by rage and suffocated by grief. And I would need to hear others share their stories, to show me how the impossible might become possible in the face of a nightmarish tragedy. That’s of course the beautiful gift of this book: a story of Dianne’s encounter with God’s extraordinary grace that enables her to do the impossible: to forgive and in that gift of forgiveness to know freedom and joy.”

—W. David O. Taylor, Fuller Theological Seminary

Editorial Reviews

This is the book I was hoping Dianne could write in 2010 when the first edition was published. Hearing from her husband, her daughter, and the man who murdered her son in this edition helps us to see how we process grief in different ways. The facilitation material at the end is also an excellent addition. A deeply personal, powerful book for hurting people.”

—Judith Lingenfelter, Biola University Faculty Emerita



“If your adult child were murdered, could you ever forgive the killer? Is that really what God would have you do? Could you grow to experience God’s love and forgiveness yourself in such a way that you then could actually face your son’s killer, see his need for God’s love, and forgive him?

God did just that in Dianne and Glenn Collard’s lives. I Choose to Forgive tells their remarkable, heart-stirring story. As you read their story, I know you will find help to forgive and release those whose lives have hurt and traumatized you. And, in the process, God will give you new freedom yourself.”

—Byron Spradlin, president, Artists in Christian Testimony Intl, Brentwood, Tennessee



“As a father, I can’t quite imagine how I would forgive a person who murdered my children. I would likely be overcome by rage and suffocated by grief. And I would need to hear others share their stories, to show me how the impossible might become possible in the face of a nightmarish tragedy. That’s of course the beautiful gift of this book: a story of Dianne’s encounter with God’s extraordinary grace that enables her to do the impossible: to forgive and in that gift of forgiveness to know freedom and joy.”

—W. David O. Taylor, Fuller Theological Seminary

From the Publisher