"cradle my heart" by kim ketola

About the book (provided by Litfuse): Abortion continues to be a hot topic in politics, women’s rights, and medical practice. But for the eight to ten million American Christian women who have had one, abortion is a spiritual issue as well, raising questions of life and death, heaven and hell, grief and loss.

Writing from her own experience, Kim Ketola sheds light on one of the darkest and most neglected personal issues of our time: the widespread need for healing and spiritual recovery after abortion. “After abortion brought the worst trouble into my life I had ever known,” writes Ketola, “I just couldn’t see my way free to believe in God’s love.”

With a compassionate heart, Ketola offers ten true stories of healing promise from the Bible to help women answer the most common spiritual torments they face: Is abortion a sin? Does God hate me? Where can I turn in my shame and distress? How could I ever tell anyone the truth? And more. 

Inspired by Romans 6:4—“just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life"—this is a definitive resource to help women see themselves and God anew and—finally—to find spiritual healing.

My take: The abortion debate in America is heavily politicized, yet amid the cries for "reproductive rights" and picketers holding posters of aborted babies outside of clinics, we often forget about the people most affected by abortion—the women who have had one. In her book Cradle My Heart, Kim Ketola addresses those women, showing the forgiveness and hope found only in Christ.

To these women, Ketola speaks the truth—that they chose (or in some cases were forced) to end the life of their child—in love, and she encourages them to be honest with themselves and God about that fact, grieve the loss of their child, and accept God's forgiveness. She writes from a place of understanding, and her own story is woven throughout the pages of this book. (The part where she writes about naming her child drove me to tears). But she always comes back to Scripture, as she digs into what God says about sin, death, truth, mercy, and forgiveness. Each chapter ends with specific verses to meditate on, a prayer, and action steps women can take as they move through the grieving and healing process.

Cradle My Heart is an excellent book for post-abortive women, but also for those who have never dealt firsthand with abortion. Reading Ketola's book gave me insight into the lives of and compassion for women who have had an abortion, and I highly recommend it to you. 5 stars.

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Live Webcast Event: In coordination with the launch of their fall releases, Kregel will be hosting a live webcast event on September 20 at 8 PM EDT featuring authors Kim Ketola (Cradle My Heart), Teske Drake (Hope for Today, Promises for Tomorrow), and Dawn Scott Jones (When a Woman You Love Was Abused). The webcast will allow women to come together to share their struggles and fears in order to move toward healing and hope. Women will able to support one another and discuss shared experiences in a non-threatening, open and loving environment.

Cat Hoort of Kregel says, ""We are seeking to provide safe means for Christian women to be vulnerable with each other, to seek help and guidance from authors and counselors, and to find encouragement from those who have shared similar experiences.

Our hope is that the Women Redeemed webcast will become a forum for hurting women as well as for those who can help. Kim, Teske, and Dawn are all survivors and their stories will surely inspire and equip other women to move toward healing and hope." To register for the event, just click here.

About the author: Kim Ketola is a sought-after writer and motivational speaker with the Ruth Graham and Friends conference. After thirty years in the broadcasting industry, she founded a nonprofit organization through which she presents professionally accredited conferences to equip counselors and help individuals recover from the emotional and spiritual wounds of abortion. Kim lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Visit her website: www.cradlemyheart.org.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."