Rodney A. Winters

Forgiveness: A Key to Recovery

Rodney Winters — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:04:58 +0000

I believe one of the keys to recovering from failure is experiencing forgiveness from those we have hurt. Unfortunately this is not always possible. Those individuals we have offended may be unwilling to forgive. They may no longer be alive. One can still, however, experience God’s forgiveness. It only requires repentance and confession on our part.

One must also be willing to be on the giving end of forgiveness. We should forgive others just as we have been forgiven by God. We cannot afford to fall into the trap of bitterness. Extending forgiveness is not so much for the person who has wronged us, as it is for ourselves. Many times the person that we are holding hostage with our unforgiveness is not even aware or affected by it. We are the ones who are being eaten up on the inside by our resentment. We lose sleep, experience health issues, or become agitated when we think about what that person has done to us. We need to release that person and trust God to make things right.

Monthly Poll – August

Rodney Winters — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 04:32:22 +0000

Fifty-seven percent of last month’s poll respondents indicated that counseling is very important to the success of a relationship. There was a three-way tie for “Somewhat Important”, “Undecided”, and “Not Very Important”. This month’s question is a difficult one, in my opinion:

Would you get a divorce if your spouse cheated on you?

Sadly, many spouses today find themselves facing this decision.

Choose your answer at the bottom right, and feel free to comment. You can do so anonymously.

Women: How Does a Man Think?

Rodney Winters — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 00:05:53 +0000

One of my motivations for writing Go Into The House was to help men who have gone through a difficult marriage/divorce without a support system to aid them through the process. As I state in the book’s introduction, men don’t often talk about certain pains and struggles. I wrote about mine because I believed others could benefit from my experience.

The statistics show that women are much more prolific readers than men. To market my book exclusively to men would eliminate a majority of the potential audience. However, men were never my only target audience.

The book is also directed to women, because I have found that women want to hear a man’s perspective, especially when it comes to relationships. This trend can be seen in the popularity of books such as Steve Harvey’s, Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man. And, the principles in Go Into The House can be applied to any major disappointment in life–relational or otherwise, whether you are male or female.

While I have received excellent feedback from men who have read my book, the majority of the readers and responders have been women. This comes as no great surprise, given the statistics. Women have told me they’ve appreciated my candidness in sharing my experience. Some have admitted that my story has helped them realize things they have done in their own relationships.

Talking openly and honestly about relationships is a key to helping improve relationships and maintaining healthy ones. Our silence as men has contributed to the problem. I admit, it’s not always easy to share, but so much is at stake. It’s worth the risk. Let’s keep the conversation going!

Monthly Poll

Rodney Winters — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 01:15:45 +0000

The results of last month’s poll indicated that responders viewed communication as the key to marital longevity. This month, we pose a follow-up question:

How important is counseling to the success of a relationship?

Choose your answer at the bottom right, and feel free to add a comment.

Featured Authors

Rodney Winters — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:32:58 +0000

Since publishing, Go Into The House, I have met a number of wonderful Christian authors. Here are four of these authors and their books:

Ed Houston – Single and Living Free: An Inspiring Companion for Your Personal Journey
Single and Living Free: An Inspiring Companion for Your Personal Journey is a book that was birthed out of Ed Houston’s experience as a single Christian who struggled with strongholds for most of his early adult life until God gave him a revelation that changed his life and set him free.
www.edhouston.com.

Angela Serocki – You’ve Been Conned
After learning her husband has cheated on her, Angela must face her demons and put them behind her or let them rule the life she has worked so hard to build. By seeking help from her heavenly Father, she learns the roles of forgiveness and acceptance within relationships; thus, slowly pulling herself from a two-year depression that has threatened to destroy her entire family.
http://youvebeenconned.tatepublishing.net

Nicole Cleveland – So He Cheated, Now What?
Nicole Cleveland knows a little something about rebuilding a marriage after an affair. Her very own marriage was almost destroyed when her husband abandoned their family a mere five days after she gave birth to their third child. After a shameful separation, the Lord restored her marriage. In the midst of her pain, she found her purpose; to encourage motivate and inspire women by sharing her personal testimony with women everywhere.
www.nicoleconline.com.

Lori A. Moore –
In her book, From Zero to Christian in Just 35 Years, new author Lori A. Moore shows us that nothing in the past will keep God from loving us. Trusting God can be scary, especially when confronted with complex and formal language. Through this simple and easy going guide to finding God, inexperienced Christians will learn to emerge from doubt and fear into the peace and comfort that can only be found in Christ.

In her latest book, Missing Andy: The Journey from Grief to Joy, author Lori A. Moore explains how to view the loss of a loved one as a celebration instead of a final event. After unexpectedly losing her ex-husband, who was also her best friend, due to a fatal blood clot, Lori found herself lost and numb, but working her way through the five stages of grief helped her rediscover true happiness.
http://loriamoore.tatepublishing.net

Marital Commitment

Rodney Winters — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:04:07 +0000

Tomorrow my dad and mom will celebrate 49 years of marriage. In today’s world it is increasingly less common for couples to stay together this long. Just yesterday, it was reported that former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper, are separating after 40 years together.

I am grateful for the example of commitment set for me by my parents. Happy Anniversary, Dad and Mom!

With that said, here is this month’s poll question: Beside God, what is the key to a lasting marriage? Choose your answer and feel free to add a comment.

New Feature: Monthly Poll

Rodney Winters — Sun, 02 May 2010 22:16:59 +0000

One of the themes of Go Into The House is dealing with disappointment. In my case the disappointment was due to a failed marriage and divorce. Your circumstance may be totally different, but we all face disappointment at some point. The question I would like to pose is, “How do you respond when life seems unfair?”

Please take our monthly poll on the right column of this blog page. Also, feel free to post your comments. We hope to help people deal with the letdowns that life throws at us.

Check back monthly for new polls and poll results.

The Word

Rodney Winters — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 05:03:13 +0000

But Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me, my glory and the One who lifts my head. Psalm 3:3 (NASB)

It’s Not Too Late

Rodney Winters — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 18:56:34 +0000

I recently reconnected on an online social network with a friend I hadn’t seen in years. She asked if I had fulfilled a personal dream that I had shared with her years ago. She is the second person to ask me about this dream recently. My answer was, “Not yet.” Honestly, I imagined that by this time in my life I would have accomplished this goal–or at least be a lot closer than I am today. Although God placed this desire in me over 25 years ago, it has yet to come to pass. I never envisioned certain setbacks that have hindered the actualization of this dream.

Even without the setbacks and detours, my goal is unachievable without God’s help. It’s something way too big for me to accomplish alone or in my own strength. It can be easy to embrace the disappointment and conclude that it’s too late for the vision to be realized. However, I was encouraged as I recalled recent sermons my pastor preached about faith. He taught about Abraham, who was promised an heir, yet had to wait until he was about 100 years old before Isaac was born. Abraham had faith in the promises of God despite his age, the physical limitations of Sarah, his wife, who was 90 years old when she gave birth, and the length of time he had to wait.

If Abraham and Sarah could give birth at 100 and 90, it’s not too late for me to realize my dream at 42. Be encouraged. Don’t give up. Don’t allow your present circumstances to keep you from pursuing your dream. If God has promised you something, it’s not too late for the promise to come to pass!

Another Author Interview

Rodney Winters — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:19:56 +0000

I have been getting some great exposure recently. Read my interview with writer / online book promoter, Tyora Moody:

Written Voices Blog interview

I thank God for the opportunites He is giving me to help others through Go Into The House.

Romans 8:28 – “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (NASB)