Healing from trauma is a theme of my first-century fiction which continues to resonate today. As I have spoken with various interviewers about my fiction, I have often mentioned the effort and action steps my fictional character, Mara, takes toward emotional wellness.
Hearing these clips explains why I wrote my new non-fiction outlining 21 steps to emotional resilience. I illustrate each step with examples from my own life and my fictional character, Mara. The goal is for readers to learn a few techniques they might use to restore their mental and emotional well-being.
In my first interview on my first novel, Tyler of the Local Churchology Podcast asked what character I resonated with the most.
There are some things about Mara that resonate with me. Sometimes I listen to the negative and ignore the positive, which is what Mara does. It takes some effort to learn to take the compliment, to believe in yourself, to believe that you're chosen, and to believe that God loves you. If you have doubts about yourself, other people, or God, you will relate to Mara.
Click for a 60-second clip:
That is why I wrote my new release, a stand-alone self-help book:
Walk with Mara on her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience.
It takes some effort to address harmful teachings that reduce your self-esteem, make you feel unworthy of emotional wellness. We need to do the work to address our doubts and reconstruct our faith with healthy beliefs. Each of these 21 steps is illustrated by examples from my own life and from Mara, a character in my historical fiction.
Christy, Co-Host of The Eden Podcast at Tru316 expressed how appalled she has been to see multiple peers end up divorced because of abuse and the church.
She says the spiritual community which should be the first place to support, protect, and equip women to leave abuse has endorsed the very systems that have kept them in those unhealthy environments. Christy is shocked that God's followers have so brutally misrepresented God. She has seen some of these girlfriends walk away from their faith because they don't know how to separate Christianity from the unsupportive Christian community. Christy asked me about writing a historical fiction that addresses trauma, healing, and bringing women back to their rightful place in healthy relationships.
I have found that Christy's experiences are more common than we realize. We are not simply arguing about whether women may be pastors or clergy. The place of women is not a minor thing. It's enough to threaten their whole faith. I hope my historical fiction, Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, will help those recovering or healing from trauma.
Click here for a 60-second clip:
That is why I wrote my new release, a stand-alone self-help book: Walk with Mara on her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience. Women and minorities who have been sidelined or silenced by the church are walking away from the church communities that have harmed them. This self-help book separates unhealthy teachings that have hurt our self-esteem or kept us in destructive thought loops from healthy teachings about the God who loves us, seeks us out like lost coins, and offers freedom and healing. Each of these 21 steps is illustrated by examples from my own life and from Mara, a character in my historical fiction.
Andrew at Regency History asked about the commonalities between women in the Regency era and women in the first century, the setting of my novel.
When I started researching I was surprised to find that women had some freedoms, and were not as completely restricted as I had thought. In some situations, women could inherit, own land or businesses, control finances or staff, learn literacy, choose separation or divorce. Showing these freedoms in a novel can empower women. As I looked at women in the church, I realized that freedom for women had actually moved backwards since the 1970s, and this movement is not biblical or consistent with the Christianity of my youth or the first-century church. I wanted to write a story to show how Jesus did not put limitations on women. He lifted women up, empowered them as disciples, and equipped them to go out and speak and lead as evangelists and apostles.
Click here for 60-second clip:
That is why I wrote my new release, a stand-alone self-help book: Walk with Mara on her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience. Showing what Mara does to try to overcome her debilitating anxiety and post-traumatic stress can help readers today. Each of these 21 steps is illustrated by examples from my own life and from Mara, a character in my historical fiction.
Kate, the Reluctant Christian Feminist, said her theology was re-set by re-examining how Jesus treated women. He did not treat them as though they were to be marginalized, yet some Christian communities use spiritual teachings to abuse others.
I learned about spiritual abuse as I researched for my writing. When I saw the harm done by teaching that women were secondary, it made me feel more urgency to write. I want my writing to show how the authoritarian and patriarchal teachings affected Mara, and the steps she took towards healing. It's not just about believing in God and thinking everything is rosy. Mara does a lot of work through the story in my fiction to overcome the recurring feelings of depression and low self-esteem.
Click here for a 60-second clip.
That is why I wrote my new release, a stand-alone self-help book:
Walk with Mara on her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience.
I think it's important for us to see ourselves in the Gospel stories, to see how it feels to receive God's love, to restore your confidence and emotional wellness so that you can perform what you are called to do. Each of these 21 steps is illustrated by examples from my own life and from Mara, a character in my historical fiction.
Naomi, on Behind the Story with Naomi and Lisa, Naomi noted how Mara started out skeptical and hesitant, yet that's exactly what the Bible says happened: a prophet is without honour in his own land.
Yes, many people question and doubt their faith, so I wanted to write about a main character who had questions and doubts. Mara is afraid to believe, and afraid to have faith. If you as a reader have doubts or fears, you may relate to her and try to do the same things she does to heal.
Click here for a 60-second clip:
That is why I wrote my new release, stand-alone self-help book:
Walk with Mara on her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience.
I wrote for those who have questions and doubts about their faith and are facing fear as a result of past trauma, or emotional or spiritual abuse. Each of these 21 steps is illustrated by examples from my own life and from Mara, a character in my historical fiction.
Tiffany on Feminists of Faith commented on how my fiction did not fit the predictable formula of Christian fiction. It feels more realistic, something she could relate to.
I did not want an unrealistic story in my fiction where God appears and solves unsolvable problems. We know that when a person is overcoming trauma, it doesn't happen by one prayer and it doesn't happen in a moment. I feel it's important to show that my female main characters are making that effort. They have to learn techniques, take risks, and try new ways of thinking and behaving. It's not easy and it's not magical to heal from trauma.
Click for the video clip:
That is why I wrote my new release, a stand-alone self-help book:
Walk with Mara on her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience.
I wanted to show the steps Mara takes that readers can apply in their own lives to build emotional resilience. Each of these 21 steps is illustrated by examples from my life and my fictional character, Mara.
Elaine Ricker Kelly Author is empowering women with historical fiction about women in the Bible and early church and Christian blogs about women in leadership, church history and doctrine. Her books include:
Forgotten Followers from Broken to Bold, Book 1
The Sword A Fun Way to Engage in Healthy Debate on What the Bible Says About a Woman's Role
Because She Was Called: from Broken to Bold, Book 2, A Novel of the Early Church, imagines Mary Magdalene's trip to testify before the emperor
Walk with Mara on Her Healing Journey: 21 Steps to Emotional Resilience
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