STRONGER THAN BEFORE: Finding Resilience and Personal Growth in Your Hardest Days

By Ann Jones

On the surface, Ann's life seemed picture-perfect: a loving marriage and three beautiful children. However, the reality was far from ideal. Ann found herself trapped in an abusive marriage, subjected to physical harm, emotional distress, and relentless criticism. She struggled with feelings of inadequacy, shame, and guilt. Ann lost herself and became someone unrecognizable. Yet, every day she put on a smile, striving to portray the picture-perfect family.

Does Ann's story resonate with you? Are you navigating the aftermath of an abusive relationship, searching for hope and healing?

Stronger Than Before lets you know you are not alone. It's like having a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend who understands your pain and stands by you, reminding you that you are not alone and that everything will be ok because God is always with you.

Our stories may not be pretty but let adversity serve as a reminder that what was intended to bury you can instead serve as a seed planted for growth, resilience, and newfound strength. As you turn these pages, you'll embark on a journey of self-discovery, learning to love yourself again, embracing the power of your resilience, and the love of Jesus.

Your past doesn't have to define your future. You have made it this far. Don’t give up! Even in our struggles whatever type of toxic relationship you have faced you can find hope and healing in Him! Life often presents us with challenges, setbacks, and obstacles that can make us feel like we can’t go any further. It is during these moments that we find our strength. While all of our adversities may look different, we have one common goal, to overcome our challenges and find strength amidst our adversity. And we can’t become stronger without God’s help.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Apr 21, 2024
• ISBN: 9798385019489

Ann Jones

Ann Jones is a journalist, a photographer, and the author of ten books of nonfiction. She has written extensively about violence against women, reported from Afghanistan, Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East on the impact of war upon civilians, and embedded with American forces in Afghanistan to report on the impact of war on soldiers. Her articles appear most often in the Nation and online at TomDispatch.com. Jones’s work has received generous support from the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study and the Charles Warren Center for Studies in American History (both at Harvard University), the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the US–Norway Fulbright Foundation.

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Copyright © 2024 Ann Jones.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

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Bloomington, IN 47403

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are taken from from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked MSG or The Message are taken from The Message. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1949-6 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-3850-1948-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024903512

WestBow Press rev. date: 04/19/2024

CONTENTS

Introduction - Welcome Letter

Preface – Letter to the Person Who Hurt You

Chapter 1Ain’t Nobody Got Time for Negativity

Chapter 2Embrace Imperfections Like a Boss

Chapter 3The Power of Support

Chapter 4Shattered to Splendid

Chapter 5God’s GPS: Acknowledge Where You Are, Even If Siri is Lost!

Chapter 6Emerging STRONGER THAN BEFORE

Becoming Stronger Guide

Playlist

Morning Routine

Gratitude Journal Prompts

Prayer Journal Prompts

Truth Affirmations

DEDICATION

All the glory goes to Him; without Him, nothing is possible.

Anyone who is putting on a smile to hide their pain.

My Family – I love you! This chapter of our lives did not define us instead; it brought us to the other side, stronger than before. You are my why every day. Near or far you have my whole heart.

My Friends – Thank you for standing beside me through it all.

My Life Coach – You have been the most encouraging and the best listening ear. You have rooted and pushed me to follow my God-given purpose.

To my 18-year-old self - You always believed you were not enough, you doubted who you were and what you were capable of. Most importantly you doubted who He made you to be. 28 years later, you have come so far. Be proud of yourself, you are fearless and capable, you battled something hard and lived to tell the story to help other people. Don’t give up on yourself!

Dear Friends,

If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, seek support from friends, family, or professional resources, such as domestic violence hotlines or local support organizations.

This book is over 10 years in the making. I started writing it when I was still married and navigating the difficult circumstances of an unhealthy marriage. Unfortunately, my notes were found, torn up, and thrown away on the airplane. Ironically, we were on our way to Disney World, the Happiest Place on Earth when this happened. This trip wasn’t so happy for me, but if you look through the pictures, you would think I was happy because I was smiling. That’s what I did, I smiled through the pain.

I don’t know why you picked up this book, but I’m glad you did. Maybe it’s because for a moment you wanted to not think about your pain, you wanted to know someone else has walked through the same wilderness. I’ve been there and couldn’t find what I needed to help me on my journey. To be clear, I have never been to seminary school, am still working my way through fully understanding the Bible, do not feel comfortable praying out loud, and am not an expert or counselor. I do not hold a professional license to help people. This is not a replacement for therapy. I believe therapy works. In my circumstances, I was looking for someone who had gone down a long, hard road with whom I could connect, even if that was through their words in a book or online. I wrote this book to help and encourage others on their journey. When I was going through my separation and divorce, I scoured the internet for someone who may have had a similar experience but couldn’t find one. I found divorce, getting out of the fog, and all the different types of abuse. But nothing like what I was experiencing with all the above wrapped into one. I couldn’t find anything like my situation. I felt like