Do you feel unworthy and wonder why God would love you? Do you ever berate yourself over minor happenings? Do you struggle to overcome memories of verbal, emotional, or physical abuse? If so, you may be suffering from unhealthy shame - which, if not corrected, can produce bitterness and negativity in your life. Author Marilyn Hontz tells her deeply personal story of releasing her own shame and embarking instead on a life of freedom, forgiveness, and truth.

Average Customer Rating:

out of

(13 Reviews) 13

Rating Snapshot (13 reviews)

5 stars

4 stars

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2 out of 2100%customers would recommend this product to a friend.

Customer Reviews for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Review 1 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Great for shame issues for self or to help others.

Date:September 29, 2012

Penny

Location:Albany, NY

Age:45-54

Gender:female

Quality:

5 out of 5

Value:

5 out of 5

Meets Expectations:

5 out of 5

Great for shame issues for self or to help others.

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Review 2 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:February 25, 2011

Carrie

Location:Kansas City, KS

Age:45-54

Gender:female

Quality:

4 out of 5

Value:

5 out of 5

Meets Expectations:

4 out of 5

It is hard to find a book related to the shame of childhood abuse and I find this book neither too clinical or creating shame for having shame! Thank you.

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Review 3 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:July 28, 2010

appreciative customer

Great book for anyone to read and learn from. I bought it to help someone else out, but I learned a lot myself so I could understand her. But I also learned a lot for me to apply to my life.

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Review 4 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:June 4, 2010

Christine Kniskern

this book is a must for people who counsel and for anyone who came from shame base

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Review 5 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:July 15, 2009

Barbara Mcrae

This is an excellent book.It is well written and the questions at the end of the chapters are very good. I believe this book will help anyone who reads it and I also think it can be used as a very good Bible study and in personal counceling either alone or with someone else.Again,an excellent book.

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Review 6 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:July 13, 2009

Pam Hoobler

Excellent book. After reading gave it to a friend to read and she thought it was very uplifting also.

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Review 7 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:July 13, 2009

Christine Dunham

This was a very well written book. I could hardly put it down. It gave me some things to ponder and tools to use to help me live in the freedom Christ bought for me with His precious blood. He is the ultimate shame lifter. The author has been a lovely tool in His nail scarred hands to help fellow pilgrims as we travel towards our final home.

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Review 8 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:July 12, 2009

Debbie from ChristFocus Book Club

Top 500 Contributor

Marilyn Hontz explains the sources of shame and how to find freedom by mixing this information into the story of her personal journey from shame to freedom. There are sections at the end of each chapter with questions and scripture to help the reader apply what was learned.While the book does seem to be somewhat slanted toward a female audience, the information can be used by anyone. The book is easy to read and easy to understand. The points made in the book are in line with what the Bible teaches and are often backed up by specific scriptures.The first half of the book focuses on humans and their behavior--identifying the source of your shame, how your actions can lift shame from others, recognizing a shame-giver and how their words affect you, and how guilt becomes shame.The second half of the book is Christ-focused and teaches on forgiveness, depending on God, discovering the truth of our identity in Christ and how God sees us, and the many ways God brings healing into our lives. (Yes, she tells us various things we can do, but the focus is still on Christ.)I'd highly recommend this book to anyone, even those who don't personally deal with toxic shame. Quite likely, you know someone who is in bondage to shame, and this book can help you know how to help them.

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Review 9 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:April 20, 2009

Loni Stel

If you are one who had childhood struggles/abuse, have a hard time accepting compliments, think you cannot measure up to God or not quite good enough, fear being like someone you absolutely do not want to be like and/or battle with addictions or eating disorders, this book is for you. She shares how the "shackles of shame can fall off." The author, Marilyn Hontz, shares her painful childhood, & how it went into her parenting. You might not feel this type of book is for you - you had a perfect childhood, & really do not think you have hurts that need healing, but I found it also helpful in my parenting and the way I see my children interact with each other. The author discusses us either being shame lifters or shame givers. Are we building up others or tearing each other (including ourselves) down. How do our children play & joke with each other. Below are just a few quotes that I underlined in my book that spoke to me . . . "Toxic shame gives you a sense of worthlessness, a sense of failing and falling short as a human being." " . . . toxic shame lingers and eventually becomes a part of who you are and what you do and don't do. It paralyzes you so you don't think you can move on." "A shame lifter gives grace to the disgraced." "We deny Jesus every time we disregard His truth and put ourselves down. That hurts us. We deny Him every time we fail to see our value in Him. That hurts us. We deny Him every time we continue to hang on to our self-condemning thoughts and lies. That hurts us too. And then, it's as if Jesus turns and looks straight at us with His eyes of love and compassion, and something dawns on us. We have, in a sense, denied our Lord Jesus, and I wonder if that hurts Him."After each chapter are a series of personal questions, things to contemplate, pray about and work through. This is a book I will come back to read, to see where I have grown, & where I need to continue growing & learning. Highly recommended.

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Review 10 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:April 17, 2009

Cindy Loven

Top 50 Contributor

Are you a Shame Giver, Shame Receiver, or a Shame Lifter? Author Marilyn Hontz, in this book clearly explains what each of these are, and how to recognize signs in our lives (there is even check lists at the back of the book) She wonderfully presents a interesting book about how we recognize and deal with each of these, in our lives. Hurting people hurt people. The sooner we recognize this fact in the people we deal with daily and the people who we interact with in our lives. When we become aware of this it will help us to deal with those people who seem set on hurting us. It will also help us to understand our own hurts in our lives. Shame is an ongoing self-deficiency disease. Shame is a powerful tool the enemy uses against us, and the deeper he can root our shame, the more ineffective and dysfunctional we will be as family members, as Christians, and as every day people. Marilyn Hontz, helps us with her book to recognize that shame, to deal with it, and to deal with the process of overcoming shame. Each step of overcoming shame has to be dealt with, we can not go through one step faster than the other, because it often means not truly dealing with our shame. God thinks of me as a person of value and I need to agree with Him. A quote from the book, but as we deal with our shame and grow in our understanding, we need to recognize this fact, we are not junk, we are not trash, or garbage, as Satan would love for us to believe, we are HEIRS and Royalty of God. I truly was blessed and enjoyed this book very much. The chapter dealing with grief truly ministered to me.

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Review 11 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:March 3, 2009

Deena Peterson

Top 250 Contributor

Marilyn Hontz' book, "Shame Lifter" was worth having just for the gorgeous cover art alone, but I must tell you--I wouldn't have missed this journey with Marilyn for the world.In her book, Marilyn truly bares her soul, sharing episodes in her life and thoughts from her mind that may shock some, but most likely will make others think "Oh, praise God, I'm NOT alone!"Marilyn talks about talking with an accent--an accent of shame. She shares how one moment--a compliment, actually--created a break-through for her. How even the thought of writing a book caused shame based thoughts to race through her mind.I'm SO glad she didn't listen!!As one who has lived nearly my entire life battling the voice of shame inside my head and my heart, I drank in Marilyn's book like a thirsty sponge. The power of her message will join the ranks of Beth Moore's "Breaking Free" and books like "The Relief of Imperfection" to help Christian women (and even men) blow aways the clouds of shame in their lives.Marilyn makes the quick distinction between guilt and shame, and talks about how shame can be used to motivate people to change. This isn't the shame Marilyn sets us free from.The shame she has been held captive by, and the shame I still battle, is a sense of "why am I even breathing air" kind of shame. An over-the-top sense of unworthiness that keeps one bound and unable to serve God in freedom.Also included in Marilyn's book is 'The Father's Love Letter', used with permission from the original authors, along with some other useful additions to the story she shares with us.Each chapter concludes with questions, shame lifters, and prayers to guide you in your path to healing and deliverance from unhealthy shame. I cannot recommend Marilyn's book to you enough. This is one I will be buying and handing out to others I know who battle with shame.

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Review 12 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:March 2, 2009

DynamicUno

Wow! Marilyn's story was so open and honest that it was hard to read at times because I wasn't sure I wanted to suffer the pain and heartbreak that she felt throughout her life. When I first started reading this book, I didn't really think I would fall into the category of having "shame." After all, I'm a pretty cheerful person. But, when you really listen and hear Marilyn's story, there are many places where I could have inserted my name instead of hers.What I really enjoyed about this book was the frankness and sincerity of Marilyn's words. This is her story;one that many of us may share or mirror with our own lives. The sad part is that many of us may not recognize that we are filled with shame. (Myself included.) This book will make you more aware of your past hurts, but more importantly, give you ways to move beyond those hurts to be set-free of the shame and doubt in your life! At the end of each chapter there are focus questions, as well as a section that gives ideas for becoming Shame Lifters. There is also a scriptural-based prayer that deals with the subject matter of the previous chapter. At the end of the book is a beautiful Love Letter called Father's Love Letter.I think many of us need to be reminded every now and again that we really DO MATTER. That God really does love us-even if we don't live up to our own or someone else's standards. There are also lists of behaviors that classify people as shame givers and receivers,and, some beautiful letters that were written by Marilyn. I am actually going to buy several copies of this book for MANY of the women in my life. Even if you are not normally attracted to "this type of book," please read it anyway. I'm certain that there is someone in your life that could use it for themselves. If nothing else, it will help you become more of a Shame Lifter in the lives of people around you.

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Review 13 for Shame Lifter: Replacing Your Fears and Tears with Forgiveness, Truth, and Hope

Overall Rating:

5 out of 5

Date:March 2, 2009

Janna Ryan

Top 10 Contributor

I was excited to get the chance to read this book - it is dealing with such a huge issue - shame. Marilyn approaches this issue from the heart because she dealt with it her whole life, sometimes not even realizing it. She tells her personal story and it is so interesting and gripping that I read through this book in two days. I wouldn't necessarily recommend doing that, because it is meant to really help you dig deep and work through shame issues you might have. But you need to understand that while I can read a non-fiction book in a day or two, I struggle through most non-fiction books. I didn't struggle here at all. Marilyn's writing is wonderfully light and easy to read, while incredibly engaging. Her story will pull you in while the end of the chapters will help you heal. At the end of each chapter she has 3 things to do...1) How About You? There are a few questions that get you thinking about whether what Marilyn dealt with in that chapter might be something that you need to deal with too.2) Shame Lifters. Here Marilyn mentions some things you can do to start working through these issues, practical self-help, along with scripture to lift you up.3) A Prayer. The chapter ends with a prayer that you can pray that helps pour your heart out to your Heavenly Father.I can't even begin to tell you the list of people that I want to pass this book onto! It is wonderful! Shame Lifters could change the body of Christ one reader at a time by letting them see themselves as God sees them instead of through the eyeglasses of shame that they usually wear.

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