The Storm Inside: Trade the Chaos of How You Feel for the Truth of Who You Are
by Sheila Walsh

In her book, The Storm Inside, Sheila Walsh tells it straight: We can’t escape storms in this life.  It seems like we’re either in one, getting ready to be in one, or coming out of one.  Christians don’t escape these troubles any more than anybody else.  “In this world, you will have trouble,” Jesus said  But He also promised this: “take heart; I have overcome the world.”

While many of those storms are circumstances tossing us this way and that, interrupting our plans, threatening to overturn our lives, often the storms are causing by our own emotions, the ‘negative inside chatter’ we replay in our minds.  They are the result of lies that we’ve taken to heart and fears that overwhelm us.

Walsh tackles 10 of the most common ‘storms’ facing modern women, a list she compiled partly from the correspondence and feedback she receives from her many years as a Women of Faith Speaker.  She writes about moving:

1. From Heartbreak to Strength
2. From Disappointment to Hope
3. From Unforgiveness to Freedom
4. From Shame to Love
5. From Regret to Rest
6.From Fear to Joy
7. From Insecurity to Confidence
8. From Insignificance to Courage
9. From Despair to Faith
10.From Rage to Restoration

In each chapter, she moves through Scripture after Scripture, cementing truth and helping us replace the lies of the world, of Satan, of our own emotions with the Solid Rock Truth of God’s Word.  She’s also utterly open and vulnerable about her own struggles and past, which helps the reader remember something so necessary when you tackle such life issues:  You are not alone.

While a Bible study guide is not included in this book itself, Sheila Walsh does include a few action points and questions at the end of each chapter in a section entitled, “Standing Through Your Storm.”  These work well for helping you apply the lessons in each chapter rather than rushing through the book too quickly without allowing it to really impact your life.

Overall, Sheila Walsh offers a book with solid Biblical teaching, encouragement, heart-to-heart vulnerability and openness, humor, heartbreak, and grace. I think most women will probably find at least a chapter or two (or more!) that stand out particularly because they identify with those struggles the most.  With the breadth of ‘storms’ she covers, there likely will be something for everyone here to help them grow in their faith.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and 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.”