Reviews

The Choice
Chris Jackman

Interactive Bible Study on CD-Rom. Available for $15 (CD version with Bible study) or $12 (cassette version with music only) from Project Grace, PO Box 112, Zeeland, MI 49464, www.projectgrace.com.

The Choice is a truly unique and exciting offering--a CD and interactive Bible study from Project Grace, a post-abortion counseling ministry. Project Grace is run by Chris Jackman, a singer and songwriter who has used her own abortion experience to reach out to hurting women and men through her music. 

As the struggling single parent of a two-year-old, Jackman was stunned to find herself alone and pregnant. Fearful and desperate to salvage her future, she reluctantly had an abortion. 

"Regret and unresolved grief led me on a downward spiral of self-destructive behaviors for many years," she writes. "Like many post-abortive women, afraid of condemnation, I carried the pain alone behind a self-imposed prison of silence. Driven to my knees one night in desperation, I found forgiveness through the grace and mercy of Christ who carried me to hope and restoration." 

The 10 songs on The Choice were all written by Jackman and fellow songwriter Cordell Langeland. Jackman's stirring voice and the combined efforts of many talented musicians (including popular Christian artists like singer Sarah Masen and Jars of Clay guitarist Matt Odmark), make the CD well worth listening to on its own. The moving, insightful lyrics address many issues faced by post-abortive women and men, such as guilt over choosing abortion, fear of God or of being punished for the abortion, repentance and forgiveness, and finding peace with God, others and oneself. 

The Choice can also be used as a CD-ROM and includes an interactive Bible study that can be accessed by computer. After listening to each song, the user can then read or listen to excerpts from personal testimonies dealing with the particular issue raised in that song. A series of Scripture passages and reflection questions leads users to ponder the issue both from a Biblical perspective and as it applies to their own lives. Space is provided for users to write their own thoughts and reflections as they work through the Bible study. 

The Bible study is quite easy to use and can be played in most computers with a CD-ROM drive. Those who don't have access to a computer with a CD-ROM drive can still listen to the music in a regular CD player, or purchase the music on cassette. Jackman hopes to eventually make the Bible study available in book form as well. 

The Choice is a wonderful project and is sure to help many people who are trapped in silence and shame over a past abortion. Those who are interested in learning more about this great resource should visit the Project Grace web site at www.projectgrace.com.
 

A Solitary Sorrow
Finding Healing and Wholeness After Abortion
Terri Reisser, M.S., M.F.T., with Paul Reisser, M.D. 

Available for $11.95 from Harold Shaw Publishers, WaterBrook Press, 2375 Telstar Dr., Suite 160, Colorado Springs, CO 80920. ISBN: 0-8778-774-8.

This book addresses the issue of post-abortion trauma in a clear, easy-to-read, and yet compelling fashion. Terri Reisser, a marriage and family therapist who has counseled many post-abortive women, has written a book that not only tackles the topic of post-abortion healing but also explores issues like the symptoms of post-abortion trauma and the social stigma surrounding abortion itself. Her thorough treatment of these issue makes this book an invaluable resource for post-abortive women seeking to understand and overcome their pain. 

A Solitary Sorrow is divided into two parts. Part one explains post-abortion trauma and why it is so difficult to find healing. Reisser explains the symptoms of post-abortion trauma and the five stages of grieving that most women face after abortion. She describes what happens when a woman gets "trapped" in one stage of this process, such as denial or numbing, and why it is important to resolve and move beyond it. 

In the second part, "The Healing Journey," Reisser illustrates the healing process by taking us through what would be a typical course followed by one of her support groups. In order to give readers a better understanding of this process, Reisser drew on the experiences of four women from her groups, recording their reflections and reactions at each stage of the healing process. Each chapter in this section covers various issues tackled in the group, such as facing a past abortion, dealing with guilt and forgiveness, releasing anger, mourning one's loss and finally, moving on from the abortion. 

The"Moving On" chapter includes a list of questions to help the woman in post-abortion counseling identify and evaluate the work she has accomplished so that she will be better able to understand where she is in her healing journey. This chapter also offers insight on how to deal with recurring memories or negative emotions that might crop up even after one has "achieved" post-abortion healing. Reisser reassures women that post-abortion healing is an ongoing process and that such feelings are normal and can be handled. 

Other issues addressed in the book are post-abortion healing for teens, the effects of abortion on marriages, and issues related to deciding how and when to tell loved ones about a past-abortion. Especially welcome is a section on how to help a friend or loved one who has had an abortion but is unable or unwilling to talk about it. 

A Solitary Sorrow is not a complete post-abortion "workbook," and those who are struggling with unresolved post-abortion issues should contact one of the ministries listed in the appendix for further counseling. However, this thoughtful and sensitive book will help women better understand their post-abortion pain and encourage them to break the silence about their "solitary sorrow."