The following are Web Site links and Resource Descriptions relating to “Children and Divorce.” We pray you will find them to be helpful.

• Acodtimeforserenity.blogspot.com This Adult Children of Divorce, Time for Serenity blogging web site is put together by a “40 something adult child of divorce who has been married more than 20 years. My parents divorced within the past few years after years of what I thought was family closeness and no sign of what was coming. Within the past few years I have received wonderful help and counsel and I want to share with others who are going through a parent’s divorce. You may be 20 or 50 and experiencing this change in your life and I hope we can help each other heal and move forward.”

• ADULT CHILDREN OF DIVORCE: Healing the Pain That Lives On —A Family Life Today broadcast with Dennis Rainey. The guests include Jen Abbas (author of the book “Generation Ex”) and Elizabeth Marquardt (the director of the Center for Marriage and Families at the Institute for American Values). The following is a description of the broadcast: “While most people acknowledge the children’s pain during a divorce, few realize that the most significant insecurities, questions, and doubts may not show up for years, when the children seek their our own intimate relationships as adults.” This is a link to the 5 part series on this subject.

• Before You Divorce: which includes “The Cost of Divorce” —A Family Life Today Broadcast with Dennis Rainey and Steve Grissom, aired on 7/14/2006. This particular program is Day 5 of a five part broadcast series. You can choose to read the transcripts of this broadcast and/or listen to it on Real Media (if your computer has that capability). The following is a description of the broadcast: “Children are often the silent victims during a divorce. On today’s broadcast, DivorceCare founder Steve Grissom talks with Dennis Rainey about the effects divorce has on children.”

• Divorceministry4kids.com The primary purpose of Divorce Ministry 4 Kids is to equip churches and children’s workers in churches to more effectively and compassionately minister to children of divorce. The Bible tells us that: “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” These words, and many like them in the Bible, remind us that God is the ultimate source of healing for the children of divorce, and our churches owe it to these kids to be equipped to minister to them effectively.

RESOURCES:

• Between Two Worlds: The Inner Lives of Children of Divorce -written by Elizabeth Marquardt, published by Crown Publishers. In this book, Elizabeth answers the question: “Is there really such a thing as a ‘good divorce’? Determined to uncover the truth, Elizabeth Marquardt —herself a child of divorce —conducted, with Professor Norval Glenn, a national study of children of divorce, surveying 1,500 young adults from both divorced and intact families. In Between Two Worlds, she weaves the findings of that study together with powerful stories of the childhoods of young people from divorced families. The hard truth, she says, is that while divorce is sometimes necessary, even amicable divorces sow lasting inner conflict in the lives of children. When a family breaks in two, children who stay in touch with both parents must travel between two worlds, trying alone to reconcile their parents’ often strikingly different beliefs, values, and ways of living.” This book is “alive with the voices of men and women whose lives were changed by divorce.”

• Breaking the Cycle of Divorce: How Your Marriage Can Succeed Even if Your Parents’ Didn’t -written by John Trent, published by Focus on the Family. This book is written on the principle that “when you come from a home of divorce, making your own marriage work can be tougher than average. But, you can stop the cycle. In Breaking the Cycle of Divorce, author John Trent, an adult child of divorce himself, offers encouragement, insight and the tools to equip you to beat the odds. Learn to face your fears, make reasonable and realistic changes, and get the help you need to avoid becoming a negative statistic. You can have a marriage that’s strong —that thrives —and gives your own children a solid foundation for happily married lives.”

• Six String Rocketeer: Holding Life Together When Your Parents Split Apart -written by Jesse Butterworth, published by WaterBrook Press. In this book, Jesse tells the story of the break up of his parent’s marriage and his home with humor, honesty, and heart. He also shows how he figured out what to do with the emotions that come with divorce: anger, hurt, frustration, and loss. Picking up a beat up guitar, Jesse discovered that he could turn his misery into music and his pain into passion —becoming the Six String Rocketeer. In the process Jesse realized that the wounds that hurt you can become the wounds that heal you. Author Lee Strobel said of this book: “Heartbreaking one moment, laugh-out-loud funny the next, Jesse Butterworth has written a valuable book for anyone whose parents are going through a divorce. Without preaching, he invites readers into his own story of how he coped with his parents’ breakup —and brings much-needed encouragement along the way.”

• The Big D; Divorce Thru the Eyes of a Teen Student Workbook This is a workbook that can be used to help a family  —particularly teens, get through the crisis of divorce. It’s “an interactive curriculum to encourage teens ages 12 – 18 to deal with their parents separation or divorce and to give them the tools to take control of their futures.” The author, Krista Smith, “wrote it after watching her own teens process her divorce, using techniques that have proven extremely effective. The program is well crafted and engaging.” (John Dunham – Tools Reviewer)