We had a number of really fascinating conversations, but one of them really stands out.
Melanie and I were talking about porn. In the middle of the vendor hall at the convention. For a half hour or more. We're part of a group of homeschool moms, busily planning the best math program, or the right history sequence. Meanwhile, there is an epidemic out there impacting men, and we are fooling ourselves if we think that Christians are exempt. We are fooling ourselves if we think homeschoolers are exempt. We are fooling ourselves if we think that it couldn't happen to our boys.
I was left with the conviction that as part of the "older women" in homeschooling circles, I can't stay silent about the issue, no matter how uncomfortable it makes me.
So, when Litfuse was looking for folks to review Secrets: A True Story of Addiction, Infidelity, and Second Chances by Jonathan Daugherty, I knew I needed to go for it.
I'm glad I did.
Secrets starts off a lot of years ago, when Daugherty first encountered porn in a magazine as a 12-year-old.
Let me tell you what the publisher had to say:
Everyone has a secret or two, a part of their life they would rather not share with the rest of the world.I expected to struggle through this book. Instead I was surprised to find this a relatively easy book to read, and I was pulling for Jonathan. And for his wife. There is no doubt that he has an addiction and that he makes a lot of mistakes, but the descriptions are not graphic. Of course, it helped a lot that the description of the book told me this was a story of recovery and redemption. I'm not sure I would have been able to get through it if I didn't know this book offers hope -- and not just to those who struggle, but to those who know people who struggle.
But for Jonathan Daugherty, his secret was so life-altering and relationship-ending that he fought to keep it hidden at all costs. And it did cost him. His secret kept him from contentment, peace, and the possibility of being known and loved for who he truly is. That's what any secret addiction can do-but in particular a sex addiction.
After his wife finally discovered his secret, their marriage appeared to be over. In Secrets, Jonathan honestly and courageously shares his story of addiction to pornography and how he lost everything to it.
But that's not how the story ends. While Jonathan struggled, someone else was at work-his heavenly Father. At the lowest possible moment of his life, God stepped in and brought him hope and healing. This is a story of both loss and redemption that gives hope to anyone who has ever experienced the power and struggle of addiction and its life-destroying effects.
Addiction doesn't have the final say over Jonathan's life or in his marriage. The God who finds the lost, heals the sick, and brings life from death has the last, victorious word.
- A courageous, honest and open account of life as a sex addict and how sex addiction destroys marriages.
- A life-affirming and personal story of recovery and redemption that will inspire readers.
- Offers hope to all who struggle with pornography and sex addiction.
- Each chapter includes a "Living in the Light" section designed to equip and help readers find freedom from addiction.
- Suitable as a study for support groups of addicts and those who care about them.
There are lots of people out there struggling. And porn addiction does ruin lives. It breaks up marriages, ruins relationships with friends and family, and absolutely kills trust. But God.
God is bigger than all of that, and God uses broken people all the time.
All the time.
This book reminded me of that, and Jonathan Daugherty is doing fantastic things by putting this book out there.
This is a book I'd love to get into the hands of lots of people. Because porn is easier than ever to find, and the statistics show that kids -- male and female -- are finding it at younger and younger ages.
We need to not bury our heads in the sand.
Disclaimer: I received this book through LitFuse Blog Tour. No other compensation was received. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.