Beauty Out of Ashes

Little did we know what the years would hold…

9 looong years on call!

When mom is sick, they came to me!

Ankle surgery 4 of 5 and my youngest trying to nurse his big toe alongside of me. ; )

Picc line out after 9 weeks of daily IV treatments!

And yet – God’s grace has given us the gift of laughter despite it all

And the gift of memories

Hard, but so very true.

It took a young and naive 20 year old girl marrying a nearly 24 year old boy; it took 9 years of Jeff being on call 24/7; it took almost losing our firstborn at 7 weeks old; it took 13 years of a deeply painful and heartbreaking struggle with one of our children that continues this to this day; it took 16 years of chronic illness; it took 10 surgeries between the two of us; it took two job losses; it took 4 children battling chronic illness; it took losing a home; it took 3 summers of battling fleas in our rental; it took me slowly losing my ability to walk and do much of anything; and it took many moments of joy, laughter, and memories mixed in.

And then – it took a mighty God moving in ways that only He could; it took fighting for our marriage; it took trusting God to heal what felt beyond healing; and then it took two years to write of God’s faithfulness, sufficiency, goodness, and sovereignty through it all.

And it releases into the world today.

Hardback      Audio      Kindle

Although this is just a book to many, to us – it is tangible evidence that God can redeem the darkest moments of our lives. We aren’t offering people a way to a perfect marriage. We are offering people the hope and truth of Christ – a hope that heals, redeems, sustains, and gives new life. We don’t have all the answers, but we can point you to the One who does.

We don’t deserve any of this, but we pray that God won’t waste it and will bless many marriages through it. Thank you for surrounding us with love, support, and prayer as we entrust this book to him.

By God’s grace, the storms won’t destroy us, but they will draw us closer to Christ and make us stronger together.

If you’re married, we hope you’ll grab a copy for you (and your spouse if their willing). If not, we hope you’ll consider gifting a copy to a couple who you know could use the encouragement – especially in this difficult season. If you have the means to purchase five copies to give away to couples in your life, please email us at togetherthroughthestorms@gmail.com with confirmation and we’d love to send you a free signed copy! Either way, would you pray with and for us as we ask the Lord to use this resource far and wide for his glory?

Lastly, if you’d like to support us by helping us get this message out, please consider sharing about it with those in your life. Releasing a book in this difficult climate has been affected just like all other industries right now, so any organic sharing is greatly appreciated! And if you happen to read it, please leave a review where you purchased it and let us know what you thought. Reviews are such a blessing to authors!

Thank you for your continual support; for allowing me the privilege what God has done in my life, and for so often reaching out to share encouragements. I’m beyond humbled by your support.

~Sarah (and Jeff) Walton

Endorsed by: Bob Lepine, Greg Smalley, Gary Thomas, Kirk Cameron, Nancy Guthrie, Mark Vroegop, Ed Welch, Laura Wifler, Vaneetha Risner, Colin Smith, Ruth Chou Simons, Mark and Laura Price, Jon and Quina Aragon, Ellen Dykas, Mary Kassian, Jonathan Holmes, Cameron Cole, and Dave Jenkins, Rachel Wilson, Paul and Edrie Mallard.

Table of Contents

• 1. Our Hope in Life and Marriage
• 2. When Trials Come
• 3. How to Cling to Hope in Loss
• 4. Holding All Things Loosely
• 5. Loving Your Spouse Through Chronic Illness
• 6. Learning to Lead (A Word for Husbands)
• 7. Learning to Follow (A Word for Wives)
• 8. Only God Can Change a Heart: When Your Spouse Fails You
• 9. When People Bring Judgment Instead of Comfort
• 10. Waiting Well When God Seems Silent
• 11. The Strange Gift of Lamenting
• 12. Walking the Valley of Despair Hand in Hand
• 13. When Your Pasts Threaten Your Present
• 14. Who Am I Now? Identity Crisis and Your Marriage
• 15. When You Feel Alone in the Storm
• 16. Suffering and Intimacy (Part One)
• 17. Suffering and Intimacy (Part Two)
• 18. Longing for Kids, Struggling With Kids: When Family Isn’t What You Dreamed Of
• 19. Why Our Family?
• 20. Prayers for Prodigal Children
• 21. Rediscovering (or Keeping) the Joy
• 22. God’s Answers to Our “Whys”
• 23. From Hearing to Seeing: The Fruit of Humility
• 24. The Glue that Keeps You Together: Forgiveness
• 25. The Best Is Yet to Come