We’ve never met, but I know you.

If I asked you about your deepest joy, you’d smile, and tell me about a relationship, wouldn’t you? A child. A spouse. A parent. A friend.

But, if I asked you about your deepest heartache, you’d also tell me about a relationship. Am I right?

A fallout with a family member, hurt from a friend, or conflict with a colleague, leaves us reeling, wondering what to do about it. We replay it in the shower. We rehash it with our friends. We can’t eat–or we can’t stop eating. We can’t sleep–or we can’t stop sleeping.

We rehearse conversations in our cars, obsessing over what he said. What she said. What we said.

What we wished we’d said.

Conflict in all its forms consumes us. Sure, we smile and function on the outside. We go to work. Take the kids to school. Call our moms. Celebrate holidays. But on the inside, we’re miserable. We’re confused. We’re ashamed. We’re angry. We’re wounded. We’re guilt-ridden. We’re hopeless.

We’re hurt.

Conflict never slips into our life alone; her friends, heartache, headaches, and hurt, always tag along. These companions don’t make good party guests, they make painful ones.

But you already know this, that’s why you picked up this book.

Maybe you can recall the exact moment you knew you needed wisdom for a relationship conflict.

Sometimes it happens in a flash; a text, a blow-up, a breakup, or a call, sends us into a tailspin in desperate need of help. Other times though, relationships fizzle in a slow fade, like embers on a day-old fire. The friend you thought would always have your back starts snubbing you instead; the spouse you thought you’d always feel close to suddenly seems like a stranger; the toddler you thought could never rebel grows to be the teenager that causes never-ending drama.

You wake up one day and everything seems manageable. You wake up the next day and realize it’s not.

So, what do you do when you’re standing in your kitchen with an upset teenager? How do you work through real-time disagreements with your spouse? What’s the best response when you’re blindsided by a text from a disgruntled co-worker? What should you say to a family member who has strong political opinions that run counter to yours? How do broach the subject with a friend who hurt your feelings?

This is the stuff life is made of.

What we do in the middle of this stuff will either leave us holding a bouquet of relief or a fist full of regret.

None of us wants to hang our head in shame, and think, “Why did I handle the conflict like that?”

The good news–the great news, actually–is that it’s possible to take hurtful conflicts and turn them into holy moments for God to show up.

Between the pages of this book, we’ll discover a practical, biblical blueprint to resolve conflict and genuinely connect with others. We’ll learn how to honor God when we’ve been hurt, how to communicate when we’d rather retaliate, and how to move toward others when it seems easier to run away. We’ll explore why conflict happens, what to do in the heat of conflict, and what to do to prevent conflict. You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how to respond when conflict comes calling.

Whether you deal with daily disagreements or occasional blowups, Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life provides real-life ways to handle present life conflict so we can avoid future life regret.

For your chance to win a copy of Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life, simply leave a comment.

Healthy Conflict, Peaceful Life is available in paperback, kindle, and audible, everywhere books are sold. It includes helpful questions at the end of each chapter making the book perfect for small groups, Bible studies, or book clubs! As an added bonus, listen to my February 21st episode of the “That’s Just What I Needed Podcast” to learn about the single most important quality to handle a conflict well.

You are loved!

Donna