Do other women see you as a safe haven?
Author
encourages readers to seek out
authentic relationships with women of all ages
With 232 million people using Twitter every month and more
than 1.3 billion people on Facebook last year, it’s safe to say we live in an
incredibly “connected” world. Yet with hundreds of friends and loved ones just
a click away on social media or a text away on the phone, why do so many women
feel isolated and alone? With ladies longing for meaningful connections to help
them grow in their faith and find emotional wholeness, now is the perfect time
for Pamela Havey Lau’s new book, A Friend in Me: How to be a Safe Haven for Other
Women (David C Cook/June 1, 2015/ ISBN: 978-1434708649/ $15.99).
Women
today also crave relational connection with women who are further ahead of them
on their journey. So many want mentors, guides and role models to whom they can
bring their accomplishments and failures to feel affirmed, mutually respected
and understood.
In
A Friend in Me, Lau shows women how
to be a safe place for those who are in earlier stages of life than they are,
teaching them habits for strengthening bonds such as offering comfort, acting
with understanding and relating with compassion. She also offers five patterns
women need to practice for initiating relationships and talking through tough issues
such as faith, forgiveness, sexuality and vocation. “The way the older
generation talks about these topics can send the message, ‘I don’t agree with the
way you’re living your life,’” Lau admits. “On the other hand, the way younger
women support themselves financially and build relationships may send the
message, ‘I am fine, and I don’t need your support.’”
Lau’s
passion to help women of all ages find kinship comes from a personal place; after
her young brother-in-law and his fiancée were killed in a head-on collision,
she quickly realized how much she needed to hear how other women journeyed
through their own grief. Lau believes these connections are a key ingredient in
spiritual growth and encourages readers that a large age gap isn’t needed for
mentorship; a mom of teens can offer valuable advice to a mother of toddlers,
just as a newlywed can share tips with a newly engaged friend.
Through
Lau’s own personal heartbreaks and deep theological studies, A Friend in Me examines the incredible
impact women can have on their world when they unite and pattern their lives
after Jesus. “I’m praying for a movement around the globe for women to find
satisfaction, healing and safety in closer relationships with the women God has
placed in their lives,” Lau reveals.
A
Friend in Me
ultimately succeeds in reminding readers that age differences do not have to create
a divide between women and that together they can experience a deeper faith
than they ever thought possible.
Advance
Praise
“A Friend in Me is a must-read for any
woman seeking to build meaningful relationships with the next generation of
women. Transparent, yet practical, Pam Lau’s message is filled with stories of
hope and grace. . . . We urge you to read this book as you consider how you
will pass along your faith in today’s rapidly changing world.”
~
Drs. Les and Leslie Parrott, authors of Saving
Your Marriage Before It Starts
“If
you long to make a lasting difference in the lives of women in the next
generation, read A Friend in Me. With
raw honesty, poignant illustrations and courageous action steps — all woven
within biblical truth — Pamela Havey Lau has written a book that challenges
women to be intentional about investing their time, influence, knowledge and
friendship in women. Don’t miss this extraordinary book!”
~
Carol Kent, speaker and author of Becoming
a Woman of Influence
“Friendship
with other women has been a powerful source of grace and sustenance in my life.
With this book that is both practical and discipling, I hope friendship — with
other women and with God — becomes this for you too.”
~
Katelyn Beaty, managing editor of Christianity
Today magazine
Pamela
Havey Lau is the author of A Friend in Me, Soul
Strength and numerous articles for such publications as Christian
Scholar’s Review and Christianity Today. A graduate of
Liberty University and Colorado State University, she has taught writing at
George Fox University and speaks around the country at conferences and
retreats.
After
her three daughters were born, Lau began teaching writing at private day
schools until 2010 when she started her own business, Real Life Real Image,
where she writes, edits and speaks. Lau is married to Dr. Brad Lau, a college
administrator. The two make their home near Portland, Oregon, with their three
daughters.
Keep up with
Pamela Havey Lau at www.pamelalau.com, on Facebook (pamela.h.lau) or by following her on Twitter (@pamelahaveylau).
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