All Churched Out...The Weary Wife Of The Pastor, Book 1, By Denise Cook-Godfrey

Book Excerpt: 

"This book is being written with a passion for stirring the hearts of the "church" as we know it. Relationship over religion is an underlying theme that needs to be revisited over and over as we mature as Christians. Traditional mindsets and thinking patterns make the Word of God ineffective in our lives. Synopsis Lea Westchester-Jackson is a woman torn between two worlds. One of those worlds revolves around God's unique gifts and passions from within her, but the other revolves around chaos, betrayal, legalism, and hypocrisy. Walking in the shadows of her late mother as the First Lady of Shady Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Lea loses a sense of restraint when her heart is shattered into millions of pieces. At that point in her life, she plummeted onto a journey where she searched for completion outside the traditional church's walls. Lea, who seemed to have never fully bonded with her mother due to emotional issues suffered by her mother during the postpartum depression, lives a life filled with a low self-image, fear, and an inferiority complex. Just when happiness appears to be on the horizon after marrying Kyle, her expectations and desires fade as he steps into the position of Pastor. Being the daughter of a Pastor, Lea and her sister Rebbie vowed never to marry a Pastor after witnessing their mother's pressure and pain during their childhood. Everyone's expectations for Lea and the "church" life cause triggering events from Lea's past to resurface. This resurfacing of past pain drives Lea into a world of seeking her identity desperately. The lack of a maternal bond causes more pain after her mother's death. This is the compelling story of a woman scorned while tempted to define true worship, spirituality, and love. "Lea," whose name means "weary," portrays the kind of character who takes the term "level up" to a new level."

Title: All Churched Out...The Weary Wife Of The Pastor
Author: Denise Cook-Godfrey
Publisher: Denise Cook-Godfrey
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Five
Review:
"All Churched Out...The Weary Wife Of The Pastor" by Denise Cook-Godfrey

My Assessment:

After reading this excellent novel, all that is left to say is WOW! This author did a fantastic job with this storyline. However, I am not sure who I felt sorrier for after all was said and done. One sure thing...all needed prayer from our Heavenly Father!

All of the characters from this story... Pastor Joseph Westchester, his wife, Agatha, his daughters, Leah and Rebbie, son-in-law, Kyle, Aunt Zelle, the sister-in-law, Deacon & wife, and a few others...I left out to keep one's interest to the very end.

With all that goes on in this story...one will be shaking their head and saying oh my God. But, as I was reading, I felt poor Leah needed therapy all by herself to talk freely with someone who would listen to her. This situation reminded me of a time in my life when treatment was needed, and the first thing I said to my therapist was I want to talk, and you listen. One can be left thinking, was this what Leah needed?

Yes, Leah had reason to be angry because of how her mother and father had treated her, along with that husband, and let us not leave out the sister Rebbie but surely Leah will not turn from God. All I will say about Leah's husband Kyle and Rebbie [her sister] left me shaking my head and saying ... wow! But as things were going on in this story, I wasn't too surprised at what had happened between the two. I don't want to tell too much of the story, so you will pick up this read and see how well this author brings it all out.

To say who started all of this mess was definitely with Pastor Westchester, who thought he was doing right in picking out Leah's husband... Kyle. But after Pastor Westchester found out what was going on, there is so much more to this picture with Kyle...who was a piece of work, and so was it with Leah's sister Rebbie. So all that is left to say is that they all need help from God!

After the family finally decides to talk about this horrible situation, what will happen next for Leah as she leaves her home and stays at a hotel for a few weeks? What will come of it when Leah is dining at the restaurant and gets a note from someone telling her..."Your sister was not the only one you know! Poor little Leah…always getting the short end of the stick! First, your mom didn't, and now your husband scorned you." Directly, who sent this to Leah, and why would someone be so cruel?

Will "Leah be able to find the strength to move beyond the pain and betrayal that she has encountered from her husband and sister? What about her past hurt and bitterness?" To get more of "All Churched Out," the reader must pick up Book 2 to see how well this author brings more of this story out to the reader. There will be a total of three Books on this story..."All Churched Out...The Weary Wife Of The Pastor," so there will be much more interesting information as the story continues.