“I am no longer valuable to God. I have failed. It’s all a mess. I must hide from my Father.” Once we embrace that perspective, it begins to permeate every layer of life and inevitably impacts our relationship with God.
For the Samaritan woman it all began with a conversation at the well on an ordinary day. Where might Jesus come to you—that place in your activities, your emotions, where you have adjusted to live under the confines of the fear? What questions might Jesus ask you that would grow in intensity until—yes, there it is—that place of pain, fear, and shame? This book offers compassionate moments to discover, with Jesus's help, the wounds that provide a source for accusation.
Joni Earecksen Tada: Joni and Friends International Disability Center
Conversations at the Well is an extraordinary collection of insightful narratives for a generation desperate to know that grace is greater than shame and that no one is beyond the reach of God’s redeeming love. For anyone who has ever wondered, "Am I enough?" or has felt the urge to retreat from others and hide from God, Susan Habegger offers a powerful message of hope and healing. Readers will discover that the answer to shame is not greater self-esteem or self-effort, but a deeper understanding of the grace, acceptance, and saving love of Christ. Like the woman at the well who encountered Jesus and left transformed, we are invited to bring our own stories, scars, disappointments, and secrets into His presence. Change is possible, Susan assures us. So, I wholeheartedly recommend Conversations at the Well, and my prayer is that every reader who opens its pages will hear the voice of Jesus calling them out of hiding and into the freedom, joy, and purpose that can only be found in Him. In short, I love this book!
Jean Nystrand: Retired President of Thrive Life Skills Board; Retired Director of BSF International; Bible Teacher
"Jesus knows all about our struggles .. . . There's not a friend like the lowly Jesus — no not one." Conversations at the Well introduces us to the real-life encounter Jesus had with a woman who was bound up in a life of guilt and shame. As He gently leads her to the "living water" of cleansing she craved, we are encouraged to respond to the same invitation ". . . Never thirst again."
Blake Coffee: Executive Director of One Another Project
I have spent some decades now ministering to Christ followers in the midst of their interpersonal conflict with each other, and it would not be possible to overestimate the huge role which shame plays in that kind of conflict. This book is as thorough a journey through understanding and finding restoration from that shame as I have ever seen. It is beautifully scriptural and it is wonderfully practical. It is lovingly gentle and it is every bit as invasive as necessary. Lastly, it is brutally honest while being hopeful and encouraging. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
We are all on a journey of healing.
YOUR PATH
Your path is unique.
Take time to ponder the blessings and the challenges,
the joy and the suffering,
the bright hues and the dark shades.
Avoid not one bend in the road.
All of these elements weave the exquisite tapestry of your life
with perfect design.
A NEW SONG
Our Journey Toward Healing
Pain. Disappointment. Suffering. They entered your life uninvited. And now it seems they are here to stay. You could try to address them, but who has the time and energy? Especially when all you want to do is get on with life?
A NEW SONG
LEADERS GUIDE FOR SMALL GROUP STUDY
There are many who feel the draw and the need for a defined way to begin the conversation of healing. There is the offer—and even the expectation—of healing, but not the provision of a safe space to talk openly about that healing in its unfiltered expression.
Author and Speaker
Susan Habegger is director of Thrive Life Skills, the international ministry organization which she founded in 2010. For more than three decades, Susan has lived and worked with suffering people around the world, but not until she unexpectedly met suffering firsthand did her thoughts on healing transform, inspiring her to write A New Song.
While not traveling and teaching, Susan lives with her daughter and family in Michigan, where she explores the Lake Michigan shores and leans on her constant companion, her Good Shepherd.
Speaking Engagements
SMALL GROUP STUDY LAUNCH
CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & RETREAT TOPICS
CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & RETREAT TOPICS
A New Song
For churches or ministries who choose to use A New Song as the foundation for a small group study.
Why begin a journey of healing?
What might that journey look like?
How should I prepare for the journey?
Let's get to know suffering . . . Why?
CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & RETREAT TOPICS
CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & RETREAT TOPICS
CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & RETREAT TOPICS
Movement. Almost constant movement.
Coming from one place . . .
traveling to another.
A time away for contemplation is taking time to quiet our minds and our actions, intentionally making room for careful, productive thought about things that we might otherwise push aside.
Speaking Engagement FAQs
CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP & RETREAT TOPICS
Speaking Engagement FAQs
One session
One-day workshop/retreat
Two-day retreat
Let me know what your hopes and goals are for your event and we can creatively come up with a relevant opportunity for you and your participants.