Product Description

With rare grace, the author shares an uplifting story of how God intervenes when one falls on her face before a loving God.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #97539 in Books
• Published on: 1996-03-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

From the Publisher

Talented and beautiful, Sheila Walsh seemed to be on top of her world. But behind her public success as a performing artist and talk show host, a private story was unfolding. Unable to cope with the inner turmoil that plagued her, Sheila stepped down as co-host of television's "700 Club" to deal with a pain too pressing to ignore.

Honestly takes you on a journey past the walls that most of us put up and into the recesses of one woman's heart. With rare grace, Sheila shares the story of her pilgrimage the journey of a soul as it moved from hopelessness, to honesty, to freedom, and, ultimately, to a deepened faith and joy.

Though the details may vary, Sheila's story is in many ways the story of us all as we seek to deepen our ability to love and be loved, and to learn the lessons that only adversity can teach.

From the Author
Sheila Walsh is an internationally known recording artist, author, and television host. Former co-host with Pat Robertson of "The 700 Club" and host of her own show, "Heart to Heart with Sheila Walsh," she is the author of the best-selling Holding onto Heaven with Hell on Your Back

From the Back Cover
How a Passage of Pain Became a Journey to Joy

Talented and beautiful, Sheila Walsh seemed to be on top of the world. But behind her public success as a performing artist and talk show host, a private story was unfolding. Unable to cope with the inner turmoil that plagued her, Sheila stepped down as cohost of television's 700 Club to deal with a pain too pressing to ignore.

Honestly takes you on a journey past the walls that most of us put up and into the recesses of one woman's heart. With rare grace, Sheila shares the story of her pilgrimage--the journey of a soul as it moved from hopelessness to honesty to freedom, and, ultimately, to a deepened faith and joy. With unrelenting candor, Sheila probes beyond the surface of her troubles to find a truth strong and real enough to set her free.

Honestly shows how facing the things about ourselves that we try hardest to hide--fearful specters of loss, shame, and doubt--puts us on the high road to God's liberating love and grace. Though the details may vary, Sheila's story is in many ways the story of us all as we seek to deepen our ability to love and be loved and to learn the lessons that only adversity can teach.

Customer Reviews

A light in the dark
It has been a few years since I read Sheila's book, so I don't remember a lot of specific details about it as much as the feelings I had about it. I got the book after attending a Women of Faith conference where I heard Sheila speak. Part of what Sheila shared with us was about her struggle with depression. I was deeply touched by Sheila's story, as I could relate to many aspects of it. I began struggling with depression while I was in high school. My life seemed to be going well as I was an honor student apparently headed for a good college and career. But inside, I felt like I was falling apart. It was hard for me to share what I was feeling as I was also dealing with denial and shame. While I was never hospitalized as Sheila was, I always had the feeling that I was just barely hanging on. Fortunately, I was able to find some answers in books I read, but as I tried to share what I was experiencing with other people, I encountered as much misunderstanding and condemnation as compassion and understanding. So I could relate to Sheila's feelings of isolation, and her need to hide her true self from the world.
As for Sheila's book Honestly, it was like a light in the dark for me, to hear from someone who had experienced something similar to what I went through. It helped me know I was not alone, and played a role in my healing process as I read it and reread parts that were most significant to me. It was also encouraging to see how God was using Sheila's painful experiences to enable her to minister to others, a concrete example of how God can take the bad in our lives and transform it into good.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with depression, shame, and feeling like they have to hide their true self from other people. It is helpful to hear from others who have shared these feelings, and we can learn from their experiences. For those who may not be going through these things, I would recommend this book as a tool to gain some understanding of those who are, and to better know how to respond to others' pain with compassion.
Just as an added note, for those who may think depression is just something to be "fixed", I went into it as an atheist, and came out with a rock solid faith in God. The pain of depression can be helpful in that it may cause us to question our perception of reality, to be seeking something more, and to see our need for and be more receptive to God's love and compassion. In this respect, depression can be a catalyst for spiritual, emotional and mental growth.

Powerful Testimony & Book
A few years ago I found a new copy of this book at a used book store for a decent price. I gave it to my dad for Christmas because he's an avid reader of non-fiction, especially biographies & autobiographies. I wish I'd read it first before I gave it away. I eventually bought a copy from Amazon & read it recently (4/04). I'm glad I finally read it myself.

Sheila Walsh got saved when she was 11 years old. On the outside, she was a successful Christian talk show host, singer, & author. But she had ghosts from her childhood that she had never dealt with properly. At what seemed like th peak of her success(age 35), she stepped down from her spot as the co-host of the 700 Club & checked herself into a Christian Psychiatric Ward in Washington, D.C. That was probably the best thing that she did for herself. From there on out, God began to work on the the things that had tormented her for so many years. Today she is happy, healthy, whole, & restored. her life is truly a testimony to what God can do if we surrender totally to him.

Thank you, Sheila, for writing this book. My prayer is that your books, sermons, & music will continue to touch many people as they already have. God bless you, Sheila Walsh!

WONDERFUL -- speaks to the heart
I have struggled with, at times winning and at times losseing, depression since I was a small child. I am a strong full-faith Christian. Believe it or not, and a lot of people don't -- you can be both. Sheila breaks that ground and opens her heart and her soul for the good of us reading. She has hurt sooooo much; and come soooo close to the edge of darkness. This book speaks to the heart and damaged maind of every depressed reader; I have cried on each page; for her and for me. It is a great read for the non-depressed to illustrate that a real and active Christan can still be attacked. The support the book offers for fellow depression suffers is excellent. It is not a total explanation of depression, nor of "seeking help" but it is a personal journy that empowers other to walk the path. It is not all you need to read; but it is a read support.