Endorsements - Swansong
It has been said that words can blister or they can bless. Every day we speak many words, sometimes carefully, often not. We hurt others and are hurt. What if we were to be more aware of our words, being mindful that our words are part of the legacy we leave behind? This is the theme Jo-Anne Berthelsen follows in this carefully written book. Working around twelve common themes in conversation, and blending personal stories with biblical insights, she inspires us to use our words well, so they heal rather than hurt, and build up rather than tear down. Her message is one we all need to hear and apply.
Tony Horsfall, author and retreat leader
You can never underestimate the power of words. You can’t dismiss them and neither should you ignore this timely and beautifully crafted book. Words have the capacity to bless or curse, to build up or destroy. They touch hearts and minds. A writer of depth, Jo-Anne Berthelsen takes us on a journey where words operate and she presents, in very accessible ways, the impact they have on our own and others’ lives. An invaluable resource to read with care and consideration. A book that will invite a returning to on many occasions and which comes with insightful reflections and exercises to ponder and practise.
Roy Searle, community elder of the Northumbria Community, former president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, writer, spiritual director, leadership mentor and consultant. www.northumbriacommunity.org and www.northumbrian.org
Words are powerful! They are capable of great harm. They can bestow great benefit. They may uplift the hearer to heights of joy or plunge them into caverns of dark despair. Words might be wielded as weapons to wound or medicines to heal. In the Old Testament, Proverbs points out that ‘Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones’ (16:24). Yet it also reminds us that ‘The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing’ (12:18). In Swansong, Jo-Anne Berthelsen invites us to consider words from twelve different categories of human experience; how they can be utilised by us to bless others, received to encourage our lives, meditated on to glorify God. Crafted by long years of Jo-Anne’s wrestling with words as a writer, illustrated by honest examples from her own life, infused by a deep Christian faith and savoured by God’s words from the Scriptures, Swansong graciously invites us to reflect on how words shape our lives, raising our consciousness about our use of language, which is itself a gift of the one who is described in the Gospels as the ‘Word’ (John 1:1). With each chapter concluding in pertinent questions to ponder, Swansong is a book worth slow and meditative engagement about what legacy our words will leave behind.
Revd Dr Viv Grice, Baptist pastor, professional supervisor (pastoral)
What a refreshing, relevant and positive theme! The twelve words Jo-Anne has chosen are not only key Christian biblical themes but the essence of the good news we have to share about Jesus – the Word made flesh. It is almost impossible to overemphasise how important these words are for us to give and receive in our everyday lives. My mentoring of Christian leaders has taught me, for example, that genuine words of encouragement are music to the soul for pastors, indeed for all of us. This book is timely and very important. It presents the essence of the good news (gospel) we have to share and live out in this world.
Dr Keith Farmer, mentor and principal emeritus, Australian College of Ministries
Language is powerful. God has uniquely gifted humans with a capacity for nuanced speech and with this gift comes the responsibility to use words with care. Jo-Anne Berthelsen deftly guides our thinking about how our words might be employed to impart life to others. At the same time, she gives us a wonderful example of theologically informed reflective practice as she anchors her insights in both the Bible and incidents in everyday life. Don’t rush this book; there is much to ponder in every chapter.
Dr Rick Lewis, mentor, trainer, church consultant, author of Mentoring Matters anamcaraconsulting.com.au
I have shared Jo-Anne’s journey for over three decades and see her as a person who, from the beginning of our friendship, listened, learnt and then implemented, with her many gifts and skills culminating in this book. Her growth in self-awareness has been profound, as the diverse stories included in Swansong show. Jo-Anne writes, ‘I love words. I find them fascinating . . . ’, and the chapter headings clearly show this. They hit the mark and resonated with me and will with many others who read this book. A legacy – yes. A saying that continues to challenge me states: ‘A wise leader is one who plants trees under whose shade she/he will never sit.’ In Swansong, I believe Jo-Anne has planted trees that will flourish and grow for years to come.
Les Scarborough, John Mark Ministries – mentor, trainer, church consultant
Jo-Anne Berthelsen’s latest book, Swansong: Start creating your legacy of life-giving words today, moved me to tears from the introduction. It is a powerful but accessible discussion of the weight our words carry for good or ill. Filled with personal examples, it is a must-read for anyone who wants to ensure that the words they speak and write are life-giving rather than life-limiting.
Carolyn Bourke, chaplaincy manager
Jo-Anne Berthelsen uses personal experiences and relevant Scripture in exhorting us, gently and with great wisdom, to always ensure that our words, spoken or written, are delivered with grace and with love. Jo-Anne knows that, if our love for one another is reflected in our words, then we will be creating a legacy which God’s Holy Spirit will use and honour. For those who want to empower others by extending insightful words of comfort, empathy, forgiveness, encouragement, affirmation and love, this book is a must-read.
Ian White, author themustardseed.net.au
Jo-Anne Berthelsen’s latest offering in Swansong is a warm and gentle invitation to love God and others through our words. Jo-Anne leads us through various ways our words can minister to others, and her empathy, humility and a genuine desire to encourage us shines through. I find Jo-Anne’s stories about helpful (and not so helpful) words to be quite relatable! Jo-Anne treads carefully around some difficult topics with grace and wise insight, bringing balance to such issues as the grief of childlessness and singledom. She writes honestly about the challenges and courage required to obey God in putting our words out there, while offering comfort to us like a hand reaching out in kindness. Early on in the book, Jo-Anne says she is praying for us, her readers, and I believe her. I personally felt uplifted as I read Swansong and I pray you will too.
Steph Penny, author of Surviving Singledom, Surviving Childlessness and Surviving Chronic Illness www.stephpenny.com.au
Words. They can be free-flowing or elusive, life-giving or destructive, but are far more powerful than we often realise as we carelessly toss them out. But what if, as Jo-Anne maintains in this helpful book, we see them instead as a legacy which we leave? Generously laced with both personal stories and Bible quotes, as well as challenging reflection points, she examines a number of the different kinds of words which we can use positively, shaping our discipleship and blessing those around us. A book to encourage us in this often neglected, but vital, aspect of our lives.
Jeannie Kendall, author of Finding Our Voice, Held in Your Bottle and Heroes or Villains?
Tony Horsfall, author and retreat leader
You can never underestimate the power of words. You can’t dismiss them and neither should you ignore this timely and beautifully crafted book. Words have the capacity to bless or curse, to build up or destroy. They touch hearts and minds. A writer of depth, Jo-Anne Berthelsen takes us on a journey where words operate and she presents, in very accessible ways, the impact they have on our own and others’ lives. An invaluable resource to read with care and consideration. A book that will invite a returning to on many occasions and which comes with insightful reflections and exercises to ponder and practise.
Roy Searle, community elder of the Northumbria Community, former president of the Baptist Union of Great Britain, writer, spiritual director, leadership mentor and consultant. www.northumbriacommunity.org and www.northumbrian.org
Words are powerful! They are capable of great harm. They can bestow great benefit. They may uplift the hearer to heights of joy or plunge them into caverns of dark despair. Words might be wielded as weapons to wound or medicines to heal. In the Old Testament, Proverbs points out that ‘Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones’ (16:24). Yet it also reminds us that ‘The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing’ (12:18). In Swansong, Jo-Anne Berthelsen invites us to consider words from twelve different categories of human experience; how they can be utilised by us to bless others, received to encourage our lives, meditated on to glorify God. Crafted by long years of Jo-Anne’s wrestling with words as a writer, illustrated by honest examples from her own life, infused by a deep Christian faith and savoured by God’s words from the Scriptures, Swansong graciously invites us to reflect on how words shape our lives, raising our consciousness about our use of language, which is itself a gift of the one who is described in the Gospels as the ‘Word’ (John 1:1). With each chapter concluding in pertinent questions to ponder, Swansong is a book worth slow and meditative engagement about what legacy our words will leave behind.
Revd Dr Viv Grice, Baptist pastor, professional supervisor (pastoral)
What a refreshing, relevant and positive theme! The twelve words Jo-Anne has chosen are not only key Christian biblical themes but the essence of the good news we have to share about Jesus – the Word made flesh. It is almost impossible to overemphasise how important these words are for us to give and receive in our everyday lives. My mentoring of Christian leaders has taught me, for example, that genuine words of encouragement are music to the soul for pastors, indeed for all of us. This book is timely and very important. It presents the essence of the good news (gospel) we have to share and live out in this world.
Dr Keith Farmer, mentor and principal emeritus, Australian College of Ministries
Language is powerful. God has uniquely gifted humans with a capacity for nuanced speech and with this gift comes the responsibility to use words with care. Jo-Anne Berthelsen deftly guides our thinking about how our words might be employed to impart life to others. At the same time, she gives us a wonderful example of theologically informed reflective practice as she anchors her insights in both the Bible and incidents in everyday life. Don’t rush this book; there is much to ponder in every chapter.
Dr Rick Lewis, mentor, trainer, church consultant, author of Mentoring Matters anamcaraconsulting.com.au
I have shared Jo-Anne’s journey for over three decades and see her as a person who, from the beginning of our friendship, listened, learnt and then implemented, with her many gifts and skills culminating in this book. Her growth in self-awareness has been profound, as the diverse stories included in Swansong show. Jo-Anne writes, ‘I love words. I find them fascinating . . . ’, and the chapter headings clearly show this. They hit the mark and resonated with me and will with many others who read this book. A legacy – yes. A saying that continues to challenge me states: ‘A wise leader is one who plants trees under whose shade she/he will never sit.’ In Swansong, I believe Jo-Anne has planted trees that will flourish and grow for years to come.
Les Scarborough, John Mark Ministries – mentor, trainer, church consultant
Jo-Anne Berthelsen’s latest book, Swansong: Start creating your legacy of life-giving words today, moved me to tears from the introduction. It is a powerful but accessible discussion of the weight our words carry for good or ill. Filled with personal examples, it is a must-read for anyone who wants to ensure that the words they speak and write are life-giving rather than life-limiting.
Carolyn Bourke, chaplaincy manager
Jo-Anne Berthelsen uses personal experiences and relevant Scripture in exhorting us, gently and with great wisdom, to always ensure that our words, spoken or written, are delivered with grace and with love. Jo-Anne knows that, if our love for one another is reflected in our words, then we will be creating a legacy which God’s Holy Spirit will use and honour. For those who want to empower others by extending insightful words of comfort, empathy, forgiveness, encouragement, affirmation and love, this book is a must-read.
Ian White, author themustardseed.net.au
Jo-Anne Berthelsen’s latest offering in Swansong is a warm and gentle invitation to love God and others through our words. Jo-Anne leads us through various ways our words can minister to others, and her empathy, humility and a genuine desire to encourage us shines through. I find Jo-Anne’s stories about helpful (and not so helpful) words to be quite relatable! Jo-Anne treads carefully around some difficult topics with grace and wise insight, bringing balance to such issues as the grief of childlessness and singledom. She writes honestly about the challenges and courage required to obey God in putting our words out there, while offering comfort to us like a hand reaching out in kindness. Early on in the book, Jo-Anne says she is praying for us, her readers, and I believe her. I personally felt uplifted as I read Swansong and I pray you will too.
Steph Penny, author of Surviving Singledom, Surviving Childlessness and Surviving Chronic Illness www.stephpenny.com.au
Words. They can be free-flowing or elusive, life-giving or destructive, but are far more powerful than we often realise as we carelessly toss them out. But what if, as Jo-Anne maintains in this helpful book, we see them instead as a legacy which we leave? Generously laced with both personal stories and Bible quotes, as well as challenging reflection points, she examines a number of the different kinds of words which we can use positively, shaping our discipleship and blessing those around us. A book to encourage us in this often neglected, but vital, aspect of our lives.
Jeannie Kendall, author of Finding Our Voice, Held in Your Bottle and Heroes or Villains?
Reviews - Swansong
Coming soon
Readers' comments - Swansong
HI just wanted to write and say how much I am valuing your book, Swansong. The whole book is so beautifully written and exudes such great wisdom. I love the way you incorporate stories from your life and use scripture so powerfully. I keep dipping into it and reading a chapter and then I find I want to reread it and try to absorb more of it. I find it gives one lots to think and pray about. Thank you, Jo-Anne, for taking up writing and providing so many interesting and helpful books. I don’t think I will be able to give it away but when I have finished with it I will certainly want to lend it to good friends. (Rhondda)
Thank you for your book, Swansong. The honest way you write and your insight into the way people should use their words have been very much appreciated. (BH)
Thank you for Swan Song and the wisdom you showed in your writing. The way you based your thinking on all those positive words gives all much to reflect upon. What we say and how we say it will have a great effect on our listeners. Every blessing. (Eric)
I have just finished rereading Swansong, and what a lovely book! There was plenty in there that I had completely forgotten about, so it made for a refreshing read. I also found myself stopping after certain chapters and just absorbing. The chapter on affirmations seemed particularly potent for me, and I found myself just basking in God’s loving gaze at the end of the chapter. Thank you again for writing this and sharing it with the world. (Steph)
(Please contact Jo-Anne by clicking here to give your feedback!)
Thank you for your book, Swansong. The honest way you write and your insight into the way people should use their words have been very much appreciated. (BH)
Thank you for Swan Song and the wisdom you showed in your writing. The way you based your thinking on all those positive words gives all much to reflect upon. What we say and how we say it will have a great effect on our listeners. Every blessing. (Eric)
I have just finished rereading Swansong, and what a lovely book! There was plenty in there that I had completely forgotten about, so it made for a refreshing read. I also found myself stopping after certain chapters and just absorbing. The chapter on affirmations seemed particularly potent for me, and I found myself just basking in God’s loving gaze at the end of the chapter. Thank you again for writing this and sharing it with the world. (Steph)
(Please contact Jo-Anne by clicking here to give your feedback!)