About the Book

Why is it so difficult to get along with my family?
Of course, I forgive, but I can’t seem to get past the pain.
I don’t know why I get so angry.
It feels like I'm the only one trying to do what's right!
God seems distant. Does he even care about me?

Do any of these hit close to home? It may surprise you that the underlying cause is often hidden unforgiveness. Our closest relationships, emotional health, and perhaps even our faith may seem to be crumbling around us. It is easy to recognize how stuck we feel, but most have no idea forgiveness is the way forward.

If we're honest, we don’t even know what forgiveness is. We may have a vague idea it has something to do with “forgetting” or “letting go,” but we'd be hard-pressed to come up with a working definition. Worse yet, we have no idea how to practice forgiveness in a way that brings lasting relief.

Forgiveness is not a vague, esoteric concept. It is not a lofty, unattainable ideal. It is simple enough to be understood by anyone, a straightforward process you can learn with practice. Forgiveness can bring real freedom, clearing a path back to peace and joy.

What's inside the book

Learn not only why you should forgive, but a way how.

How vs. Why

Is there a difference between knowing why you should forgive and understanding how to forgive? How do we change our thinking about forgiveness so we can find our way back to joy?

The Unforgiveness Trap

Why do many remain stuck in unforgivess? Why do forgivess and freedom remain out of reach in spite of our best efforts?

The Cost of Unforgiveness

What is the impact of hidden unforgiveness on our emotional, physical, and spiritual well being?

Is Forgiveness Fair?

Why should I let this person off the hook? Won't I just get hurt again? Am I supposed to allow them to keep mistreating people? Learn how true forgiveness fulfils our need for fairness and justice.

False Forgiveness

Learn how unforgiveness disguises itself and tricks us into believing we've already forgiven.

A Forgiveness How

Freedome is within reach. Learn a step-by-step practice of forgiveness which releases us from the burdens of past wounds.

What People Are Saying...

“Michael and Mark have written a book that humbly walks the reader through one of the most difficult and necessary spiritual practices. This may very well be the book that offers readers the freedom they didn’t even know they were missing.”

Terry Esau

Terry Esau

Author of Surprise Me and Be the Surprise
CEO, Founder of Free Bikes 4 Kidz

“The stories of relational pain are often raw, humbling, and—at times—breathtaking. Most of us can find ourselves in several stories shared in this book. Forgiveness: A Surprising Way Forward provides a way out of the sadness of broken relationships and into the restoration made possible by genuine forgiveness.”

Peter Kapsner

Peter Kapsner, Ph.D.

Professor, Speaker, Journalist, and Podcast Host

Mark Henderson Michael Snuffer
More About the Authors

Mark Henderson

Michael Snuffer

Mark Henderson completed a Masters in Clinical Pastoral Counseling, and served as a pastor of counseling for twenty years. Michael Snuffer has ministered as a counselor for more than ten years. Together with thier wives, they co-founded Equip2Counsel,™ a training ministry dedicated to providing simple yet powerful counseling tools to ministers globally.