This is the true story of Ora-Jay and Irene Eash, Amish farmers from northwest Montana whose lives changed in an instant when a semi-truck struck the family buggy, killing their two young daughters. 

After the accident, the couple turned to their Amish community for comfort, but they remained haunted by the thought that they might not see their girls again in heaven. Would their deeds be good enough? Eventually Ora-Jay and Irene learned that grace—not works—was enough to ensure their place in eternity. But with that knowledge came the realization that they could no longer live in an Amish community that didn’t share this precious belief. Could they sever their connection to the Amish family they loved? 

This is the story of their journey to the hope that is heaven, a hope stronger than the loss of children, family, and a way of life. Fans of Amish fiction will appreciate such a real-life look into the Amish community, co-written by bestselling author Tricia Goyer, and readers of all kinds will resonate with this tale of courage, resilience, and the redemption found in the grace of Jesus.

In the past year, we’ve had quite a few Amish families move into our area.  A buggy going past the house is a normal, every day occurrence now.  I have to admit, they do make me smile!  So when I saw this book, it intrigued me.  When I received the book and started reading it, I wasn’t disappointed.  Learning more about the Amish lifestyle was super interesting.

I admit, I anticipated shedding many tears while reading this book.  I thought it would be a sad story about the loss of their two daughters in a horrific buggy accident.  But it wasn’t that at all.  It was a moving, interesting story of a family who used this heartbreak to reflect on their own beliefs and how they tie into the Bible.  The “rules” they had to follow for generations…were they Biblical or man-made?  They worked through this hard process, asking themselves difficult questions, and ended up with the sweetest faith.

This book was provided to me free of charge by Book Look in return for my honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

You believe in God. You’re trying to serve Him.

But do you know how to truly love Him—and let Him love you?

As a Bible-believing churchgoer, author Shellie Tomlinson harbored a secret in her good-girl heart. She longed for something more than routine faith; she wanted to love God with a genuine, all-consuming passion. So she got honest with Him: “I admit it. I don’t love you like I should, but I want to love you. Help me!”

In Heart Wide Open, Shellie invites you to answer the call of your restless heart and refuse to settle for anything less than the intimate friendship of God. Through her heartfelt and honest words, you’ll find practical inspiration to help you…

• exchange your “just enough Jesus” mindset for an all-out pursuit of Him
• put sizzle in your Bible study by asking God to show you the wonder of His Word
• trade formulaic devotions for a devoted life

Are you ready to stop struggling to make time for God and instead live every moment with God? Discover how to live with your heart wide open.

When I saw the title and description of this book, I was intrigued and ordered it straight away.  I couldn’t wait to dive into it.  I mean, read the description above, put sizzle in your Bible study?  Trade formulaic devotions for a devoted life?  Count me in!

I have to say, her honesty and transparency along with her southern charm make for a fun read. She leads you through a variety of topics such as “Are some of us stuck with messed up mustard seeds” and
“When all you can bring Him is a broken want-to”. She gives sample prayers to pray that hit home to me. I’ve said before, I’m a “God talk” girl. I talk to Him like He’s sitting right beside me. My words aren’t fancy, and they don’t need to be, it’s the heart attitude to which God responds. She includes prayers like, “Jesus, I know I don’t love You like I should, but I want to love You” and “Lord, teach me how to live devoted beyond my daily devotional.” In the back of the book she includes a Bible study and discussion guide that would help individuals and small groups go deeper.

Click here to download chapter one of Heart Wide Open. 

WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review as part of their Blogging for Books program.

“If our families are to flourish, we will need to learn and practice ways of forgiving those who have had the greatest impact upon us: our mothers and fathers.” 

Do you struggle with the deep pain of a broken relationship with a parent? 

Leslie Leyland Fields and Dr. Jill Hubbard invite you to walk with them as they explore the following questions: 

• What does the Bible say about forgiveness? Why must we forgive at all?  

• How do we honor those who act dishonorably toward us, especially when those people are as influential as our parents? * Can we ever break free from the “sins of our fathers”? 

What does forgiveness look like in the lives of real parents and children? Does forgiveness mean I have to let an estranged parent back into my life? Is it possible to forgive a parent who has passed away? 

Through the authors’ own compelling personal stories combined with a fresh look at the Scriptures,Forgiving Our Fathers and Mothers illustrates and instructs in the practice of authentic forgiveness, leading you away from hate and hurt toward healing, hope, and freedom.

Want to know what I’m an expert at? Holding at grudge. Yep, it’s true. It’s not something I’m proud of. Forgiveness is something we all struggle with.

This book takes you on a journey of forgiveness. It does an excellent job of connecting with someone whose parents have blown it. And let’s face it, we’ve all blown it at one point or another as parents. This book shows readers how to process the pain through a scriptural filter and releases them into the freedom of their future made possible by God’s grace in Christ.

There are children that went through terrible horrors at the hands of their parents. I’ve always wondered how the commandment “Honor Thy Mother and Father” fit into the lives of such children. How could they honor people that did not honor them? The author uses biblical characters to help explain the process of forgiving. The author draws you into each chapter with reflective questions at the end. I can easily see this book for those who have a difficult time forgiving Aunts, friends, Uncles, Brother and Sisters. I could see this book being used in a healing ministry discussion group. Overall, this book was very good at teaching how to forgive and I recommend anyone who has experienced hurt to read it.

This book was provided to me free of charge by Book Look in return for my honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.