I just finished Gary Vaynerchuk’s book, Crush It. Click to watch my video review!

Title: The Carousel Painter

Author: Judith Miller

Publisher: Bethany House, (Click Here to Purchase)

In this season of my life, I rarely read fictional stories. With all of my business and marketing endeavors, I tend to stick to reading materials that further my education, as my once-cherished novels collect dust on a shelf. However, when I saw the opportunity to review The Carousel Painter, my interest was stirred by simply the title alone. I thought a break from my normal studies would be refreshing and so I took the plunge.

The Carousel Painter proved to be a beautiful story that captured me from the very beginning. The main character, Carrington Brouwer, is a young women who struggles with opposition everywhere she goes, or so it seems to her. She doesn’t understand why God would allow her to be wrongly accused of such horrible things on so many occasions! She is just a simple girl trying to do her best in life and pursue what she loves, and yet her efforts would go unappreciated and often times misinterpreted. What really stood out to me about “Carrie” was her enduring faith and longing to learn more about God even in the heat of her trials. If I were to put myself in the shoes of this fictional woman, I know that my own reaction to much of what she encountered would not have been so proper!

I was impressed by the author’s ability to portray the character and found myself unable to put the book down, which is unusual for me. I rarely find a book so good that I literally don’t want to turn my lamp off and go to bed. Carrie is a lovely character that will certainly capture any reader’s heart with her sweet spirit and willingness to do what is right.

For more information or to order this wonderful book by Judith Miller, visit Bethany House Publishers at the link given above. This book was provided for review by the publisher.

Author Alicia Britt Chole (pronounced “show-LEE”) was a former atheist. This particular fact caught my attention and prompted me to read her book, Finding an Unseen God just out of sheer curiosity. Though I’ve never before actually met an atheist – someone who does not believe in God or a god – I wanted to better understand what defined them as a person. Upon opening Alicia’s book, I found a woman who simply wanted to share her heart. She shared about her life growing up, her family and friends, her good memories and the bad. Throughout these stories, Alicia denied God’s existence over and over. Life was too hard. In her eyes, it was obvious that there could not be a God out there that cared for her.

What I so appreciate about Alicia’s writing is that she is real. I can sense her humility in her words. She is not seeking fame. She is sharing her story to touch lives. Alicia came to find God was real. She could not shake Him. His perfect love crushed all of her doubts, and her life was changed because of it.

“Truth is not dead.
God has always lived.
Life is full of pain.
Death is but a door.
And the God who is, aches to love us.”

This book will touch many lives, this I am sure of. It has given me more energy in my own spiritual journey. It’s inspired me to share love with other people even when change seems impossible. Alicia is a living testimony of what God can do in the life of someone who doesn’t believe He exists.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-glSwXzyNgE]

When I originally received the offer from Bethany House Publishers to review Leading On Empty, I thought, why not, it looks like a good book. What I never anticipated was that this book would specifically be one of the main contributing factors to a complete revamp of my every-day life.

While I am a young adult who should supposedly have few cares in the world, life is quite the contrary, as I regularly carry an overwhelming load of commitments and a fully booked schedule. At the time when I first began reading Cordeiro’s book, it was the norm for me to stay up all hours of the night stressing over a work load. I was going to bed at 4 a.m. if not later, and sleeping in the next day until at least eleven to try to make up for lost sleep. Eventually it hit me hard. At my crashing point, I’d already starting reading Leading on Empty, so I was vaguely aware of what was happening. I’d over-committed and I was getting stretched so badly that I could no longer successfully manage any aspect of my life: family, friends, church, money and work. Most people probably didn’t realize it, but I felt guilty whenever I took free time, because my mind would constantly return to the workload waiting for me and me alone. 

So this is what I did. I packed some of my necessities and moved away from the farm for a few weeks and into an empty apartment owned by my parents. I needed a change of scenery and a change of pace. I left on good terms, knowing I’d likely return once I got my schedule back together. I took Cordeiro’s book with me, expecting that I’d be needing it. 

I read a small portion of Leading on Empty every day, if nothing more than to just remind me of what I could encounter if I didn’t fix things soon. I didn’t have as many responsibilities as the author, a pastor, but the further I read I knew that if I didn’t get on track, I could end up in the same situation as he. I could see it was coming, and I didn’t like it. 

From there on, I committed myself to making some changes. The first night I went to bed at 2:30. The next, 2. After that, 1:30. I reversed my schedule bit by bit, until three weeks later, I was going to sleep no later than 12:30 and waking up between 8-9 a.m., hours I’d not lived by for over 3 years. It felt good. I was accomplishing much more and went I went to bed, I was actually tired! The prior long nights had me tossing and turning until nearly sunrise most mornings. It was a hideous cycle and one I hadn’t ever disciplined myself to change. 

I recommend this book to anyone in any position of leadership or many commitments. Even if you’re not yet to that place of breakdown, you can recognize the signs and avoid getting caught in the trap. There is nothing that Satan would love more than to drag you away from your calling by bringing you to the ground. Great book, Wayne Cordeiro and Bethany House – I plan to suggest it to many.