Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Book Review: Stained Glass Hearts


Stained Glass Hearts: Seeing Life from a Broken Perspective by Patsy Clairmont

There are lots of giggles and laughs in there, or it wouldn’t have been written by Patsy Clairmont, but this book has more serious or somber tones than others I have read. Patsy shares some of the broken pieces of her life, and how God has put her back together, given joy, and brought beauty through the ashes and the tears.

Since I myself am on a cancer journey, I chose to read and review this book to gain more perspective about brokenness and difficult places. Patsy transparently shares how God brought her from phobias and addictions to healing through the power of the Word and trusting God moment by moment to change thoughts and habits.

One section of the book was particularly powerful in my life. Patsy gave five suggestions for maintaining joy through pain. Three of the five were “Choose gratitude.” Gratitude and joy are both choices that we have the power to make. Even in our pain, “we can in the midst of it thank God for who he is. It is a sacrifice of praise when we acknowledge his lordship” (p. 70).

Patsy says many things in this book that we all need to heed. Every life will have struggles, losses, pain, and suffering, eventually. How we respond to these will determine whether the beauty of Christ will shine through our lives. I recommend this book, especially if you love reading Patsy Clairmont and if you are going through brokenness. I will share my copy with the first person to request it by commenting on our family blog.

I received a free copy of Stained Glass Hearts from Thomas Nelson Publishers in exchange for this review.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”