Life, In Spite of Me

Sneak peak of Chapter One

CAUTION. Read the following at the risk of experiencing the sort of emotional "nausea" that sticks with you (even after you get off the boat).  Maybe I would even rate this book R for expressing so much "real" emotion, "real" pain", "REAL life", and " true Redemption". 

Who should read this book you ask?

Probably every parent should read this.  Every mom. Every dad.  Every teacher. Every friend. Every Pastor. Every Pastor's wife. Every follower of Jesus.  Every person who has experienced pain......loss of courage.  Every person who is not completely sure about the whole heaven thing.  Every person oblivious to the silent and deathly pain of depression. You probably get the idea, but it comes with the previous warning.  Life "shaking". 

What did I like about this book?

God sends a song

This is Kristen's story.  Honest...gut wrenching.  Full of all the painful things we really do not want to hear someone say, that are the exact things we really need to be listening to. In between some of the chapters Kristen writes personal notes to you, the reader, of things she wishes she had known, been told.  I read this book in one sitting, but it is quite honestly taking me a long time to even find words worth using in review.  How do you describe the miracle of God taking a life "dead" and bringing "new" again?  Read this.  Just do.  You will cry...but by the end, you will rejoice with Kristen as she gives testimony to the Greatness of God. 

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook on life. Once a happy child, Kristen’s world darkened after three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a depression that didn't seem to have an end. Then, on a cold January night at the age of 17, Kristen attempted suicide by laying down on a set of railroad tracks near her parents home. She was run over by 33 freight train cars at  50mph, and both of her legs were severed, but miraculously, she survived!!  read more about Kristen's story at  Reaching You Ministries.

 I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.