Official Review: Brushstrokes of Heaven

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Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha
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Official Review: Brushstrokes of Heaven

Post by Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Brushstrokes of Heaven" by Tammy C. Heidenreich.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The author, Tammy C. Heidenreich, writes about her experiences of “Pain and Trauma touched by the Healing Hand of God” in Brushstrokes of Heaven. It is an inspirational nonfiction book written from the author’s perspective as a Christian and referring to the Bible and her communication with God. Brushstrokes of Heaven explores several themes such as grief, loss, bullying, low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, accidents, post-traumatic stress disorder and family ill-health. It discusses the positive side of the trials and challenges faced by the author. There are twenty-seven chapters in the book. The first thirteen chapters describe the painful and traumatic experiences of the author. The other half of the book are reflections on the lessons learnt from the trials and experiences.

The author’s first experience described in the book was about an episode of physical assault during pregnancy and the grave health risks that event posed to her and her unborn child. She admits that she had always been afraid of childbirth and for several years, before ever being pregnant, had prayed for safe and uneventful labor. However, the fact that her first experience turned out to be so traumatic did not shake her faith in God as she sought to look at the events from a positive side.

I liked the way the author was able to see positivity in the experiences she had. I think it is a healthy attitude that can give one strength to endure and overcome life’s numerous challenges. It is so fundamental that non-Christian readers can relate to and identify with the core message of this book. I particularly enjoyed chapter 13. In it, the author identifies herself as someone who has too much empathy for others. I could thoroughly relate to that, and I found her submission on how to deal with it inspiring. I particularly liked this statement.
God continues to teach me how to keep boundaries on this empathy and use it only if He directs, for it can lead me to take on pursuits and spend my energy on responsibility not meant for me.
I also liked the author’s assertion that God’s first concern is not about our service for Him, but our intimacy with Him and our security in His extravagant love. The story in chapter 23 about balancing family life and other interests will appeal to a lot of mothers. I found it comforting to know that God loves me and understands the challenges I face in this area. I enjoyed reading the back stories that preceded the poems in the last section of the book.

I had great difficulty in identifying the few grammatical errors I found in this book, so I think it was professionally edited. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars because I was inspired by the message. It would be a useful addition to church and family libraries.

******
Brushstrokes of Heaven
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Post by Book Lover 35 »

Wow. Sounds like a strong woman. This book seems like it covers a lot of ground. It looks like it is worth the read. Thank you for the review!
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Post by Rosemary Khathibe »

Though the book seems to contain heavy themes, I like the fact that it is an inspiring read that talks about the word of God and the lesson learned by the author through out her trails and experiences. Nice review!
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Post by kandscreeley »

This one seems quite powerful. It's hard to hold on to faith during those tough times in our lives, and it sounds like the author inspires her readers to do so. Thanks.
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Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha
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Post by Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha »

Book Lover 35 wrote: 17 Nov 2018, 00:40 Wow. Sounds like a strong woman. This book seems like it covers a lot of ground. It looks like it is worth the read. Thank you for the review!
Thanks for reading and commenting! it definitely is worth the read!
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Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha
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Post by Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha »

kandscreeley wrote: 19 Nov 2018, 08:46 This one seems quite powerful. It's hard to hold on to faith during those tough times in our lives, and it sounds like the author inspires her readers to do so. Thanks.
Thanks for reading and commenting. You are right that it is very hard to hold on to faith during tough times in our lives. The author inspired me to look at everything I go through from a positive perspective by faith. Cheers!
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Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha
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Post by Chigozie Anuli Mbadugha »

Rosemary Khathibe wrote: 18 Nov 2018, 01:16 Though the book seems to contain heavy themes, I like the fact that it is an inspiring read that talks about the word of God and the lesson learned by the author through out her trails and experiences. Nice review!
Thanks for reading and commenting. I agree the themes are heavy, but then they are also everyday trials that we or people we know have gone through or may go through in the future.
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Post by Bianka Walter »

I totally agree - a positive attitude can change anything.
Great review!
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Post by Britty01 »

This book appears to have a very positive message and the author a strong woman with an enduring faith. The stories contained within the pages of this book could inspire and encourage others as they go through trials. Thanks for the excellent review.
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Post by Manang Muyang »

There is always a reason to be grateful. Sometimes, we only need to know that other people are in worse situations.

When we encounter difficulties, we ask, "Why me?" The better reaction: Thank God the situation is not worse. But when we are riding high, we ask, "Why not better?" The human is the master of discontent.

May the author inspire us to be more grateful for the blessings that always come every day, courtesy of a loving and merciful God.

Thanks for the inspired review.
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Post by Sushan Ekanayake »

This book does not seem very interesting to me, but thank you for the detailed review 👍👍
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Post by Connie Otwani »

Hardships do not only present the greatest tests to our faith, but also the greatest growth. It would we interesting to see how the author overcame her struggles. Great review!
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