Jun 29, 2012

Book Review {Heaven Is For Real, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years}


Heaven Is For Real (Todd Burpo) is the story of four-year Colton Burpo's purported experience in heaven.  As retold by his father, Colton had a near-death experience after a ruptured appendix was mis-diagnosed.  This account is interesting in that the parents took great care not to impose their own biblical knowledge on Colton's narration of his experience.  It is amazing to read how the little boy's encounter verified and aligned with what Scripture says about heaven, many facts of which a preschooler would be utterly ignorant. While the book should certainly not be taken as gospel, this was a fun and faith-affirming book.













A Million Miles in a Thousand Years by Donald Miller is part-memoir, part-muse about life, faith, and our purpose here. Mr. Miller tells of his epiphany as movie makers try to craft a story line from his life.  With a lack of real substance, they fictionalize his life in an attempt to make it interesting.  This experience sends Mr. Miller on a quest to discover the secret behind a good story. The basic premise of the book is that each person, as they live their life, is making decisions based on what they believe and the story they want their life to tell.  Most people choose the path of least resistance to a selfish life of comfort and ultimately, boredom and lack of fulfillment and purpose.  Those who step out and pursue hard things and big goals are those who experience vulnerability, hardship, and pain, but also betterment, satisfaction, and peace. While traversing through Mr. Miller's personal life journey, he shares with the reader what he learned about the elements of  a good story.  A sensational wordsmith, Mr. Miller will make you laugh and cry, and draw you into his story and somehow make it yours.  He is brutally honest and at times, a bit crass; he also addresses a few adult topics that would be best suited for a mature audience.  He appears to be a sincere seeker of truth, a believer in God and the truth of his Word.  All in all, this was a great read; it held my attention and yet challenged me to re-consider how I'm writing my story.


3 lovely comments:

Phyllis Blickensderfer said... Best Blogger Tips

'Heaven is Real' is the first book book paid for on our Kindle Fire (we had some freebies, though) and we love carrying it as part of the library. An amazing story.

Tammy said... Best Blogger Tips

hi april! this is tammy. i meant to tell you the other day when i saw you how i enjoy your blog. the book reviews too. so creative. keep up the good work!

Luzia Narvz said... Best Blogger Tips

Made me feel and think a lot about the afterlife and God, Jesus, Heaven! Definitely would recommend that you read this and draw your own conclusions from the testimony the Colton Burpo.

Luzia
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