‘Finding the Light of Jesus’ by Cindy Tuttle – Book Review and Giveaway

Life in these United States has been more stressful than normal over the last few years, primarily due to hard economic conditions. In her latest book, ‘Finding the Light of Jesus,' Cindy Tuttle tries to provide a remedy to withstand difficult times.

Here is the synopsis of this book:

Experience inner peace…in the midst of trouble. Face it; life is full of stress. Whether we deal with daily mild irritations like spilled milk, traffic jams, or extreme problems like the death of a loved one, divorce, or job loss, each of these events – as well as those that fall in between these opposite ends of the scale – cause anxiety, worry, and even ill physical health.

Finding the Light of Jesus provides reflections and revelations which allow us to step back from our problems, reflect on what is most important in the present moment, and rely on spiritual healing – the Light – to experience inner peace and calm in the midst of trouble.

Here is the biography of this author:

For more than twenty-five years, Cindy Tuttle has worked with adults having severe mental illness. She has served on the mental Health Advisory Board and have twice been named as Advocate of the Year in Mental Health for Sacramento County. She has published many poems and articles and appears each month on Big Blend radio.

In the Introduction, Ms. Tuttle explains the layout of her book:

At the beginning of each chapter, I provide a prayer, which helps you center with a prayerful mindset and open heart, before delving into the chapter itself. Then, I will present some thoughts on our culture and help you realize that Jesus – not the world – is our source of love and life. Next, the chapter will include an activity which complements the proceeding thoughts. These will include suggestions on how you can put into practice the focus of the chapter. I will end each chapter with a prayer or poem. This will again remind us that Jesus is the center of our being. At the end of the book, I offer reflective questions and prayers which you will find helpful in searching your heart. The prayers will focus on various emotions we feel and how Jesus is with us. You will find blank pages in the back of this book for personal reflections and notes.

She goes on to share why she wrote this book, and her credentials:

I am writing this book as your fellow traveler on this journey called life. I am not a theologian; however, through much training and counseling, I have learned much about myself and others. I have received spiritual direction for a number of years, and have completed four years of lay ministry courses. I am fortunate to have been involved in many service ministries, including the facilitation of spiritual retreats, where I have had the pleasure of learning from the wonderful people who have attended. I currently work with adults who have severe mental illnesses, and I have been doing this for over twenty-five years.

I offer this book to you in the spirit of much love. I know life is stressful, and this is my way of offering support and shining on you the wonderful Light of Jesus. As the Bible says in John 14:6, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Each one who reads this book will be in my prayers. My prayer is that you will experience the holy wonderful light within yourself; the Eternal Light of Jesus!

Cindy’s chapters are inspiring and encouraging. Here is a section from her chapter entitled ‘How Does Jesus See Me?:’

Jesus sees our heart. He knows our weaknesses and when we mess up, but He also knows how our soul yearns to be united to Him. That’s why we can always come to Him for forgiveness. He is waiting for us to come to Him and share in His marvelous light. He weeps for us when we are in pain. He experiences joy when we feel His presence and when we care for others. He knows when we want to follow Him and are not sure how. He is the loving shepherd waiting for His sheep.

With this love, which He freely gives, we quickly realize it is too strong and wonderful to “hide under a bushel.” This light is so powerful, that it has to be shared. It isn’t shared because we feel it’s something we should do or are told we must do. It’s shared because we have this strong desire to share it. Does this mean that every day we are eager to care for others? To be realistic, there may be many times when we feel tired or any number of reasons that might make it difficult. But once we’ve experienced this deep and passionate love of Jesus, we have the strength and perseverance to keep going and carry our cross. There is no turning back once we know how much we are loved and how we need to give that light to others. (pp. 50-51)

The back of the book includes a section of Prayers and Reflections, including Thirty Days with Jesus. This section of the book definitely points the readers to Jesus. I love the Reflection on Day 1:

As you go through your day, look at the beauty that surrounds you, and how Jesus is present. Reflect on your relationship with Jesus and how Jesus sees you as His beloved child. What does that mean to you? Is what way is Jesus calling you into a deeper relationship? Sometimes, it is difficult to notice the blessings we have, especially if we are going through hard times. Think of something for which you are grateful. (p. 114)

Although I don’t consider myself to be a child of Jesus, but a child of His Father, God, I will extend Cindy some grace for that!    

I love the prayer on Day 8:

Today is a day like no other day,

and we will never have it again

        It is an opportunity to see others as

living painting of God

To see nature as small images of God

        To realize we have another day of life

        Another day of learning how to become

        a more caring and insightful person

        Today we will focus on this day alone

        Not what happened yesterday

        Or what may happen tomorrow

        Let us celebrate this day,

        because it is a day like no other day (p. 120)

Cindy writes in a loving and conversational style; it is clear from her writing that she is a kind and lovely woman. I gleaned a lot of good and insightful information from her book, and I thank her for sharing what she has learned with us.

You can order this book here.

This book was published by Crosslink Publishing and provided for review and giveaway purposes by Hamby Media.

_______________________________________

I have one copy of this book to pass along to one of you; thanks to LeAnn at Hamby Media for generously providing this copy! 

There are several ways to gain entry:           

1) Leave a comment here on the blog, telling me how God has helped you through a stressful situation. Please make sure to leave your email address in this format – sample[at]gmail[dot]com. 

2) Follow me on Twitter; I will more than likely follow you back! If you are already a Twitter follower, that counts, too! Please leave a new comment to that effect.

3) Follow me as a Google Friend on this blog; if you are already a Friend, that counts, too! Please leave a new comment to that effect.

4) Become my Facebook friend. Please leave a new comment to that effect.

5) Follow this blog as a NetWorked Blog Follower after you’ve become my Facebook friend. Please leave a new comment to that effect.

So there are five chances to enter! Please limit one entry per option, and please include your email address, or, sad to say, the Random Number Generator will have to choose a different winner.

This giveaway is for U.S. residents only. The deadline for entry is Tuesday, December 14, 2010 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A winner will be chosen via the Random Number Generator (www.random.org) on Wednesday, December 15, 2010 and will be contacted via email. I will try to get the book in the mail in time for Christmas. The best to all of you!