When Tina Howard emailed me a week or so ago and asked if I would participate in a blog tour for a friend’s book, I almost said no. Not because I didn’t want to. I did. I was just afraid I wouldn’t have the time, for one. And for another, I’d never had a hand in a blog tour. I didn’t want to screw things up.

But I said sure, why not. If she was nice enough to ask, I should be nice enough to agree.

I’m glad I did.

Parting the Waters, by Jeanne Damoff, was waiting for me in the mailbox a few days later. I tossed it into my bag to take to work the next day, intending to start it during lunch. I did. And finished it three hours later.

To say that I never let a good book come between me and my work would be an honest enough statement, but this book was better than good. It was among the most enthralling and honest memoirs I’ve ever had the privilege of reading.

The Damoffs were your typical family. Jeanne, her husband George, and Luke, Grace, and Jacob, their three children. Their family prospered under the loving care of God until a tragic boating accident left Jacob fighting for his life. Submerged for over ten minutes, Jacob was left in a vegetative coma with little hope of recovery.

Parting the Waters is a chronicle not only of the accident, but the faithfulness of God. It is the account of a miracle, a story of hope and love, and a glimpse into a crisis of faith.

I’ve read many books that grapple with how a loving God could let bad things happen to good people. Trials and unanswered questions are a part of every life, and to many a stumbling block to greater faith. Theologians have for thousands of years grappled with these issues, but it took a Texas school teacher named Jeanne to bring everything into focus for me. Yes, bad things happen in this life. To all of us. But that doesn’t mean God isn’t in control, and that He can’t turn the bad into the beautiful.

It’s the subtitle of Parting the Waters that gives you a clue as to what the book is truly about. “Finding beauty in brokenness.” That’s what the Damoffs have learned. That there is grace in the midst of pain. That God can use even the smallest of us to touch the lives of so many people. That His purposes are interwoven into even the smallest details to bring peace to the suffering.

And that tragedy to the body can lead to triumph for the soul.

You can learn more about the Jeanne’s book by taking a look at these pages:

Parting the Waters on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1579219500
Jeanne Damoff’s Website: http://jeannedamoff.com
Jeanne Damoff’s Blog: http://ellezymn.livejournal.com/

And if you happen to be browsing the shelves of your local bookstore and come across Parting the Waters, buy it. Read it.

Trust me. You’ll be glad you did.

I’ve been entangled in a virtual game of tag.

Caught by Sarah Lopez over at God’s Not Finished With Us Yet. I’ve seen this around in the blogging world and figured that sooner or later I would get a turn. So, thanks to Sarah for allowing me to participate.

The rules are simple: list six random or weird facts about yourself, and then tag six others.

Writing six random or weird facts about me is pretty easy, since I am generally both random and weird. Trying to figure out which six, though, was quite a challenge. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. As a senior in high school, I was scouted by four colleges and one major league baseball team. My future was set. Then I blew my shoulder on the next-to-last game of the year, and never played again.

2. Though by all accounts a manly man, I will flee hysterically from a clown. Any clown. Would someone please explain to me why clowns aren’t the most horrifying things in the universe?

3. I will go to the store and by anything except toilet paper. You will never catch me with it. Ever.

4. I cannot go to bed at night without watching one episode of The Andy Griffith Show.

5. At seventeen, I saved a girl from suicide. She wanted to thank me in person, but I was too shy to meet her.

6. I once had over a thousand dollars worth of baseball cards. I sold them all to buy my wife’s engagement ring.

And in the spirit of keeping the ball rolling, I will invite…

Lynn Rush
Jennifer Lee
Chris Godfredsen
Sharilyn
Carol
Becki