A wonderful book that touched my heart so deeply...
354496
It's been some years since I've been a supporter of The Venus Project and Resource-Based Economy. Colin, fiction or not, your book touched deep in my heart, filling my heart with joy and laughter. About 50% in to the book, I asked myself whether this is fiction and I quickly realized it is and your note at the end of the book confirms my suspicion.

Although the transition is difficult, I would like to see this transition happen, but I know it won't be soon. Learning about The Venus Project, I started to see the world a lot different than what I've been used to and will read the book from time to time over the next few years to come.

Now, Amazon asked me about the violence. I think I'll need to read it again, but I don't think there's any violence at all, maybe except some dreamy parts of the story, so since I might have trouble choosing between "no violence" and "some violence," I'll probably leave that off. I simply want to give your book a 5-star review, that's all.
1844919
I sit here at my computer after reading this book into the early morning hours and I ask myself how to put into words a summary of the faith, hope, and love the Santorums shared in this touching story of their daughter Bella. Bella's story is so much more than a heart wrenching tale of a precious child with life threatening challenges. It is the story of hope through faith triumphing in the face of impossible odds all carried in the arms of unmeasured love.

This is the story of defining and then acting upon what is truly important in life. Of realizing that life is a gift of God and it is our sacred duty as individuals and as a society to cherish and nourish that gift.

In reading about the Santorum's triumphs and tragedies it really shows that when love is present the struggles in life only make us stronger. From the introduction to the last chapter, this books is the story of love. Love as their daughter Elizabeth described in the introduction as "agape" love, that love done "in service of another, without expectation of a reward".

I especially appreciated how this story was built around the great love chapter of the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13.  Each chapter of this book in some way developed the wonderful truths found there.

This coming May 13 the Santorums will be celebrating Bella's 7th birthday. Their past seven years of loving service for their daughter reminds me of an another Biblical story of service. In Genesis 29 it tells of Jacob's seven years of service for Rachel the daughter of Laban. The Bible describes it this way:

Genesis 29:20 And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

The word love here in Gen. 29 is the Hebrew ahabah and this is the first occurrence of the word in the Bible.  I think it only fitting to mention that in ancient Hebrew each letter was assigned a numerical value. The word ahabah in Hebrew is equal to 13.

Thank you Rick and Karen for sharing this story with us, I was blessed by it. As a home school family of 7 your testimony was especially poignant to us. Please give our love to Bella.

  And now abideth faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
 1 Corinthians 13:13
3102390
The Light Inside was a wonderful reminder of the importance and potency of maintaining an intimate dialogue with Spirit (whatever name you choose to call it ; (god, goddess, universe, etc...).  Reading the pages of the book I "remembered" how much joy and fulfillment I receive when I go to a quiet place in nature, or sit down before a sacred altar, and with a humble heart begin to speak to the great power of the unknown, and ask for guidance in my life.  One the many beautiful treasures in this book is the intimate way that C.S. shares the story of his journey into the depths of his heart.  It is a bold and brave move on his part to share so deeply the details of this journey, and by doing so he has made one of the highest offerings to humanity.  Instead of trying to "teach" us the way with some new method or modern permutation of ancient wisdom, he simply shares his story, the things that have worked for him and inspired him, the pitfalls on the path, and his encounters with sacred places and wise people.  I felt a sense of authentic humility when I read the story, and that humility was contagious.  It opened my heart, brought tears to my eyes, and made me wonder how I can ever allow myself to slip into the forgetfulness of the hustle of everyday life, when all I need to do is take a moment each day and give thanks to the earth and the sky for my life, the people in my life, and the mysterious journey that I am on.  I will be forever grateful to C.S. for sharing so deeply of himself through this beautiful book, and in turn helping me to live with a humble and open heart.  This is a book that is accessible to those of all religious and spiritual paths.  I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in cultivating a relationship with their highest and innermost self, The Light Inside.  That light is real, and the path into it has been illuminated by the words of the author.  This is truly a work expressive of a power greater than that of the just the writer himself.  I plan to share it with others and spread the word.  Thank you C.S. Drury...
- Surdas
1644071
This is a long awaited book by a person has has a very special gift.  She has comforted and enlightened so many  with  her insight and knowledge~ and now, there is the opportunity to share these gifts with the world. This book has touched me on so many levels.  I feel nourished by these words of hope and find myself thinking of the people that I love, thinking, 'I have to show them this part, they have to read this book'.  I can honestly say, that I have never read a book that has affected me so profoundly.  This book brings hope to the world, and a whole new way to consider our journey, it's importance, and the effect that each of us have on the world and each other. There is an unbelievable amount of hope knowing that we are not alone, and that we have in our grasp the ability to learn the tools to help us get the most out of our experience in Earth School.
4350106
This book has touched my heart like no other.  I have bought several copies but have given them all away so am ordering more.  The story about how this book came about is so amazing.  How fortunate for us that Carole Amber received this story when her grief was so raw but still was able to put it into words so telling and true,.  Then she found an illustrator that matched the words.  How does that happen?  It is truly a story of hope, acceptance, and unconditional love.  I have known Carole since she was a tween gymnast with boundless energy.  Little did I know that she would one day give this gift that would teach us such great lessons.  Thank you, Carole.
533314
I read this book and didn't want it to end. It touched my heart in a propounded way. I felt deep feeling and compassion for Emmie and how she survived all that she went through. I even felt compassion for her two kids and how their father's actions affected them. I will compliment Marcus on fatherhood and encourage him to keep on striving to do good. I couldn't quite understand how Saint Rose's mother didn't have enough care or concern for her grand kids. What a shame. Before I bought the book a friend told me she enjoyed reading it and thought I should get a copy. I enjoyed reading it. I will say a prayer for Emmie and her kids and wish they find more peace and happiness in the years ahead. So far quite a bit of my friends picked up a copy.
4726006
I would like to say first... that this book is a well written, inspirational, and moving read.  I am a hopelessly devoted and very loyal Clay Aiken fan and I was made aware of this wonderful book on a Clay Aiken message board.  I then told my closest Clay friend about the book and she bought it and sent a copy of it to me as well.  I can't even begin to thank her enough for doing that for me, because the author of this book has touched my heart in a way that's much too difficult for me to express in words.  Yes, I can honestly say, (and with good conscience)  that since I've read this particular book, my life as I know today, has changed for the better and I am a 'new person' because of it.  I know that this book won't have the same impact on every reader, but I can guarantee that it will leave most feeling moved and inspired.

The very day I received the book, I read it non-stop from cover to cover and I never do that.  I was totally captivated by the whole sentiment of the story that was being told by the author.  The story was sweet, sensitive, spiritual and very touching.  The author truly has a gift and I greatly appreciate her sharing her story with the world.  I hope she is inspired to do more writing in the future.  Just as Clay has made a profound impact upon my life... Maureen's beautiful book, 'The Bracelet' has done so as well.  I very much enjoyed reading her book.

I need to make something clear here... the author in no way claims that the character Chance was fashioned after Clay Aiken, but for any one who is truly a fan of his... it is pretty evident that Clay Aiken was infact the  inspiration for her book.  The author captures the very essence of what Clay is all about and the very man that he is and I highly suggest that all Clay fans read this book.  It will indeed touch their lives in some way.
2802569
It's hard to express my deep feelings on this amazing book.  It was so touching and a book that would be great to help the hearing world to realize the challenges hard of hearing & deaf face.  It touched me deeply as I could relate.  This book was a wonderful read!!!
4685337
I picked up this book specifically to read on a flight I took for a recent vacation.  The story sounded interesting from reading the back cover, but I never imaginedjust how good this book would be or how much it would touch me to the soul.  I could not put it down, and with a 6 mth old in the house, I jumped on every spare minute I had to read more.  I was so moved by the story--- it was touching and so realistic. By the end, I was crying.. something I haven't done when reading a novel in a very long time.  I am going to recommend this book to everyone I know who believes in love, lost love and the horrors of war.  I have been lucky enough not to have experienced any loss due to war, but after reading this novel, I believe I can relate to anyone who has lost a loved one either to war or poor timing.
4108585
i loved this book. it deals with so many issues and in a way that does not force the views of the author on you, but makes you seriously think about them. i was really touched and inspired by Sophie's behaviour and her deep, strong love for the Lord. i also loved her relationship with Alec, how they started slowly, how they talked to each other about everything, and how they came closer to God through it.
a wonderful, romantic, touching, deeply christian story.
1136718
As a mother who has also experienced loss, I was very compelled to read this book. I am so very glad I did. Although the circumstances of loss were different, I found that the feelings and sentiments that Jeri felt, were those of my own. I literally mirrored her emotions. I loved reading Monroe's feelings because this is something that not every father can do ~express their feelings. But, somehow, it felt more like his expression of love for his daughter and his family. His words alone encouraged me, along with Jeri's. What I find unique is the forward by McKenzie's older sister, Caroline. Her words, from the first sentence, grabbed my attention and absolutely set the tone for the book. "The sky turns into a pink mess.." held my attention. I continued to be captivated throughout the following chapters. Although it is rather a lengthy book at 416 pages, I cannot imagine being able to tell the story with even one of those pages missing and I found once I began reading, the pages turned quickly. I was able to finish this book in one sitting. It was that good, that inspiring and that hard to put down. The speech at McKenzie's funeral had me in tears and was the perfect ending for the book. I could see a marriage that grew stronger and a family that grew tighter. A breath of fresh air during a most difficult time. This book will not only sit on my bookshelf, but I intend to purchase them as gifts for other families who are struggling with the same or similar cancers that McKenzie bravely fought. I only regret I could not meet the special little girl that "changed" so many lives....including mine.

Definitely a MUST read!
992892
Please know I do not say this lightly - with this book, Paula has offered us a work which is impeccably written, quintessentially resplendent, deeply moving, and with a genuinely bright, beautiful, healthful, and meaningful message...so much so that I (humbly and respectfully) believe it is important to say that she has truly made the world a better place through this effort. I am a student of literature, and have read and studied a great many of what are commonly considered to be the classic and contemporary great books, e.g., my point being that, in the contemporary literary world, there is a LOT of competition, albeit I believe that Paula's book deserves to be recognized as among the finest of works.

Please accept my humble thanks, Paula. In so many ways your book has truly touched my heart - its so bright and splendid spirit has done so in a fashion which I will always appreciate and not forget.
3212697
I received my copies of the book today. I just cracked one open and read the prologue and first story.

I am comforted.

I have read these stories before, at least some of them, because I was blessed to be gifted a copy of a manuscript by the author many years ago. Yet, somehow they mean more today.

I read "A Pigeon." Twice. I read it twice because I had to let the life of Allister and his story sink in. I read it twice because I had to still my heart and my mind to allow that magic to happen. There's the greatest beauty and comfort.

After the second reading, I found myself choked up because there is such beauty in the truth of the story and truth in the beauty. The author is a deeply gifted man, and I am happy and humbled to call him friend.

I pray many blessings upon him and his work.
1479160
I have the privledge of knowing Mr. Hackenberger. In reading the continuation of his incredible story I found again I was so overcome with deep emotions. I loved the poetry it touched my heart it is so beautiful. For me his books carry a message of no matter what one has gone through, everyone has the gift of forgiveness. It allows you to find peace within. Thankyou Mr. Hackenberger my dear precious friend, for sharing your life and friendship with me. You have helped me discover that I had the gift of forgivness all along.  Your kind words and hugs make my heart smile. You are a treasure.
2393879
A friend recently told me sometimes it's harder to describe the books you loved over the ones you didn't...I'll start by saying this is one of the best books I've read this year.

The chapters are divided into three different voices - Maddy (the mother who has passed away), Eve (Maddy's teenage daughter), and Brady (Maddy's husband). Reading Eve's perspective, I found it relatable and deeply personal. When I was fourteen, my best friend's mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer; she passed away days before my friend's fifteenth birthday. Through that experience of being a friend to a teenage girl suffering the tremendous loss of her mother, particularly at that phase of life, I found Fabiaschi's words to be spot-on and authentic. All the voices were. There was emotional tenderness, the characters were complex and real, and the writing was flawless.

I think the best books force you to look inward, to think about your life and how you impact others. I learned quite a bit from this book- humanity, loss, suffering, and hope, as it relates to my own experiences and the experiences of others. This important quote in the book - we have to learn to learn from pain - left its indelible mark on me. This book gets my highest of recommendations.
4092560
I was deeply moved and touched by Tony's honesty, depth, sincerity and deep searching for his inner truth. The messages and insights he  received from Allah/God and his guide Sidi al Jamal in Jerusalem resonated with me on many levels and I could feel the deep love that permeated the words, the story and the teachings from the holy man he received much healing,unconditional love and support from. Not only does one learn that Sufism and Islam is about surrender to God and love, but its messages of love and unity crosses all beliefs systems, wounds, colors, backgrounds and continents. It was inspiring to learn about his transformation thru Sufism, Sidi and his courage despite his fears, worries or challenges. It helps me trust that perhaps I too can accomplish the same....a deep sense of love, faith and trust in Allah/God all the time. I highly recommend this book and the exploration of the Shadhilyya Sufi path.
3993406
To be honest, when I downloaded this book it was because it was a free download. I had no idea that this book would open me up and touch my heart in more ways than one. I am grateful to the author to have shared her story about such a wonderful person, her baby brother. From your words alone, I know he was a truly amazing person and definitely did not deserve the way in which he left you.
I have lost 2 friends in separate car accidents. One involved alcohol and I'm not sure about the other. I never got closure for either deaths and I was angry for a long time but since reading this book I feel a sense of peace that while their physical body is no longer here with me I still know that their spirits are still with me to guide me. Thanks for such a wonderful read and truly sorry for your loss.