Review: Now I See by Janet Perez Eckles

 

Now I See 

How God's Amazing Grace Turned Betrayal, Blindness, and Heartache to Shining Joy

by Janet Perez Eckles

What happens to your peace amid today’s chaos? When the headlines foretell gloom and doom and personal suffering threatens to break you, yet, God’s promises speak of hope and glorious victory?

Now I See will strengthen your resolve!

Tragedy cannot stop you. Janet’s transition from being a sighted mother to complete blindness at the pivotal age of 30 proves you can rise above pre-conceived limitations.

Grief cannot defeat you. Janet’s path to healing after the murder of her son proves that even loss is no match for God’s healing power.

Injustice cannot bring you down. When her son’s killer was acquitted, Janet proves freedom still lives in forgiveness.

Relationships cannot stifle you. Despite the end of her decades-long marriage, Janet proves life still holds promises of joy with fresh, new horizons!

Now I See stirs your heart as you’re reminded that God is alive, that He sees your tears, hears your sobs, knows your fears, and is ready to calm your storms.

My Take:

 Now I See by Janet Perez Eckles is an autobiographical account of a life journey from trial to triumph through faith. How could a blind single mom accomplish anything, much less become an award-winning interpreter, multi-published author, international speaker and ministry founder? Janet Perez Eckles describes her life growing up in war-torn Bolivia through immigration to the United States, and her struggles with early-onset Retinitis Pigmentosa and the total blindness this eventually caused. Though blindness, loss of a son through murder, bankruptcy, and divorce assailed her, her growing faith in Jesus strengthened her, helping her find forgiveness and purpose. Those overwhelmed with life’s trials and tragedies can find hope here that God has a plan and purpose for their lives.

Content:

Drug Content:

G - squeaky clean

Violence:

PG - Janet's youngest son, is violently murdered. The number of knife wounds he received is staggering. This information is given, I surmise, to give some scope to the effort it took to forgive his slayer. 

Language:

G - squeaky clean. 

Adult Content:

G - squeaky clean.

Christian content:

This memoir records Janet's journey to faith, and from physical and spiritual blindness to spiritual sight. A verse starts every chapter and is appropriate to the content of that chapter. Scripture is used a few times to underline a spiritual concept. Prayer is evident throughout, and answered prayer is recorded as God delivers or carries her through suffering.

Final analysis:

Now I See by Janet Perez Eckles is a well-written faith-filled account of her life. Her life in Bolivia as a child is well-depicted. The terror of war and the trials of poverty are put on stark display, though softened through the eyes of a child playing in the war-torn neighborhoods. I was struck by her account of one lady who claimed the intersection of two broken walls as her home. The ostracization she felt as a foreign immigrant, the fear as sight began to fail, the trauma of having her youngest murdered, are all raw and riveting. I never knew that a blind person could accomplish so much. A verse begins each chapter and is appropriate for the content. I found it encouraging, uplifting, spell-binding, and inspirational. Perfect for any Christian facing trials or tragedy, and needing encouragement to stay the course. Five Stars!

About the Author

International speaker, author and founder of JC Empowerment Ministries, Janet Perez Eckles has been called an expert in overcoming adversity.

She’s the author of six books: Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow, Simply Salsa, Hola Happiness, and Contagious Courage and her newly released memoir, Now I See.

Janet's book, Now I See: How God’s Amazing Grace Turns Betrayal, Blindness, and Heartache to Shining Joy, empowers readers to discover the same glorious victory she reached after her own trials—blindness, the murder of her son, the acquittal of the man responsible, and the death of her 42-year marriage. But rather than be defeated, God’s grace lifted her to victorious triumph.

She shares that same path to glorious victory through the pages of her books and from the stage when she addresses English and Spanish-speaking audiences nationally and internationally. With a blend of Latina passion, insight, and biblical wisdom, she illustrates the beauty of restoration, the joy that comes after adversity, and the abundance that tenacity and faith bring.

Her writings have appeared in thirty-two Chicken Soup for the Soul titles, Guidepost Magazine, Crosswalk.com, and hundreds of print and on-line publications. Her joy-filled recount of her journey has been featured on Christian radio and TV programs from Focus on the Family to the 700 Club and on the cover of Hispanic Woman Magazine.
She’s the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Central Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Beyond Me Award from AWSA, Latina Women Who Make a Difference Award, Professional Excellence Award by Language Line Solutions, and first runner-up for the Ms. Senior Florida Pageant, 2022.

Janet travels across the globe empowering women to rise above the bitterness of this world and taste the sweetness of God’s triumphant success.

Florida with husband Dale, adult children, and delightful grandchildren. She can be contacted at: www.janetperezeckles.com

Review: Spring Fever: Norma Elliot's Secret Journal (Book 2) by Victoria Simcox

Spring Fever: Norma Elliot's Secret Journal (Book 2) 

by Victoria Simcox

It's me again, Norma Elliot. I’m still ten years old and sharper than a tack—what my dad says.‘Spring Fever’ is my second book, about what I did last Spring—mostly learning life lessons again and talking to God in my secret journal. The title is a great big hint of how I felt for at least part of the season.I’m still not a perfect angel kid—actually, the more I write in my journal, the more I realize I'm surely not perfect.Working at my first job, planting a garden, dealing with an annoying drunk slug, as well as annoying people, are some of the things you’ll read in this book.If you liked my first story, `Tis the Season,’ then I hope you’ll like ‘Spring Fever.’ I think, I mean, I hope you’ll like it just as much or maybe even more.Bye for now. 

 My Take:

When Norma Elliot gets the idea to plant a spring garden with her bestie Taylor, she has no idea the weather is not going to cooperate. But one thing this garden is going to teach her is patience. Even if it kills her. Meanwhile, her dad has decided to give her a job - one that pays five bucks a week! All it involves is becoming the family maid. Cleaning the bathrooms, the mudroom, and all those other messy places. Norma is at it again, finding that anger is a hard thing to control, especially when you see your little brother eating the seeds you'd been saving to plant!

 

Content:

Drug Content:

G - Norma's next door neighbor seems to like beer a bit much, and teaches Norma that a half-empty beer can will get rid of a slug - or at least, make him too drunk to eat her vegetables.

Violence:

G - there is no violence done here, even to their obnoxious family pet chihuahua. 

Language:

G - squeaky clean. 

Adult Content:

G - As you might expect from a preteen girl book, there's some slight interest in boys, or at least the thought of that coming someday. There's a little more interest in that department, and one of the boys in the class seems to bring her a smile.

Christian content:

Just like in book 1, this light-hearted romp may seem like fluff, but her nightly entries in her journal give an eternal spin on each day. There's meat in the mashed potatoes. There's Christ in the candy. Norma has to deal with many of the struggles girls her age do - anger, patience, self-control, lost friends... and her struggles can help girls that read this series with their own. Each night's prayer is kid-friendly and makes you think about your own day.

Final analysis:

Spring Fever: Norma Elliot's Secret Journal #2 by Victoria Simcox is a light-hearted journey through the struggles of a pre-teen girl waiting for the snow to subside so she can plant a garden. I was impressed with the progressive nature of Norma's writing, as her journal entries seem just a bit more thoughtful than in the first book, a natural characteristic of an older pre-teen. Short, fast-paced, fun, and whimsical, this is a clean and safe book for Christian families that want something appropriate for their own preteen daughters, who often struggle with the same things. I found it well-written, entertaining, witty, and satisfying. Five Stars!

About the Author

Victoria was born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, to an Austrian immigrant mother and a Dutch immigrant father. She now calls Western Washington home. Besides her writing career, Victoria taught elementary-school art for several years. Her past times are writing, reading, painting watercolors. She likes to read theological as well as some fantasy genres. Two of her favorite authors are R.C. Sproul and C.S. Lewis.

Blog: victoriasimcox.blogspot.com

Face Book: http://tinyurl.com/3wl6gjs

Twitter:http://twitter.com/#!/VictoriaSimcox