About the Book

Book: When Your Voice Became Mine

Author: Celeste N. Bowers

Genre: Non-Fiction

Release Date: November 2019

For all those who have lost hope and purpose, and for all those who hurt deep inside from loss, author Celeste Bowers wishes she could spare you from pain, just as she hoped she could shield her own ten-year-old daughter, Christina, from the storms.

Although she can’t protect you from life’s tragedies, Celeste can tell you this—and she is proof of this—no matter how hard you fall or how much you ache, God will lift you up with new purpose. He will carry you out of the weeping waves and safely to shore.

Celeste has been sending “packages” to heaven since her daughter passed away on May 29, 2005. What she never fathomed were the gifts sent back to deeply define her.

In a moment, Christina’s voice became hers. In that same moment, she knew “there is a mailbox in heaven.”

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About the Author

 

Celeste Bowers has been blessed with gifts of writing, teaching, coaching, making people laugh, and being a mom. These gifts held crucial roles when her daughter, Christina, was diagnosed with cancer. Every gift Celeste received from God is tied together in her words. Packages bundled in love and filled with life lessons are sent to heaven in her first book, If There’s a Mailbox in Heaven. Christina’s testimony and Celeste’s newfound purpose are now joined together in When Your Voice Became Mine.

 

 

More from Celeste

 

Time is such a fragile commodity. When someone we love passes away,

we want the whole world to stop moving and acknowledge what truly matters at that moment—but we also want time to fly so we don’t have

to endure another day without our loved ones. What helped me move

gently through time was nothing that came about by my own means. Instead, I have trusted God wholeheartedly to navigate my path.  

 

Time does not exist in heaven. Since heaven is our real home, I

will not allow time to consume me here on earth; instead, I choose

to use my precious time wisely. I have been sending “packages” to heaven—letters that I write

to my ten-year-old daughter Christina—since she passed away on May 29, 2005. Each one is

tied with my hopes, wishes, and newfound purpose. What I never

fathomed were the gifts from above that would be sent back to me.

In a moment, Christina’s voice became mine. In that same moment,

I knew there is a mailbox in heaven.

 

 

My Review

There is so much to love about this book, and it is one that will stick with me for a long time. I initially decided to sign up to review it because a very dear friend of mine passed away at the end of August, and I felt drawn to the book’s description. However, as I realized that it was next up on my list, I started having second thoughts. With various health concerns and other issues causing me to feel overwhelmed already, I definitely did not feel up to reading a book about a child’s battle with cancer, even if it was an inspirational story, because I didn’t want to also experience the sorrowful aspect. Yet as I began reading, I realized that this was a book that blew my assumptions and expectations out of the water.

With “When Your Voice Became Mine”, Celeste Bowers chronicles the hard journey of her daughter’s unexpected and short battle with cancer, but as she asserts in the introduction, this book is not about cancer but rather about how her daughter, Christina, glorified God with her life. In following other families’ journeys through devastating diagnoses and through those of some of my own friends who have passed away, the one thing that stands out the most is their extraordinary faith. The same is true here. “And a little child shall lead them” kept echoing in my head while I read. Christina’s impact and legacy of faith in Christ lives on and grows, and it inspires me to become bolder in my faith. You never know whose life you might touch and how God will reap a harvest from the seeds you sow.

This book is very unique, not only in its extraordinary message of hope and faith, but also in its format. Glancing through the pages, it seems like a normal layout, with occasional black-and-white photographs included, but it is actually epistolary nonfiction, the first that I’ve read as far as I can recall. Rather than having titled chapters, this book is divided into segments that each represent a package from heaven. They are written as Bowers speaking directly to her daughter through a letter, but with enough background information tactfully woven in so that it makes sense to the reader. I think that this is most of the reason that this book is so upbeat. These writings are heartfelt, poignant, inspirational, and unwaveringly hopeful. I imagine that they have been cathartic for Bowers, and I think that writing letters like this to loved ones could be a powerful tool during the grieving process and beyond. Referencing Christina’s own words at age 10, Bowers sums up her daughter’s calling: “Those words live on and inspire so many people: It’s not about me. It’s about Christ working through me. Your journey was not about cancer or even solely about you. It was about allowing our Lord to work through you to bring others closer to Him, for His name and for His glory.” May that be the life goal of each of us!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

 

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About the Book

 

Book: King Here

Author: Trish Porter Topmiller

Genre: Religion/Christian or Spiritual

Release Date: May 7, 2019

Trusting God and sharing Jesus with aging parents can be difficult. As Trish Porter Topmiller watched her father’s casket be lowered into the ground, she knew the complicated jigsaw puzzle of his life finally held the missing piece―Jesus. But for years, his life seemed as far away from grace, and a believing faith in God, as a person can be. A multimillionaire entrepreneur who believed his financial fortress (and business acumen) was invincible, he turned into a workaholic adrenaline junkie―and ultimate opioid statistic who had given up on life. Even then, grace found him.

King Here offers hope that no matter how old, how rich or how addicted someone is, it’s never too late to meet Jesus. Trish shares her father’s inspiring, yet tragic life story―filled with adventure and color and unique escapades―to reveal God’s plan for an old rich man who thought he had no need for God. Stepping back to see the big picture brings to light the hope and joy that God truly can answer prayers and do the impossible, but it doesn’t always look the way readers expect. In this moving tribute to her father, Trish encourages readers to never give up on loved ones who seem “too far gone” for God to reach.


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About the Author

 

Trish Porter Topmiller is a Christian writer who is a 1988 U.S. Olympian in the high jump, former world record holder for women age 40-44 in the high jump, and multiple times U.S. National and World Masters Champion. Trish is a frequent speaker and guest on radio and television programs and has been the subject of interviews in the Wall Street Journal, U.S.A Today, and Today’s Christian Woman. She is a survivor in Life. Trish lost her husband of twenty years (Pat Porter 2 time Olympian) and son Connor (U.S. National Fencing Medalist) in a plane accident in 2012. She remarried in 2016 and has a wonderful daughter who is a nationally competitive figure skater. She attends Woodmen Valley Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Sagebrush Church in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has a B.S. Business Marketing degree from University of Oregon.  

More from Trish

 

I did not set out to write a book. I was preparing to talk at my Dad’s funeral and I looked at his life; the outrageous adventures, his business success, all the tragedies, and then the miracles. I realized his life was like an amazing puzzle and only God knew the puzzle box top. That’s when the outline came to me. He affected so many people and generations and once home, I was compelled to continue writing and it began to take shape and grow. I wanted information about publishing, so I contacted Terry Whalin who wrote Billy Graham’s biography. He said it was a story that I needed to share with people beyond my family.  

 

King Here is not only about finding faith and hope, but about the strength and courage it takes to handle what comes our way.  In a five-year period, from 2012-2017, I was confronted with the loss of my husband of twenty years (a two-time Olympian), and my beautiful fifteen year old son, Connor (a U.S. National Fencing medalist). They perished in an airplane accident where my husband was the pilot. A few years later my stepmother died at age 60 after a battle with addiction and then my father.

 

My prayer is you can be drawn into my Dad’s and my life and not want to put the book down. May your basket be filled with nuggets of wisdom and inspiration. May you enjoy the journey and the roller coaster of emotions. May you see how I trusted the Lord through tragedy which strengthens your faith. May you be encouraged to pray for those around you and be empowered to share Jesus with others.

 

My Review

 

When I picked this book up to begin reading it, I have to admit that I was a bit surprised. To be honest, I was also wondering why I had signed up to review it, because the description didn’t sound like something I would be interested in. I thought it was going to be a different type of nonfiction book than it was, based on the title; I must not have skimmed the summary before deciding to review this one. Books about financial matters, drug use, and/or death do not appeal to me; they just aren’t my cup of tea. Thus I was mentally preparing myself to muddle through while still hoping for the best.

Trish Porter Topmiller’s “King Here” grew on me as I turned the pages. The first section is expository, offering details about Chuck King, who is Topmiller’s father and the primary focus of the book, as well as the author herself and her family. Because this part speaks extensively about athletics and reads like a biography, I did struggle with it a bit, but in light of the rest of the story, I understand why it is written this way. I was amazed at Chuck’s adrenaline-seeking disposition. Definitely far more daring than I will ever be! His “Chuckisms”, the brief inspirational quotations he spoke often, open many of the anecdotes. The book is not separated into chapters but rather short vignettes that bespeak the transitory nature of life. Black-and-white photos interspersed throughout also demonstrate the process of growing and maturation that each person experiences while giving readers visuals of the people in the book and making them become more invested.

Following that initial segment, the rest of the narrative proceeds with a more familiar manner, drawing readers into the author’s family. There are several heartbreaking instances, which sets the stage for a godly victory and an unexpected ending. “King Here” does deal with issues such as grief, opioid use disorder, and suicide, but Topmiller is careful to address these gently and continuously turn readers toward hope, which can only truly be found in Jesus. Due to certain events in the story, Topmiller addresses possible challenges and questions that will likely arise. Her foresight extends to telling readers how to share Jesus or how to meet Him. This relevancy flows naturally from the narrative and ties together the theme of allowing God to direct our steps: “I am in awe of how God cares for every detail. Every piece of the puzzle was important.” The most important lesson of “King Here” is that God is always working all things together for our good and His glory (Romans 8:28) and that it is always the right time to come to Jesus. What are you waiting for?

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Celebrate Lit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

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