Sacred Healing: Mris, Marigolds, and Miracles Paperback – August 2, 2010

Janet takes us along on a journey that any mother who has faced real fears for her children will identify with. She writes of sharp edged experiences with such depth we can't help but grow along the way. I could laugh with her "I know I'm stressed when. . " list and cry with her "Hating Helplessness" vignette. I gained insight as I read "Where God wants to be found." I had to face my own inflexibility as I read "To witness transformation." The greatest value of this book lies in how close to the woman's heart Janet is. When I read "Regret" I saw clearly that Janet's journey was a parallel for all women facing life's painful places. This book is a treasure to keep and to give away.

I loved, loved, loved this book. Would make a great gift for anyone who is either going through an illness or a caregiver of someone with an illness. Written in a very engaging and vulnerable way that makes it a great read.

Janet Davis has a wonderful story telling skill to weave her own story into the timeless truths of scripture and the reader's life. She doesn't share in a way that competes with the reader's own story but rather draws forth the readers story, heart, and tears. Janet is both tender and raw in her personal writing. Her truthfulness in sharing her struggles with God and others, and even asking taboo questions like, "how do you treat someone with Cancer?" will make you laugh and nod your head and cry out to God and other humans--Help us to be more like Jesus! This work is both a workbook and a devotion. You cannot help but remember the places in your life when the grief has gotten too much to bear and you have needed to hold onto the simple things in life. And the places where God seems to distant and we need His people to show us our way back to Him. Wonderful book, wonderful companion to anyone's journey through grief and loss, or just life in general.

If I were facing a crisis, I would want Janet Davis by my side. Reading her book Sacred Healing would be the next best thing. As she shares her own story of her young adult son's diagnosis and treatment for a brain tumor, Janet writes about her experience in real time. Because she wrote the reflections in this book as she was living them, it has a uniquely authentic and truthful voice. Instead of offering platitudes and easy answers, Janet leads us to move toward our feelings, even the painful ones, in order to find healing on the other side. Through her eyes, we experience the presence of God, the comfort of friends and the solace of the ordinary in this story of grace.

I appreciated the permission to be "me" in my journey which sometime incluides pain. Especailly liked the chapter on "emotional fragility," recognizing those vulnerable moments as a time of stregnth vs. weakness.