Written by Mary Beth Chapman
Published at Revell
About the book
From the beginning, Mary Beth Chapman's life was not how she planned. All she wanted was a calm, peaceful life of stability and control. Instead, God gave her an award-winning singer/songwriter husband, crazy schedules, and a houseful of creatively rambunctious children. Most difficult of all, God's plans for her also included tragedy.
In Choosing to SEE, Mary Beth unveils her struggle to allow God to write the story of her life, both the happy chapters and the tragic ones. And as the story unfolds, she's been forced to wrestle with some of life's biggest questions: Where is God when things fall apart? Why does God allow terrible things to happen? How can I survive hard times?
No matter where you find yourself in your own life story, you will treasure the way Mary Beth shows that even in the hard times, there is hope if you choose to SEE.
Who is Mary Beth Chapman?
Mary Beth Chapman is the wife of Grammy and Dove Award winning recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman. Together they began Show Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for the world's most vulnerable children by providing financial assistance to families wishing to adopt, as well as increasing awareness of the orphan crisis and funneling resources to orphans domestically and internationally. Mary Beth serves as president of Show Hope and is a speaker for Women of Faith 2010 with her husband. She is also coauthor with Steven of the Shaoey and Dot series of children's picture books. Mary Beth and Steven have six children: Emily, Caleb, Will Franklin, and adopted daughters Shaohannah Hope, Stevey Joy, and Maria Sue, who is now with Jesus. The Chapmans live in Tennessee.
Her website is www.MaryBethChapman.com .
My Thoughts
Take out the Kleenex box if you are planning to read this book. I am quite serious when I am writing this. From the beginning of the book – which is the dedication – tears will come down your face and you will feel for this family whom you would think are different because they are well known. But even though her husband is a well-known Christian artist, Mary Beth and her family are normal just like you and me.
The whole book starts with the event that shook their life as well as many Christians around the world – the tragic accident that took the life of little Maria. But as you continue reading, you will learn more about who Mary Beth is and her life story. This book is filled with emotions going from tears on one page to laughter in another one. I smiled. I cried. I saw God through her story. This book is simply wonderful to read.
Also included in the book, tucked almost in the middle, are pictures from the past and the family life of the Chapman. I savoured getting a glimpse of Mary Beth and Steven in their early years of marriage as well as how their kids grew through the years. I loved reading their story of adoptions and honestly I wish I could follow in their footsteps. After four caesareans, I won’t have any kids anymore. But part of me is a bit sad that our only daughter won’t have a sister to play with. Maybe God will open the doors for adoption in the future. We don’t know. If not, well I pray that my daughter will have an amazing relationship with her future sisters-in-law when her brothers marry. (and vice versa that my boys have a great relationship with their future brother-in-law when she marries!).
While I was reading this book, a few women told me that they were interested in Mary Beth story. I told him that this book was so good that it was worth buying it but to also buy a tissue box at the same time *grin*. Mary Beth is pouring her heart to us in this amazing book.
Please take a moment to watch what Mary Beth has to say about the book.
I recommend this book to any Christian women. Not only you will learn more about a well-known woman in the Christian community but you can also learn from her on various situations that occurred in her life.
This book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.
Choosing to SEE is available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group even at amazon.ca.
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