Skip to main content

Review: Made Well

Made Well book cover on blue background

This book is another one of those cases where I'm not sure why I felt prompted to pick it up, but I'm grateful that I did. Made Well: Finding Wholeness in the Everyday Sacred Moments by Jenny Simmons is a memoir that came at just the right time in my life. What's even lovelier is that I knew of the band that she was in, but that I didn't associate her name with it until many chapters into the book.

Book Synopsis

Finding Wholeness through Tears, Joys, and the Everyday

From the woman fighting cancer to the man who has lost his child to the girl sinking into depression, so many of us are engaged in daily battles as we long for healing. When he walked the earth, Jesus said to an unwell man, "Do you want to be made well?" His invitation stretched beyond physical healing--he sought to restore the soul. The same invitation stands for us today.

For anyone struggling on the journey toward wholeness, singer/songwriter Jenny Simmons offers a resting place and a friend along the way. With personal insight into emotional pain, she invites readers to encounter a God who is working out their restoration--often in surprising "half-baked" ways. Her humorous and inspirational prose lights a path toward wholeness. Anyone trying to find their way to spiritual, mental, and emotional healing will benefit from Jenny's vulnerable and compassionate stories of being made well in the midst of a messy life.

Source: Amazon

Book Thoughts

Jenny Simmons is a storyteller, through and through. Whether by lyrics or by prose, she is skilled in captivating imaginations through her stories and tugging at emotions when she shares. This collection of stories all point toward the theme of wholeness by way of one piece at a time. Tying these memories together, these moments point toward God bringing about healing in His own divine and unique manner. Made Well is an invitation to look beyond our circumstances to our Creator and calls readers to remember that when humanity was first created, "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Though we are fallen and marked by sin, we are still image-bearers of God. To be honest, I usually focus so much on our depravity before God that I can neglect this teaching. This book was a good reminder that redemption can bring about restoration in our lives, even if it looks different than expected.

What I appreciate most about this book is the author's vulnerability in sharing stories that might not paint her in the best light, which makes it more relatable to readers. Those are some of the stories that still stick out in my mind because I know that she has lived to tell about it. The struggles are real, as are the answers to prayer. This book is not prescriptive, and as such, it's more of a witness-bearing book than a book that teaches you how to live your Christian life. If you approach it in that manner, there is much to learn from a fellow believer's experiences. Though I wouldn't necessarily seek out the other authors she has quoted as I have a differing stance on their theological positions, I am glad that the author has been ministered to in a variety of ways.

Book Summary

  • Format of book: 📖
  • Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  • Recommendation: 👍
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Shortcut-Less

I recently saw a carousel  post  from someone whom I don't follow that stopped me in my tracks. Essentially, it was about some of the issues found on Instagram; however, the slide that stood out most to me was the one stating, "I am not convinced Bookstagrammers actually read." While I certainly don't need to take the time to defend my actions or activity, I'm saddened at this thought. I've written before about The Privileges of Reading and Aspirational Reading , but things seem to have taken a turn for the worse with the proliferation of generative AI (not agentic AI—see Stop the Slop for the distinction) since I first wrote these posts. I'm careful not to make blanket accusations or pronouncements as many of the people I follow are both genuine and impressive in what they share, but it seems to be a sentiment that is growing in popularity. Whether people believe that I fall into the same category or not is something I cannot control. I can shout until ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Reckless Love - Hatcher Hollow #1

No matter your thoughts on the worship song of the same name,  Reckless Love by Kate Goodwin is a powerful retelling of a story that we don't often think of, demonstrating the heart of God in pursuing us. What a beautiful snapshot of the Father's unrelenting love for us! Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis A pregnant girl A desperate woman The God who sees them both Amina Abdel’s sheltered world is turned upside down when she finds herself alone and with child. The daughter of immigrants flees her mother’s judgment and father’s shame, unexpectedly finding shelter with the small town’s pastor and his wife. Their kindness feels foreign to Amina, until she realizes they too want something from her—the baby. All Melissa Abrams has ever wanted was a son to carry on her husband’s family legacy of keeping an Abrams man behind the pulpit. As barrenness pushes her to a breaking point,...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: Her Surprise Vacation Date - Unexpected Dates #1

This is a new series from Liwen Y. Ho that sounds like it will be full of the unexpected, including the first book titled Her Surprise Vacation Date . Many thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. Book Synopsis I was supposed to go on vacation with my best friend… not my best friend’s little brother. It was going to be a fun girls-only trip to Solvang, CA… before it turned into me dressing up like the Michelin Man, getting a call from my bestie telling me that she’s too sick to come, and losing my luggage. Now I’m at the airport waiting for my best friend’s little brother to pick me up. After all the unexpected twists and turns of this morning, you’d think nothing would surprise me, that is until nothing turns out to be a six-foot-tall hazel-eyed man with a beautiful smile. Wow. Shane Morgan’s grown up a lot since I last saw him in high school. A hunky EMT now, he’s still sweet and funny, but also a lot bol...
2 comments
Read more