What if you were told there’s a possibility you would not be alive to see this afternoon or wake up tomorrow morning? Do you think you would live differently? How would this reality affect every single moment of the life you have been given?
Julie Manning was in the middle of giving birth to her second child when doctors noticed an irregularity in her heartbeat. Within six weeks, tests revealed it was no one-time occurrence. This ultra-capable mom, wife, marathon runner, and pediatric nurse practitioner was in active heart failure, finding herself at risk for experiencing sudden cardiac death.
Julie’s book, My Heart, is the first-person account of her journey from then to now – from a healthy woman’s normal expectations and self-reliance to the surrendering of her dreams, plans, and deepest desires into the hands of our unchanging God. Part retelling and reflection, part in-the-moment prayer journal, her story takes you with honest vulnerability into the jaws of fear and suffering, and speaks realistic hope into your own story, leaving you with well-fought, well-placed confidence for the road ahead.
It’s what her heart would like to say to you . . . about the faithful, loving, impeccably trustworthy heart of God.
Julie Manning is a wife to her beloved husband, John, mother of three fun-loving boys, and pediatric nurse practitioner. At the age of 25, Julie left her career in corporate America to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. While in nursing school, the Lord birthed a passion within Julie to care for children born with heart disease. Little did she know seven years later, she would learn that her own heart was sick. The Lord’s pursuit of Julie’s heart and soul through the valley of facing many uncertainties has developed a fire within her to live intentionally from moment to moment as if it may be her last.
To learn more of Julie’s story, view the Faithful Heart video by The Austin Stone
MY REVIEW:
This book is so touching and inspiring. It's a very difficult subject manner yet Julie writes about it with so much grace. I found myself shedding tears in some of the more touching parts.
She takes us through everything that has happened to her since she had that first issue during the birth of her second son. She had warning signs before that, but like so many of us, she explained them away. She was a marathon runner and in great shape so heart trouble never really entered her mind.
I could relate so much to so many of her feelings as it transpired me back to my own emergency surgery and all that transpired for a year after that. It's something that doesn't let you go and I can only imagine how it has affected her as she lives with this diagnosis day after day.
However, this is not a book about Julie's physical heart as much as it is about her spiritual heart and how she trusts God with everything that has happened and will happen. She praises Him, not only despite her illness, but because of it.
She shares from her journals and offers up prayers - she writes specifically to her sons throughout this book and it's so sweet, personal and amazing. Please do watch the video I have linked under her biography as it will give you a deeper glimpse into her heart and how much she loves the Lord. I love what she says in the video, "I had a friend tell me once that I have a different type of worship to offer up to Him. So despite the circumstances we've been in, He's teaching me how to worship Him and I think it's kind of special that He's entrusted this suffering to me. To worship Him in a way I had never worshipped Him before." That's her desire and that's her desire for us. To worship the Lord in any and all circumstances.
I love this book! I highlighted it extensively and I know that there are parts that I will revisit time and again as I need that encouragement on a tough day. I highly recommend this book to everyone and I hope you'll get a copy and read it. I give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*I received this book in exchange for my honest review by B & H/Lifeway Publishers
Blessings - Julie
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