Much of this book spoke to me and left me thinking. I’d love to read it again and discuss it with someone.

For anyone experiencing any and all types of pain, this book is for you. Becker helps readers see through her words that both healing and wellness can be achieved. With references to the Bible throughout, this book provides readers with hope on a journey that has often seemed hopeless. A must-read for those feeling they will be stuck in this pain cycle forever. There is hope and it is found in God.

To Be Made Well: An Invitation to Wholeness, Healing, and Hope by Amy Julia Becker is a wonderful resource for people who are struggling with their health. The author draws from her personal experience, research, and Scripture to paint a fuller description of health and what is possible. I think the author writes about this topic with such grace and competency. While she refers to the Scriptures throughout the book, the author never explores the role of spiritual practices in healing and health. This would have really strengthened the book for me. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

I appreciate the author’s honesty through her healing journey. It is love centric and focuses on the holistic side of healing mind, body and soul. Amy also shares a story about her daughter who has a disability. Some welll-meaning church people caused the author to become more aware of how things can be mistaken and/or mistreated due to a lack of understanding. She breaks down the barriers of fear. In each chapter, Amy points to Scripture for a deeper understanding of what it means and how it relates. It was a great read!

Becker provides unique insights on the body-mind-spirit connection, and pathways to discover it. This book is really about both personal and community-based whole healing, with love at the heart. In today's climate, we need this book, because Becker addresses the injustice, shame, and distraction in our culture that currently prevents us from healing. As readers, we are all invited to heal and love, and shown ways of how to enact this healing. I was reminded that healing can happen, but it’s not always quick, and it can come amidst pain and ongoing questions. Becker's stories are vulnerable, open, and beautifully honest. It was an honor to read her innermost, intimate thoughts. Many times I had to pause to fully appreciate her personal story, and to process it. By engaging with the book in this way, I had to process it for myself, in ways it struck the pain and struggles that the writing caused me to confront. One of my hugest take-aways was how Becker illustrated the sentiment of, "You don’t have to have the whole thing figured out for the healing to begin. You need to acknowledge the source of the pain." This book is about our full humanity— mind, body, and spirit, and the restoration that is possible, for our individual bodies, for our souls, and for our community. This is not a quick fix-- it's a spiritual restoration, based on love, justice for all, and healing through shared experiences.

My opinions regarding Amy Julia Becker's forthcoming book "To Be Made Well" are mixed.

To start I was impressed by the book and the research that Becker did and included in. She quotes a wide variety of experts and writers which, to my opinion, lends her credibility. Though her story is similar in aspects to many Christian writers already out there the insights she provides don't feel redundant and the stories she shares are worth taking the time to read. She has a decent balance of psychology, sociology, and Biblical interpretation woven throughout her writing which I found refreshing.

As for what gave me pause it was some elements that to me speak to a short sightedness or at least a lack of awareness/acknowledgement. Many of the practices that Becker shares with her readers have the embedded element of a connectedness to God (to be expected); however these practices often exist outside of a connection to a deity. Further still, often these practices go back to either ancient Christian practices or practices from other belief systems. That is not addressed ever.

I am often wary of Christian self help books because they often paint God as a panacea for all the ills in ones life and therefore leave readers with an assumption (often unspoken) that modern day medicine and therapy practices are not useful. I do appreciate that Becker does occasionally address that topic and confirms that modern day medicine and doctors can also be helpful. Though I personally think that could be more firmly set into place, I was glad to see it.

Overall, I feel I gained a lot from reading this book. I had insights regarding passages of scriptures I had honestly never considered. I was able to glean more names and titles for further research on the topics. The book is fairly short and though the chapters are longish they are relatively digestable and the fact that Becker goes back to similar characters and elements throughout helps make it more accessible.