John Eldredge

This tribute goes to my favorite author (because I connect with him and his books have had a dramatic impact on my life) ...John Eldredge!

I started with Captivating, then read Wild at Heart.  Loved them both, and learned a lot about how men and women were created to uniquely reflect different aspects of the heart of God.  And how the original sin of Adam and Eve (the woman taking matters into her own hands and doubting that God would come through for her; and the man passively standing by when he was called to be the leader) still affect every man and woman today.

I love John and Stasi.  They co-wrote Captivating and Love & War.  I connect with so many things Stasi says, too.  I enjoy their blogs, as well.  They're an awesome Christian couple, and they inspire me to love God, live from my heart, and take spiritual warfare seriously!  I have learned more about the schemes of Satan and how to resist him and break agreements from their books than anything else.

After "the letter" in 2007, Natalie G. suggested Waking the Dead, which I read when I was at my lowest point in 2008.  It began to turn things around for me in awesome ways!  God used this book to speak to my heart and help me to see that I was not alone, and my pain was not His fault.  I plan to read it again soon, because I have not read it since that time, and because this changed my life more than any other book!

John is a brilliantly talented writer who writes with heart and is very genuine, and he uses modern movies and events as metaphorical examples of what is happening in the spiritual world.  And it's opened my eyes to see that in sooo many songs and movies now!  Epic, Walking with God, Beautiful Outlaw... all great books that I highly recommend.  He phrases things in a unique way that I really connect with on a deeper level.  Once again, I can't say enough good things about him and could never fully explain all that his words have meant to me.

I will say that he worked as a counselor for several years before he became a successful author, and I would love to follow in his footsteps on that!! :)  Hooray for John Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries, and the lives they have impacted for eternity!