Blog Tour: A Glimpse of Heaven by JoAnna Oblander

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN: One Woman's Life-Altering Visit with God
by JoAnna Oblander
Hegemony, 2012
ISBN13: 9781599559766
ARC e-copy received for review in conjunction with blog tour.
All opinions expressed are solely my own.

 Through both personal and spiritual experiences, JoAnna Lynn Oblander guides us to a deeper understanding of our heavenly home. Shared within the covers of this book are experiences and insights that will remind you of God's great love for each of His children, His desire to be a daily part of our lives, and that each of us has come to earth to fulfill a unique and important purpose.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: (from Goodreads.com)

JoAnna Oblander is a Billings, Montana native who has been married to her best friend Greg for more than 33 years. She has been a small-business owner for most of her adult life and has served in several leadership positions. She is the mother of six children – two of whom were adopted from Russia and the adoring grandmother of 10 grandchildren (and counting). When she is not spending time with her family, she volunteers in the children's organization of her church. "Jo", as she is known to her friends and family, is passionate about Family, Whole Health (Whole Health is based on the premise that mental/emotional, spiritual and physical health are all key components to a person being truly healthy), and helping others create a life of joy and purpose based on the eternal truths that she witnessed and learned as a result of her visit to heaven.

JoAnna welcomes the opportunity to talk to groups, congregations, and organizations about:
• Whole Health
• Overcoming Depression
• The Plan of Life
• Believing in Who We Are and Our Capacity to Become/Being Who We are Meant To Be
• Natural Health and Healing
• Nutrition
• Making Real and Positive Life Transitions
• Strengthening our Relationship with Our Creator
• Adoption/Reactive Attachment Disorder

This book touched my heart in many ways and not just because I'm a member of the same church as the author.  Being an introvert myself, I know how hard it can be to share experiences and feelings with the world. It leaves one vulnerable. I admire the author for being so open when it was so hard for her to do so, something she admits in the book itself. I think the parts I related to the most were her internal struggles. Maintaining one's self worth in the face of a world that is so very focused on criticism and controversy is an on-going battle for many. While the methods that JoAnna uses to overcome depression will not work for everyone, they provide a feeling of hope, hope that such challenges can be overcome.

Still, the parts of the book that impacted me the most were the insights the author shares about God, Our Heavenly Father and how much He loves every one of us.  I appreciated that she shared her journey of discovery and pointed out the things that allowed her to gain these insights. The things she shares agree with so much of what I myself have come to know about our Heavenly Father and why he allows us to experience so many heart-wrenching things. For those who are struggling and need a lift, need help in finding their way, this book provides hope that there is always one door that can be opened by us, between God and ourselves.




For other thoughts on this book, see the book tour schedule here. And thanks for stopping by.