This memoir is by a rock star and musician, Brian "Head" Welch. Carol Traver co-wrote it. Brian "Head" Welch co-founded that band known as KoRn. This band soon won Grammy Awards and their albums became multi-platimum sellers. Brian received six Grammy nominations, winning two of them. He sold some 40 million records worldwide. In his personal life, he descended to great lows. In 2005, he finally resigned from KoRn and then dedicated his life to Christ. This resulted in his writing an autobiography, Save Me from Myself (Harpercollins), which was released in 2007 and became a New York Times bestseller. Brian also wrote a person, 40-day devotional, Stranger, focusing on the 40 Scriptures that speak most to him. A New York Times bestseller, With My Eyes Wide Open begins with a brief note to readers and a Prologue that sets the tone for this book. Brian tells his story in ten chapters. He closes with an Epilogue. His daughter, Jennea, to whom this book is dedicated, includes a short note of her own. Brian includes another short note, Acknowledgements and an author bio.
I read this book in only a few days. It was mostly what I expected. It is fast reading. I found the touchy-feely tone of "just love Jesus" a bit too much at times. This book took me back to the time when I encountered "Jesus people" who strongly emphasized signs and wonders and the supernatural gifts of the Spirit of God. He claims Divine visitations, times when "the Lord spoke to my heart" specific events and prophecies. I have no reason to think he's making these things up. I felt annoyed a few times for this and guilty for such thoughts. With all that he went through through his own addictions and his daughter, I'm glad that his story has such a happy ending. I found the most heart-wrenching part of the book when he had to leave his troubled daughter in residential care. His daughter's heavy use of social media is typical of many teenagers. In her case it was coupled with her dad's frequent absences. She was often left in the care of different caregivers as her dad was immersed in his career. Though his lifestye is wholly unlike mine, I could identify with his struggles with his daughter. That is, I can identify in the area of heavy use of social media. Not being a follower of today's ceebrities, I didn't know who this author was, or of his music. So the earliest part of Welch's book was not too interesting to me. It was when he got to the struggles with his daughter that this book started to fascinate me. Because the author dedicated this book to his daughter, I knew that it would have a happy ending. As I read this book, I saw how we in denominational setting so almost limit God in how he "can" work. Even more, we're programmed to think that God does the supernatural only for certain people or outside the West. This author reports miracles, including physical healings. Having been in denominational congregations which don't believe in the gifts of the Spirit for today, reading of God's hand moving so unmistakably makes me hunger to get in an "unchurch" environment. This author claims a supernatural, intimate relationship with Jesus that is powerful, but so "unchurch." Reading of God's hand moving in such power in his life and in the lives of others, made me feel almost robbed by growing up in staid denominational congregations--nothing against them! The point is that this author clearly has encountered God's love and power so unmistakably that it's easy to forget that we are to walk by faith and not by feelings.
This book is for everyone. Every single parent of teenagers ought to read this book. First, it will introduce them to the world of the kind of music their teens may listen to. Also, it will let these parents know that they aren't alone when their teens are troubled. They will be able to find the contact information to the services that Welch used when he enrolled his troubled daughter in residential care. This book is also great for teenagers. It's written in their language. They will read of the author's daughter and hopefully understand that when parents monitor their use of social media, it's out of love. Communication and monitoring of their use of social media, have to be the hardest things about the teen years. Non-Christians will be introduced to Jesus throughout this book and at the end of the book. If only because of its testimony to God's grace and power, I recommend this book for Pastors and Christians.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through BookLookBloggers.com in exchange for my honest review. I was not required to give a favorable review of this book.
No comments:
Post a Comment