Blog Tour: Finding the Light of Jesus by Cindy Tuttle

Book Details:
Finding the Light of Jesus
By Cindy Tuttle
Genre: Inspirational
Published 2010, Crosslink Publishing
Paperback, 148 pages
ISBN: 9780982621523


Synopsis:

Face it; life is full of stress. Whether we must deal with daily mild irritations like spilled milk or traffic jams, or extreme problems like the death of a family member, divorce or job loss, each of these events-as well as those that fall in between these opposite ends of the scale-cause anxiety, worry, or even ill physical health. Finding the Light of Jesus provides reflections and revelations which allow us to step back from our problems, reflect on what is most important in the present moment, and rely on spiritual healing-the Light-to experience inner peace and calm in the midst of trouble.

When I first started to read this book, I realized very quickly how simply written this book is. The first ten chapters read as if I were sitting in a therapy session with the author and she were talking to me. They are written without much emphasis on detail, and seemed to focus largely on how a person feels in regards to stress and depression. Though the author writes extensively on the light of Jesus, she does not quote a single Bible verse, though she attempts to paraphrase a few - without citations. The beginning and end of each of these ten chapters also contain a poem she wrote and calls prayers, though the poetry is badly written and has little resemblance to an actual prayer, in my opinion. Also scattered through the chapters are activities that the author recommends for the reader, such as journaling and answering questions.
The final chapter is actually a collection of prayers and reflections that the reader is supposed to follow over the course of seven days. This is followed by a section of "Conversations With Jesus" that focus on different topics such as anger, jealousy, being overwhelmed, and fear. This is followed by five pages in which she quotes a scripture from the New American Bible, and leaves a blank space for the reader to journal the answers to her questions about the scripture verse. This is followed by more of her prayers and a further 30 days of prayer and reflection.
Overall, the author presents a Jesus that is only concerned about a person's feelings, whom the author seems to believe that everyone has inside of him or her from birth. She further indicates that everyone goes to heaven, and Jesus' strongest quality is being a "light." No mention is made of the basic precepts of Bible-based Christianity, such as sin, salvation, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instead she writes things that seem to contradict parts of scripture, such as stating that Jesus does not judge us and that we are the "light," as well as what I previously mentioned about everyone going to heaven. In the context of that paragraph, I almost expected the author to write that we are all Jesus. I also noticed  while reading that nowhere does she ever refer to Him as Jesus Christ either. The entire book has a vague New Age feel, as many of the things Tuttle writes mimic the doctrine of a New Age Jesus.
The author, Cindy Tuttle, has a background of working in the mental health industry for more than twenty-five years. Based on what I have read in this book, I have no doubt that she is good at her job and finds great success with her patients, but I do not find this book of the same calibur.

The Cover: The simplicity of the cover is quite beautiful and really illustrates the sense of peace that the author tries to invoke within the text.

First Line: "Do you sometimes feel like you are on a runaway train rapidly heading down a steep hill?"
This opening metaphor certain appeals to my feelings, and I wonder where the author is going from here.

*I received this book free of charge from the publisher for review purposes.*