Customer Reviews

Meant to Be: Miraculous Stories to Inspire a Lifetime of Love

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I love to hear true stories of how best friends and lovers met, because I've long suspected that in listening to these stories I can witness love's hidden hand at work. Relationship counselors Joyce and Barry Vissell had a similar vision when they collected dozens of true love stories for their heart-warming book, MEANT TO BE.

The Vissells begin this book with the assertion that "there is a miraculous love story within each person", and describe that their greatest hope for readers of this book is "to inspire you to live more fully every moment, to love and appreciate now the ones with whom you are in relationship, rather than putting it off into the uncertain future." MEANT TO BE succeeds brilliantly at both showing us the way love orchestrates our lives, and also pointing out the value of being fully present in our relationships right now.

I found myself feeling uplifted and amazed by the synchronicities and astonishing ways that peoples' lives in these stories arranged themselves so that they would take note of someone special -- even when they were not trying or even feeling like meeting anyone new. The common thread in all these stories was the desire of those involved to deeply love another, and yet each story is completely unique. I was deeply touched that the authors themselves participated in sharing the ups and downs of their love stories... each from their own point of view.

This would be a wonderful book if it only contained stories of how people met, but it goes far beyond that to share stories of how lovers can help each other grow and heal, and how love never ends... even when our lovers die. If you are ready to read a book that will break your heart open with a feeling of love so great it cannot be contained, MEANT TO BE is meant for you.

This book is filled with firsthand accounts from people who found love and hope in their lives even in the face of trials and pain. It contains countless examples of people who found that some higher power cared for their happiness and had a plan for joy and beauty in their lives. What an unusual book. I'll never forget it. It strengthened my hope the we are never alone even in our darkest hours.

I have to admit that I hold a bit of bias about this book, since I have known Barry and Joyce for more than 12 years and I am one of the contributing authors. That said, if I had discovered "Meant to Be" while browsing in a relationship section of a book store or Amazon, I would have been delighted and viewed it as the treasure that it is. From the heart, 38 people from various walks of life share their stories of love and loss, healing and redemption. "Meant to Be" provides a sense of hope for those who despair of not finding their Soul Mate. Take heart; he or she is out there! Reading the book gave me a sense of being a witness to the relationships of the authors, as if they had welcomed me into a most private corner of their lives, willing to expose their vulnerabilities and celebrate their triumphs. A tremendous gift for yourself or someone you love. An easy read; you can move through it within a day or two, or savor it over time. I guarantee that you will recognize elements of yourself and your relationships in each offering.

One of the best books I have ever read. I was inspired, amazed, uplifted and brought to tears time and time again. I wanted to savor it but couldn't put it down. Each story was so amazing and unlike anything you will read elsewhere. You won't be disappointed by purchasing this book. I've been recommending it to everyone I know.

The Nicholas Sparks' novel "The Notebook" was inspired by true events of the author's wife's grandparents. Joyec Vissell's collection of other real-life stories adds some hope that there isn't alot of effort required in love. In an age where people spend and invest so much time in dating industry events .... it's touching and sweet that the best loves happen by an act of fate.

I know in my own life that the best loves that came were by serendipity. Either an alumni event with a friend of a friend from New York just after college. Then a few years later at an outing with a mutual friend. What was interesting was that in both cases I didn't think I would see either persons afterwards. But fate had other plans (despite how controlling I was with my set plans) with random introductions over time.

So ... the old cliche is true ... if you love something set it free and if it doesn't come back it wasn't meant to be. Fate is a boomerang. And no matter where life takes you or what places you need to go ... true love always boomerangs back in some magical way.

I loved this book! It rekindled and reminded me of the beauty and blessing of love. I cannot wait to share this book with others who believe in the magic of life.

Maybe I'm jaded but I found most of these stories anything but miraculous. Perhaps "humdrum" (NO goosebumps). I gave 1 star because it did prompt me to appreciate the many, many similar experiences in my life. Unless I am some kind of miracle magnet, the point I got from reading this was to appreciate ordinary occurances as "miracles", which is not a bad thing. It seemed as if these were stories from the Vissells, their family and their friends (most were from similar professions). I was really hoping for a collection of stories from all corners of the globe, stories that really evoke thoughts of the miraculous and maybe even add to my faith in a benevolent universe. What I got was more of a self-congratulatory marketing piece.

Its a book about ways people met their loved ones. Its inspirationally romantic. They may have met them in childhood and then found them again later in life. I read some stories with my girlfriend every so often.

I was not as impressed with this book as I thought I would be although it is quite a novel peice.