Customer Reviews

Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times

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I love this book! Believe it or not, it made me laugh (this author is very witty), and of course, it made me cry, too. It is obvious the author writes from a place of deep personal experience; an experience she is willing to vulnerably share with her readers, and an experience from which her readers can definitely benefit. It is also obvious she has an intimate knowledge of Scripture and her own intimate relationship with Christ.

It is appropriate for any sort of difficult time you might be going through. Whether you're struggling with grief from a loss or just having one of those days where nothing seems to be going right, the truths in this book are appropriate because they are rooted in THE Truth. This is one book I will have handy at all times, for myself and to share with others, not one that will sit on a shelf collecting dust.

Rain on Me is a 40 day devotional book for anyone walking through life's storms. If you are traveling through a painful time or if you know someone who is, this beautifully written book speaks directly to the heart. Holley Gerth offers real life stories while leading readers to soak in His Truth. Rains On Me is written by someone who has been there, who has experienced brokenness, but found healing.

Each devotional ends with a passage to read, an area to reflect on what God is telling you, and a place for the reader to respond or journal their own thoughts. Holley Gerth covers topics like: It's Ok to Not Be Okay, Where Is God When it Rains, The Beauty of Brokenness, The "Do What You Can" Plan, to name a few. I highly recommend this book, it is one I am going to read over and over again.

Holley Gerth's passion to reach those who are hurting is obvious in every page of this book. Each devotion was written as Holley walked through her own storm so she is able to reach people right where they are. Each day that I read, I am left feeling emotionally uplifted and encouraged about my life's journey in God's hands. I'm so glad to have found a resource to give as a gift to those who are in search of hope.

I have been reading this author's blog, Heart to Heart with Holley, for several months, and have been greatly blessed. It's at the top of my favorite blogs to read. How delighted I was when her publisher, Summerside Press, sent me a complimentary copy of Holley's book, Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times, to review. And I have not been the least disappointed. This will be a book I will recommend and give away, no doubts!

Rain on Me: Devotions of Hope and Encouragement for Difficult Times is written as a 40 day devotional, with real-life stories, thoughts and personal pains through storms in her life and that of others. Each devotional ends with a "Read" section, referring to Scripture passages to read, a "Reflect" section with questions in how to apply the devotional to your life and room to write about it in the book, and then a "Respond", closing with a prayer. You will find devotionals such as:

Every Storm Begins with One Drop
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
Where's God When It Rains?
The Beauty of Brokenness
Soaring above the Storm
The "Yes" You Never Expected
Bitter or Better
Taking Care of You
Share Rather than Compare
Strength in Weakness
Holley wrote this book, even as she was going through a storm in her life, sharing,

This book is different because I'm still in the storm. I don't believe we have to wait for blue skies in order for God to use the rain. It can start right here, right now. (p. 14)

Though a very transparent book, you will not go away feeling down, but will laugh with Holley, cry and find reasons to praise God even in the midst of your storm.

"It's one thing to look back on the storm and praise God; it's quite another to raise your hands to heaven when the lightening is flashing and the thunder is roaring. It's only through the amazing grace of God that we can do so. Rather than drowning out our voices, the praise we give God during difficult times is the most audible of all to the world." (p. 97)

This book will make a wonderful gift . . . but read it first . . . you will be blessed and encouraged!

As an author I have frequent opportunities to review books and do enjoy many of the ones I am blessed to read. But there are a handful that stand out to me as "the cream of the crop" and Rain on Me is one of those beautifully crafted treasures that speaks to the heart! The writer in me just relished in all the delightful word pictures and the way Holley made a seemingly mundane topic such as "weather" come alive. The frustration in my own spirit over being down with a broken foot, and on a wider scale the ongoing struggles of chronic illness, were ministered to very personally way by Holley's reflections. I know this book would have also been an amazing blessing to me in the midst of our journey through infertility.

So many of Holley's stories met me right where I lived and I kept thinking, "I'll have to ask Holley if I can reprint part of this one on my blog!" only to have the same thoughts about a different devotional a few days later. The "counselor" in found myself listing the names of so many hurting hearts who would be encouraged and ministered to by this amazing little book and I'm buying several copies to share as gifts.

2011 for me was a very tough year - loss, pain, disappointments. This devotional met me right where I was - and it was a huge source of encouragement. Holley's words are written in such a way that go right to the heart of the matter.

I love Holly's little devotional because it is so real and so comforting. I have given it to several people who were going through difficult times. One women read the book, then bought one for her daughter who was going through a divorce. Then when she started working with unwed mothers, she bought more books to use as encouraging bible studies and all were blessed. The gift of this book keeps on giving.

This is a great gift to give someone going through tough times...which seems to be a lot of people. Great book. Would highly recommend

This book is great for anyone who has had troubles or just a reminder of how blessed we truly are....It's so encouraging and uplifting. It's great for those who have suffered a loss, or anyone who is trying to have a baby.....but it's no limited to that...
If you have a friend or love gong through a hard time, I recommend giving this as a gift....
It really makes you stop and think of why things happen the way they do, and how blessed we are!!
Buts things in a different light!!

I lost a child several years ago and this book was very, very helpful. It has some good advice for helping you through the difficulties of life. Holley has had tough times and understands how many of us feel about our losses. I love her poem about the yellow umbrella.