A Touching Book - Someone's Son

I was invited to participate in a blog tour for a book about an issue that is very important yet also extremely sensitive and very polarizing among individuals and even--or maybe especially--the church. And to be quite honest, I had mixed emotions as I anticipated reading it. Part of me was eager to read it while another part of me wanted to ignore the book and the issue. I also wasn't sure how my opinion and beliefs about the issue would line up with those of the the author. Those questions and concerns were resolved as I read. Here is a bit about the book and its author, and then I will share a few of my thoughts.

Someone's Son
Brenda Rhodes
(WinePress Books)
ISBN: 978-1606150177
January, 2011/224 pages/$15.99
Have you or someone you know or love ever struggled with drug addiction, or childhood sexual molestation, or homosexuality, or HIV/AIDS? Sadly, your answer is probably "yes" and you need to read this book. Someone's Son is very relevant to issues facing our world today, especially our young people.

Someone's Son is a true story of a mother battling to rescue her prodigal son when God intervenes, reaching into the darkest of places to find a mother and her son who need Him desperately.

Rhodes takes you down a path of God's unfailing love and faithfulness to be able to see that no darkness can block out His plan of redemption. She brings readers to see, feel and taste the redemptive love and power of God, no matter what their circumstances or how they got there.

Someone's Son will touch your heart and stir your faith. Readers will come away with confidence that God can handle your darkest sins, your guilt, your regrets, your sorrow, or your pain.

This is an inspirational story you should not miss.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Brenda Rhodes is a retired co-owner of a successful family business, an amateur ceramics and mural artist, a lover of children, and an active member of her church. Her love for family is a strong passion in her life. In her younger years she married and had two children, a daughter Wendi and a son Ronal Paul. She now has one living child: her daughter, who is married. She has one grandson and three step-grandchildren.

Brenda grew up the daughter of Dusty Rhodes, a Dallas Bowling Hall of Fame member and founder of the family business, Bowling & Billiard Supplies of Dallas, Inc. She worked in the family business for many years alongside her brother, Ronnie Rhodes, also a Dallas Bowling Hall of Fame member as well as the Texas Bowling Hall of Fame. Along the way, she lost her way spiritually and found herself without a solid foundation when her beloved son, Ronal Paul, pursued a gay lifestyle at age 21 and became entangled in the dangerous world of illegal drugs and destructive behavior, ultimately ending in his death at age thirty-four from AIDS-related pneumonia. In the midst of his struggle, Brenda gave her life back to the Lord and experienced His supernatural peace and strength. It is her strong desire to tell others of the amazing power of God's love and faithfulness during times of trials. Brenda is an active member of Lakepointe Church. She and her Munchkin cats, with their short little legs, live in a cozy southern country home with a wraparound porch in Rockwall, Texas.

MY THOUGHTS:
What a heart-wrenching journey that Brenda Rhodes has experienced! Yet it is obvious that God is already working for good in this difficult situation and using her to minister to and bless many others in similar circumstances. Because she had distanced herself from God before her son's issues came to light, she was much more accepting of and accomodating to his lifestyle than I think I would be. Later, when she has recommitted herself to Christ her son asked her if she viewed his lifestyle any differently. When she told him that yes, homosexulaity is wrong just as adultery and sex before marriage is wrong, he protested that God's love is unconditional. I loved her response:

Don't confuse God's unconditional love as being the same as unconditional acceptance. (p. 144)

That is something that our tolerance-focused society needs to learn.

This is a touching book that will provide you with much food for thought and remind you that God is the author of redemption.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from WinePress Publishing and Blog Tour Spot as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”