Multiple Bles8ings by Jon & Kate Gosselin w/Beth Carson

I hate it when people are pulled from the shadows of anonymity into the spotlight of celebrity--even if you think they wanted it. When we're talking about brothers and sisters in Christ, I tend to cringe even more.

Kate Gosselin in particular takes a lot of hard hits in the media spotlight which, in my opinion, are too harsh and colored by emotions and bias. Sometimes what's said is legitimate, but often it merely makes me angry on her behalf.

My daughter Kate got me hooked on the TLC show, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" a couple of years ago, and when I heard a book was releasing, I got excited. Finally, a chance to find out how it all happened and how their faith plays out in their lives.

I was a bit shocked at how harshly Kate would talk to and about Jon on the show, and how often the two of them squabbled and bickered. Mady was a bit obnoxious at times, and my Kate and I would comment back and forth about how the family seemed to get along.

So, I too was an unfair critic.

Not any longer.

In a book written primarily by Kate (another thing the bloggers and media are bashing her for), she takes us on a gut-wrenchingly honest trip from the moment she and Jon met until the present day of raising eight children in a world hostile to large families.

With an authentic voice--I could literally hear her in my head as I read--Kate Gosselin admits to being so far from perfect that she is her own worst critic and judge. But watching her faith grow through her trials encouraged my own. And I believe her heart is truly God's, totally and completely.

Stories about how her dreams of being a wife and mom open the book, and how hard it was for her when she found out she would have difficulty conceiving . Her journey through medically assisted conception are chronicled with the twins and then the sextuplets.

If you're a fan of the show you may think you know Jon and Kate and their lives, but the book is even more eye-opening and honest. In my opinion, Kate's personality is exactly what's needed to deal with the life chronicled within these pages. Oh, she is a little obsessive and a complete germophobe, but aren't we all that way about something in our lives?

Her obsession for cleanliness and order most likely played a huge part in the health and well-being of those six tiny miracles, as explained by her own doctor. When life hangs in the balance, who wouldn't stress over germs and grime? I know I did when my husband came home from his own medical crisis.

God loves Kate Gosselin as she is, and He loves her so much that He grows her day by day through event by event. Watch the transformation in her life as she shares so openly and honestly about what we DON'T see when the cameras are rolling.

For those who criticize her for her lack of affection for her husband--read this book.

For those who judge her for her apparent wealth and sponsorships and abundance in her life--read this book.

For those who look down on her for choosing to have so many children in this world and economy--read this book.

For those who bash her for the help and assistance she seems to always have at her fingertips--read this book.

If you're the same person on the last page as you were on the first, then you didn't read this book with an honest and open heart. Walk a few hours in Kate Gosselin's shoes, and then you've earned the right to judge.

And if you're her brother or sister in Christ, how about praying for the Gosselin family instead of judging them? I'm sure our prayers are gratefully appreciated and always needed.

I loved her before I read the book--didn't fully understand her, but loved her! Now, I adore her and can relate to her even more than I did before. She's a lot like me, only with more children--holidays at her house have to be SO. MUCH. FUN.

So, I'm adding the Gosselins to my prayer list, and giving her book five out of five bookmarks with a set of roller skates as a charm--about the only way I could keep up with the life covered within these pages!

"Multiple Bles8ings" releases from Zondervan soon--make sure to pick up a copy and read it for yourself. And stop judging those who live life differently than you do. Pray for them instead, especially brothers and sisters in Christ. Please?

Happy Reading!



This is MY blog, so any comments not made in love and to be constructive will be deleted. This is a BOOK REVIEW, not a debate or a personality profile. Keep it book specific or take it somewhere else.