Ramblings from the Shower (Book Review)

Ramblings from the Shower by Faye Bryant is a book that I recommend for any reader that is looking for a book that was born out of the most unlikely of places. I am pleased to present the following review of this book.

About the Author

Faye provided the following biographical information for us:

Faye was born in Florida and lived there until age 25 when she moved to Tennessee and has lived there ever since.The first church Faye ever attended of her own free will was a fundamental Baptist church in Kissimmee, Florida. While she did meet Christ there, she says it was only as a Savior who wanted to redeem her soul, but who wanted to impose a ton of rules too. Now she says it’s a joy to know Him as the One who loves me with a crazy, humanly incomprehensible love!

When Faye was 17, she worked at the Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World. A dream job, such fun for a teenager! Other jobs she’s held include clerk in a bulk mail room for a small college, teaching assistant at a Christian school, Avon Lady, Tupperware representative, retail sales, bookkeeper and postal carrier. Her last “public” job was as data entry clerk that grew into inventory control clerk/systems admin for a convenience store chain.

While working there, God put Faye on her back — literally. She had ruptured a disk in her back. While resting at home before surgery, and finding TV too boring for words, she started studying the Bible for myself, digging deep — something she’d never done before. Faye says she heard God speaking to her very plainly, calling her to full-time service to Him. Funny thing was, the service He was calling her into — the position — it didn’t exist at the time. He worked it out and she’s never looked back.

In 2003, God called Faye and her husband, Jack, to join a group of others to start a new fellowship in Townsend, and thus Church of the Cove was born. She says it has been an amazing ride!

Now Faye serves as the Ministry Assistant and Communications director for the church and also own my business working as a scopist. Just ask, she’ll explain that one. Faye loves being able to work from her home office most of the time.

Interests: reading, writing, photography

When reading through the Bible, I would ask questions of God, then head off to the shower. With all that thinking/praying time, I would then get out of the shower with an answer and saying, “Someone should write a book about that!”

I wrote a book about integrity, abuse, grief, putting people on pedestals and even how a little toy poodle can teach us about worship.

Weird, I know. I wrote these words like I would talk to the person who is sitting there reading. I simply shared the answers I got while seeking God. My hope to share with folks who need the answers, but haven’t every looked for them.

You can follow Faye on Twitter @rfbryant and even become a fan of her facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ramblingsfromshower. Read what she is writing on her blog too Living Real; musings of simple faith.

Book Review

Ramblings from the Shower is true to Faye’s word as she said that she wrote these words like she would talk to a person. As I read through I felt as if she was right there in the room with me. Let’s face it, we all have ideas or at least thoughts in the shower — some of us even have our best singing voice in there, right? Yet for others it is one of the only times that they have some quite time. Go ahead, admit it. Don’t you wish you had the idea to publish some of these ideas?

Faye is unabashed with her presentation of her faith. I was moved, sometimes to tears with the life experiences she shares. Her heart shines through the pages as she takes you on journeys, shares sweet memories of an old friend and even uses clever slang to lighten up some deep subject matter.

I read through the book once for the content and then went back to make notes about what I believe really makes this book one that may be enjoyed by a large audience. Take a look at some highlights below.

Favorite Parts

• I really like how the chapters are laid out as character traits. It was the second time through that I noticed this. Faye talks of things like grief, surrender, judging, worship, mistakes and being real.
• Each chapter starts out with a prompt — sometimes it is a statement or two. Other times it is a question or series of questions. I could imagine how these things might come up during that quite shower time. That time when it is just you and your thoughts — and even your conversation with God.
• For me, I identified most with the chapter entitled “People Pedestals and Potato Soup”. It starts on page 7. You must read it to appreciate the reality and honesty of what Faye shares. But really, sometimes you just need to say NO!
  
• On Pg 21 Faye talks about how even though we can not see God’s hand in the midst of our uncertainties, He is still there. Faye used a real-life example of someone who lived his faith, even in trying times. I liked her tribute to her dear friend.
  
• I love the great use of Scripture throughout the book — life application!
• Lessons from Casey the dog. Oh, to be so excited to spend time with God. Excellent analogy! This is the chapter that I think everyone needs to read. Raw truth … convicting.
  
• Faye’s search for Romans 8:28 in her life and the realization that God’s idea of “good” and her idea of “good” were not quite the same. Such honest and eye opening testimony here.
• “Oh for Pete’s sake!” Start at page 179 and read on. Faye gives some good advice on how important it is to know how to be always ready to give an answer for what you believe and why you believe it– even when dealing with difficult people.
  

Overall Recommendation

This is a book that reads easy. It is not a large book but there is so much to absorb that I believe you too will read it at least twice to glean all of the yummy tidbits. It is a book that I think might work well as a family devotion. The chapters are small enough that the family can read it and discuss the oodles of theology that Faye has learned in the shower. Sounds silly to learn things in the shower. But think about it. When you have the time to ponder life and talk to God, who says you can not record those Ramblings from the Shower? “Someone should write a book about that!” — Faye Bryant has done just that and I was blessed by it! Get her book, you will be blessed too, you have my word on that.

Purchasing Links

Ramblings from the Shower is available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.