Natural Christian Parenting

Title: It’s All About Him

Author: Denise Jackson

Summary: From Christian Book Distributors

Take an inspiring behind-the-scenes glimpse at one of country music’s most famous couples. Learn about Alan and Denise’s struggles and success, their love story and the near-failure of their marriage—and how rediscovering their faith dramatically shaped their lives. Includes an exclusive CD featuring their wedding song and Alan’s new composition about their shared journey. 256 pages, hardcover from Nelson.

Positive Elements: Mrs. Jackson takes readers inside an honest and poignant journey of the struggles she faces in a celebrity marriage. The Him in the title refers to God and not her famous husband. If you think that you will be getting an inside scoop on Alan Jackson’s personal life you will be dissapointed. Though raised in a Christian home, Denise’s child-like understanding of God failed to comfort her during several major life crisis, including the separation from her husband. When every attempt to console herself during crisis failed, Denise decided to renew her relationship with God. She surrounded herself with Christian women, participated in Bible studies and sought counsel from godly men and women. Matthew 7:7 says, ” Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” I find that in my own walk with God that when you desire Him and His will doors are opened. I was pleased to see that Mrs. Jackson focused on her self and her own spiritual growth instead of opting to fix her husband’s flaws. She makes comments that she is no scholar of the Bible yet Scripture is referenced throughout the book in an encouraging manner. To me this reinforces the idea that God and His word are open and available to all of us and are applicable to our everyday walk with its struggles and triumphs.

Sexual Content: None

Violent Content: None

Profanity: None

Drug Content: None

Conclusion: Finally a celebrity couple who really gets who God is and what he can do. It seems everywhere these days celebrities are endorsing this faith or that, dabbling in mysticism or some other New Age religion on the path to happiness. The Jacksons have discovered what so many in their industry have not found: that pure happiness and contentmen comes from our Lord. Denise makes it clear how easy it was for her to be enticed by wordly things when she lost sight of God. I admire her honesty in the book. Admitting personal failures is always taking a risk with your readers . I applaud this couple at their desire to restore their marriage and for doing the hard work to keep their family together. Mrs. Jackson does unecessarily include many references to her material possessions and extravagant wealth. I suppose she does this to provide the readers with a complete picture of the lack of fullfillment she felt despite “having it all.”