Title: Where Sheep May Safely Graze
Author: Phyllis Staton Campbell
Publisher: Gold touch Press, LLC
ISBN: 978-1951461171
Genre: Inspirational spiritual fiction
Pages: 214
Reviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert
Hollywood Book Reviews
An inspiring journey that touches with multi-level love and powerful faith, Phyllis Staton Campbell’s Where Sheep May Safely Graze, allows readers to vicariously experience love and life through the uniquely posed perspective and experiences of its central characters; a blinded pastor and his faith-filled loving, devoted wife. Also, coincidentally, author Phyllis Staton Campbell happens to blind as well, a factor which adds both depth and emotional realism to her writing by virtue of her experiences and ability to portray her characters and their emotion rending experiences.
After losing her parents to a tragic accident, Amy Brandt was left with her memories and a strict but loving grandmother to raise her. Although hurt from their loss, she did not blame God for what seemed to be their untimely deaths. In retrospect, she recalls how her father, also a pastor explained how “God has a plan for our lives,” – it is later in her life that this spiritual truism really hits home for her.
As Amy moves on with her life, she finds she has a love for music and wants to be a minister of music and majors in organ. After obtaining her degree, she gets a job at Grace church which is where she also meets new pastor Jim Miller. Pastor Jim awakens feelings in Amy’s heart, and a mutual attraction turns into a slow-building romance which also eventually leads to their marriage.
Very much in love and happily married, the newlywed couple begins to build a life for themselves, within their parish. However, as fate or God would have it, a tragic event alters their lives forever and Jim comes home from an unfortunate military experience, permanently blind. As a result, the newlyweds face the biggest challenges of their lives as both Jim and Amy learn to cope with his blindness both as a couple and as individuals. Also adding to their trials and tribulations is Jim’s super controlling mother who does not seem to want to let go of managing her son’s life even as a married man. Moreover, with life being very different for the loving couple, while Jim continues to acclimate to his new world of darkness, he finds that not everyone has faith in his ability to be a competent pastor, thereby as a result, division arises within his parish; forcing Jim and Amy to move into a very different world when it comes to parishes. Ultimately, it is their faith in God and his plans for their lives which keeps them strong, loving and leads them to realize where they truly belonged.
Completely an enjoyable and rewarding read, that I wholeheartedly recommend, Where Sheep May Graze Safely which encompasses a well-told story fraught with an expanse of emotions; there are laughable moments such as when Jim has to practice his baptism skills on a doll, as well as plenty of tears, as the two work to overcome the many hurdles suddenly appearing in their lives. I was immediately engaged by the realistic narrative and strong loving characters. Altogether, the story reminds me of a parable of sorts that teaches about keeping faith in God’s plans for our lives, although facing some of the worst possible life circumstances, because ultimately, in the long run, life will work out for your highest good.