Soul Friend is being featured on the Australian Christian Readers Blog Alliance this week. Information about the author and more details about the book can be found here.

Jo-Anne Berthelsen has written Soul Friend with the intention of showing the value of mentoring. Yet this is not what I most gained from her story. Perhaps because I am also a pastor’s wife I identified with Jo-Anne’s journey through study, pastoral leadership and into a writing/speaking ministry. The lessons Jo-Anne learnt through her experiences were similar to the lessons that God has also taught me. Consequently I found Jo-Anne’s book deeply encouraging and for this reason I enjoyed the book very much.

I loved the honesty and humility with which Jo-Anne shared her story. Her struggles and the blessings she experienced along the way were moving and well explained. I appreciated the role Joy had played in her life as a mentor but in the absence of one person in my life to play this role, I have found that a number of people have imputed into my life in similar ways over the years.

This book is not only for those interested in mentoring. Since in the final analysis it is about the way God works in the lives of his children. God may use one person or a number of people to help us apply spiritual truths and through the process he is refining us and growing us into the people he wants us to be.

Thanks to Even Before Publishing for providing a free book for review.