Friday, January 27, 2012

Book Review for The Road Trip by Jo Lyn Crozier

Road trips are fun and often very informative.  Jo Lynn Crozier is inviting us to join her character Liz on a road trip with God.  Never mind those bumper stickers that read God is my co-pilot.  This time God is driving and Liz in riding in the side car of his older model, rusted red motorcycle.  Are you ready?

In the Publisher's words:  Liz always felt God beside her, but she never imagined she would be in his passenger seat! In this humorous, heartfelt adventure story, God invites an ordinary woman to travel with him on a life-changing road trip. Along the way, they encounter fantastic beings, heavenly houses, and extraordinary communities that Liz could never have imagined. But this is no vacation. God has a lot to teach Liz, and behind all the whimsy is a deeper spiritual message with real-life applications. Buckle up and join God and Liz on the journey of a lifetime. 

"It is a journey to some whimsical places that have much deeper spiritual importance.  This book has changed the way I look at God's world, and the way I look at life as a whole."  Says Crozier.

I would have to agree with the author's own words.  It has changed my view of many aspects of the Christian life.  Or better to say, this book has helped me see things in a new light.  

When I first started the book I was confused.  There is an element of fiction and of non-fiction within each chapter.  As I continued on I discovered the author is sharing the road trip experience and then expounding on the spiritual lesson behind it.  Each chapter is a new location that God is sharing with Liz.  They visit places like The Comfort Zone, The Garden of Humanity and The Cottage of Wisdom and Virtue.  Crozier gives each of these places colourful and interesting characters to share and enlighten the characteristics of God and His world.  I found the lessons insightful and entertaining.  The author has taken the profound mysteries of the Christian life and placed them into likeable and easily understood caricatures.

The book is an easy read for anyone.  I can see it being very useful to help new believers to understand big concepts.  Also for established believers who are struggling with their daily walk with the Lord.  The author tackles topics such as:

  • what is growing in our hearts
  • taming our words
  • the trap of materialism 
  • prayer
  • helping the less fortunate
  • the dark places
  • where to go when we don't know what to do next
  • the storms of life
I do see one pitfall that I must warn my followers of.  This is much like the book The Shack - it is one person's vision of God and what He would be like to be with face to face.  Jo Lynn Crozier backs up her thoughts on God with scripture, but I still feel the need to say this is a dream or vision from her perspective.

Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it others.  I struggled a little with some of the writing aspects, such as her abundant use of clichés.  Yet perhaps that helps with its overall appeal to all people.  Either way, I can confidently say that the book was worth the read.

Jo Lynn Crozier is a follower of Christ and a memeber of the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, which aims to foster understanding between the two faiths. Crozier is a successful business woman and currently works as a mortgage broker. Her inspiration for The Road Trip came from her own biblical study and her relationship with God.  Crozier and her husband, Bobby, have four adult children and five grandchildren.  They currently live in Granbury, Texas.

To check this out for yourself, click here for an excerpt from the book.  If you are interested in ordering the book from Emmanuel House Publishing click here.


I received a free copy of this book courtesy of Shelton Interactive and Emmanuel House Publishing, in exchange for my honest review.  I am required to provide only positive feedback, in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, part 255.




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