Title: As Sparks Fly Upward: Weathering the Storms of Life
Author: Michael Carr
Publisher: XlibrisAU
ISBN: 9781524630560
Pages: 226
Genre: Memoir/Christian
Reviewed by: Tiffany Ezuma
Written by Michael Carr, a Pentecostal bishop and architect, As Sparks Fly Upward is an engrossing work dealing with Carr’s fascinating ruminations on the Bible and living a Christ-filled life. Told through a mixture of personal anecdote, discussion of Bible stories and metaphors, Carr is able to blend it all into an easily digestible book which will leave readers reflecting on their own life, faith and spirituality in a modern world.
Carr is someone who’s experienced life and he writes most effectively when he’s using his own personal struggles as an example; it’s hard not to feel close to the writer when he details the challenges he and his wife, Patricia have been faced with due to her illness. At only 31, she was diagnosed with myasthenia, a rare autoimmune disease that causes severe muscle atrophy. People living with this condition are projected to live only up until age 50 but Patricia was able to live with the disease beyond those years. Carr writes of how the two faced the challenges of her illness, his caring for her and how he further devoted himself to God and prayer to get through it all.
His writing style is both poetic and simple, which makes the reading process feel as if you are listening to a captivating sermon at church. The book is a great read for anyone of the Christian faith who is looking for a book to help refocus their relationship with God and their faith. In addition to already practicing Christians, the book may be appealing to someone who’s going through a rough time and looking for a source of guidance.
Overall, As Sparks Fly Upward is a moving and spiritual read which will long stay in the memories of those who have the pleasure to read it.
