I SPaT by Stephanie R. Bridges

Publication: September 19, 2014

# of Pages: 86 

Source: Review Copy from Author 

*All thoughts and opinions are my own 

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I SPaT: In Spirit Power and Truth, takes you on one woman’s triumphant journey to spiritual wholeness. Stephanie R. Bridges introduces the idea that struggles with addictive behavior, which she continues to deal with, should never be reviled, but instead embraced as a call from God. Addiction is an illness that only He can heal, and oftentimes it is the only bridge that we will take to true salvation. Stephanie is refreshingly honest and often unavoidably raw in her poetic commentary on subjects such as fornication, abortion, adultery, and incarceration. Every poem that stems from her personal story is accompanied by scriptures that remind us that no matter where we are in life, God is right there with us In Spirit Power and Truth.

This book of poetry was amazing! I know I don't review much on here, but I absolutely and completely love poetry. It always blows my mind that so much can be said with so few words. This compilation of poetry was extraordinary not only because the author was able to relay so much to readers with the use of a few words, but also because she was able to cover such a wide variety of subjects. It was clear through their construction that she carefully planned each poem and successfully tied them to difficult topics. As I am a spiritual individual, it was extremely rewarding to see elements of my personal faith tied into the book as a whole. 

Although there were a variety of poems to choose from I'm going to discuss two that quickly became my favorites and stood out to me. These two included "Brick by Brick" and "Rape." 

Brick by Brick

I think I enjoyed this poem so much because it resonated and mirrored a lot of inner turmoil and struggles that I've been having in my personal life. It's easy to build walls around yourself and your heart to protect yourself, but in the same respect a person has to learn how to let those walls down and understand that pain is just as much a part of the process as joy. They are two sides of the same coin. This is really hard for me because I've been through so much pain physically, mentally, and emotionally. But after reading this poem I realized that I have also experienced joy in these same areas. I love that it emphasized that the author takes on the challenge of praising and rejoicing in God when she is both happy and sad. That takes perseverance and passion. 

Rape

This was a difficult one for me to read for a variety of reasons, but with that being said I must also note that it was extremely powerful. I don't want to go too much into the details affiliated with this poem because I don't want to give anything way. If you do get the opportunity to read this book be sure to pay close attention to this poem. 

Overall, this was an extremely rewarding book and I definitely love that I received the opportunity to read and review it. If you get a chance, please support this author and check out this book. 

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