Heaven Has Blue Carpet: A Sheep Story by a Suburban Housewife

This book is the tale of a family who moved from the suburbs to the country and eventually raises lambs. The author tells about raising sheep and compares us to the sheep, with Jesus as our shepherd. I thought I knew why we are called His sheep, but this book introduced me to many truths I hadn't considered. Oh, and the title? It comes from the story of a bummer lamb (orphan, whose mother had rejected him), who the author brings into her home to care for (to hopefully give him a better chance at survival). The floors are covered in blue carpet, and the lamb (who had the love of the entire family) was literally in heaven, especially when compared to the other lambs who stayed with their mothers. The author compares us to this lamb, when we go through our darkest hours (especially when friends and family reject us), when Christ lovingly cares for us to help get us through those difficult times.

This book tells the story of a lady and her family raising sheep and the spiritual lessons she learned along the way. They started with absolutely no knowledge of shepherding, and the book follows them through the learning process and includes stories of their relationships with some of the individual sheep. The author has relevant Bible verses scattered throughout the book as well as spiritual reflections titled "Chew on This", "Good Grain", and "The Shearing Shed" to help apply the lessons to everyday life. The author has a warm, friendly writing style that makes this book a joy to read, and she does a good job of explaining the spiritual applications. I feel like I have a better understanding of Jesus as our Shepherd from reading this book.

When I opened this book, I had no idea what I was getting in to. But after a couple of paragraphs, I was so excited with the story, I made myself put it down once in a while so that it would last longer. I simply cannot say enough good about it. A perfect Christmas gift, a wonderful help for a grieving or ill friend. Do not miss this book. You'll cherish it forever. After you're finished, you will find yourself picking it up often....maybe even taking it in the car with you. Almost every page can be an inspiration.

If you can imagine selling your house, buying a very old farmhouse in the country, moving your spouse and family into said dilapidated old house, and ordering some sheep that you have absolutely no idea how to care for, you'll get the premise of this book. The author is a master of transition, so at the end of every chapter, you'll be unable to resist going on to the next, and her many plights with respect to the sheep will keep you laughing. Through all of her experiences, though, is a deeper lesson--an understanding of how God views HIS sheep (us). This book is a fun and heartwarming read, and the lessons learned through the many sheep-related anecdotes and simple reflections make it worthwhile rather than just entertaining. I gave it five stars, and I feel it earned every one of them.

Wow, I never expected to love this book as much as I did. The day it came in I couldn't put it down. The writer is warm, funny, down-to-earth and most of all a great "teacher" of the Word through out her book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand why there are so many scriptures in the bible about sheep & the Lord being our Shepard. The book is inviting and concise. You will hear enough to feel drawn into the story without being lost in too much detail of her accounts. Basically the book is about a Suburban mom of 6 who moves to the country and purchases some sheep. The book takes you through their ups & downs on the farm pertaining to their novice sheep raising skills. I am not an animal lover, and yet I was almost in tears when their first lamb was born and shared in their sorrows when a lamb was abandoned by it's mom. You will be amazed all the parallels and similarities between lambs and yourself. The writer inserts wonderful scriptures to go along with her stories and you will feel like one of the family as you follow their adventurous journey.