Joseph... The Heart of the Father

After reading Joseph, I had to reflect back to each character especially Joseph who was the most loving, faithful and caring human that God had chosen to be Jesus' earthly Father. This story portrayed to me, how families should be in today's world. This small, yet powerful book made me laugh, cry and put me on the edge of my seat. I love to read from Author's that can make books visual as well as flowing in text. Fran has set that stage in her remarkable vision toward a great story. I believed what she wrote, the spirit himself has chosen her to write such a profound and amazing book that will reach anyone who reads it. I would encourage eveyone to get a copy today and take the time to read, and enjoy this anointed book....

New author Fran Riedemann, shares her beautifully written story of Joseph's role in the nurturing and guidance of Christ's upbringing with such beauty I guarantee by the time you are midway through the book you will stop to be in prayer with Christ. Fran's writing allows the reader to look inside the life of Joseph as he gently guides his "son" into prayer by role-modeling his own gentle spirit and devotion of love to God. By the time you finish the book you will have a newfound reverence for Joseph and his role in the spiritual development and character of Our Lord. It is obvious the author's words have been touched by God. A must read for anyone who has a love for Christ.

What is it that we know about Joseph and his life as Jesus' father? The answer, of course, is almost nothing. What Fran has done in this marvelous novel is take the facts that we know about Joseph, and has woven them into an enthralling story of what Joseph surely must have experienced in his life with Mary and Jesus. He was, after all, a mere mortal, with human thoughts, fears and emotions. After you read this story, you can't help but feel you know so much more about him as a person, who was a carpenter and a father. Fran's words put you right beside Joseph and his family in history. I loved it!

My first and lasting impression as I read this book was how disposable our society has decided fathers are. How incidental to the raising of children. To see God's intention in the structure of the family was powerful. He built the most important family that ever lived on a strong foundation...the father who was keenly aware of his unique role in the life of The Son. How wonderfully Fran has showed us that role, and the cost and the joys that it entailed. I personally will never look at a nativity scene again in the same way. Joseph is no longer just a secondary player in the scene. Joseph who had no speaking part has been shown to be a true hero of the faith. His unwavering faith under great stress is a message we all need. May God use this book to raise up many men in this generation who will have Joseph's heart. A Father's Day gift that is far better than another tie.

I read this little book quickly, off and on, over a 24-hour period. Now, I find myself pondering what I have read......it flashes across my mind when driving, when at work, when doing laundry. Why? I suddenly realized something. After one of the most horrendous, long, weary winters I can recall in half a century, I vividly remember the first truly sunny day last week when it got into the 30's. I opened several windows in my house, and the scent of spring, the scent of hope, danced into the stuffiness of our frozen captivity. My spirit soared, and every time I passed an open window, after competing with my two cats for a space at the sill, I breathed in deeply, and felt the freshness, the newness of life, the boundless energy, and the pure joy that is spring, filling my senses to overflowing. That is what Fran's book, Joseph, The heart of the Father, evoked in me. It is a breath of freshness, a new look at a subject that has long been glossed over. There are precious few details about Joseph's life and feelings......what we do know is factual and to the point--"Joseph took the Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt....after Herod died, we are told that Joseph arose from a dream and took the Child and His mother, and came back into the land of Israel." But, what did that REALLY entail? They certainly did not have GPS and a comfy air-conditioned van! They fled for their lives. In this little book, which is fiction "fleshed out" by the author's ispiration & imagination, not only are Joseph & Mary's day to day lives described--often in ways so that we can relate to it today, but the Bigger Picture is increasingly being woven into the fabric of the story. We have all heard about Jesus' ministry beginning at 30--but what about those early years, when he was raised by the human parents that God--and, therefore, Jesus Himself!--chose to raise the Messiah (Himself)! We are given wonderful insight into Mary's heart in Scripture, but what about Joseph, who was of the genealogy of Jesus Christ according to the 1st chapter of Matthew? What must he have been like to have been chosen for such an appointment? What did he see and feel as he watched the Son of God grow from a helpless infant into a wise 12-yr old teaching in the Temple? I feel that Fran Riedemann has been given a special insight into what Joseph's life might truly have been like. When I read the book, I had such strong affirmation in my own spirit that this was an amazing peek into mysteries we cannot begin to comprehend. To see Jesus' growth as a human child, and simultaneously witness the preparation for Him to be the sacrificial Lamb of God, the Messiah so long-awaited, through the paternal eyes and heart of Joseph, reduced me to tears several times, even long after finishing the book. The story is readable, and understandable, and it connects so many dots that need to be connected, that the effect is profound and unshakable. It is so REAL, and Joseph b