Mommy Paints the Sky: A Love Story

A friend of mine lent this book to me and I could not put it down. I loved it so much that I sent it to several friends for Christmas and they all had they same reaction. The author is very down to earth about his journey with his wife who had cancer. It's a true love story. There are many humorous parts as well in the midst of his struggles. It is a story of hope and trust and a very easy read.

It seems that behind every sad song is a sad story. Behind an inspiring song is an inspiring story. Behind the song "Mommy Paints the Sky," there is both. With thanksgiving but sadness in his heart, Danny Oertli wrote a song for his daughter. "As the sun lays down to sleep / You ask me why she's gone / I don't know where to start / As the sunset lights your face / I see God knows how to heal little hearts." "Gracie, Jack and I were driving down the road in my really fast Honda minivan. As we pulled into a parking space at Wal-Mart an incredible sunset began to form over the mountains. The car's interior was bathed in amber light and deep strokes of yellow criss-crossed the sky, as if drawn by an unseen hand. "'Daddy,' came Gracie's little voice from the back seat, 'Did God let mommy paint the sky tonight?' "Looking in the rearview mirror I saw her leaning into Jack to catch a better view. As the light from the sunset settled on their faces, I silently praised God for the healing and hope He had brought into our lives. "For months I had been assuring Gracie and Jack that God had not forgotten us and that He loved us more than we could imagine. I had used big words like "sovereign" and "eternity," concepts even I didn't understand." But somehow, on that night, God gave Gracie a glimpse of something that touched her little heart. He began to heal her. On a warm, November night, God used the magnificence of His creation to teach a lonely little girl a lesson her father could not - that mommy had gone to be with Jesus. God began to heal a little heart that was hurting for its mommy. Mommy Paints the Sky is a love story: a story written by Danny Oertli, a singer, songwriter and now an author, to share the story of his life with Cyndi. He fell in love with Cyndi in high school, dated her through college and married her shortly after. But within six months of marriage they were devastated to learn that she had cancer. God saw fit to heal her and in the years that followed to bring two children to their family. But after eight years marked with both struggle and triumph, God very suddenly called Cyndi to Himself, leaving a man struggling to find hope and meaning through the pain and leaving two children wondering when mommy would come home. This is a beautiful story and one that touched me deeply, perhaps because I have been married for a similar amount of time and have a similar family, or perhaps because the lessons Oertli learned were ones I need to learn as well. As we read about Cyndi's illness and her death, we can see Danny's growth in his understanding of those terms he claims to know so little about - sovereignty and eternity. He comes to see that God is sovereign and can do His will within His creation. He comes to see that suffering is not meaningless, but that somehow it serves a purpose. Oertli writes, in his reflection on a special passage of Scripture, that "God was teaching me to take my eyes off myself and focus on others. It would

A beautifully written book about how God's faithfullness works in our lives. An easy read that's both inspiring and enlightening.

It is a very encouraging book and it proves that true love does exist! It highlights the need for GOD to be first in any healthy relationship. I love it!