Brushing Fire: Soul Poetry–Book Review

Dear Friends,

Today I want to share one of my favorite books of Christian poetry with you.  Brushing Fire: Soul Poetry was written by Anna Marie Kittrell, and it’s available for purchase through Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Oh, friends, I dearly love this book! Some of the poems are deeply moving, and others are extremely funny. All of them are thought-provoking. When I first started reading Anna’s poems, I decided to color my favorite lines yellow and put colored tabs by the poems I enjoyed. By the time I finished the book, I had gone through TWO colored pencils and TWO huge stacks of sticky tabs. You should see my book now—it’s a riot of colored tabs and highlighted lines. Some of the poems are so good that I’ve started memorizing them. Reading this book one time through hasn’t been nearly good enough, some of the poems I’ve read over and over—savoring them—thinking about them—rolling them around in my mind. I’m excited to report that I’ve received permission from Anna Kittrell to give you a few excerpts of her writing. Without further ado, here’s an exclusive sneak peak at what you will find in Brushing Fire!

Fearless (Brushing Fire, Anna Kittrell, page 97)

Fear is smoke and mirrors; Illusion at its best; An overestimated trick; Designed to cause unrest. Though fear seeks to harm me; It will not steal my peace; When outwardly I tremble; My soul will rest at ease. I may shake for a moment; I may break down and cry; But fear is temporary; My tears will soon be dry. The peace I’ve found in Jesus; Is not the worldly kind; Transcending understanding; It guards my heart and mind.

Live and Learn (Brushing Fire, Anna Kittrell, page 73)

Call me names, I’ll shed a tear; You’ll laugh and tell a friend; I’ll learn how sharp a tongue can be; As my hurt feelings mend. Our differences are many; I’m sure you will agree; I will extract compassion; From the pain you’ve given me. I will not change my ways for you; God loves me, flaws and all; And if I see you stumble; I will try and break your fall. I thank you for the chance to feel; How deeply words can burn; I’ll be a better comforter; To someone in return.

Lost (Brushing Fire, Anna Kittrell, page 16)

. . .Let me be lost; From myself without care; Apart from this costume; Of flesh that I wear. Lost like a raindrop; Blown free by the wind; A drink for dry land; To go where you send. Help me get lost; From this world that I’m in; To be pleaser of God; Not a pleaser of men. Lost in a crowd; With my mind upon You; To lose myself, Lord; Is the least I can do.

Sweet Dreams (Brushing Fire, Anna Kittrell, page 64)

When much needed sleep eludes you; As you rest your weary head; In place of counting sheep tonight; Count blessings found instead.  Remember all the miracles; When God supplied your grace; You’ll soon be dreaming peacefully; A smile upon your face.  Meditate upon His Word; He’ll plant it in your heart; And then whenever darkness comes; Your faith won’t fall apart.  So when daylight turns to nightfall; And you find it hard to sleep; Don’t forget to count your blessings; God will keep track of the sheep.

Friends, I could recite poem after poem for you! They’re all terrific, and choosing just a few to post has been extremely difficult. Anna’s writing has struck a chord with me, and Brushing Fire is a book that I will treasure for years to come! If you’re interested in learning more about Anna Kittrell, Brushing Fire, or any of Anna’s other books, please feel free to follow the links I have provided. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Anna Kittrell’s Amazon Author Page/Books http://alturl.com/bchbw

Anna Kittrell’s Books on Barnes and Noble http://alturl.com/f4qb8

Anna Kittrell’s Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AKittrell

Anna Kittrell’s Prism ‘Shine’ Inventory http://prismbookgroup.com/shine.html

Anna Kittrell’s Email: kittrellbooks@gmail.com