Book Write-Up: My Breaking Point, God's Turning Point

Ricky Texada.  My Breaking Point, God’s Turning Point: Experience God’s Amazing Power to Restore.  Bloomington, Minnestota: Bethany House Publishers, 2014.  See here for Bethany House’s page about the book.

Ricky Texada is pastor of Covenant Church, which is located in Colleyville, Texas.  My Breaking Point, God’s Turning Point is his story about how God has guided him through crises in his life.  The most prominent crisis in the book is the death of his first wife Debra in an automobile accident.  Texada also talks about his relationship with the woman who became his second wife, Cyd, as well as other experiences.

What I most liked about the book was Texada’s thirst for God.  His devotion to God was almost monastic, for Texada spent a lot of time in solitary prayer and fasting.  Moreover, listening to praise CDs was a significant aspect of his personal devotion.  In solitude, Texada could pour his pain out to God without being judged by others, and God could heal him and provide him with assurance and security.  Texada also stresses the value of community as a place where one can be comforted and offer comfort to others, and I also appreciated Texada’s stories about people he knew (particularly Debra’s brother, who was in prison).  Still, Texada’s individual devotion to God was one reason that I enjoyed reading his book.

Another asset to the book was its stories about the supernatural.  God is at work in Texada’s story.  God gives Texada dreams, and those dreams are confirmed by others who have the same dream.  Texada comes to conclude that his wife’s death was part of God’s plan: he recalls times prior to her accident that indicated that she knew she was about to go, and he tells about a thug who reevaluated his life and committed to Christ after witnessing the accident that took Debra’s life.

There are moments of profound wisdom in the book.  For example, when Texada was upset because it seemed that the drunk driver who killed his wife would not face charges, a friend told him that God knew best how to judge each person—-and what would impact a person throughout eternity.  Overall, Texada’s advice to people struggling is prayer, community, and remembering and testifying about God’s faithfulness and goodness.

If I have one problem with the book, it is that I wish that it had addressed in more depth the question of what people should do if they do not have the sorts of supernatural experiences that he had, if God seems silent in their lives.  Still, I was edified by reading Texada’s story.

The publisher sent me a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.