Through Painted Deserts: Finding God on the Open Road
Stock No: WW209820
Through Painted Deserts: Finding God on the Open Road   -     By: Donald Miller

Through Painted Deserts: Finding God on the Open Road

Thomas Nelson / 2005 / Paperback

In Stock
Stock No: WW209820

Buy Item Our Price$18.27 Retail: $19.99 Save 9% ($1.72)
In Stock
Quantity:
Stock No: WW209820
Thomas Nelson / 2005 / Paperback
Quantity:

Add To Cart

or checkout with

Add To Wishlist
eBook Our Price$10.99 View Details
Quantity:


Add To Cart

or checkout with

Wishlist

Product Close-up | Editorial Reviews
This product is not available for expedited shipping.
* This product is available for shipment only to the USA.
Other Formats (3)
Select this Item Product Title/Author Availability Price Quantity
$10.99
In Stock
Our Price$10.99
Add To Cart
Quantity for eBook0
$10.99
$18.27
In Stock
Our Price$18.27
Add To Cart
$18.27
$14.98
In Stock
Our Price$14.98
Add To Cart
Quantity for Unabridged MP3 Download0
$14.98
Others Also Purchased (1)

Product Description

From the author of Blue Like Jazz comes a road-tripmemoir about three months spent crossing the country in a Volkswagon camping van, wondering out loud if there is more to life than 9 to 5 jobs, than the ruts the entireworld, seems to be stuck in. Follow Don and Paul as they dive headlong into the deepest of human questions and find answers outside words-answers that have to be experienced to be believed.

Product Information

Title: Through Painted Deserts: Finding God on the Open Road
By: Donald Miller
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 256
Vendor: Thomas Nelson
Publication Date: 2005
Dimensions: 8.50 X 5.44 (inches)
Weight: 10 ounces
ISBN: 0785209824
ISBN-13: 9780785209829
UPC: 020049056929
Stock No: WW209820

Publisher's Description

Follow Don and Paul as they dive headlong into the deepest of human questions and find answers outside words?answers that have to be experienced to be believed.

Day 1: "Trips  like ours are greener grass left unknown for fear of believing trite sayings; sayings that are sometimes true. But our friends back home live an existence under the weight and awareness of times; a place we are slowly escaping; a world growing fainter by the hour and the mile."

Day 13: "It feels again that we are leaving who we were, moving on into the people we will become, hopefully, people with some kind of answers, some kind of thing to believe tht makes sense of beauty, of romance. Something that would explain the red glow against Paul's face, the red glow that seems to be coming off the console . . . 'Did you notice the engine light is lit, bud?' I ask . . ."

Day 83: "I sit in the van, waiting for her to come out when I notice a window in one of the classrooms open, and a backpack comes falling out, spilling a few books onto the lawn. After the backpack comes Elida, falling atop the pack and laying low, peeking back into the window to see if the teacher noticed. She gathers her books, reaches into the classroom and closes the window, then runs toward the van as though this were a prison break."

As you read Through Painted Deserts, you'll soon realize this is not just one man's account of finding light, God, and beauty on the open road. Rather, this book maps the journey you're already traveling . . . or soon will be.

Author Bio

Donald Miller is the CEO of StoryBrand and Business Made Simple. He is the host of the Coach Builder YouTube Channel and is the author of several books including bestsellers Building a StoryBrand, Marketing Made Simple, and How to Grow Your Small Business. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee with his wife, Elizabeth and their daughter, Emmeline.

 

ChristianBookPreviews.com

In Donald Miller's autobiographical book, Through Painted Deserts, a road-trip becomes a journey to find God's beauty and grace. Best friends, Don and Paul, long to escape from the restless city of Houston as they head off to explore America country in an old Volkswagen van. Who knew that along the way they would experience God?
Miller uses a first-person narrative form that creates a personal relationship between the reader and himself. He uses short chapters to move the events swiftly and smoothly, however, at times his descriptions are excessive and slow the dialogue. By using the differences between the characters, he creates a humorous relationship, wherein each character brings out the other's strengths. This increases the quality of the dialogue and makes it enjoyable.
Don was never taken seriously--he always joked with friends and strangers at the best and worst times. To him, jobs were more of a concept than a practice. He was also attached to earthly things. He longed to buy all he wanted, even though he never needed it. Houses, boats, and cars all held a special place in his heart. It is ironic how this materialistic house-dweller became best friends with an outdoorsman, who would rather sleep on dirt than a bed of silk. Their relationship was unlikely, but it grew strong. Their differences accentuated each other and brought out the best in one another.
The two improbable best friends set out to travel the country to escape the noise and hustle in Houston. They had no set plan for their trip, except to see the Grand Canyon. Paul had convinced Don to camp at the bottom of the canyon. It was a feat they both conquered with great pride. Throughout the story, the most powerful faith lesson comes from their ancient Volkswagen van. Don and Paul had to constantly keep their faith in God that He would provide for them when the van would give out and all hope seemed lost.
After the Grand Canyon, they traveled to see a friend in California for a night, and then to see some friends in Oregon for a week. After being on the road for so long, they realized they needed to find jobs. Paul called a ranch that he had worked at once before. Since they had no money at the time, they lived in the woods with only a tent, two sleeping bags, and a few personal items. They relied on God to provide food and showers for them daily. Every night, they were able to look at the stars in wonder. It was then that Don realized that he did not need a big house, a nice car, or a boat to satisfy his needs. All he needed was a bowl of cereal and a view of God's sunrise to keep him happy.
This book mirrors what Jesus said in Matthew 6:25, “Therefore, I tell you do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, or what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” We all are like Don at some point in our lives. We see what we want, and we believe we need it. However, Through Painted Deserts will challenge readers to depend on God to provide for all needs and experience contentment in all things. This book is beneficial for any teenager or adult who wants to see God's giving grace. -- Angela George, Christian Book Previews.com

Ask a Question

Author/Artist Review