Stepping Heavenward: One Woman's Journey to Godliness (Inspirational Library Series)

I began this book not expecting much more than the typical inspriational coming of age of a young girl. I did not get what I expected. This is written in the fashion of a diary from a girl through the 1800's with all the fears, failures, and honesty you would expect to find in a girls diary. The issues she deals with in the book are as relevant today as they were then. Only proving the more things change the more they stay the same. It is an easy book to relate to from her feelings of coming up short in her walk with God to the long spaces between entrys in her diary. Reading and seeing Kate blossom and grow into a woman is an encouragement to anyone who reads it. I highly recommend this for young women ages 15 to late 20s, however it is enjoyable at any age. This is a great book to give to those hard to buy for teen girls.

Have you ever been overwhelmed by your struggles with sin and holiness? This book reminds us that we are not alone, but that all believers walk the long, difficult, but ultimately joyfully path of Christianity. It is an encouragement to watch Katy mature and grow, even when she sees no growth in herself. Her battles are the same battles we all face: pride, anger, a feeling of distance from God, troublesome relatives... When times of difficulty come she finds her best refuge in prayer and the shed blood of Jesus and reminds you to do the same. For a good laugh, cry, and reflection on God's great love and patience with us, spending some time reading this book.

This is one to read over and over again. Such beautiful theology, presented with gentleness. The characters are alive, engaging, and cause one to feel emotion with them. I recommend this book as a gift for young women, to read again as young wives, young mothers, and mentors to others. Written in a way that is captivating!

This bookwas enjoyable and also deeply practical. So many issues are addressed indirectly yet sufficiently. I am a Christian woman struggling with:
Fear of death
Chronic disease
Selfishness
Anxiety over my children
Worldly desires
All of these struggles and sins are addressed in a way that encourages the reader to the depths of her soul. As you see Katherine grow closer to the Lord over the course of 27 years, you will be encouraged to seek God's will in all things. This book was a life changer for me!

I first read Stepping Heavenward at the age of nine, and it convicted and inspired me like no other book. Even then I could relate to Katy in all of her spiritual struggles and sin issues. In my three subsequent reads of the book when I was 12, 14, and 16, I have continued to grow by it. The last time I perused it, the spiritual depth and insightfulness overcame me with awe. God used Mrs. Prentiss amazingly in this book, as I believe any open-hearted woman or girl can find themselves within its pages. Though there are a few passages in the book that I have never read because of their dryness, overall it is a surprisingly interesting read and Katy is an engaging narrator. Despite the fact that Katy is older than I am and lived in a different culture, the focus of the book is her walk with God, which spans all times, cultures, and ages.

This ranks as one of my all-time, absolutely VERY favorite books...I have it on display in our breakfast room, it means that much to me. Such a lovely, lovely read, and inspiration. I cannot recommend it highly enough. In my opinion, it ranks as one of the best Christian books EVER written...wonderful pearls of wisdom throughout!!

What a fascinating little book. The diary of of woman started when she was about 16 and continuing through her married life. Even in the mid-1800's, a woman's struggle with life and its various issues is basically the same through every age.
The wisdom she gains in her life-experiences is beneficial for every woman who reads the book. I highly recommend it to all ages 16 and over.

This book is in excellent condition, better than anticipated.

This is a marvelous book! I like to collect 'old' books, especially ones that speak to the way people lived and thought and acted in times before our own. The book that I received has a lovely 'leather' binding of purple and the pages were nice and heavy, as in they were not see through like some of the old books can be. The diary follows a young girl from her sixteenth birthday through to her mature 'old' age and is a beautiful account of someone who is honestly trying to live a better life, but who keeps stumbling over her faults and frailties.I think this is what made the book so relatable -- even though it was written 150 years ago! The internal struggles that we all face in any generation are much the same from century to century, And although the outward stimulus may change, the interior battle is still won or lost within the heart. I thought perhaps it might be a little too 'sweet' being written in an earlier age, but I did not find that to be the case at all. It was very down to earth and the author presented a very likeable personality, despite some of her flaws. I guess if you wanted a summation of the main theme it would be the old saying that the 'only difference between a sinner and a saint is that the sinner keeps getting up again.' Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Good news indeed!

This is a marvelous book! I like to collect 'old' books, especially ones that speak to the way people lived and thought and acted in times before our own. The book that I received has a lovely 'leather' binding of purple and the pages were nice and heavy, as in they were not see through like some of the old books can be. The diary follows a young girl from her sixteenth birthday through to her mature 'old' age and is a beautiful account of someone who is honestly trying to live a better life, but who keeps stumbling over her faults and frailties.I think this is what made the book so relatable -- even though it was written 150 years ago! The internal struggles that we all face in any generation are much the same from century to century, And although the outward stimulus may change, the interior battle is still won or lost within the heart. I thought perhaps it might be a little too 'sweet' being written in an earlier age, but I did not find that to be the case at all. It was very down to earth and the author presented a very likeable personality, despite some of her flaws. I guess if you wanted a summation of the main theme it would be the old saying that the 'only difference between a sinner and a saint is that the sinner keeps getting up again.' Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Good news indeed!