A review of the marvelous “Hope in 60 Seconds” by Cristina Baker

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Readers, I’ve had an incredible opportunity to read Cristina Baker’s Hope in 60 Seconds, and to share my impressions with you. It is the most amazing life story. But it also contains healing, blessing, uplifting prayers and wonderful Bible teaching–that will give you hope for the future and bless your own relationship with God. This is a book that you will want to get for yourself!

About Hope in 60 Seconds

“At twenty-one I was as far from hopeful as anyone could get. Maybe as far as you are now.”

From the publisher:

“These are the words of Cristina Baker as she considered her traumatic life: from childhood abuse to troubled teen years, to a descent into substance abuse, she resonates with a lost world who understands first-hand how easy it is to lose hope. Then, just as she was about to go to jail for drug possession, the Hero of Hope, Jesus Christ, came into her life and set her on a completely new path.

If you are weary and doubting, Cristina understands. Hope in 60 Seconds will help you to:

Be encouraged and empowered by someone who has been in a similar place of discouragement and discovered Christ’s authority and love,
Learn how Jesus establishes hope and begin to experience it first-hand in the darkest of circumstances,
Grow in your ability to connect with Jesus and find the hope you have longed for all of your life, and
Prove that a connection with Jesus is the ultimate source of hope.

The message of Cristina’s life is Jesus, the hope we need and hunger for—a hope that will stand secure in the face of brokenness, loss, sickness, abuse, a brain tumor diagnosis, injustice, and death. In Hope in 60 Seconds, she shares the steps of her journey to encounter, receive, and walk in the hope of Jesus, and offers readers powerful wisdom for how they can take the same journey for themselves.”

Hope in 60 Seconds is arranged in 10 chapters. The hardback book is easy to hold as you read, and there is a ribbon marker attached so that you can mark your place. You’ll see that each chapter begins (and ends) with a prayer and a Scripture. Then, Cristina tells her story; what happened in her life, and how God ran to her, met her, and was moving toward her to save her life when she hardly knew He even existed. In addition, there is an afterword that’s filled with encouragement. And finally, there’s a closing section entitled “Prayers of Hope,” which includes prayers for a number of topics, from salvation, protection, restoration, belief, healing, and lots more which will meet readers where they are—and help them to go where God is. In the best and most humble way!

My thoughts about this book

Aren’t we all on a journey? I certainly am. And I’ll admit to y’all that many of my own recent years have had lots of struggles (even before the corona happened), alongside joys. And even though I would personally say that I do know Jesus and I consider myself a Christ-follower…that this book is JUST what I needed. Cristina’s story and her voice really do speak to everyone, whether they’d say they are people of faith or they’re just dipping their toes into it. And her book will encourage you wherever you are.

For me, I was incredibly moved by the entire book. You can see in the photo above that the page on the left is black with white typeface (which is where the prayers are) and the one on the right is that in reverse (which is your cue that you’re in the chapters). As I read, I prayed every prayer! (And highlighted a lot of the book as well.) Because I found that each prayer contained something in it that I needed–sometimes desperately! I need to see God work some miracles. I need for God to touch and heal some pain from my own past. I need hope–hope from Him. And I want to continue to know Him, to love Him, and to follow Him.

Would you be surprised if I told you that I found prayers–and Scriptures–and story in Hope in 60 Seconds, all that met me in some way where I am today? Well, I did, along with so much more. I actually started using washi tape to mark the prayers and passages I wanted to come back to or refer to again; because I know this is a book that I’ll continue to use alongside my Bible. It just contains so much in it to help us to grow, to love and know God better, and to engage with Him and His purposes. It’s wonderful and I so recommend it!

Some of my favorite passages

I wanted to share some of my favorite moments from Hope in 60 Seconds, so that you can share in the joy and encouragement that I did. I hope that they also encourage you!

“One of the greatest gifts God gives us is the power to choose. You, too, can choose new life and receive the powerful hope found in Jesus. A new season and a new day wait for you on the other side of your deepest valley and heartache.” (p. 72)
“I am here to tell you that hope never runs out. Hope is a person, and His name is Jesus. He is the greatest advocate you will ever know. Our wisest advisor. The kindest caretaker. Our greatest defender. He is never in a hurry, and He never gets frustrated to the point of giving up and casting someone off as a lost cause.” (p. 57)
“Jesus’ love for you is so great that He was willing to die in your place. He is the lifter of your head and the one who breaks off all the shame of your past. “But You, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.” (Psalm 3:3 NRSV) You are priceless, and God longs for you to come boldly into His presence and receive this extravagant gift.” (p. 30)
“There is power in forgiveness. It releases the power of God into our own lives, and it opens the door for our hearts to be healed and made whole. I’m not saying this is easy. Quite the opposite…(but) Walking in forgiveness brought me emotional freedom. It gave me the boldness to confront all kinds of memories from my childhood and young adulthood. I took these moments to Jesus and each time chose to forgive those who had harmed or abused me–even if I never had the chance to see or speak to them. I acknowledged their role in my life, what had happened between us, and I spoke words of forgiveness over them. Then I placed them into God’s hands. I released them. Each time I did, I stepped into a deeper measure of freedom.” (p. 120)

There is SO much richness in this lovely book. I recommend it to you wholeheartedly, as you pursue your own freedom and rich relationship with God.

Where you can purchase Hope in 60 Seconds

You can purchase Hope in 60 Seconds from many booksellers, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Google Play, Christianbook.com, and more. Just visit Cristina’s blog and scroll down to find purchase info!

Cristina Baker blog