BREATHING FREELY
Celebrating The Imperfect Life


ENDORSEMENTS & REVIEWS

“CCM Book of the Year for 2002” by Associate Editor, Lizza Connor

“I finished Breathing Freely...(and) felt inspired to wrap my arms around the entirety of my own life - the people and places that I cherish, the bridges that I've burned, the faces that I miss, and the feelings of loss that leave me quiet and still. I breathed deeply, closed my eyes, and thanked God for the richness of it all.”
—Amy Grant

“In Breathing Freely: Celebrating the Imperfect Life, artist/author Ruth McGinnis reminds us of God's precious gift of life. From the foreword to the last chapter, she fans a breath of fresh air into the soul, but first she had to experience it herself ... McGinnis also reveals how she journeyed back to her childhood, reconnecting with a passion for life splintered through disappointments and tragedy. Readers will empathize as she explains the grief she experienced in the deaths of close friends and family. This memoir is a call to each of us to embrace life's triumphs and defeats, ride with the winds of change and ultimately, breathe freely.”
—Lonna Sullivan, Christian Retailing

“Reading Breathing Freely: Celebrating the Imperfect Life feels as if you're on a long road trip with author Ruth McGinnis, driving by pieces of her life while figuring out how God has worked to fit those pieces together. The autobiographical volume aims to help readers explore God's grace in the midst of imperfect journeys. And as you read about how McGinnis has come to recognize and embrace that grace, you discover how you can, too. .... Unlike some autobiographical works that wait until the last chapter to tack on life lessons for readers to take away, this one contains practical wisdom woven throughout. If you struggle with perfectionism, shame, or any of a host of other issues that grace can heal, you'll likely enjoy this book.”
—Whitney Hopler, Crosswalk.com

“In Breathing Freely, Ruth McGinnis...takes the reader on a journey through her past that both motivates and moves. From a painfully abusive situation at the age of 16 to subsequent struggles with perfectionism, an eating disorder and the illnesses and deaths of several whom she cared about, McGinnis shares candidly while managing to avoid both a ‘poor me' attitude and pop-psychobabble. While not technically an autobiography, the reader gets an inside view of McGinnis' family history, warts and all. But rather than casting blame, McGinnis encourages readers to embrace their own history, painful and imperfect though it may be, in order to heal and live peacefully. The book is an easy and interesting read and is being released in conjunction with a companion CD of the same name, featuring McGinnis' own lovely violin playing.”
—Aaron King, CCM Magazine