Media personality, actress, entrepreneur, and single mom, Bettinna Carlos, officially presented to the media her first book under OMF Literature, Heartbreaks and Breakthroughs Making Sense of God’s Purpose for Pain. The book shares Bettinna’s journey from sickness to full recovery, not just in the physical but emotional and spiritual aspects as well.
I have worked with Bettinna and her daughter, Gummy, several times in the past during her stint as a brand ambassador for Superbook, CBN Asia’s animated TV cartoon. Bettinna is a very authentic person when you meet her in person. She is not pretentious in any way and really down to earth. That is why I am excited to read her first book.
During the launch, Bettinna shared how she had the inspiration to write the book and relates how she had to go through over six years worth of journals to be able to richly demonstrate God’s Father Provider love for her and her daughter Gummy. Bettinna and the editors of OMF Lit, led by their Director of Publishing Yna Reyes, saw how rich her experiences with God were that they convinced her to write this book first rather than the planned devotional. I believe it was wisdom from God with all the mental health issues going around young people these days.
Going back to the book, it’s authentic, candid, and at times downright hilarious, each chapter of the book shares a “Heartbreak” episode in Bettinna’s life that God used to show Himself and His power, as well as the “Breakthrough” where she learned important lessons from the heartbreaks she went through. Bettinna was very transparent with how she wrote the book. She may not have revealed every small and “controversial” detail of her life but you will see a very real glimpse of who she is as a person and she had grown in her relationship with Christ.
Bettinna shares a few important lessons in Heartaches and Breakthroughs:
God has a purpose in our waiting.
This lesson is the result of the sickness that Bettinna went through. She narrates how, “God used this time to show more of Himself to me—that He’s our Provider, Guarantee, Father, and Comfort—and also for me to discover more of myself.”
Forgiveness is a choice, not a feeling.
Bettinna relates her falling-out with the father of her daughter, Gummy, many years past, and how she realized the importance of forgiving him, no matter how hard it was. “I knew I had to forgive though I didn’t feel like it,” Bettinna confesses in chapter 5.
We are never alone.
Perhaps Bettinna’s biggest breakthrough is the realization that although she is raising Gummy on her own, she has both God as her Father Provider and her Faithful Partner. She narrates various heartbreaks of solo parents, which include making ends meet, time management, decision-making, and loneliness among others.
“I share my story with you with the hope that you too will see the loving hand of God on everything in your life,” Bettinna tells the readers in the opening pages of her book. “May you be convinced that He is above all and in control of everything, causing all things to work out for your good and His glory.”
Heartbreaks and Breakthroughs is available at National Book Store, OMF Lit Bookshops, Passages, and other leading bookstores for P250.00. The book can also be ordered online at shop.omflit.com.
