Tuesday, July 9, 2013

"Glimpses of Grace" Book Review

I bet you are celebrating the fact that I FINISHED "Glimpses of Grace" by Gloria Furman with me! (Because I've never mentioned it before... right?) Except here, and here, and here, and here, and here. See what I mean? I've been engrossed in this book since Mother's Day and God has used it to convict me more times than I can count on my pride, selfishness, and my inner relationship with Him. God has also used this book to inspire me to study God's Word more, improve my prayer life, memorize scripture, and how to be content, joyful, and God glorifying through the mundane.

Her overall theme? God gives you Himself and that is enough. Without Jesus (our gift) we are nothing.

The most important question in all of universe is your opinion of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Nothing else matters because HE IS ETERNAL and we are eternal beings. 150 years from now I want to bask in God's glory and have Christ say to me, "Well, done my good and faithful servant." So while I'm on this earth I will focus on my future home and the gift of salvation because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, becoming sin on my behalf, and live every day as a good and faithful servant.

The thing is, I've known these facts for quite a while now, but do you know how badly I struggle with doing it? That's what I love about Gloria Furman's book! She struggles too and gives practical advice and used her struggles (including sad and funny stories of her own life) so her readers can relate. Each page has notes in the margins, highlights, and an occasional sticky note to mark the page because the way she writes reflects my theology (and she can state it so much better than I can!).

I'm terrible at writing sometimes because I ramble on and on and on when in reality all I want to say is: YOU NEED TO READ THIS! THIS BOOK IS WORTH READING! Thankfully, Lauren Chandler wrote an amazing foreword and I wanted to share a piece of it with you, "This is sustaining grace, this is the desired haven: to know his steadfast love that saves and keeps us. Glimpses of Grace is not a how-to. It is a true friend's invitation to see and know the Lord's steadfast love displayed in every wave, big and small." (p.12)

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Our response to failure, to life's struggles, to our imperfections, to our ups and downs of motherhood and marriage, to tragedy, to joy, and blessings (and everything else in life) should be TO THE LORD. That is why I am able to relate to Gloria Furman's journey of seeing grace in every aspect of life: because she struggles, she has tragedy, reasons to be joyful, and experiences the ups and downs of motherhood and wife-hood like every other woman on the face of the earth. That is why you need to read this book, so God can bless you also in knowing that 1. You are not alone. and 2. You can be joyful while sweeping the floor and changing the umpteenth diaper of the day. Not because it's fun, but because you are called to be a servant of Christ and there is deep and abiding joy and contentment in the hope we have in HIM. I never understood why I should be joyful while doing a task I hate (like diaper duty), but now I do and I am beyond thankful that God blessed Gloria Furman with the ability to write in such a way that touched my heart. I hope it has the same effect on you!

You can get the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble for approximately $10, it is worth it, I promise.

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