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At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

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March 19, 2012

You’re Already Amazing~ Book Review

 
I don’t know why it surprised me.
I knew it was coming and yet when I eagerly opened the package and saw the title, there was a part of me that just wanted to shove it right back into the mailbox!
Don’t get me wrong.
I really wanted to read this book!
 Had, in fact, happily accepted the opportunity to read it.
But, there was just something about that title that made me cringe.
You see, I didn’t really want to know that I’m “Already Amazing”.
It makes much more sense to me to keep trying harder, working longer and just generally avoiding the truth.
What truth is that, you ask?
That God thinks I’m amazing, just as I am.
One might go into reading You’re Already Amazing, by Holley Gerth, thinking it will be just another “feel-good-because-God-loves-you” kind of books.
And, or course we know that he does love us!
But as I began to read this book (I didn’t shove it back into the mailbox after all!), I realized that there is a big gap in my thinking.
I know that he loves me, but do I really KNOW that he loves me?
Even the deep, dark, hidden parts of me?
Somewhere along the line, I’ve fallen into the same trappings with which so many of us struggle.
I’m insecure about my looks, my clothes, my friendships, family relationships, my parenting.
Am I doing enough, being enough, serving enough?
Holley beautifully captures, on page 39, the moment in which she heard God whisper to her how he sees her. How he sees me…and you!
“Inside a voice whispered, ‘You’re not enough.’”
“You are not enough…in me you are so much more.”
“We are much more than pretty…we are wonderfully made.”
“We are much more than likeable…we are deeply loved.”
“We are much more than okay…we are daughters of the King.”
Understanding this truth is essential to growing in our faith.
And yet fully embracing it is another story!
Holley’s own experiences as someone who can be a bit “intense” in her spiritual life (pg. 92) really rang true for me. I, too, struggle with this. Working hard at my faith seems to come far more naturally to me then just resting in the comfort and security of his love for me.
But, by sharing her own process of discovering that she is “already amazing”, Holley perfectly balances the gentle truths about getting to the core of our emotions and insecurities, mixed in with some good old-fashioned hits-you-right-between-the-eyes statements!
On page 104 she says, “We are to love people, but we’re only asked to please God.”
Ouch!
Have I fooled myself into believing that just because I’m pouring myself into serving and loving God’s people I’m guaranteed that this is pleasing to him?
Holley even goes so far as to declare on page 106, “While God does want us to be open with others, he also encourages us to put boundaries in place as we do so.” And further on down in the same paragraph she says, “In other words, we’re not to deliberately put something of worth where it won’t be valued. Some people in our lives can’t or won’t treasure our hearts.”

Double ouch!
You mean I have permission to stop being a doormat for people to wipe their feet on?
I don’t have to continue to pursue a close relationship with that person who just so obviously “can’t or won’t treasure” my heart?
Whew!
Coming to terms with these and other areas of our hearts is truly a process.
But, through a series of brief but thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, Holley gently leads you through this process, and to a place of accepting that “we’re amazing not because of who we are but because of who lives within us.” (page 127)
As I read the last few chapters of You’re Already Amazing, the word ‘freedom’ kept coming to my mind.
Freedom to “move forward in faith.” (page 150)
Freedom to “receive” (pages 167-175)
Freedom to truly believe that I am “loved more that I know.” (page 188)
With the addition of a wonderful “Go Deeper Guide” at the end of the book, Holley leaves the door wide open for us to use this as a resource for ourselves individually or in a group setting.
The questions provided help to summarize as well as expand on the content of each chapter and leave room for you to write down your thoughts along the way.
In Holley’s words, “This isn’t a book about self-improvement. It’s about aligning our lives with love in the way God created us to do. To do that, we need a lot of grace and an approach that makes sense based on who God made us.” (page 150)
My deepest desire is that my life would be aligned with God’s desires for me.
To do that I must give myself a lot of grace and accept how deeply he loves me.
I guess I’m also going to have to embrace the truth.
That he thinks I’m “Already Amazing”!
 
Thank you so much to Holley Gerth and the wonderful folks of (in)courage for the opportunity to read and review this incredible book. I strongly urge you to pick one up as I know it will impact you as much as it has me! Just go here to find out details about how you can get your very own copy.
And, thanks so much for joining me today at the Fence!
1553F4F30A9801A6AFB3E9C624118E7B
Author of the A Labor of the Heart Series

 

 
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela says

    March 19, 2012 at 1:43 PM

    Vanessa, you would not believe how much a friend of mine needed this today! I have sent her the link and hope she will read your post this morning. She is struggling with letting go of a friendship where she has become the “doormat.” God works in mysterious ways!! Thanks for sharing this today…you have made a difference!
    Hugs,
    Angela

    Reply
  2. Judy says

    March 19, 2012 at 2:04 PM

    You don’t know how much I needed to see this today. Thanks for sharing…I will consider this the sign I was looking for.

    Reply
  3. NanaDiana says

    March 19, 2012 at 3:17 PM

    Wow- That sounds like a wonderful book. And you know the amazing thing is that you are at the age you are at and I am a generation ahead of you and the age-old insecurities still affect both of us. I am struck by this quote that you shared…”We are to love people, but we’re only asked to please God.” I am such a people pleaser even when it is to my own determent sometimes. Great post today, Vanessa! xo Diana

    Reply
  4. Ruby Jean says

    March 19, 2012 at 5:08 PM

    I am a HUGE reader. So I will certainly be picking up this book. Thank you for sharing it with us. Have a Blessed week!!

    Reply
  5. Fox Hollow Cottage says

    March 19, 2012 at 5:43 PM

    Thank you for always sharing such beautiful, heartfelt posts. This is truly a special place to visit!

    Reply
  6. pigsathome says

    March 19, 2012 at 9:51 PM

    I can’t wait to get this book! Sounds like just the thing I need.

    Reply
  7. Shirley@Housepitality Designs says

    March 19, 2012 at 11:26 PM

    Thank you so much for presenting this book and sharing your feelings about it….This is such a truly inspiring post..thank you, thank you!

    Reply
  8. Good Time Charlie says

    March 20, 2012 at 1:37 AM

    What a very, very wise woman the author is! I love how she phrases things re how we see ourselves. I do try to remember this. Esp. when it comes to loving other people. I have to remind myself to see them as God does, unconditionally loving them, even all the bad parts. I too agree though that boundaries are a good thing. We can love someone, but not need to have them in our lives. We can forgive, but this doesn’t mean we have to allow the offender into our lives to hurt again. There are lots of things in this life that are hard to understand, but I think seeing ourselves as God truly does and knowing that he LOVES us despite all the ugly things we may feel inside, helps us to know that we can aspire to be so much more than what we see ourselves as. Beautiful post, thank you for sharing. -K

    Reply
  9. Richella says

    March 22, 2012 at 2:54 PM

    WOW. I’d seen this book advertised, but I wondered if I should order a copy. Now I know that I should. I NEED this message (over and over and over!). Thank you for sharing the review.

    Reply
  10. Liberty says

    March 23, 2012 at 4:50 PM

    ordering…this is a great review, THANK YOU!!
    this mornings verse that I stopped short and stayed with for a long time was “god is the strength of my heart” not all my striving…
    blessings
    https://bit.ly/FOLnSm

    Reply

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I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 y I've been watching our cherry trees bloom for 12 years now and every year I ohhhh and ahhhh over the blossoms like it's the first time I've ever seen them. I gush and I take photos (that look exactly like the ones I took the year before and the year before that) and I make my family come outside and look at them with me which you know they just LOVE to do. 😉 I think that is one of the main reasons why I love spring so much. On the one hand, it's predictable and yet, on the other hand, it still feels like such a surprise after the long months of barren branches.

And yesterday, as I was staring at the gorgeous blossoms for the umpteenth time, I couldn't help but think that I hope this is how I feel when our lives return to some semblance of normalcy.

I hope that the predictable feels special and that the typical feels anything but. I hope that I ohhh and ahhh over the simple things I've realized I've taken for granted. And, most of all, I hope that feeling doesn't go away for a very, very long time! 💗
Are you living with great expectation friends? Bec Are you living with great expectation friends? Because He is risen!

Happy Easter from my home to yours!
Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to Lemon bars all ready for tomorrow! It’s going to be a different kind of Easter for sure but some things don’t change. Have you been baking and getting ready for tomorrow? What’s one thing on your menu that you have to have every year?
If this is Good Friday, why doesn’t it feel so “good”? It all seems backward doesn’t it?

What could be good about the unspeakable pain he suffered? What could be good about the shame and betrayal?

Easter Sunday is so joyful, bright and cheery. Shouldn’t that be the day we call “good”? It just feels so much better!

But, I don’t know how to rejoice over His resurrection, unless I have felt the pain of His death. I have realized that in life the sweetest victories are the ones which were realized after a pain-filled journey.

And, so it is with Good Friday. I know there will be victory over death, but I can’t skip ahead in the story.

Jesus knew what was coming. He knew what he would experience. And he knew why he would go through it. He did it for me. He did it for you.

Do you know that? Have you felt it down in the very core of your soul? 
Sometimes it makes me squirm a bit. Why would anyone do that for me?

Well, because, I can’t do it for myself!

There is nothing I can do to earn that kind of love and mercy.

That is why it is called GRACE.

His grace is freely given. We don’t have to pay for it. He paid the price for us already.

Do you remember that movie from years ago called “Ransom”? A couple’s young son was kidnapped and the parents went to hell and back trying to find him and pay the “ransom” demanded by the kidnappers.

Well, Jesus is our “ransom”. (1 Timothy 2:6) His life was the payment.

Why is it called “Good Friday”? Because that wasn’t the end of the story….
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…It was just the beginning!
Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house Raise your hand if there’s a table in your house that’s become the landing zone for ALL THE THINGS! 🙋🏻‍♀️🤪 I’ve never been more thankful for our rarely used dining room table as it’s become command central for school books and laptops and games.

Where are things collecting in your house right now?
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I SO needed this reminder today from the new book ‘Adore’ by @sarahagertywrites.

Adoration isn’t just sitting at His feet gazing longingly with stars in my eyes. It’s bringing my fears and my sorrows and gray roots in my hair that desperately needs to be colored and my messy house and all of the things that threaten to send me over the edge right now and laying them down before Him, soaking up His word and His presence so that when I stand back up, I am changed for having spent the time adoring the ONE who is... Healer, comforter, peace-giver, deliverer, redeemer.

What do you need to bring to Him today? I’ll share mine in the comments and I’d love to hear from you too!
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So now I love evenings even more than I ever did before and I’m so grateful for this little chunk of time where the rhythms we established years ago are helping to sustain us now when so much of life feels outside of our control.

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When I was in college I would frequently call home When I was in college I would frequently call home and pour my heart out to my mom, sharing with her all that was happening in my life in that completely unfiltered way that you can talk with the person who potty trained you. These phone calls usually took place at night and my mom would patiently listen as I vented frustrations about professors, roommates, boyfriends and the food in the cafeteria. And, inevitably, they would end with my mom saying, “Everything seems worse when you’re tired. Try not to overthink things or make any major decisions tonight, especially when you are feeling emotional.” Dear friends, may I pass along this advice to you today?

If you don’t absolutely HAVE to make a decision right now, I want to encourage you to wait until life gets back to normal. If you are finding yourself over-analyzing relationships and family dynamics, I want to encourage you to remember that everything seems more dramatic when looked at under a microscope. And, let’s face it, being homebound with our loved ones non-stop makes us all feel like lab rats in an experiment.

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