Captivating is a book written by John and Stasi Eldredge attempts to answer the question " What does it mean to be a woman?" This is a book I would encourage every woman to read. I have included the description from the back cover (which I must confess made me curious to read the book) as well as a few excerpts that made me think! Every woman was once a little girl. And every little girl holds in her heart her most precious dreams. She longs to be swept up into a romance, to play an irreplaceable role in a great adventure, to be the Beauty in the story. Those desires are far more than child's play. They are the secret to the feminine heart. And yet - how many woman do you know who ever find that life? As the years pass by, the heart of a woman gets pushed aside, wounded, buried. She finds no romance except in novels, no adventure except on television, and she doubt very much that she will ever be the Beauty in any tale. But her heart is still there. Sometimes when she watches a movie, sometimes in the wee hours of the night, her heart begins to speak again. A thirst rises within her to find the life she was meant to live - the life she dreamed of as a little girl. The message of Captivating is this: Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation. The desire you had a a little girl and the longings you still feel as a woman - they are telling you of the life God created you to live. He offers to come now as the Hero of your story, to rescue your heart and release you to live as a fully alive and feminine woman. A woman who is truly captivating. I promise this is not a book that encourages women to "Follow their heart" but shares some amazing thoughts on who we, as woman, are in Christ. Thoughts such as: Woman was created in the image of God but reflects it in a different way than man: She reflects in a way that only the feminine can speak. What can we learn from her? God wanted to reveal something about himself, so he gave us Eve. When you are with a woman, ask yourself, what is she telling me about God? First you will discover that God is relational to his core, that he has a heart form romance. Second, that he longs to share adventures with us - adventures you cannot accomplish without him. And finally, that God has a beauty to unveil. A beauty that is captivating and powerfully redemptive. Most woman define themselves in terms of their relationships, and the quality they deem those relationships to have: I am a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend. Or, I am alone. I'm not seeing anyone right now, or my children aren't calling, or my friends seem distant. This is not a weakness in woman - this is a glory. A glory that reflects the heart of God. A question every little girl needs answered properly: Am I lovely? This is one of my favorite statements in the book: Every woman has a beauty to unveil. Every woman. Because she bears the image of God. She doesn't have to conjure it, go get it from a salon, have plastic surgery or breast implants. No, beauty is an essence that is given to every woman at her creation. This book has been a tremendous encouragement to me personally and I would love to hear from you! Have you already read the book? Please share your thoughts in the comments below and thank you for stopping by!
I am currently in the middle of reading this book as part of my Quiet time in the morning but what I have already learned has been great. I am so glad to have found this book at my favorite bookstore (Goodwill!). I had heard of the author and when I saw it on the shelf I decided it was worth getting and reading(I'm very glad I did). I would encourage anyone to get a copy and read it. It had great reminders and helpful information.
It is broken down into six sections: ~ The Priority of a Devotional life ~ The Purpose of a Devotional life ~ The Pattern of a Devotional life ~ The Problems of a Devotional life ~ The Practice of a Devotional life ~ The Product of a Devotional life (Maybe it's just my OCD thing but don't you love it when it's alliterated!) It also features some "Personal Reflections" by Elisabeth Elliott, Joni Eareckson Tada and a few others. Here is what the back cover says: The God of the universe created us for fellowship with Himself! We realize this and even long for that sweet intimacy with God, but it often seems so out of reach. Yet even in the busyness of daily life, we hear those whispers calling us, drawing us to sit at Jesus' feet. Nancy Leigh DeMoss demystifies the process of coming to know God intimately. In "A place of Quiet Rest" Nancy shares from her heart and life how a daily devotional time can forever change your relationship with Jesus. She addresses the common frustrations and pitfalls that most of us encounter in our devotional life, and makes practical suggestions for overcoming them. Nancy gives us the encouragement - and tools - to seek after God for a lifetime. This is definitely a book worth having in your library! This was one of may favorite lines so far: "But even in that moment of shameful separation in the garden[the garden of Eden after sin entered], there was hope, as God the Eternal Lover took the initiative to restore the estranged couple to fellowship. By means of a sacrifice, He tenderly, lovingly clothed them in the skins of animals and set in motion the events whereby man might ultimately be reunited with Him. And all the time, God never stopped loving, never stopped communicating, never stopped seeking, never stopped initiating. Just as He never stops loving and seeking you and me." To me personally that was an amazing thought! What a wonderful, loving God I serve. I will forever be grateful to the friend who gave me this book on my 20th birthday. It was and has continued to be, such a tremendous blessing to me and changed my thinking forever.
The author, Mardi Collier, asks a very challenging question, "What do we know about our God?". She then shares a very simple yet life changing Bible study method. A study that helps Christians understand the character and very heart of their God. Often God seems far away and impossible to ever get to know but He has revealed Himself completely to us in His Word; its right there for us to find and discover! Mrs. Collier shares her testimony and how her quest to know her God better began. Here are some of the categories she gives in her book: My God...
It has been such a blessing and encouragement to me in so many ways. It is a book that is easy to read but contains such a profound truth: that the God of the universe desires to have an intimate relationship with me and wants me to get to know Him personally! |
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Sarah GraceI am just an ordinary girl who is loved by an extraordinary God and I seek to love others the same way. I love to bake, read, do puzzles, watch Hallmark movies, and go shopping with my mom! This blog was created as a place where I could share some thoughts that the Lord has shown me and to be an encouragement to others who desire to know Him in a deeper way. My prayer is to learn to sit still and trust God with my future. Archives
December 2023
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