In October at the Relevant conference (the new Allume Social), I heard Holley Gerth speak about her yet to be released book You’re Already Amazing. I met Holley a year earlier at the previous conference and read her blog Heart to Heart with Holley from time to time.
What struck me most about Holley is she isn’t the girl in the middle of the group absorbing the attention. She is the girl on the sidelines cheering others on with kind and gentle encouragement. And that is exactly the person you will meet in her new book, You’re Already Amazing.
As Holley was speaking about the book, I was thinking this would be a great resource that I would like to share with you all. You see, God had been laying on my heart since I started in ministry over 20 years ago that one day I would be ministering to women and children who had experienced abuse by sharing my story. I’m not sure if I ran from God all those years or if he was just preparing me for this time. However, I knew at the Relevant conference this was the year God wanted me to the story.
I spoke with Holley after her presentation one-on-one. She shared with me more about the book and in our time together I became confident that this was a resource that I would like to share with you even before I read it.
Holley is a Christian counselor. She reminds me so much of my counselor that I wrote about yesterday (Redeeming Love). Her book gushes with hope, but not in an over emotional way. It is the prefect balance of theology, stories, and personal application.
Highlights:
- The book has several fun and easy personal assessments that teach you more about yourself and how God has uniquely made you for his purposes.
- The book is easy and enjoyable to read. You really feel like you are sitting down with your best friend having a deep heart to heart conversation about life and God.
- The book is about real life issues that all women struggle with at different seasons of life.
- The book really does help you to see how God has already made you amazing. Just like you are.
- The book is interactive and makes you take time to work and think through who God has created you to be.
Favorite quotes:
You are free. Free to love. Free to live in joy. Free to be who you are. If you’re loving God, others, and yourself, then you’re already doing enough. That’s right. An you’re already amazing because you are God’s creation, his child, and he lives in you. Sounds scandalous, doesn’t it? But it’s true.
What God wants most of all is you. Just as you are. Then he’ll show you how he wants to use your life to partner with him in fulfilling his purposed. It won’t be a burden but instead a glorious adventure- with plenty of room for mistakes, growth, and joy along the way. (pg. 143, You’re Already Amazing)
We Live busy lives. Making deposits in our emotional bank account takes planning and being intentional. It may take our bank sending us an “overdrawn account notice” before we realize we’ve spent a bit too much. In much the same way, many of us wait until we’re burned out before we realize how drained we are emotionally. (pg. 173, You’re Already Amazing)
Who should read You’re Already Amazing:
- Women who struggle with negative thought patterns about themselves.
- Women who are looking for purpose.
- Women who feel like that don’t fit in.
- Women who have been abused.
- I think his would be a good small group study for women at any age or stage, but I particularly think it would be great with college women to give them confidence in who God has made them to be before they make big life choices.
The ladies over at Bloom (in)Courage book club will be reading through Holley’s book beginning next week. This is a great way to read the book, because each week as you are reading Holley will be sharing with you her heart behind each chapter. Skip over to Bloom (in)Courage to get the details. Do it today so that you can sign up for the chance to win one of 10 books.
Friends don’t let friends do book clubs alone, so for a chance to win two books, one for you and one for your best friend, I would like you to read through my story beginning here and leave a comment telling me what part you most identify with. I will pick a winner tomorrow night at 10 pm.
You are loved,
Mitzi
