"FOR THE LOVE ..."

"... Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards"

by Jen Hatmaker

Being that this is the first time for me to read a book written by Jen Hatmaker, I just had to take a little longer soaking in "For the Love ..." to grasp all that "... Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards" might have to say and why Jen is so popular and so "loved" by many. It did not take long for me to discover that clearly her gift is her humor and frank honesty of being REAL in her writing and world. Jen Hatmaker, recent release of "For the Love", is filled with her passion and compassion for the loves in her life, her family and others. Distinguished and known even on the back cover of this book as ... 

"The popular writer, blogger, and television personality reveals with humor and style how Jesus' extravagant grace is the key to dealing with life's biggest challenge: people. The majority of our joys, struggles, thrills, and heartbreaks relate to people, beginning first with ourselves and then the people we came from, married, birthed, live by, live for, go to church with, don't like, don't understand, fear, struggle with, compare ourselves to, and judge. People are the best and worst thing about the human life.Jen Hatmaker knows this all too well, and so she reveals how to practice kindness, grace, truthfulness, vision, and love to ourselves and those around us. By doing this, "For the Love" leads our generation to re-imagine Jesus' grace as a way of life, and it does it in a funny yet profound manner that Christian readers will love. Along the way, Hatmaker shows readers how to reclaim their prophetic voices and become Good News again to a hurting, polarized world."

Jen Hatmaker has raised the bar on "impossible standards", in my humble opinion. She clearly is a "people person" and she stretches herself to the limits in loving and invites us to do the same: "love others", yourself and God! She relates to the reader in a comfortable, conversational way with practical and spiritual truths without ever sounding preachy. Expanding throughout "For the Love" with GRACE: first for your very own self; next for "all these people who live in your house" (namely family); then going beyond to friends, neighbors, strangers and enemies and finally the Church: "Church people, Not church people, and God". Each of these 4 parts has 5-7 chapters and ends with hilarious "thanks you notes". "For the Love" covers a wide range of topics: from marriage, family issues, schooling to fashion, Haitian moms, supper clubs, poverty, even social media. Her 10 points of marital insights to "dear darling lamb wife" (new wives and moms) certainly had some endearing truths delivered with her wit. 

I was pretty sure that the chapter on "Dear Kids" was my personal favorite ... until I read on and found each chapter more and more love-able! So then the one that spoke most to me had to be "Poverty Tourism". Oh my, what profound points and wisdom Jen Hatmaker makes as regards "short term missions", the church, the community, the outreach. She hits the nail on the head with her perceptive, excellent questions for every missional conversation, beginning with local leaders, local families, local perspectives ... "when the minority voices say the same things, those with privileges should listen." She bars no holds as she shares what she's learned from the mission field from missionaries and her own. I appreciate her direct words and insights that inspire us to "indeed help instead of hurt ... a noble, necessary work". Awesome, heartfelt expressions throughout even when surrounded by humor, Jen Hatmaker is sure to convict and deliver a real substance message of giving and receiving Grace. Jen has the capacity to deepen the conversation in minutes from humor to serious. You will laugh and love this best-selling author and understand much better how to:

" Break free of guilt and shame by dismantling the unattainable Pinterest life.  Learn to engage our culture’s controversial issues with a grace-first approach.  Be liberated to love and release the burden of always being right. Identify the tools you already have to develop real-life, all-in, know-my-junk-but-love-me-anyway friendships.  Escape our impossible standards for parenting and marriage by accepting the standard of “mostly good.” Laugh your butt off.

"For the Love ..." by Jen Hatmaker, will actually make you want to do better and stand up and shout as we press forward and "...fight for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards" where we can join Jen Hatmaker saying:

"I hope the world sees a community with wide-open arms, which comforts and welcomes and seems determined to build one another up. I hope they find us kind and generous, committed and loyal. The church raised me, held me tight, and continues to be my steadfast family; and I haven’t the slightest idea where I would be without her. May we show love in big and small ways, and may that love reach people accustomed to being shamed or ignored. The bright stars shouldn’t get all the attention; let’s search for those whose lights are dimmed, because we are not a tribe of supernovas but of steady, collective light. ... May the world see a thankful, committed family who loves their God, adores their Savior, and can’t get enough of one another. This is a story that saves, a story that heals, and the right story to tell. ... You are writing a good story for your children. Your community and church need you, your neighbors and family need you ... Our generation will cross the finish line having loved God and people with all our might. We’ll have imperfect lives to offer, sure, but I dream of heaven, seeing millions of folks loved by our hands, where hopefully we’ll hear: “Well done, good and faithful servants. You sure were fun to watch.” ... I hope our community is marked by grace and affirmation instead of defensiveness and exclusivity. Sure, some wander down paths we don’t understand, but there is room in the neighborhood for all of us."

So many wise quotes from my highlights of "For the Love...", which defines love through every facet of Jen's fabulous fight for Grace beyond her own life into the world. "...Let’s fulfill the good work we’ve been commissioned to. Silence any voice that whispers “not enough” and stand in truth as an approved worker. You are. Jesus made you so." More than enough encouragement and so much appreciation exemplified by Jen. If you love humor and God's truth, I highly recommend you add this as a finishing touch to your summer reads! 
You'll laugh, learn and love so much more. Thanks Jen!
[image credit]

Thanks Book Look Bloggers for making this book available in ADE for me to read & review!

Disclosure of material connection: I received this book free from the publisher Thomas P. Nelson through their book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the: Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

GO HERE for an added BONUS of  Faith Gateway's BOOK CLUB for just 4 weeks with JEN HATMAKER and "FOR THE LOVE"
{perfect timing-this was in my email today-yeah}
Like I wrote --- Fun way to finish off the summer with Friends

"MESSY BEAUTIFUL LOVE... " by Darlene Schacht

The most important part of this title for me comes after the "Messy Beautiful Love... " part with ..."Hope and Redemption for Real-Life Marriages" because as most of us know the "message" comes from the "mess" so believe me when I say that Darlene Schacht (also known by her blog title as "Time-Warp Wife") gives an inspiring message throughout every page of this book and also "challenges" for us, as the reader, at the end of every chapter. I have signed up for her Marriage Prayer Challenge for October, as I read this book and do her study guide ... so I can be filled with more HOPE than ever for the redemptive power in my marriage, because that's what it will take to revive and restore our "mess"; but now I know it's redeemable, beautiful and do-able after reading the wonders of Darlene's testimony to Grace ... and Love in this book, wonderfully written, with an honest portrayal of love and respect in marriage! Darlene and her book show me that "hope and redemption" are still possible with God in:

"MESSY BEAUTIFUL LOVE"

The book description could not be more TRUE:

... "Messy Beautiful Love is about cleaning up messes God's way, exchanging our ideas for His, and being prepared for both the best and the worst that marriage has to offer. Perhaps you've picked up this book because your marriage is messy already-now is the time to make a change. If your marriage is tidy, thank God-there is no better time to prepare for the future. Married life is never straightforward or simple for long. But the reality is this: when you surrender your relationship to God; when you lay your marriage at his feet; when you finally cede control; then and only then will you experience the blessing of marriage as he intended-this is the blessing of obedience. Messy Beautiful Love is an invitation to that obedience. An invitation to surrender. The cynical world says marriages don't last. God knows better. Tune out the world and tune in to Him. When you do that, a beautiful marriage is not only possible-it's inevitable. That's something to be excited about. "

The "Time Warp Wife" does "Keep Christ at the center of their marriage"  and by her book - ours, too!
OK, true confession, although I did not pick up this book because of my marriage, it is/was a mess, so the challenges that I face will be helped greatly after reading all that Darlene shared in her 15 chapters. The last, of course, was my favorite ... although I certainly need what was shared in Chapter 4 and 7! 
I learned the most from the example in "Walk in Compassion and Grace" (2) and "Be Content with the Life that You're Given" (13) which I believe is where we both are in our marital relationship and have made unconventional adjustments to continue, but I want to "handle your /our conflicts wisely" with God and "walk in virtue according to wisdom" which has not been Godly and needs to be. For this reason, the most difficult chapter for me is Chapter 6 with much wisdom. "Messy Beautiful Love" is contained in each of these chapters, even though the first's entitled this ... each one is woven and spun showing this love:

One: Messy, Beautiful Love

Two: Walk in Compassion and Grace

Three: Be Patient and Kind When the Going Gets Tough

Four: Give Up Your Right to Be Right

Five: Appreciate Him for Who He Truly Is

Six: Step Back and Allow Him to Lead

Seven: Handle Your Conflict Wisely

Eight: Communicate with Loving Respect

Nine: Be the Woman Your Husband Needs You to Be

Ten: Be Affectionate in Ways That Are Pleasing to God

Eleven: Seize the Day and Capture the Joy

Twelve: Build a Strong Friendship

Thirteen: Be Content with the Life That You’re Given

Fourteen: Walk in Virtue According to Wisdom
Fifteen: Pray for Your Marriage  

Each chapter is informative, encouraging, challenging and inspiring with Darlene's down-to-earth honesty of the realities of struggles, trials, tests and triumphs from her own personal experience and also those of others, who had written to her on her blog/ministry. I am motivated to tackle my "mess" once again applying the insights I gained reading this. I have one more obstacle added to my marriage of both needing to be believers first before we can make our marriage Christ centered, but I can do my part and will continue to pray. 
I'm looking forward to being able to try the challenges, hoping that I'll notice a difference when I can step back and allow him to lead. I don't think it matters if your marriage is Christian or not, because each marriage has struggles with love and messes ... which are real, however, having Christ in your marriage will make all the difference and really help in resolving issues by asking Him for His guidance, love and focus. Christ in the center will bring balance and harmony to that beautiful love, changing the bad, sad and ugly parts into His glory through His redemption power. I especially love how Darlene shows AGAPE love through 1 Corinthians 13 --- my favorite part! Much can be applied to all of our relationships to be better and filled with Christ's love. I recommend this book for married and yet to be married, to tune in and make your love beautiful even if it seems a "mess" --- there's HOPE, "it's not only possible but inevitable!"

Disclosure of material connection: I received this book free from the publisher Thomas P. Nelson through the BookLook Bloggers.com book review blogger's program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

This book review is the right way to begin my month of prayer and my other fun series
first and foremost I will spend time in October and focus on my marriage in prayer {since I'm not at home with my spouse to apply it} then on to my giving thanks which follows in November for my next 30 days starting with Day 1 ~ Love November 1st
HOWEVER DAY 1 of my "special fun series" for  31 Days starting OCT. 1 that's tomorrow right here
{oh, and did you know that the 31 day Challenge has its own blog this year, check it out; maybe you'll try blogging for 31 days or just come along with me! or others that may have a great topic that interests you}
I had this at the end of October but finished the book sooner so I moved it ahead in case something reads out of order still.