YALL. This book was SO good. 

Honestly I have had it since it came out about 2 years ago. I have started it a few times, but never kept it up because well, I’m an enneagram six. I didn’t want to read a book about dealing with the hard things in life because I didn’t want to make God think I could handle it. LEGIT reason why I didn’t want to read it. Just the same reason I never pray for patience. HA. 

Well did hard things happen regardless of if I read that book? You bet your bottom dollar they did. 

2020, and so far through the month of January (which seemed to never end), I have been thrown some really hard things personally. Things I really struggled to process. So, I picked up this book again and I am so, SO glad I did. 

If you are struggling with the hard things you can’t control (and who isn’t these days) I HIGHLY recommend reading this. It really helps you to walk through the hard with a new perspective, one that is hopeful. The reality is that bad things are going to happen, whether we want them to or not. We can’t stop the bad or the hard. We live in a world full of sin. What we can do is prepare our hearts and minds for it, so when the hard comes, you’re ready.

Ready to find the joy in the hard. Ready to remember the victories behind. Ready to walk knowing that regardless of what is happening, you have a loving God that personally cares about YOU. His goal is never to bring you harm or pain, but to give you hope for the future and grace to keep moving forward.

Here are quotes that I have written down to help me: 

• “To wrestle well means acknowledging my feelings, but moving forward, letting my faith lead the way.”
• “Jesus learned obedience from what he suffered.” 
• “Some things won’t get fixed on this side of eternity; they just have to be walked through.”
• “For the spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self discipline. Fear does NOT come from God.”
• “So I look around for the evidence of his presence.”  Be active in the looking!! 
• “There’s a difference between truth and news. News tells us what we are dealing with, truth comes from God and then helps us to process it… The restoration that is impossible with man’s limitations is always possible for a limitless God.”

FIGHTING WORDS pg 191-202 of the book gives you words/affirmations when you don’t know what words to say to keep you moving forward. I will look at these for the rest of my life. NO JOKE.

Head over to my instagram and I’m GIVING AWAY a copy!

Happy reading!

Ash