Rhinestone Jesus : Saying Yes to God When Sparkly, Safe Faith Is No Longer Enough (Paperback)

I've followed Kristen's blog, "We are THAT Family", for years and was so excited when she announced the upcoming release of her latest book, "Rhinestone Jesus". As a member of her launch team, I was able to read this amazing book before the official release, and I was so enthralled with its contents that I finished in no time at all. Kristen encourages us to live courageous, messy, bold lives for Christ and to be open to stretch our faith by being willing to say yes to God. Kristen and her husband, Terrell, are so transparent in writing about the struggles they faced in their marriage and throughout the process of starting and continuing to run Mercy House, a maternity home in Kenya. She truly speaks what she feels God is calling her to share with her readers... There is so much encouragement contained in the fourteen chapters and one of my favorite quotes is on page 152: "The bad in our lives gives God ample room to show up and prove His goodness. He doesn't promise we won't have hardships; He promises us we won't be alone in them."

Rhinestone Jesus is a peak into Kristen's heart as she shares candidly how God turned her from a teenager on fire for God but content to live a "safe" Christian life, into a woman broken through life's challenges and unexpected experiences, now willing to say "yes" to God and trust Him in each moment, regardless of the outcome. The book is a call to authenticity in the Christian walk. She challenges us to push through the fears of "what if" and instead to ask "what next God?" as we move forward one step at a time in faith. Kristen shares her personal struggles in ministry, motherhood, and marriage and paints a picture of God's incredible redemption through it all. Not just a memoir, the book walks the reader through his or her own journey of learning to say "yes" to God's call by providing thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter that beg for reflection and action. She reminds us that "saying yes isn't really about doing it all, it's about saying yes right where you are." This book is for you if: You've ever wondered if your ordinary life can make a significant difference in God's kingdom You're not sure if God can use your broken life for His glory You need some encouragement and a reminder that world-changers have sticky floors & dirty laundry on the floor too You want to be inspired by someone who said "yes" to God and it changed everything {in a good way!} I received a complimentary pre-release copy of the book for review from Tyndale House Publishers. All opinions are my own & I'm proud to recommend this book, as it had a powerful effect on my own journey of learning to say "yes" to God.