{book review: untamed}

Lisa Harper is truly a woman gifted by God.

A few weeks ago I began reading her book titled Untamed.

Her writing style is witty and blunt, yet incredibly refreshing.

Many Christian authors tend to write books telling Christians how to better themselves, how to become right with God again...and because of that, I always felt that I had something to prove, I had to be "just a little more" for God to accept me.

Untamed looks deep into the character of Christ and presents Him as someone real, something tangible. He is a Savior that had bruised knees when He fell while running with friends. He felt rejection and the sting of betrayal. His desires were for the approval of His Father and he loved every man and woman that He encountered.

I have never been able to connect with Christ in a way that changed my heart, and after reading Untamed, I can. I feel closer to Christ than I ever have been as I begin to understand that He truly knows and empathizes with my heart. Every broken experience, every triumphant victory.

I highly recommend this book. If you are looking for a connection with our Savior, pick it up. If you feel lost and don't understand how Christ could love someone like you, find a copy. This book will get at your heart and spark a fire that lasts forever.

It is one of the best books I have ever read.

Hands down.

Blessings,

Disclaimer: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

{i will wait upon You, Lord}

Isaiah 40:31 -- But they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Property of Aysha Gerald

This morning, I woke up and turned on the Christian radio station, K-Love. I got online and stumbled upon their Encouraging Word of the Day: this verse from Isaiah. Soon, a song by Lincoln Brewster, "Everlasting God" came on, speaking of this same truth from Scripture.

As I was thinking about the title of this post, the words I will wait upon You, Lord, came to mind.

Last night I had a breakdown of sorts. My life has been lived with God at the forefront of my mind, but He wasn't receiving the attention that He rightly deserved. I remembered to honor Him when it was convenient for me, but much of the time I tried walking my own path. I understood what God expected of me, but I thought that I had the power to direct my own steps.

Let me tell you, it's exhausting. It is almost as if I could feel the strength that I did have, slipping away. Because of this, my relationship with God faltered. I stopped praying. I stopped reading my Bible. I became a Christian without Christ, without allowing God to truly work in me and through me. I was much too busy to take a break, re-evaluate my life.

And then last night came. There were tears and pleas for forgiveness. There was such a broken, raw and honest interaction with God.

I've heard it said that sometimes He breaks us down to our lowest so that He can build us back up. That has never been more true in my life.

Psalm 62:5 -- For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.

I want to be in a place where I can say: It is well with my soul. A place where I understand that every burden and worry has been lifted from me, as Christ says, "Here, let me carry that for you." A place where I can sit in the presence of God and feel more alive than ever, simply by listening to Him, rather than speaking at Him. A place where I hear the voice of God whispering, "Seek Me for the strength that you desire. It is only in Me that you will find rest. Rest in Me and I will give you strength."

Strength is found in waiting.

I will wait upon You, Lord.

Blessings,

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{His love moves me to love}

I wanna love You the way that You love me; I wanna see Your face.

Property of Aysha Gerald

 Growing up, I found myself wanting to control the circumstances of my life, but inevitably failing. Who hasn't? We all desire to be in charge, to be independent. The problem was that I placing God on the back-burner. Instead of allowing Him to guide my path, I tried to make one for myself.

Solution: Surrender.

I've had to learn that life and the plans that I make are God's to direct. He has a greater purpose and is fulfilling that through me. Every person that I meet in various stages of life, every hand that I hold in moments of grief, every smile that I create on someone's face, is a chance that I have been given to allow someone else to experience God the way that I have.

I have the chance that so many people in this world are doing without: to love as Christ loved, without hindrance, without judgment, without expecting it in return.

We love because He first loved us; how beautiful, that the love I feel for my friends, family or the hurting in this world, is only a fraction of the love the Father has for me. If only I could take that knowledge and use it to further the Kingdom!

One of my favorite verses in Scripture, is this:

Psalm 27:4 -- One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in His temple.

I desire nothing more than to see my Maker's face. To be so lost in His presence that in viewing myself, only He remains.

In seeking His face, I find control. I find the strength to surrender. I find the desire to love.

His love moves me to love.

Blessings,

Ps. The lyric at the beginning of this post is a lyric from Dakota Green. He has such an amazing voice and is a servant of the Lord. Take the time to check out his music; you won't be disappointed: Dakota Green Music

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