Fiercehearted

Holley Gerth

Description

A fiercehearted woman looks life in the face and says, "You can't beat me." She knows love is a risk but reaches out anyway. She chases Jesus with a tender, world-changing wildness. She never gives in, never gives up, and never lets go. Best of all, the potential to be a fiercehearted woman is inside each and every woman on earth.In her most powerful book yet, beloved bestselling author Holley Gerth inspires her readers to become the stronger, braver, truer women they long to be by sharing personal stories of her own struggles and victories. As readers join Holley on this journey, they'll discover a freedom they never imagined could be theirs: the freedom to experience life, love, and faith to the fullest because fear can no longer hold them back.For the woman who is restless or longing for more, Fiercehearted is an invitation to the life God has always meant for her to embrace.

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 03 octobre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441245267
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 5 Mo

Extrait

Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
© 2017 by Holley Gerth
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
ISBN 978-1-4412-4526-7
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.
Scripture quotations labeled NASB are from the New American Standard Bible®, copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations labeled NLT are from the Holy Bible , New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Endorsements
“Brilliant. Stunning. Winsome. This is a book you not only simply have to read but one you will want to return to again and again. I didn’t want it to end—and now to begin living Fiercehearted !”
— Ann Voskamp , New York Times bestselling author of The Broken Way and One Thousand Gifts
“Fear can’t catch what it can no longer reach. Fiercehearted will take you to new levels with the Lord as you learn to embrace the unique kind of bravery he has placed inside of you!”
— Lysa TerKeurst , #1 New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries
“One of the things I love most about Holley is that she spends very little time in the shallows. She goes to the depths of things with God, with her friends, and with those who want to learn from her. This book is no different. Each story, every insight, reminds us we’re not alone, we’re loved, and we get to be works in progress. Most of us berate ourselves for our weaknesses, yet Holley’s book reminds us that—because of Christ—we’re stronger than we think. And though our trials are messy and our fears real, our God is with us, and he’s making something out of us! Grab a cup of coffee and give yourself some time to truly ponder the wisdom on these pages. You’re more Fiercehearted than you know.”
— Susie Larson , talk radio host, national speaker, and author of Your Powerful Prayers
“This is Holley Gerth like you’ve never read her before. The coach and counselor are still there, but now we get to meet the warrior. Fearlessly, she opens up her childhood and her womanhood and invites us into the backstories that have shaped her. I’ve known Holley for nearly a decade, and this was like meeting her all over again. Her doubts and demons and her determination not to believe them. And to finally lay down who she thought she was supposed to be and receive the name God had intended for her— Fiercehearted . This book is for every woman, especially those who don’t believe it yet.”
— Lisa- Jo Baker , bestselling author of Never Unfriended and community manager for (in)courage
“It is inevitable—we will fail and we will get hurt. We will feel afraid and we will be tempted to pull back and play it safe, but safe is nowhere near the life God calls us to! In her most vulnerable and powerful book yet, Holley Gerth lets us into the unsafe, unknown stories of her personal journey, where she is learning to love bravely, trust courageously, and live fully! Empowering us to be Fiercehearted in our relationships with ourselves and each other, Holley shows us how to become the women we long to be, the women God created us to be. I’m so grateful for the gift of this book, and my beautiful, brave friend Holley, who is courageously leading the way!”
— Renee Swope , bestselling author of A Confident Heart
“ Fiercehearted is a call to arms to be our best—and most vulnerable—selves. Thank you, Holley Gerth, for writing these words. They are real and so are you.”
— Claire Diaz- Ortiz , author and speaker
“Let’s say you’re in the locker room with your coach before the second half of the most important game of your life. You don’t know if you can go on, but the coach’s words stir something so deep inside of you that you can’t wait to run back onto the court. This book is that moment, and Holley is that coach. This is what we all need to hear before we step into the rest of our lives. Don’t miss this phenomenal book; it’s Holley’s best yet.”
— Jennifer Dukes Lee , author of The Happiness Dare and Love Idol
“My favorite of Holley Gerth’s books so far, Fiercehearted proves that fierce doesn’t have to be intimidating, and gentle can also be brave. With the expertise of a counselor and the kindness of a friend, Holley offers permission we don’t need but often wait for anyway—to be who we already are in Christ and truly live.”
— Emily P. Freeman , author of Simply Tuesday
“It’s rare that I open a book and the words begin to change my life on page one. Fiercehearted did just that. This book is honest, raw, and stunningly beautiful. It captured not only my attention but also my heart.”
— Suzanne Eller , international speaker and author
“I didn’t know how much I needed this book until I started reading it. Holley Gerth peels back facades and uncovers lies, unveiling the beautiful freedom God has for each one of us. It’s time to be Fiercehearted !”
— Joanna Weaver , author of Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
“Holley Gerth’s words captivated my heart from the very first sentence to the all-too-soon end. Fiercehearted will have you crying out about your struggles, ‘Me too! I’m not the only one!’ Through powerfully poignant storytelling, Holley invites you to turn your broken places into brave platforms of a fiercehearted woman who risks loving, believes the impossible, and lives courageously bold.”
— Sharon Jaynes , cofounder of Girlfriends in God, conference speaker, and author of Take Hold of the Faith You Long For
“Through Fiercehearted , Holley Gerth does what few authors do: she makes me feel at home with who I am. If you’ve ever felt like too much or not enough or you’re in the middle of nothing special, Fiercehearted hand-delivers the fresh-air message that you’re just right, right as you are . Holley’s writing ushered me from fear-hearted to fiercehearted as it helped me lean into how God made me instead of how I think I should be. I will revisit this book’s pages time and again.”
— Kristen Strong , author of Girl Meets Change
“In Fiercehearted , Holley transports us on an emotional journey by her side as she opens her heart, describing the personal relationship and strong daily focus she has with her best friend, Jesus. Her transparency and relatability throughout each story helps us realize we are on life’s wonderful journey together. You will laugh and maybe even cry a little, but your faith will be strengthened with the realization that it is not perfection we each need as we persevere throughout our lives but a closeness and profound love for Jesus. Thank you, Holley, for sharing your heart through these wonderful and meaningful stories.”
— Peggy Horner , vice president of product development for Premier Manufacturing, Inc.
Epigraph
Contents
Cover 1
Title Page 3
Copyright Page 4
Endorsements 5
Epigraph 9
Introduction 13
1. Unexpectedly Fiercehearted 17
2. Being Woman 22
3. Dream Machine 26
4. Scratches on the Wall 29
5. Hiding in Stalls 33
6. Swing Hard 37
7. Muddy Glory 41
8. Mango Closet 46
9. Off the Shelf 50
10. Outside the (Pink) Lines 54
11. Bone in the Chicken 59
12. Shake the Jar 63
13. Flops and Rafters 67
14. Praying Wronger 70
15. Room for Knobs 74
16. Wearing the Hat 78
17. Shiny Rocks 83
18. Red Teapot 87
19. Like Water into Wine 92
20. The Ride 96
21. Crazy Sparks 100
22. Ordinary, Divine 104
23. All Favorites 108
24. Cheeky 112
25. Get a Hanky 116
26. Emotional Duct Tape 121
27. Pedicures, Mice, Therapy 126
28. Brave, Hard Thing 131
29. Different Kind of Sad 136
30. Showing Up 141
31. On Ragamuffins 145
32. Kind, Not Nice 149
33. Oh, the Audacity 154
34. Involved 158
35. Not the Only One 162
36. Hey There, Friend 167
37. Farther, Not Faster 171
38. Everyday Faithful 175
39. What I Know Now 179
40. Casseroles, Yodels, Love 184
Epilogue 189
Discussion Questions 197
Acknowledgments 201
Notes 203
About the Author 206
Other Works by Holley Gerth 208
Back Ads 209
Back Cover 211
Introduction
God is a storyteller. He’s a mad scientist and a father and a magician, and certainly, he’s a storyteller. And I don’t know if there’s anything better in the world than when we lay ourselves wide open and let his story become our story, when we screw up our fists and our courage and start to tell the truest, best stories we know, which are always God’s stories.
—Shauna Niequist
I TRIED NOT TO WRITE THIS BOOK.
And before you decide to be part of it, I must warn you: there’s a bit of blood on these pages. Some sweat drips and salty tearstains, the kind that might not come out with the washing. Laughter that tastes like homemade vanilla ice cream churned on the patio. The ricochet of questions against the walls. Bareness and discomfort and beauty like a turquoise sky. There is not neatness or propriety, proper religion or safe phrases. This is not an undertaking for the faint of heart.
If this doesn’t frighten you, if you’re curious or restless or longing, then sit beside me in a coffee shop with white brick walls so I can tell you how I, how we, really got to this moment.
Ragged, bel