Friday, July 24, 2009

A Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper - REVIEW and GIVE AWAY!!!







MY THOUGHTS:

I’d certainly love to be able to sit down over a cup of coffee and talk with Lisa Harper! Her latest book, A Perfect Mess Why You Don’t Have to Worry About Being Good Enough for God, assures me that she and the Savior are well acquainted! As I read her conversational, frank discussion of the Psalms and how it relates to our every day situations, I am also assured that she and the Lord talk frequently, and she is comfortable in his presence even amid the messiness of her daily life. Readers, I have discovered a real treasure in my reading stacks, and I am so pleased to share it with you!


A Perfect Mess takes a look at the life of David and several of the Psalms in a way that is easy to relate to and sheds great light on the intimate relationship we can share with our Savior. Lisa Harper looks honestly at the reality of our daily struggle to “get it right” in our walk with Christ, but reminds us that it is through repentance and faith that we are able to stay close to God. Lisa lovingly shows the reader, using Scripture, that God loves us even though we continue to sin, and when we cry out to Him for forgiveness, He answers us with great grace and mercy and turns our messes into testimony that glorifies Him.


On page 47, there is a particularly precious word-picture that illustrates this truth: “On our worst days, when we’re trying to hide our misery or conceal our failures, our perfect God doesn’t stand at a distance, waiting for us to pull ourselves together. He crawls right in beside us, amid the dust bunnies of our lives, to show that we’re never alone in our messes.” What a blessing we miss when, after becoming a child of God, we continue to try to impress Him with our good works or hide our sinful attitudes and doubt-filled uncertainties! And what a blessing we receive when we realize that He loves us just as we are, and when we come to Him in repentance, seeking forgiveness, he turns our messes into messages of triumph!


Each chapter of this beautiful book ends with a brief section entitled Enough About Me, What About You, and contains 5-7 questions that ask the reader to either read and ponder a particular passage of Scripture, or asks open-ended opinion questions about things discussed within the chapter. I think this would be an excellent Bible study guide for both individual and small-group use. It would be particularly healing, I think, for people struggling with who they are in Christ and what it means to be forgiven. Yes, I’m thinking that the Lord has once again provided a powerful tool for me to use with my group of ladies in the rehab center! What a blessing!


No matter who you are, or where you are in your relationship with Christ, I think there are treasures of truth to be found in Lisa Harper’s book, A Perfect Mess. I think God will use this book to bring healing to many hurting hearts and that through the message she shares, many Christians will discover the joy of serving the Savior despite the messiness of their daily lives.


Please visit the Publisher's Website to read an excerpt and order your own copy of this book! Don't forget to purchase an extra copy to share with a friend!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Harper is a master storyteller whose lively approach connects the dots between the Bible era and modern life. She is a sought-after Bible teacher and speaker whose upcoming appearances include the national Women of Faith Conferences. A veteran of numerous radio and television programs and the author of several books, she also is a regular columnist for Today’s Christian Woman magazine. Lisa recently completed a master’s of theological studies from Covenant Theological Seminary. She makes her home outside Nashville.

To learn more about Lisa, please visit her website.



I have an extra copy of this book to give away, so please leave your name and contact information to be entered to win your FREE copy!!


6 comments:

Mocha with Linda said...

Beautiful review, my friend!

Katherine said...

This looks like an amazing book. Please enter me for this book.

kefarley89(@)gmail(.)com

Merry said...

I love the Psalms because David is so real, so A Perfect Mess sounds like it would be a great book for me. Please include me in the drawing, thanks!
worthy2bpraised[at]gmail[dot]com

ChristyJan said...

Kim,

Your thoughts and feelings about this book have definitly made me want to read A PERFECT MESS.
Thanks for sharing this.

hawkes(at)citlink.net

Jblanton said...

oh it sounds great- please enter me- THanks!

Kim said...

Congratulations Katherine! Please be watching for my email to confirm your win!