Author Archives: Amanda Manney

About Amanda Manney

Hi friend, thanks for stopping by! I'm Amanda. I am a pastor's wife and a homeschooling mom who has a passion to encourage women to faithfully step every day into what God has for them.

5 Ways to Move Forward After a Difficult Season

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family lunch — Enjoying lunch together as a family for my birthday.

Our Season of Testing

Our family has just come through a tough season. About a year ago, everything in our personal lives and ministry fell apart. Through various circumstances, our church took a huge financial hit last summer. For several months, we didn’t receive a paycheck. When we finally started getting a paycheck again, it was half of what we used to make. It took us months to dig out of the pit both personally and for the church.

We ended up moving into a smaller house, and Matt picked up hours delivering for Amazon. Everything was turned on its head. So much changed for us over this past year. I think I can finally say, we are adjusting to our new normal. As with any tough season in life, I struggled for a long time. I spent a lot of time praying, journaling, being sad, getting angry, lashing out in frustration, and more. While life is not perfect, and we are still dealing with everything, I feel like I can finally take a full breath and focus on moving forward.

Job’s Life After His Season of Testing

I’ve been reading the book of Job this past month and thinking about his story. I wonder if Job had a hard time after God brought him through his season of testing. We know he lived a long life. I wonder what his life was like after God restored him. Did his body bear the scars of his disease? Did he struggle with post-traumatic stress? Was he constantly hovering over his children, protecting them, worrying about them? Did he constantly look over his shoulder? Was he always waiting for the hammer to drop? Did he fear God taking away everything again?

Living in Fear

After you come through something traumatic, fear keeps us from having peace. A few years ago, someone set our van on fire the night after Christmas. It was a pretty traumatic experience for us. You can read about it in a post I wrote HERE. After our van fire, I had a hard time sleeping at night. It took me a long time to be able to sleep through the night. I battled fear every night for awhile. All I could think about was it happening again.

I listened to a podcast a few years ago. The lady being interviewed spoke about losing her eight-month-old baby. A friend told her, “Well, at least the worst that could possibly happen, happened.” The mom who had lost her child said, “No, my greatest fear is it happening again and losing one of my other children.

Living Life to Its Fullest

Sometimes God takes us through a season of testing that leaves us battle-weary and scarred. We can spend our days looking over our shoulders in fear, but that’s no way to live life. I don’t think Job lived that way. The last commentary on his life comes from the final chapter of Job.

After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. So Job died, being old and full of days. (Job 42:16,17)

I think that Job was somehow able to move on with his life and live it to the fullest.

5 Ways to Move Forward after a Difficult Season

How do you move on from something and not have it haunt you? Is it possible to live life fully in the moment and not fear something happening again? It can be. There are five ways we can choose to actively move forward.

Choose to live life one day at a time. Choose to trust God with today. Don’t can’t focus on tomorrow. Focus on God’s provision for today.
Enjoy each blessing and life today to the fullest. We must choose to smile and spend time with those we love. “Discouragement is a choice,” Rick Warren says. I remind myself of that often.
Don’t focus on the fear of the “what if’s.” We get paralyzed when we think about things falling apart again.
Write down something you are grateful for every day. Every morning, I start my morning time routine with writing down at least three things I am thankful for. This starts my day on a positive note.
Don’t spend time dwelling on the past. Think about the future and moving forward. When you are in a tough season, you can only manage to keep your head above water. As you start to move forward again, dream about the future. Make plans to live life fully again.

Following these five steps, we can find our footing again and begin to move forward after a season of difficulty. Solomon says, there is a time and a season for everything. God has not forgotten you in this season of difficulty. He is with you now, and He will help you when it’s time to start moving forward again.

Mornings are Our Reset Button

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My Morning Routine

Over the years, mornings have become my favorite part of my day. The quiet hours before my kids wake up are my most productive hours. After I drag myself out of bed, I go downstairs and light a candle. Next, I make myself a cup of coffee. Right now, it’s decaf pumpkin spice coffee with french vanilla creamer. Then I sit at my table, open my journal, and begin my morning time routine of journaling, praying, and Bible reading. If you would like to know more about my system, check out My Best Tips for an Effective Morning Time.

Mornings are My Reset Button

I love the mornings because they are a reset button for my heart. It’s a chance to start over. I can confess and ask forgiveness for the things I did wrong yesterday. The start of a new day washes away the failures and disappointments of yesterday. With a clean heart, I can face the new day.

David’s Love of Mornings

I believe that David loved mornings. He developed a habit of spending time with God in the morning. Why do I think this? David wrote so many verses in the Psalms about spending time with God in the morning.

I love the verse David wrote in Psalm 5.

My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up. Psalm 5:3 (KJV)

Similarily, I love how this verse is paraphrased in the Message.

Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on your altar… (MSG)

Each New Day is a Fresh Start

Each new morning is a chance to come before God and lay out the pieces of my life. It’s a chance to realign myself with what God has for me for the day. When we find ourselves going several days on end without spending time with God in the morning, we get off track. Consequently, we lose focus on what is important and what God wants us to accomplish.

Each new day is a chance to start fresh. It doesn’t matter what happened yesterday. Instead of focusing on the failures and frustrations of yesterday, I can focus on what God has for me to accomplish today. God gives us a new day and a new chance to start over.

Jeremiah reminds us in Lamentations that God’s compassions are new every morning. Each day is a reset button, even on God’s compassion and mercy.

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:23 (KJV)

A Chance to Start Over

I don’t know what happened yesterday or the day before, but today is your chance to start over. Push the reset button. Start the day right by spending a few minutes in prayer and reading your Bible. Then ask God what He has for you today. Lay out your plans before Him and ask Him to direct you. When we get into the habit of doing this each morning, God can accomplish something great in and through us.

Are You Carrying a Problem that’s too Heavy for You?

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The Easy Fix to My Difficult Problem

The other day, I was outside jogging when I got a text from my husband, Matt. “Hey love, I got that problem fixed on your blog. You’re good to go.”

I read the text and laughed out loud. Of course he did! I thought to myself. I have had a technical problem on my blog the last several months that has been driving me crazy. I’ve researched the problem, tried several things, and run out of patience trying to fix it. Matt sat down and fixed it in less than ten minutes. He’s like that. He is my go-to for all things related to computers, programs, and pretty much anything technical. I used to think I was so techy. I’ve realized. I’m not. At. All. Matt can spend just a few minutes and do something that takes me hours to accomplish or figure out.

Jeremiah’s Recognition of God’s Power

I was thinking about that experience when I was reading my Bible in my morning time this week. I have been reading the book of Jeremiah. In chapter 32, Jeremiah pours his heart out to God in prayer.

Ah Lord God! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee: Jeremiah 32:17

As Jeremiah talks to God, he says, “I know that you made the entire world, and nothing is too hard for you.”

God Reminds Jeremiah of His Power

A few verses later, God addresses Jeremiah.

Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? Jeremiah 32:27

God and Jeremiah both agreed on God’s abilities. He is God, and there is absolutely nothing God can not do. In God’s hands, the most difficult problem becomes easy.

Our Problem in God’s Hands

Just as Matt can take something that is really hard for me and fix it quickly- God can do the same for us. The problems that are so big and unsolvable for us are nothing for Him. He created us, so He obviously cares about what happens to us. I wonder if the reason God doesn’t step in more often to help us with our problems is that He is simply waiting waiting for us to recognize His power and ask for His help. Peter gives us similar encouragement in I Peter 5.

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. I Peter 5:7

God wants us to give our burden to Him and let Him take care of it for us. When we do that, we no longer have to struggle under the burden. We can leave it with Him, and let Him worry about the outcome. When we do, we will have the peace we have been longing for.

What problems are you facing today that are beyond you? Could it be that God is simply waiting for you to ask His for help? Your problem is nothing for Him.

Choosing Hope- The Best is Yet to Come

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choosing hope quote — photo credit: Artem Kovalev

Job’s Suffering

I am reading in the book of Job right now for my morning time. If you know the story of Job, you know the incredible trials he went through. In one day, Job lost his wealth, his ten children, and his health. We see the play by play in chapters one and two. Chapters 3-37 record Job’s conversations with friends, his questions to God, and his heartbreak.

He uses words and phrases like “without hope,” “anguish of my spirit,” “bitterness of my soul,” and “my soul chooseth strangling and death rather than my life.” We get a glimpse into the depths of his hurt and grief. Have you ever felt the kind of feelings that correspond to some of those phrases? I could guess that you have. I know I have.

God’s Response

What’s interesting to me is that God says absolutely nothing for 34 chapters. We don’t know for sure how long Job’s suffering lasted, but we do know God did not step in right away. Why? Why would God allow Job to suffer? We know the “right” answer to that question… “God was testing him, God was proving him, God was answering Satan’s accusations.” But behind those pat answers lies a broken heart, Job’s heart. He didn’t know the story as we do. His story wasn’t written yet. The book of Job didn’t exist. He didn’t know there was a happy ending. He only knew the suffering he was enduring in the here and now, and it felt like it would destroy him.

Being Without Hope

Have you been in a place like that? Maybe you are there right now- a place where you feel without hope, and phrases like “bitterness of my soul” describe you. That’s a really hard place to be; I know because I have been there and am still there at times. When we get to a place like this, there is only one way to keep moving forward. Hope.

I’ve heard the phrase, “You can live about forty days without food, about three days without water, about eight minutes without air…but only for one second without hope.” We absolutely can not exist and certainly not move forward without hope. Hope is believing that good is going to come. It’s trusting that things are going to work out, even though it may not feel like it right now.

Hope is a Choice

Choosing hope is a choice. We can choose to stay in the dark place of anguish and bitterness of soul, or we can choose hope. It’s not going to come naturally. Hope is like a muscle. Just as it takes time and repetition to build muscle, it takes time and repetition to build hope. The more we choose to trust God and hope, the stronger our hope will get.

David understood this concept of choosing hope. The Psalms are full of verses about hope. Here are just a few to think about.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord. Psalm 31:24
And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee. Psalm 39:7
Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 42:11
For thou art my hope, O Lord God: thou art my trust from my youth. Psalm 71:5

Satan can wreak havoc in our lives, but do you know what he can’t take away? Our hope. Do you know what Satan can’t stop? A woman who truly hopes in God, who truly believes that everything she is going through is just for a season. She knows God will get her through. That kind of woman is unstoppable because life’s circumstances can’t get her down.

Choosing Hope

My husband Matt just released his book, Breakthrough: Turning the Death of a Dream into the Birth of a Breakthrough. It’s our story interwoven with a study of the life of Joseph. It’s all about this concept, holding on to hope when your dreams come crashing down. If you are struggling to hold on to hope, I know this book would be a huge encouragement to you. You can grab the paperback copy here or the ebook here.

In his book, he uses a phrase that we have come back to time and time again. “This is a moment in your life; this is not the rest of your life.” When we get discouraged and feel like things will never change, we have to remember this is just a moment in our lives. Things won’t be this way forever.

Choosing hope is choosing to believe that God is not done with you yet. It’s trusting that he is working all things for your good and this breaking of you will be the making of you.

Choose to Take the First Step

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take the first step on the path — photo credit: Achim Bongard

Have you ever prayed for something repeatedly and felt like God wasn’t answering? Could it be that God wants you to take the first step? I was reading Nehemiah in my morning time this week, and it reminded me of this concept.

Nehemiah’s Task

Nehemiah decided to take on an enormous project. God put on his heart to rebuild the wall surrounding Jerusalem. With the wall down, the inhabitants of the city were open to attack. Nehemiah knew the importance of the wall.

He gathered a team of men together and started the enormous project. He got the heart of the people behind him. The Bible says the people had a mind to work. They got started building the wall.

Critics Show Up

Whenever there is a great work for God, critics always show up. That’s exactly what happened. Four guys took it on themselves to try to destroy the work Nehemiah was doing. After continually being laughed at, critcized, and openly attacked, Nehemiah gathered the people. You can read what happens next.

But it came to pass, that when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and the Arabians, and the Ammonites, and the Ashdodites, heard that the walls of Jerusalem were made up, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,
And conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.
Nevertheless, we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them. (Nehemiah 4:7-9)

Nehemiah Makes a Plan

If we look closely at verse nine, we see that Nehemiah and the people prayed. It didn’t stop there, though. After they prayed, they made a plan. One-half of the people worked; the other half stood guard.

Nehemiah understood that in this case, it wasn’t enough to just pray. They needed to pray and trust God to lead them; then they needed to use the skills and wisdom God had gifted them with to make the plan work.

Taking the First Step

Too often, we pray and beg God to intervene in a situation or answer a prayer; then we sit back and wait for Him to answer that prayer. I wonder how often God doesn’t come through on our prayer, simply because He is waiting for us to take the first step. He is waiting to see that we are serious, waiting to see that we trust Him enough to take the first step. The Bible is full of examples of God working miracles and answering prayers after somebody took the first step of faith.

David prayed, then ran towards Goliath with a stone and a sling. Joshua and the people walked around the walls of Jericho for seven days before the walls came down. Moses had to demonstrate God’s power in ten different ways, ten different times to Pharoah before God led them out of Egypt. In each of these accounts, God had promised victory; but His people still had to act. God couldn’t give the victory until they stepped out in faith and took the first step.

Maybe the reason God isn’t answering your prayer is that He is waiting for you to make the first move. For more encouragement on taking the first step, read Stepping into the Water and Waiting for a Miracle. What step is God waiting for you to take today?

Getting Back Up Again after Falling

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Pony Camp

My eight-year-old daughter Madison participated in pony camp last week and learned an important lesson about getting back up again. She loves horses and has been begging to have horse lessons. My friend, Kelley, told me she was going to host a pony camp and would love to have Madison be apart of it for the week. We agreed to let Madison give it a try. Every day from 9-3, Madison went to pony camp. She learned how to ride, how to groom and care for the horse, and so much more.

Falling Off the Horse

On the last day, all the parents showed up to watch our kids perform. Our family sat and watched and clapped as the kids performed. We whistled and cheered when it was Madison’s turn. She had a huge smile on her face. It was going great until something spooked her horse. Everything happened at once. Kelley yelled at Madison to hang on and came running from the other side of the corral, Madison’s helper dropped the reins of her horse, and Madison fell off her horse. A second after falling, my friend grabbed Madison in one arm and the reins of the horse in the other. We all let out the breath we had been holding.

It was absolutely silent as everybody watched Madison to see if she was okay. She kept her head buried in Kelley’s neck. Matt walked over and took her from Kelley and brought her to me. By the time I got her, she was sobbing quietly. Madison is usually not very emotional, so it surprised me to see her so worked up. She clung to me as I carried her away from the corral and into the house. I tried to pull her away from me to look at her face, but she wouldn’t let go. I just held her for the next twenty minutes or so.

Recovering from Her Fall

I finally got her to calm down. She told me her foot hurt. The horse stepped on her foot when she fell. Matt came in and checked to make sure her foot was okay. After she settled, Kelley came to check on Madison. She knelt before Madison and talked to her for a little bit. She told Madison that before she left, she wanted her to get back on the horse. I inwardly thought, ” Good luck with that!” I know my daughter, and when she sets her mind on something, there is no moving her.

Getting Back On the Horse

We went back outside to watch the rest of her friends perform. Madison was mostly quiet and just sat with Matt and me. She told me a few times she didn’t want to get back on the horse. I didn’t say anything. Eventually, the show was over. It was time to face the music. I pretty much dragged Madison over to the entrance to the corral. She did not want to go in there, and I was pretty sure nobody was going to get her on that horse. I knew I wouldn’t be able to force her. I just hoped Kelley could work her magic and somehow convince Madison to get back up on the horse.

I’m not even sure how it really happened, but a few minutes later, a very reluctant Madison sat on her horse again, looking scared to death. I was nervous watching her. It took quite a bit of coaxing but finally, Madison started riding again. After a few minutes, she started smiling again. Everybody cheered for Madison as she went through each of the elements she had missed when she fell.

When she finished, everybody cheered; and Madison climbed off her horse with a big smile on her face. She was all smiles for the rest of the day and talked on the way home about going to pony camp next year. I must have told her a hundred times how proud I was of her for facing her fears and getting back up on the horse again.

Getting Knocked Down

Thinking about that day made me think of our lives. Sometimes life knocks us down. We get knocked on our backside by something we didn’t see coming. We get stepped on and hurt, and our hopes and dreams come crashing down. When that happens, we may need to stay down for a little bit. We may need to cry because of the fear, the pain, the loss of the dream. But don’t stay down for long. Stand back up, shake the dust off, face people again, and ultimately “climb back on the horse.”

It’s easy to climb on the horse the first time, but it’s much harder after you’ve been tossed off. Starting a new job is easy, but it’s hard to start a job after losing the last one. It’s exciting to get married the first time, but it’s scary to try it a second time after a divorce. Putting yourself out there for others is good until you get criticized; then it’s painful. It’s thrilling to start a business, but it’s terrifying to try again after the first one failed.

Getting Back Up Again

There are so many times when life hits us and knocks the ground out from under us. If we’re not careful, we wrap ourselves in a protective bubble and won’t try anything outside our comfort zone again. We have to remember, fear is not of God.

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. II Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
There is no room in love for fear. Well-formed love banishes fear. Since fear is crippling, a fearful life—fear of death, fear of judgment—is one not yet fully formed in love. I John 4:18 (MSG)

Being a Hero

Madison became a hero at pony camp. She didn’t do any fancy tricks; she didn’t do anything more complicated than anybody else. She simply chose to get back up when she fell down. Sometimes being the hero is simply getting back up and trying again. I don’t know what has knocked you down, but I am here to encourage you to get back up again. Don’t stay down. Proverbs reminds us to keep getting back up, no matter how many times we have fallen or failed.

For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again… Proverbs 24:16

Stand up, brush off the dirt, and try again. Whatever it is God has called you to do, He will empower you to do it. Stick with it and see it through. You will look back and see that getting back up again was the best decision you ever made.

Gathering Around the Table: Plus 2 Sunday Lunch Recipes

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gathering around the table photo — photo credit: rawpixel.com

My love of Hospitality

Matt and I love to have company over to our home. There is something about gathering around the table and eating delicious food that breaks down barriers. On Tuesday nights, we host our small group. On Sunday afternoons, we either have Matt’s family or a family from church over for lunch. Sitting around the table with plates piled high with barbecue chicken, mashed potatoes, cheesy carrots, salad, and bread, we get to know people and hear their stories. My inspiration for gathering around the table comes from Bread and Wine: A Love Letter to Life Around the Table with Recipes by Shauna Niequist. It’s so good!

Hearing People’s Stories

Recently, we had some people over to our home on a Sunday afternoon after church. We prayed for the meal, and everybody filled their plates with food and moved into the dining room to sit around the table. My husband Matt has an amazing ability to get people to tell their story. He started asking questions and got them talking.

What unfolded over the next few hours was a heartbreaking story. Sensing the need for privacy, I moved away from the table and into the living room, giving Matt and this person privacy.

I heard bits and pieces of the story, enough to break my heart. Matt spent hours just listening. He would ask questions here and there to keep the conversation going, but mostly he just listened. When they were done, Matt encouraged and loved on this person. We weren’t able to change anything in this dear family’s life, but we were able to simply listen and give them our compassion and love. In this case, it was enough.

They must have thanked us at least three times before leaving and said how much they enjoyed our time together and wanted to do it again.

A Small Verse with a Big Impact

This experience made me think of a verse found in the book of Jude. As the half-brother of Jesus, Jude gives us an interesting perspective to hear from. His book in the Bible is only 25 verses long. There is a short verse tucked inside this passage that can have an explosive impact.

“And of some have compassion, making a difference:” Jude 22 (KJV)

Of all the things Jude could tell us about the life of Jesus, he talks about having compassion. He understood that Jesus made the greatest impact on people simply by loving on them and listening to them. If we want to make an impact on someone’s life, we must show them that they matter to us.

5 Ways to Show Compassion this Week

In the midst of our busy lives, how can we find opportunities to show compassion on other people?

Show a genuine interest in people. Ask questions; learn their story.
Have someone over to your home for a meal or coffee and dessert.
Meet someone for coffee and get to know their story.
Make a meal for someone going through a hard time
Send flowers or a card to let someone know you are thinking of them.

You might make the biggest difference in someone’s life this week simply because you took the time and made the effort to have compassion on them.

BONUS: Recipes!

Easy Crock-Pot Recipes for Sunday Afternoons

Trust that God Knows What He is Doing

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A New Experience

A friend recently told me about a splash park not too far from us. So Thursday morning, I told my kids to get dressed in swim clothes for the park. A few minutes later, my five-year-old came downstairs dressed in regular clothes.

“Maggie, why aren’t you wearing your swimsuit?” I asked.

“I’m not going to get wet,” she said.

“Maggie, I really want you to put your swimsuit on under your clothes. That way, if you decide to get wet, you are good to go. If not, you can still play at the park,” I told her.

Convincing Maggie

She argued with me for a little bit, then finally went and changed. When we got to the park, she was convinced she didn’t want to get wet. I sent my other kids to go play and set about convincing her. Being super shy, Maggie hates new experiences. It’s really hard for her to do things when there are new people around. In this case, there were lots of little kids playing in the water. I knew that if I could just convince her to try it, she would have a blast.

two girls eating lunch — Maggie is on the right

After a while, I just about gave up in frustration. Finally, I convinced her to go try it one time. She went and tried it, and that was all it took. She played in the water for the next hour. When it was time to leave, she thanked me and said she had so much fun and wanted to know when we could come back!

After we all piled in the van to leave, I turned around to talk to Maggie. “I knew you would have a fun time; you just needed to trust me,” I said with a smile.

God as Our Parent

I wonder how often God has a similar perspective in our lives. For instance, as soon as something unplanned or difficult comes into our lives, we assume God has forgotten us or is upset with us. When in reality, God knows exactly what He is doing. Likewise, He is working His plan in our lives. He is weaving together our experiences and the people around us to mold us exactly into who He wants us to be.

I Peter 4:19 says, “Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.”

I love how the Message paraphrases it.

“So if you find life difficult because you’re doing what God said, take it in stride. Trust him. He knows what he’s doing, and he’ll keep on doing it.” (The Message)

God has not forgotten you. He is shaping you into who He wants you to be. Trust God and trust His process. It may be that He is preparing you for a change. Maybe it’s a new career, a move, a spouse, or something else entirely. You can read my 3 Ways to Stay Flexible and Ready for Change.

Book Suggestion

One of the best books I have read is The Hardest Peace: Expecting Grace in the Midst of Life’s Hard by Kara Tippets. I will warn you, it’s not easy to read. I read it with tears streaming down my face, but it’s really good. Her life is such a testament to trusting God even in the most difficult of circumstances. Matt recently told me Netflix made a documentary of her life.

Getting Through Today

God knows exactly where you are today and what you are going through. He hasn’t forgotten you, and He’s not ignoring you. Choose to trust Him to get you through today.

Summer Reading List for 2019

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Are you looking for some good book suggestions for summer reading? I’ve got you covered. I chose just a handful of books that I love.

NON-FICTION

Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by [Goff, Bob]

Love Does by Bob Goff. Every chapter in this book is a story, and Bob Goff is a master story-teller. It’s so full of encouragement and inspiration to love others with our whole heart.

The Ministry of Ordinary Places: Waking Up to God's Goodness Around You by [Martin, Shannan]

2. The Ministry of Ordinary Places by Shannon Martin. Shannon Martin’s books are so enjoyable. She talks about ministry in the city with truth and authenticity. She doesn’t sugar-coat it.

Can't Make This Stuff Up!: Finding the Upside to Life's Downs by [Lewis, Susannah B.]

3. Can’t Make This Stuff Up by Susannah B. Lewis. Susannah’s book is full of encouragement and laughs.

Unmasked: Overcoming the Shame that Says You're Not Enough by [Manney, Matt]

4. Unmasked by Matt Manney. This is my husband’s book. It’s about ripping off the mask of shame and learning that through God, I am enough.

The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears by [Batterson, Mark]

5. The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson. This book is so powerful. Mark teaches us again the importance of prayer but in a relevant and powerful way.

It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered by [TerKeurst, Lysa]

6. It’s Not Supposed To Be This Way by Lisa TerKeurst. Lisa shares her testimony in this powerful book. She shares how her life was shattered when her husband had an affair.

Make it Happen: Surrender Your Fear. Take the Leap. Live On Purpose. by [Casey, Lara]

7. Make It Happen by Lara Casey. This book is an encouragement to step out and do something great for God.

Girl, Wash Your Face: Stop Believing the Lies About Who You Are so You Can Become Who You Were Meant to Be by [Hollis, Rachel]

8. Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis. Rachel Hollis is the queen of motivation. Her book inspires us to forget about what others think and go for our dreams.

Get Out of That Pit: Straight Talk about God's Deliverance by [Moore, Beth]

9. Get Out of That Pit by Beth Moore. This book was an eye opener for me. I loved reading about the different pits in our lives and how we get there.

FICTION BOOKS

Of Beast and Beauty (Daughters of Eville) by [Hahn, Chanda]

10. Of Beast and Beauty by Chanda Hahn. I love anything by Chanda Hahn. This book just came out and is the first in the series. It was so good! It’s a modern retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

The Iron Butterfly (The Iron Butterfly Series Book 1) by [Hahn, Chanda]

11. The Iron Butterfly Series by Chanda Hahn. This series is one of my favorite of all time. There are three books in the series, and they are fabulous.

The Traitor's Game (The Traitor's Game, Book 1) by [Nielsen, Jennifer A.]

12. The Traitor’s Game by Jennifer Nielsen. Any book by Jennifer A. Nielsen is amazing! This one is no exception.

If you need more ideas, check out my Summer Reading List from 2018. Happy Reading!

Stick It Out: 3 Daily Choices to Prevent Quitting

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In High School

Stick it out! How many times have you heard those words before? I have a particular hatred for that phrase. I think it probably comes from years of sports and being yelled at. In high school, those words were yelled at my teammates and me as we ran under the hot Midwest sun in late August. It was preseason, and we had the joy of running outdoors to get “in shape” for the coming sports season.

I remember one particular day. We were running a long stretch. One of my team members jogged next to me. She looked at me as we jogged and asked, “How do you not stop? How do you keep going?” Confused, I looked at her. “What do you mean?” I asked. She said, “Everybody always stops and walks when they need to, but you never do. How do you keep going and not stop to walk?” Her question surprised me. I honestly don’t remember my response to her. It was probably something like, “I don’t want to get in trouble and have to run more.”

In Church Planting

I have thought about that question hundreds of times since then. I think about it when I’m pushing myself to keep jogging, and all I want to do is stop and walk. Sometimes I think about it when I am tired and want to go to bed, but I have a few more things to accomplish. Often I think about it in relation to church planting. The last few years of ministry have brought heartache and failed expectations. There have been countless times I wanted to just walk away from it all.

Too many Sundays with only a handful of people showing up for church, too many months without getting paid, too many hurtful comments from people, too many feelings of failure, and on and on the list goes. I’m sure people looking at our life would ask the same question my teammate asked so many years ago. “Why don’t you stop? Why do you keep going?” One gentleman at a church we were visiting said to my husband, “Most people would have given up by now.”

What was his response? What is my response? “We’re not most people.” While it is true, most people would have walked away by now, we have chosen to stay. We have chosen to continue in what God has called us to do. Why? Because we know this is God’s plan and purpose for our lives. More importantly, the reason we can keep going is that we have wrestled with knowing God’s plan for our lives.

In God’s Purpose

Matt and I have spent countless hours praying, reading our Bibles, journaling, talking to wise counselors, and talking to each other about God’s plan for our lives. We spent a lot of time working through the process I outlined in my last blog post. 6 Steps to Finding God’s Purpose for Your Life. I created a worksheet outlining the process we used. You can get it here. We’ve settled that we are to love and care for the people that God brings through the door of Greater Philly Church. We are both supposed to write. Matt’s newest book Breakthrough: Transforming the Death of Your Dream into the Birth of Your Breakthrough releases in a few weeks. I am currently writing a book. We both blog. Matt blogs at mattmanney.com. These are the things we know God wants us to do.

In the Future

How do we stick it out when what God has called us to becomes difficult or doesn’t look anything like we thought it would?

Hebrews 10:36 says, “For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (KJV)

The Message paraphrases it this way, “But you need to stick it out, staying with God’s plan so you’ll be there for the promised completion.”

What is the the promise? The answer is found in verse 37.

For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. (KJV)

The promise is that Jesus is coming again. When He does, all of our heartache and disappointments will be wiped away in the blink of an eye. We will receive vindication for all the wrongs we received. He will tell us, “Well done.”

3 Daily Choices that Keep Me from Quitting

After eight years of church planting, there are three things that I have learned that keep me from quitting.

Take it one day at a time. I just have to get through today. Don’t look at tomorrow or the next day. Figure out what I need to do for today.
Stay grateful. I write down several things I am grateful for every morning in my journal.
Choose joy. I once heard Rick Warren say, “Discouragement is a choice.” We have to choose not to be discouraged. If I don’t choose joy every day, the disappointments in life will pull me down.

In conclusion, I need to fulfill what God has called me to do. You need to fulfill what God has called you to do. Together, let’s develop some stick-it-out grit, so we can finish what we’ve started.