For the Love of a Great Book

For the past 5 months or so, I have had an absolutely amazing opportunity: being a member of a book launch team. And not just any book launch team--this team rallied around the latest writings of Jen Hatmaker, one of my absolute ministry heroines. If that name sounds familiar, it could be for one of many reasons. Maybe you have read one of her many fabulous books, like Interrupted or one of her Modern Girl's Guide bible study books. Perhaps you've seen her speak at Women of Faith. Or maybe you've seen her and the rest of her family in "My Big Family Reno" on HGTV! She is one versatile girl.

Now Jen is sharing her love for people in her newest book, For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards. And it is available TODAY! It's launch day! So let's celebrate!

Honestly, friends, I am struggling to write this post/review, because there are so very many wonderful things to say that I don't even know where to start! I want to share all of my favorite quotes, but that would basically mean retyping the entire book right here, and I think there are some sort of rules against that. I want to post every quote graphic that has been made by my wonderful sisters on the launch team, I want to share every video of Jen, I want you to immersed in the laughter and tears and GRACE that just overflow from this book.

 

I don't know if I can do all of that in this one post. But I'll do what I can.

Here's what For the Love brought me: freedom. The love that she shared, the offer to just let go and do what I do, was like having a boulder removed from my chest. The encouragement to "bust a move" and own who I am without looking sideways at what anyone else is doing brought me to tears. And that's exactly the intent of this book. In fact, I will let Jen tell you in her own words: "Can I tell you my dream for this book? I hope you close the last page and breathe an enormous sigh of relief. I hope you laugh out loud because you just got free. Then I hope you look with fresh, renewed eyes at all your people--that one you married, those ones you birthed, the ones on your street and in your church and at your work and around the world--and you are released to love them as though it is your job."

And I think that is the true beauty of For the Love: it isn't just freedom for freedom's sake. Jen sets her readers free from the burdens we place on ourselves, and then gives us a gentle little push to use our freedom to love others better. Like a mama bird whose chicks are reluctant to leave the nest for the first time, she doesn't let us stay cuddled up in our own little corner, but tells us to take that step, no matter how small, and share what we have with the people around us.

And she also helps us to process the fashion disaster that is leggings as pants. So there's that.

Really and truly, I am sitting here shaking my head at how marvelous this book is and what a gift it has been to me.

So now I'd like to make it a gift to YOU. Well, to one of you. In honor of the release of For the Love, I am giving away a copy! Here's how to enter:

• For your first entry, check out jenhatmaker.com and look at her many wonderful books. Then come back here and post a comment, telling me which you would most like to read OR which is your favorite, if you've already read some. (One time per person)
• For an additional entry, share this blog post on social media, then come back here and post a comment so that I know you have shared it. :-) (One time per media per day--in other words, you can get one entry for posting on Facebook, one for posting on Twitter, one for posting on Pinterest, etc, each day)

Entries can be made until midnight on Thursday, and I will post the winner on Friday morning.

But if you don't want to take your chances--or if you want to go ahead and order a whole bunch of copies for family and friends, like I did--go to forthelovebook.com and order yours now!

Either way, friends, start sharing and commenting, because you do not want to miss out on this book.