Collecting The Moments That Matter
Christian Living
“I want you to take every step of your life with
excitement for where you are headed. And I want
you to feel beautiful and confident as you do.”
BUT HOW?
When the enemy whispers lies that you are not smart enough, pretty enough, or rich enough? Or you are too dumb, too loud, too quiet, too thin, too fat, too much or not enough? What if you don’t have what it takes to be who you really want to be?
In Looking for Lovely, Annie F. Downs shares personal stories, biblical truth, and examples of how others have courageously walked the path God paved for their lives by remembering all God had done, loving what was right in front of them, and seeing God in the everyday—whether that be nature, friends, or the face they see in the mirror.
Intensely personal, yet incredibly powerful, Looking for Lovely will spark transformative conversations and life changing patterns. No matter who we are and what path God has us on, we all need to look for lovely, fight to finish, and find beautiful in our every day!
My Thoughts
Looking For Lovely arrived on my doorstep at a time when all around me looked anything but lovely. Some things in and out of my control had taken place and left me off-center. When I picked up the book I have to admit I was skeptical about finding anything that would apply to me.
What I had overlooked about the book was the fact that it is written by Annie Downs. If you've ever read anything by her you already know that she writes with such a naked honesty that you can't help but be drawn in. This may seem trite but she had me at Chapter 1.
Annie herself had been falling apart for quite some time. Then a moment came when she had to face up to the ridiculousness of carrying on in the same manner when an answer to the problem was within her grasp. The Bible tells us: "Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7) So Annie began to ask God for a miracle.
And a miracle she got.
The miracle came in the form of small ordinary things. Things that were all around, but you had to watch for them. Here's my favorite quote of the book that sums up the entire experience:
"When I am watching, like a sunset or a movie, I know it is going to happen. Things we watch for are bound to happen. We aren't hoping; we're expecting. When you show up at a theater to watch a movie, you aren't there with your fingers crossed, hoping the screen starts showing a film. You expect it. You may have to wait a few minutes for it to start, but it is coming. So you get your popcorn, your SnoCaps, your Coke ICEE, and you take your seat, facing the screen, and you wait, without worry or concern, without question, because you are here to watch a movie." (pg. 41)So after taking this journey with Annie, I too am waiting for a miracle and spending time noticing and reveling in all the beautiful, lovely, ordinary, amazing things that God Himself has put in front of me. If you've got a mountain that seems insurmountable in front of you I invite you to come along on this adventure with us. This book and the corresponding Bible study will surely change your perspective.
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