{flourishing}

  a few friends and i have decided to have a summer book club of sorts and have chosen "the me i want to be" by john ortberg as our first book of our series.  this book came by recommendation from a fab blogger out of nashville, lindsey nobles, and after reading her post i was most definitely excited to read it. 

do you ever read a book though and know after the first chapter that this book is more than likely going to change you?  the type of book that will challenge you to the core, definitely make you uncomfortable, but will ultimately cause you to grow.  yeah, well after chapter one that's how i feel and you know what?...  it gets me totally excited and makes me want to put the book down all in one breath.

i  like love thinking outside the box about life and challenging myself, but some days... ok most days... i'd rather just sit in my happy little world and let my pride pretend that i am fine just the way i am.  wrong.  i want to be like Jesus.  i long for His character to ooze from me and spill into every aspect of my life and if that's the case, complacency is not an option.

when i'm truly honest with myself, there's a LOT of yuck that needs clearing out of my life. especially bad habits that are hindering my growth into my best "me".  i'm learning this will be a never ending process for my entire life and i'm totally ok with that as long as it makes me more like Him.  it comes in seasons and no it's not always easy, yes it's very difficult some days, but it's totally worth it if people are able to get a glimpse of who God is by me being the woman He created me to be.

that's why i'm reading this book with these two awesome ladies this summer.  i'm so thankful for God placing them in my life during this season of growth and i can't wait to see how we each "flourish,"as john ortberg describes in chapter 1... 

"God made you to flourish -- to receive life from outside yourself, creating vitality within yourself and producing blessing beyond yourself.  Flourishing is God's gift and plan and when you flourish you are in harmony with God, other people, creation, and yourself.  Flourishing is not measured by outward signs such as income, possessions, or attractiveness.  It means becoming the person he had in mind in creating you.  Flourishing means moving toward God's best version of you."

{happy.wednesday}
aw