Most women know that God loves them, but might he love them more if they finally lost that last ten pounds, or got their hair to lay right, or finally found a pair of jeans that looked good and let them breathe? Well, maybe God doesn't care about jeans, but women do, and all the talk about inner beauty hasn't kept all of us from staring into a mirror and taking an inventory that never quite measures up. Enough Already will: Elevate the soul-freeing, spiritual truth that God is the Creator of beauty and that women are called to appreciate and care for themselves as his own. Enable women to accept God-given beauty so that when they look in the mirror they see his handiwork, not their flaws. Equip women to win the ugly struggle with beauty once and for all.
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REVIEW
"Give a woman a mirror and thirty seconds, and she'll tell you everything wrong with the way she looks."
So begins the introduction to "Enough Already: Winning Your Ugly Struggle with Beauty" by Barbara L. Roose. It is sad, but true, that women can see the good in others more than they can in themselves. We are conditioned to nurture our family and friends, but often let our lamps run dry so that we can provide light to others.
I am guilty of this fault. Every time I see myself in the mirror, I think, "There's another age spot, another mole, another wrinkle." How can I see myself as beautiful when I talk to myself like that? How could anyone see herself as beautiful while belittling herself day after day?
The solution is to change the way we treat ourselves. God is our Creator and ultimate supporter, of course. We draw near to Him in both prayer and through scripture study.
But we have other assistance nearby from our sisters, if we but reach out to them. One such sister is Barbara L. Roose. Sometimes we can help ourselves and sometimes we need a empathetic soul to hold up the mirror and show us our beauty. Such a mirror is her book, Enough Already.
Each chapter begins with a Bible verse and/or a quote about the chapter's topic. There are comfortably-sized chunks of information in the various sections, helping us step-by-step to see the point she is making. Last but not least are a list of topics for group discussion and another list of journaling ideas.
Reading Enough Already, I felt affirmed every step of the way. I loved how she acknowledged that what works for her may or may not work for everyone. Her thoughts and words are filled with experience and insight that will benefit anyone who has ever looked in a mirror and thought, "Ugh!' This book is a good read if you have even momentary self-doubt on the occasional day here and there. It is a must read if you struggle daily with self-doubt.
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AUTHOR INFORMATION
As an author, I write about a topics related to a woman’s shape, style and soul. As a very tall, African-American woman, I believe that God has shaped my heart to reach out to women who don’t know – or have forgotten – that they are beautiful just because God created them.
Barb teaching photo 1I’ve been on staff at CedarCreek Church in Perrysburg, Ohio since February 2002. In addition to serving on the teaching team, I also serve on our executive leadership team and as the Directional Leader of Spiritual Formation with oversight responsibilities for a variety of ministries.
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(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author and publisher via Litfuse Publicity in exchange for my hones and unbiased review.)
This sounds like a wonderful book for any woman to read.
ReplyDeleteIt's true, most of us are forever fretting over our weight or greys or blemishes. Enough Already sounds like THE book for us to soak. Thanks for sharing, LuAnn :)
ReplyDeleteIs this part of the A to Z? Regardless -
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book.
I am certainly blessed to have a husband who overlooks my "obvious flaws" and appears not to see them the way I do.