June Book Club Re-Cap “You’re Going to be Okay” by Holley Gerth

We had our first official Book Club this month. Our group is brand new, so it was fun for all of us to finally meet one another. The thing I love about our group is that everyone has such a kind and tender heart that is open to listening and learning from one another. Each month, we typically meet at the home of the person that picked the book, but we decided to mix it up and meet at our local coffee shop, the Classic Bean. This place has a welcoming environment that is warm and inviting and they don’t pressure you to get in and get out. You can just stay and talk to your friends as long as your heart desires.

“You’re Going to be Okay” was my pick for this month. I have had the privilege of hearing Holley Gerth, the author of this book speak at the Proverbs 31 “She Speaks” Conference and I absolutely love her sweet, encouraging spirit. I don’t know her personally, but she’s the kind of person I would want to have as a friend! I was drawn to the title, maybe because it’s what I need to hear right now in this season of life. In a short three years, my teens will both be in college and we will officially be empty nesters!  Yikes! I have also noticed that I am beginning to ask questions like, “Have I really done all that God wants me to do in this life, is this as good as it gets, and what’s next for me?”  I think we all need to hear that we’re going to be okay whatever our age. We especially want God to speak this word of encouragement to us personally. At our Book Club, everyone has the opportunity to share their “take home” from the book, so I wanted to share some of our highlights with you!

These are our top three highlights taken from the book,

“You’re Going to Be Okay” by Holley Gerth

1. Expectations can sabotage our ability to live freely. They are the prison bars God never intended for us, so when you’re feeling the pressure, ask yourself if it is an expectation or an invitation from God? When something is an invitation from God, it is never intended to weigh us down. If something is weighing us down, it may be an expectation we are placing upon ourselves. (Example: Expectations discourage us, push us down, or hold us back, but an invitation from God encourages us, lifts us up, or moves us forward.)

2. There is a difference between going through trouble and living there. As Christians, it seems that some of us are accepting the desert as our home. God offers an internal Promised Land no matter our circumstances. In John 10:10, Jesus said, “ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (NIV) God didn’t say an easy life, but he did say a full life. One that is filled with joy, peace, love, and hope. It’s promised and possible.

3. “The years between that walk across the stage and the walk into eternity will fly by. You and I – we’re somewhere in the middle. So lean in and listen to this…You are the only one we will ever have. God didn’t create a plan B for your life. We need you to be who you are, to do what only you can do. And to do it now, today, in whatever way you can.”

Holley has also written other books like…“You are already Amazing” and “You’re made for a God-Sized Dream.” All of her books are inspiring and worth the read. Stay tuned for our July Book Club re-cap. We are reading “One Thousand Gifts” by Ann Voskamp.