Holley Gerth

Because I was quoted in Holly Gerth’s Be Courageous journal (a pretty big thrill for me, actually), her publisher sent me two books as a delightful and completely unexpected gift. One was a copy of that journal, the other a devotional called Cheering You On: 50 Reasons Why Anything Is Possible with God (DaySpring 2020). It’s terrific. I’m not particularly prone to gushing about current releases, but this one deserves it. The short essays are easy to read and pack a powerful punch with titles like

• You Have Hope and a Future
• Fear Can’t Win
• You Can Lean on Jesus
• Nothing Is Wasted
• Your Cares Matter
• Purpose Beats Productivity

I’ve never met Holley, but if I did, I’m pretty sure we’d be good friends, kindred spirits. She writes like I think. If you’re looking for a great little book (really, it’s only about 6 inches square) to encourage yourself or a friend, consider this my recommendation. And here are a few of my favorite quotes:

• “What’s ahead for you will not be a surprise to Him. On the days when life is hard, He will give you strength. In the times that are happy, He will rejoice with you. Even in the middle of what seems ordinary, He will do extraordinary things.”
• “Rest is not simply the lack of activity, but the presence of trust.”
• “We can each choose to make a difference where we are now. We all have something to offer. We all have something to receive. We are better together.”
• “God alone is big and extraordinary. He uses small, ordinary people to change the world every day because that’s the only kind there are, the only kind there will ever be. That includes you and me.”
• (Quoting another writer, Jennifer Watson) “You don’t have to show up perfect; you just have to show up. You are needed.”
• “He will give us everything we need to do His will.”
• “And suddenly I realized: it doesn’t all depend on me. I only need to depend on Jesus.”

‘Wishing you all a week of depending on Jesus!