I Want More: A Look at "A Sudden Glory" by Sharon Jaynes

Is this all there is? 

There is a moment when you find yourself going through the motions of life, and even in your relationship with God that you stop and wonder "is this all there is?" I know I have. I have asked this question many times in my life.

Now I know, that there is so much more to God, to His purpose for me and to my relationship with Him, but I did not always feel that way.

Before I began blogging and really seeking God in my life on a daily basis, I was a by the numbers kind of Christian. Attend church x amount of times in a week....check. Sing x amount of songs....check. Read x amount of chapters in my Bible....check. Pray x amount of minutes a day...check. But life was stale and dull. There was no vitality: there was no real life!

This is why I was so excited to find A Sudden Glory: God's Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More.  By Sharon Jaynes (WaterBrook Multnomah Press- Affiliate Link**)

This book moved me, challenged me and reassured me. I am not the only woman out there that wonders "is this all there is?"

God spoke so strongly to me through this book and I want you to have the same chance to be moved, as I was. This is what I said on the publisher's website, and I believe it is true.

"A Sudden Glory shone for me. As a woman who has struggled with her relationship with God, I understood the longing Sharon describes so perfectly. I wanted a fullness and a joy that I did not seem to have. I became disillusioned and at one point took a 7 year "break" from my relationship with Him. 

To hear that I was not alone was amazing. 

In this book I found a new way to look at my life. I was challenged not to "do" but to "be": to exist as a child in her Daddy's lap and to enter into the intimacy that can only come from abiding in God's presence. 

This book is an easy read, full of personal stories, and perfect for a small group."

I cannot recommend this book enough! You should get a copy soon. Since this is the beginning of a new year, why not start it off with a new perspective about what it really means to live, move and breathe a relationship with God and in God.

You can purchase a copy here or here.

Join the Conversation

Have you been aching for something more in your walk with God? Share your thoughts with us. Leave a comment below.

Affiliate Disclaimer 

**I was provided a free copy of this book for review. In no way am I paid to say these things, and receive no other compensation for my review. 

When God Speaks

A STORM WAS BREWING

Dark clouds began to gather. Huge plumes of thunderheads began to roll trough the area.

As I drove I became fascinated with the beauty of the impending turbulence. Then, off to my left, I saw this.

And I heard God say "Be still."

I do not know if you can see it. The only camera I had with me was from my ancient 3GS iPhone. The grey clouds are pressing all around and in the middle is one small white cloud. To me, it almost looks like a person floating on their back in a pool of blue. So when God whispered "be still" I got it.

Then I opened a book I got in the mail from WaterBook Mulmomah publishing (affiliate) A Sudden Glory: God's Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More by Sharon Jaynes. I began to read the first chapter and read these words.

"When I started to get up, I felt God's invisible strong hand holding me back. He wasn't finished. 'Be still and know I am God', He seemed to say. Cease striving."A Sudden Glory, page 6. 

Okay, the message is coming through.

THE THIRD TIME IS A CHARM

Then I reached down between the seats looking for something and pulled out an old journal. It fell open.  There, written in my own hand was this:

Psalms 46:10a "Be still, and know that I am God."

"Be Still" 

Quiet

Calm

Focused

Relaxed

Trusting

"and Know"

be assured

understand

comprehend

grasp

fully illuminate your inner man

"That 'I Am' God" 

Who made the universe

Who does not change

Who loves you

Who made a Way for you

Who healed you

Who called you

Who leads you

Who guides you

Who has a plan for you 

Who made you for a purpose

Who makes a way when there seem to be no way. 

Be Still and know I AM God. 

When God speaks, He confirms His words by His very nature. He is good and faithful. I am hard-headed and hard-hearted. This is why I need to hear this three times in one day. Now I need to figure out how to be "still" when all my life I have been a "Charge that Hill, and Take that Mountain" kind of girl. 

This is going to be interesting. 

Join the Conversation: 

Have you got advice on how to be (and stay) still in God's presence?  Share in the comments below.