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In this warm and wise book, author Sally Clarkson invites readers to take God’s hand and let Him lead them into a life of anticipation, passion, and purpose. With the voice of a trusted mentor, she reveals how, by getting in tune with the rhythm of God’s presence, women can nurture an inner attitude of anticipation and celebration even in the stressful seasons of life.
Through rich biblical insights woven with real-life stories, women will be inspired to recapture a spirit of joy as they follow God’s lead on the dance floor of life.
Meet The Author:
Sally Clarkson is a popular speaker, known across the nation and internationally for her work with women. She is the author of several books, including The Mission of Motherhood, The Ministry of Motherhood, and Seasons of a Mother’s Heart. She has worked in various ministries, including Campus Crusade for Christ. With her husband, Clay, she is cofounder of Whole Heart Ministries, which encourages and equips Christian parents. The Clarksons, parents of four, live near Colorado Springs, Colorado .
Back Cover Review:
Psalm 16:11 - You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
There is no doubt that the author, Sally, has walked through extraordinary and ordinary disappointments and disillusionment and have found in those experiences the secrets to experiencing joy (not to be confused with temporary happiness) in every season of life. She shares her personal experiences in this book along with her insight into the lives of people in the Bible who discovered joy in adverse circumstance including David, Job and Paul. Each chapter ends with a section titled “Finding Your Rhythm In God’s Joy” which includes questions to probe into your life and discover areas where joy is missing and to lead you through your own discovery into finding joy through God in your life again. Each chapter also ends with prayer.
David had a different heart…when she shares with the reader what she also told her son about David when he faced Goliath, she says, “they lived in fear because of what they could see with their eyes. But David saw with his heart. He saw this challenge as an opportunity to show the greatness of God. And David pleased God greatly because he didn’t just say he loved God, but he showed it by his actions.”
She talks about her husband when he took her on their first date declaring his desire to love her with unconditional love and how it surprised her. Like her, most of us have only ever known (or mainly know) conditional love, but there is overwhelming joy when we experience God’s unconditional love. “He [God] wants us to respond to him out of an appreciative heart that treasures his gift of generous, thoughtful, and unconditional love-not because we have earned it or deserved it.”
“I believe that David saw in God great freedom – that his God created pleasure, color, beauty, food, love, sound, taste, and deep happiness. David was not tied up in knowts of religion or rules, pretense and performance. Instead, he enjoyed and delighted in the God whom he knew to be his close friend and Lord. His dancing was a genuine expression of what he felt in his heart for his most beloved and intimate companion.” Don’t you want to know the LORD this way?! “In God, and him only, can we find joy, understand joy, remain in joy, and celebrate life each day with our hearts filled.”
Some of the areas that Sally delves into in her book are …The “I will be happy when…” trap…this is a pitfall that I have fallen into before. When we live in joy, there’s no waiting for tomorrow to bring us happiness, we can experience a grateful exuberant life here and now! I believe that this is what Sally’s book is all about! Areas in our life that produce joy that seem “backwards” to us – and Bible verses that line up with them – the joy that is produced by the adversity, trials and difficulties in our life. It is a biblical principle that works! How sharing joy produces it in our own lives…seeing God’s hand at work in our everyday life – in the beauty of the sky, the laugh of our children, gratefulness for what we have instead of discontent for what we don’t have. Listening to God speak…God’s voice speaking peace is the sweetest music an ear can hear. – Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
This is a beautiful, practical book for experiencing more of God’s joy!
Links to purchase this book online: http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9780307457066&ref=externallink_wbp_dancingwithmyfather_sec_0119_01
This book was provided for review by the WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group.
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