If you haven't read any of her books, definitely check her out. She is a public speaker, author, and the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and she has all my respect after the three books of hers I have read in the past couple months. Girlie speaks truth. Applicable truth. Without too much flowery business and with honest humor. I dig her.
And I really dug her book Unglued. First I tested the waters of her writing style with the devotional version of the book. Then I dove head first into the actual book. And then I read another of her books called Made to Crave, which I am going to read again to really get it to sink in.
What follows, however, are my favorite quotes from Unglued. Great stuff! Anna, if you are ever reading this stuff one day, drink these reminders in, baby doll! Truth is just the best.
- I must remember God gave me emotions so I could experience life, not destroy it. There is a gentle discipline to it all.
- But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial, and sincere. James 3:17
- Quoting God's Word in the present tense infuses our hearts with holy restraint and diffuses our reactions so we don't spew.
- Am I trying to prove or improve? In other words, is my desire in this conflict to prove that I am right, or is my desire to improve the relationship?
- Perspective calls forth a gentleness I can't seem to find any other way.
- The more my heart is parked in a place of thanksgiving and rejoicing, the less room I have for grumpiness.
- There are reasonable things to be angry about today, but not slight inconveniences and little things that bump into my happy. God help me and my kid-placemat life.
- Sometimes I find myself thinking about God so much He becomes more of an identity marker than an identity changer in my life.
- I'm not gentle by nature, but I can be gentle by obedience. I'm not patient by nature, but I can be patient by obedience. I'm not peaceful by nature, but I can be peaceful by obedience. I can.
- Ultimately, that's why God tells us to concentrate on carrying our own load and avoid comparing and striving for someone else's load - it's for our protection. I see that now. It gives my brain a better place to go when those I-want-what-she-has thoughts start choking the joy from me. And instead of feeling empty, I feel a sense of possibility. I drop seeds of my own creative design and watch the long limbs of purpose start to form.
- How might you carry your own load and carry it well today?
- Choose those ways over gnawing, clawing, soul-atrophying ways of wanting the illusive "it." Refuse the pull and drain of the empty woman's ways. Even when life is hard and chaotic, I pray we make the courageous choice to embrace what is and to fill our souls with all of the good reality right in front of us.
- It's time to tackle negative inside chatter - those misguided thoughts that can easily turn into perceptions that then all too easily turn into dangerous realities. And realities based on runaway feelings rather than truth always lead to one thing - insecurity.
- {Kimmie insert - this quote came after an explanation about how our brains and bodies are designed to respond to our thoughts - so interesting and so telling!!} Negative thoughts lead to a crisis response - activating us physically but hindering our thinking. Positive thoughts allow us to process a situation accurately and respond in a healthy way.
- The more we read God's truths and let truth fill our minds, the less time we'll spend contemplating untruths.
- If we want truth to guard our hearts and minds, we have to immerse ourselves in truth. We do that by opening God's Word and letting God's Word open us.
- This, per the teaching of Philippians 4:8, is where I parked my mind: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.
- God's way is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). My way looks so much different. Just take all those qualities and flip them into a package that's impatient, rushed, and pushed to the limits. It's not pretty and it's not what I want. I want God's way. Heaven knows I do. But when the rhythm of my soul is survival instead of revival, I will come unglued.
- Might I be so bold as to not just make kindness come out of my mouth but also be the meditation of my heart?
- The New American Standard Bible translates "idle words" in Isaiah 58:13 as "speaking your own word." We get into trouble when, instead of parking out minds on truth, we let them idle in perception. Boy, is this dangerous!
- We have to capture our thoughts, hold them up to the truth, and make them line up with Scripture before we entertain those thoughts.
- I've learned that anytime I start hearing lies speaking louder than truth, it's an indication my soul is starving for God's Word.
- As I stood at the counter, I bossed my heart around a little and in the end decided to let truth from Proverbs 3 redirect me a bit. "Never let loyalty and kindness leave you! Tie them around your neck as a reminder. Write them deep within your heart. Then you will find favor with both God and people, and you will earn a good reputation. (vv 3-4, NLT)
- "Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers his righteousness on you" (Hosea 10:12) ... Even when you are disheveled, discouraged, or dishonored, honor Him still. ... Don't resist the blessing of brokeness that tills the ground of your heart. Breaking up the unplowed ground of your heart will make it ready for new life, new growth, new maturity in you.
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