Friday, June 1, 2012

Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge

This is one of those books that you either love or you hate.  I'm blown away by such strong opinions that are given under the reviews on Goodreads.  It only goes to show how the design and creation of a woman is under attack today.  I for one - completely loved and appreciated the gems of wisdom, counsel and insight that I found within these pages.  I, along with the ladies in our home group, read this book and did the workbook alongside it at the same time.  It challenged me in deep and personal ways to forgive, heal and change the way I see myself and other women.  I was able to reflect on the woman I am and who I desire to be.  Sure there's some things in Christian books you might always disagree with - and in every chapter of the workbook, you were encouraged to write those down!  It's ok to disagree with some of their ideas or even to not identify with the descriptions of a woman. After all, I never was the little girl to dress up like a princess - I was in torn up jeans digging around in my sandbox!  But the pearls of wisdom I did find within these pages were invaluable to my life today and I'm grateful for the opportunity to read it with some of my closest girlfriends.  

Description: Every little girl has dreams of being swept up into a great adventure, of being the beautiful princess. Sadly, when women grow up, they are often swept up into a life filled merely with duty and demands. Many Christian women are tired, struggling under the weight of the pressure to be a "good servant," a nurturing caregiver, or a capable home manager.


What Wild at Heart did for men, Captivating is doing for women. Setting their hearts free. This groundbreaking book shows readers the glorious design of women before the fall, describes how the feminine heart can be restored, and casts a vision for the power, freedom, and beauty of a woman released to be all she was meant to be. By revealing the core desires every woman shares-to be romanced, to play an irreplaceable role in a grand adventure, and to unveil beauty-John and Stasi Eldredge invite women to recover their feminine hearts, created in the image of an intimate and passionate God. Further, they encourage men to discover the secret of a woman's soul and to delight in the beauty and strength women were created to offer.

Rating: *****

Recommend: HIGHLY!

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