Encouraging Truth Your Heart Needs to Hear - Especially on the Hard Days

Reading Holley Gerth’s You’re Going to Be Okay: Encouraging Truth Your Heart Needs to Hear, Especially on the Hard Days felt like a really powerful Biblically-based counseling session. Indeed, Holley is a licensed counselor and her experience working with women in difficult times is apparent. She also struggled with infertility for seven years.

Questions for reflection and white space to record your responses are scattered throughout the book. I didn’t take advantage of those journaling prompts, but I did whip out the highlighter when Gerth starts talking about worry.

“Worry transformed turns into hope and faith.”
“Worry is an attempt to control what we can never control.”
“Worriers place their faith in their ability to ‘control’ the future. Jesus asks us to place our faith firmly in him instead.”
“Worry and fear come from believing a lie about who God is.”
“...Not worrying doesn’t mean we don’t think about the future or that we aren’t concerned. We are to wonder about the future. That means considering what may be ahead so we can plan wisely. We are also to love one another, and that means we will feel concern for our brothers and sisters. The difference is that concern ultimately releases people to God, while worry places the burdens of their lives on our shoulders. If you’re not sure whether what you’re doing is wonder or worry or concern, then pause and ask this: ‘Am I thinking from a place of fear or a place of faith?’”

Good stuff, right? If you’re looking to find some strategies for surviving a difficult time, I highly recommend this book.

When I had the opportunity to read and review this book, I wanted to pass on it because I often struggle through non-fiction books even if the content is really good. It takes me forever and I knew I didn’t have a lot of time, yet I kept going back to this one like a child with a new favorite toy until I requested it. God moment? I think so, and now I know why! Holley Gerth has changed the way I think and feel about non-fiction! She was so ‘real’ and honest that I felt like I was having a conversation with her (okay, it was a bit one-sided) ;) and she read my mind and thoughts so many times! I loved so many parts where she made me laugh out out loud with sarcastic thoughts that were going through my head! I think these types of books either hit home with us or not, depending on what we are going through at the time. This book was definitely one that I needed to read when I did.

I cried within the first few pages, Holley spoke right to my heart and poured a soothing balm on it. She simply blessed me over an over again throughout this book. I kept wondering if I could really like this book so much, all the way through… and YES! I loved the entire book. My favorite chapter was You’ll Remember These Words.

This is the first time I have ever wanted to go out and buy all of a non-fiction author’s books! I highly recommend You’re Going to Be Okay and can’t wait to see what Holley’s other books are like!

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars!

I received this book free in exchange for my honest review from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

She writes like she was having coffee with you. Perfect for some people, I am on the 4th mention of her dog and I bought this to hear about God not her hound. Some people may like the coffee talk style. I am irritated by it. I have never read her other books. Otherwise, some of the points she is trying to make are biblically true and valid promises of God. So 3 stars.

My life isn’t perfect, I have been disappointed, and I have felt tired and stressed. I have thought am I going to be okay, can I make it through this? I have that little voice in the back of my head telling me I’m not going to be okay, then I hear God say Yes You Are going to be okay.
Have you ever felt this way? If so do I have a great book for you to read. You’re Going to Be Okay by Holley Gerth will lead you through and give you the encouragement you need to hold on to life, and see how God wants to help you. Life isn’t easy and we will have hurt and we will always have disappointment but we are not meant to go through it alone.
Holley uses positive encouragement and reflection questions to help us learn how to spend less time being stressed and more time truly living.
I highly recommend this book to all who feel they can’t go on anymore. You definitely will not regret purchasing this book.

"I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own."

Holley Gerth must be sitting on the other side of the table with the best coffee in town.

As her experiences as a woman, a writer, a therapist, life coach, and speaker funnel into an honest friend with eyes that see the reader, this book is strong as a stand alone message. The title sells part of the strength, but so do the pages which burst with examples that not only will we be okay, but that we can truly rise beyond the dark pits to find joy in the God whose plan is never thwarted by that which hinders and hurts us.

Her foundational books of "You're Already Amazing" and "You're Made for A God-sized Dream" tap into deep needs and wonders of worth and potential. This third book creates a true adhering of Holley Gerth's message to the hearts of women. She balances Scripture, science, and soul-talk to tenderly address what happens with worth and potential when life is crushing. She opens up her own story and anchors into the reader when she confidently asserts that rather than crumbling, we can climb on. We are going to be okay.

From statements that uncover that we are not here merely to survive but to accomplish what no one else can, to ones that encourage us to stay in the scandalously true purpose we are gifted, she describes God poignantly and writes with the voice we have come to trust as solid and sincere.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

Is your life perfect? Yeah, mine isn’t either, and neither is anyone elses! And that is why we all need this book by Holly Gerth! Holly guides us through chapters such as: Who You Are Is Still the Same; You’re Stronger Than You Know; Your Mind Is A Powerful Gift; Your Heart Is Worth Guarding and You Can Keep from Sabotaging Yourself. And this is just some of the topics Ms. Gerth teaches us in this wonderful book. This would make an awesome individual Bible study or a study for a small group of Sunday school class. I didn’t go through it this time as a study, but I plan to do that to get the full effect of this book.

I highly recommend this to every woman out there because every woman can find something here to help them in some way! Join thousands of woman as they study through You’re Going to Be Okay! I received this book from the publisher Revell Publishers to read and review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 55.

This was such a wonderful, encouraging book with so many great insights! The author points out important truths such as our identity in Christ does not change based on our circumstances. We may be struggling, but God still loves us no matter what's going on. We need to really look at our responses to stress and our attitudes and beliefs about ourselves and others. She challenges us to find our strengths, realize how our minds work so we can create new patterns of thinking, and guard our hearts. I love all of the Scripture she uses and the personal anecdotes that make you feel as if you're talking with a friend. There are questions and space for writing answers throughout each chapter so you can evaluate your attitudes and actions, along with these questions all together at the end of the book. If you're going through a hard time, no matter the cause, you need to read this book!

I received this book free from Revell in exchange for an honest review.

You're Going to Be Okay
Encouraging Truth Your Heart Needs to Hear,
Especially on the Hard Days
Holly Gerth 
Copyright 2014

You're Going to Be Okay is an important read for anyone who is struggling with hard times.  It is a reminder that we are not defined by what we are going through because that will change but who God created us to be is eternal.  

This book points out another important fact Stress is not meant to be a lifestyle we are reminded that God has putbus here for a purpose only we can achieve and that purpose is not spending our lives worrying.  

We are reminded as well that no matter what we are going through no matter what struggles we have in life God's love for us remains the same.

This is an important book for anyone who is going through a difficult time.

Five out of five stars.

LOVE this book!

In full disclosure I viewed a reading copy from NetGalley, but this is getting a place on the bookshelf to read over and over again. Excellent for a gift too - for family members, friends, church friends.

Love the conversational tone, the ability to tap into common ground and find a message in the ordinary. I'm reading this and first began thinking I need to get a copy to go through slower, savor and read more thoroughly. Then I started thinking of individuals who are facing trials who would love the book. Everyone has down times - some are bigger valleys than others. This reaches to all with perspective of each reader.

I read quite a bit, but had not read this author. That will change! Well done.

You’re Going to Be Okay is a wonderful, encouraging, Biblically insightful book for anyone who is feeling or has ever felt stressed, discouraged, overwhelmed and even broken, by life’s circumstances. If we’re honest with ourselves, we can all say we have felt this way at some time. Holley reminds us in this book that we are “NOT”our circumstances. In her words, the circumstance you are experiencing is “…where you’re at right now. It’s not who you are.”

With thoughtful insight, probing questions, and the constant reminder that we are not walking this path alone, Holley encourages the reader to reflect on what she has been experiencing. Holley shares strategies, taken from her experience as a life coach and counselor as well as from her study of the Bible to help us understand why we struggle and to break the patterns that keep us from moving forward.

Holley shares physiological reasons that keep us from successfully moving in the direction we (and God) desire for ourselves. I especially enjoyed the section in which she describes how our brain works for our survival and not for our ability to thrive. Through the book she shares Biblical encouragement and strategies that will enable us to consistently move toward the place where we can thrive. Writing space and a Go Deeper Guide are included in this book to serve as prompts for our self-reflection. The Go Deeper guide would be great to use for group study or for deeper individual introspection.

While it seems like it would be difficult, or maybe a chore, to read a book about something this heavy, it isn’t. Holley’s openness and sense of humor demonstrate her authentic desire, or I should say passion, to let women know that they are loved, in a way that is engaging and joyful. This makes the reader feel like she is having a great cup of tea, talking with her best friend.
I want to encourage you to read this book!. You see, Holley stresses throughout the book that our ability to see ourselves as God sees us is not just about us. What is just as important to realize is that when we are able to see ourselves as God sees us, we have an amazing capacity to help others see themselves as God sees them. Holley not only gives us the gift of being able to learn how to get to the place each of us desire to be, but through You’re Going to Be Okay she enables us to potentially give this same gift to others!

Holley’s heart speaks loudly to you and her wisdom gently guides you to dispelling the lies we tell ourselves. Through scripture and story we come to see that our emotions and circumstances are merely where we are, not who we are.

Through the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:2) and the guarding of our hearts (Proverbs 4:23) we live lives that, though they are hard, are not self-sabotaging. When we take every thought captive we are able to retrain our thought patterns into a new way of thinking that isn’t controlled by our instinctive emotions.

You are going to want to have this on hand for when the road gets bumpy and the voice in your head is a little louder than the truth in your heart. You may even want to have a few on hand to share with someone you know is going through a difficult season. There are simple exercises throughout that will open your eyes to the tricks you didn’t even know you were falling for. What a gift!

If you are sinking under the weight of imperfection and have been disappointed by the events in your life, Holley Gerth's encouraging book, "You're Going to be Okay", will resonate calm, soothing and comforting words into your life. Have you spent your life trying to measure up to the impossible ideals you see on Facebook and Pinterest? Are you pressured by society to be perfect?

Gerth's book is not just to read. It is also a workbook to help you work through your emotions, your insecurities, and your doubt. She uses the wisdom she's learned through the struggles of trying to live up to an impossible dream of perfection. Much of what Gerth presents in her book is not original. We have heard it before, but it's all in the presentation. She didn't write this book to condemn, to frustrate or hinder you. She doesn't want to discourage you. She offers real solutions. The only catch is you have to be honest with yourself and willing to do the work she recommends.

You may discover that you are stronger than you realize and things aren't as bad as they seem. You may also find that you are not alone. This is an excellent resource for young people who are on the brink of discovering who they are and who they want to become. It is great for those who are older who have struggled their entire lives trying to be perfect only to discover that perfection is impossible. You can pursue this work alone or with an accountability partner.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Have you ever wondered why you react to situations and life a certain way? Need help navigating through life's rocky waters? This book spoke right to my heart several times. I had many light bulb moments. She walks you through how our emotions affect our thinking and our actions and what we can do to discern between the lies and the truth.
I would recommend this book to any woman that needs encouragement that she isn't alone with her sometimes crazy feelings. And I love that there is a study guide at the end. It would be great to read through this book again with a group and really dig deeper.

Holley Gerth took a simple subject of how many women feel in today’s society and made it into an inspiring novel. Women sometimes just need a little push and encouragement to know that it is going to be okay in life. She brings tips for every woman to live with joy, resilience, and strength. I like the activities throughout the book to help think about your own life and how you will know everything is going to be okay. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars.

I received this book in exchange for my honest review from Revell Reads.

Unfortunately, I only made it through half of the book before I had to start to write this review to meet the deadline. But what I have read I have really liked. Ms. Gerth writes in a way that is personable and like you are sitting across the table having a cup of hot chocolate. As you are going through the chapters there are thought provoking questions to work through.

I can't wait to finish working through the book so that I can find the joy, resilience and strength no matter what life brings -- and life surely brings a lot!!!!!

You can read my full blog post here - twospecialneedschildren.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-review-youre-going-to-be-okay-by.html

So often we allow our circumstances to dictate our feelings, and we find ourselves at the bottom of a deep pit of frustration and sorrow. But there’s hope!

In You’re Going to Be Okay, Holley takes readers through a process of identifying and claiming their emotions, replacing lies with truth, and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Using the Word of God as her guide and source of truth, Holley speaks encouragement directly to readers’ hearts as they turn each page, finding that they are going to be okay.

Grab a highlighter and dive in to this uplifting and encouraging book. Immerse yourself in its pages as Holley points you to the Author of Truth, letting you know that you are going to be okay!

have you heard this quote before?

“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.”

that’s how i feel about holley’s book. she reminded me of truth i already knew, but the truths just got lost for a little while. i truly enjoy holley's style of writing. it truly is as if we're sitting together sharing stories. i completely marked my book up with my highlighter, my red pencil and copied notes all along the side. she gave me pointers, reminders and practical, doable steps to retrain my mind & my heart! excellent read!

I had been going through such a difficult time in my life...change that I wasn't ready for, and having a very difficult time coping with the present. Holly's book is comparable to sitting down with a best friend or counselor, and it has given me so much hope! "You're Going To Be Okay" reminds us that we are not defined by our circumstances, but by who we are in Christ.